INSANE LANE

24

'We are sun and moon, dear friend, we are sea and land'

.

And finally their lives made sense

"Come again?" Maaz's authoritive voice was booming in the room and through his laptop to his assistant who was on a video call with him, discussing weekly business.

"I beg your pardon. Sir, but if I did something to offend you, I didn't mean it," The older man, Maaz's assistant, Hammad's face had shrunken in worry, as Maaz gave him a pathetic glance and looked over at her on the picture frame on his desk, and from that frame to her eating food on the coffee table. He sighed looking back at Hammad.

"I am offended and very much so. You are telling me to come back to America, while my psycho cousin is still out there and Ayat is in evident danger?"

"That is not what I am suggesting. Sir, with all due respect, it is just a lot here for you to deal with. The investors from Japan and Korea are in country, and they intend immediate business, if that's possible," Hammad coddled in the tense atmosphere.

"Tell them it is not possible, physically, virtually if they intend, by all means but I can't leave her here like this, unprotected. Note that, and do not insist again," He was strict when it came to business but since her, it could be officially stated, he had been neglecting some of his duties. No one could but convince him otherwise.

"I will not, but if you change your mind, just know Ayat madam will be under full protection," Maaz raised an eyebrow. Hammad retreated instantly.

"Not that I am insisting, sir," Hammad didn't fondle before adding the regiment which meant to somehow please Maaz, or better yet, his ego.

"Better. You can go now," Maaz mentioned. "And keep me updated,"

"Wait!" Ayah's voice muffled between bites, biryani this time, she couldn't get enough food when she was stressed which was funny, but not that he'd say that on her face, not if he wanted her flashing wrath coming his way. He could deal with crime lords but her, he just couldn't.

She rounded from the coffee table in his office to his desk where he spent last few hours going through and awful lot of work. Business was boring, so much so, she had yawned thrice in her lunch break just watching him work

"Sit back, mia amor, and eat," Maaz refrained her. She frowned and came to the laptop anyways wiping her hands and face with a paper napkin.

"You can call me Ayat. Not madam. It sounds awful," She smiled from the call. Hammad had clearly an uncomfortable face on, like he was constipated. Only if Ayat were in his shoes would she understand the situation the poor man was in.

"Okay. Ayat," Hammad's smile was rather stiff and incoherent. Maaz almost absorbed himself in the camera and stressed upon his words. "You will call her. Madam,"

"Better, sir," Hammad said and dismissed the call on Maaz's cue.

"What the hell?" Ayat retorted. "Why can't he call me like normal people do?"

"Because, he is my consigliore,"

"You're what?" Ayah's ear's perked up.

"He is my consigliore, my advisor, not my brother, so he can't call you your name, and that's final. Conversation over," he marked with sitting back down on his desk and typed away on his laptop.

"You are impossible, and I will get my revenge for this," She warns him and walks out the door, while he kept wondering what she means by it. He was thrilled to find out.