Jannah. [SEQUEL TO DAWUD]

Chapter 10: Jannah's New Job

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Eid Mubarak! I love you guys so much 💞

If the time of prayer has been called and you haven't prayed before reading this, please do so.

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Dawud's P.O.V

I cut my apple in half and removed the seeds from its core, handing the other piece to Jannah. She looked beautiful today and I was sure to let her know. Her long and dark hair was twisted in two thick braids, running down her scalp and back. She bit her lip, reading something off of her phone. I admired the way she looked in her signature pink pajamas, cozy in a grey wool cardigan. Her full lips pulled into a frown as she set her phone down and took the apple from my hand. 'What is it?' I asked her, studying the way her brown eyes focused on the table.

She cleared her throat and looked up at me. Seeing Jannah this serious was rare. Her eyebrows pulled together as she gathered her thoughts. 'You know how your mother's house is right next to that government building? The one specializing in Economics?' She asked me, drumming her fingers against the table.

I smiled. 'Yeah, the Development and Economics sector.' Jannah nodded slowly. 'What about it?'

With a sigh, she began to explain. 'Well, your mom knows a woman who works there and told her what I'm studying in university. She offered to hire me on the spot. Apparently, they need more diversity in the office and it would be a great opportunity-'

I leaped out of my seat excitedly and took ahold of her hand. She jumped up in shock and then began to laugh as I skipped around the table obnoxiously. 'Oh yeah! That's my wife!' I shouted, loud enough for the entire apartment floor to hear. Jannah watched me silently, biting her lip. She shook her head and covered her face with her loose sleeves.

'I didn't think you'd be this happy.' She admitted. My party-for-one ended abruptly as I sat back down. 'I don't know, I guess I thought you would tell me that I didn't have to work.' I raised my eyebrows in surprise, causing her to rephrase her words. 'No, no, not like that Dawud. I mean, Alhamdullilah, all of this is,' she waved her hands about, gesturing towards the apartment, 'Is because you do such a good job at providing for us. I didn't want to make you think that you weren't doing enough.' She trailed off, shrinking into herself.

I pulled at the arm of the chair, bringing her close to me. 'Hey.' I said sternly. We locked eyes, making me all warm inside. 'This job is perfectly in-line with what you're studying. It would look amazing on your resume and it's good experience as well.' I explained softly. 'Jannah, I would never step in the way of you pursuing your dreams. As long as it's in line with our beliefs and principles, then I'm your number one fan.'

She slipped her arms around my middle and sighed. 'You're like a prince.' Jannah said quietly. I chuckled, rubbing her back.

Jannah's P.O.V

Three weeks after I told Dawud about the job offer, there I stood, in the foyer of the building. I clasped my access pass around my hijab letting it hang against my middle. The elevator doors slid open, spilling out a dozen busy employees. I looked down at my skirt, removing a piece of lint when I heard my name being called. I looked up to find a thin woman with grey hair. Her skin was dark in color, making her hazel eyes pop. I blinked twice registering that she was waving at me to come over. With a few steps I was by her side. 'Jan-Joannah? Did I pronounce that right?' She asked me politely. I bit my tongue and nodded, stopping myself from correcting her. But, I just want to know, how could someone mispronounce the name Jannah? It's like Hannah, but with a J instead of an H! I smiled to stop myself from laughing. 'I'm Cindy. It's nice to meet you. I'm the Executive Chief and Editor.' She said, pressing the elevator button. She had a clipboard in one hand and stretched out the other to greet me properly. I shook it and nodded again. 'I'll be reviewing your work from time to time. Normally, I'm out of the city but I've flown in this week to greet you and to welcome you to the team.' We stepped into the elevator and were quickly pushed to the back. Sadly, we got off on the eleventh floor, making the trip extremely long and uncomfortable. I tapped my card against the entrance door to the office and pulled the handle. It opened with a loud beep.

'Nice.' I said to myself, a little too loud. Cindy led the way, scribbling over something clasped onto her clipboard.

She brought me to a small cubicle just on the other side of the floor. It was attached to several other cubicles, populated by employees typing away at their keyboards. I set my purse down next to the chair and looked at her. 'I'm going to send the assistant-manager in to debrief you on what your job consists of. Just sit here and wait, okay?'

I nodded again, feeling like those bobble-head toys you put on your car's dashboard.

She left and I sighed, sitting at my desk and sinking into the cushioned chair. There was a large window behind my desk, making the office a little more bearable. There was also a mouse pad, highlighters, pens, sticky notes-

'Hi! Welcome to the team. I work in the editing sector as well. Could I get your name?'

I looked up with a smile and froze. I watched as the smile on his face faded as well, replaced by a look of confusion and surprise. What would Dawud say? I didn't want to be the one to tell him. This wasn't real. There was no way this could be happening. How could he, out of all people, be my coworker. My fellow employee! Had I known, I would have never accepted this job.

'Jannah Sultan.' I said, steadying my voice.

'It's so nice to see you after such a long time.' He said through a forced smile. 'I'm sure I don't have to re-introduce myself. You already know me.' He boasted, fixing his tie with an arrogant smirk.

I shook my head and blinked a few times. 'No, sorry, I don't. What's your name?' I asked him, breaking his confidence in two. I could hear a couple chuckles emanating from the cubicles around us.

His grin flipped into a frown as he rolled his eyes. 'I'm Laith. Laith Asayed.' He said, unbothered.