Beau Monde ✅

Chapter 32

Nailah Zayed.

Maroudi, Nigeria.

I've always known Imran is psychologically unfit—at least, since Ayaan told me. He may not seem like it, but he is.

However, I never got to see him that way—not once in the years I've known him. If not that I'd met Ayaan before I met him, I never would've believed what he told me. He's always been calm, never once acting out in an obvious manner.

However, I needed to confirm and see for myself whether what Ayaan said was true—regardless of the trust I'd put in him. So, I did the only thing I could do to bring out his true self to see for myself and for everyone to see whether he's the man I've always known him to be.

Or I guess, you could say I wanted people to see the side of him I'd see over the years—the side he didn't think I was aware of.

You're probably wondering how I managed to believe Ayaan that easily regarding him, right? I didn't. It took me a long while to believe him—it took over a year for that to happen. And that was only after I had met Imran.

I could still remember the first time I met him. My impression of him was...he seemed more like someone I would trust compared to Ayaan. Yes, the latter was completely honest with me since the first time we met. I could've used his information against him—considering he basically exposed himself out to the enemy. However, I didn't know him.

Imran was the one I knew. At least, he was the one I've been informed of.

So, when I first met him, I thought I could understand why my sister got along with him. He seemed warm, and friendly. I would admit that for a split second, I thought I had met someone I could actually trust—I even thought of letting him know about Ayaan.

Then it started. The very first thing that raised a red flag regarding him—the stalking.

At first, he was the one that stalked me. One would think I wouldn't realize it, since he was being discrete and I guess I wouldn't have if not for Ayaan. He was the one that found out, and told me about it.

Turns out he was right. I didn't show it either, but it seemed almost everywhere I go, Imran stalked me in the shadows. I was creeped out to be honest, who wouldn't when you have someone constantly following you everywhere?

I was even paranoid for a while; the action set the basis of my revolting feelings towards him. Do you know how it feels to constantly look over your shoulder because someone's been watching you? Do you know how it feels to be overly aware of yourself and your actions because someone's eyes are on you?

It wasn't a good feeling, that much I could tell you.

The only one that helped me get through it was Ayaan—who admittedly was always there to help me get through it. Somehow, he managed to stay off Imran's radar—because for six years now, we managed to keep the fact that we've known each other and have been in cohorts with each other from everyone. It wasn't easy to be honest, but that alone was enough for me to learn to trust Ayaan.

It was when it all started, our alliance that is. For six years, we had been monitoring the family, watching their every move and waited for the perfect chance to strike. For me, I had to suck it all up...I had to put up with everything that family threw at me with the only thing getting me through the years being, 'It will all be worth it.' I reminded myself times without number. 'One day, I'll be free from them. One then, they would finally get what they deserve. I'll get justice for my sister'.

When I returned to Maroudi, I thought that will be the end of it; and for a while, it was. He didn't follow me around at first—having gotten caught up with work. After all, he is the heir to Hadi Groups; there was no room for him to mess around.