𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟎𝟏

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐

FARAH

“Farah, hurry up!” Lubna says from the entrance of the bakery.

“Coming!” I say as I juggle multiple boxes of pastries in one hand and put the strap of my bag over my shoulder.
I quickly balance the boxes with both of my hands and rush out of the bakery.

Zoya locks the bakery then we start making our way towards the festival stalls.

Today starts festival week.
Once a year, the town’s people arrange a festival containing stalls of goods, games and many things.

Abbu always took us and spoiled us with anything we wanted when we were younger.

Festivals were one of my mother’s favorite events to attend. She would sometimes help her friends set up stalls. Abbu would use the excuse that me and Zohaib were missing her just so he could go and see her or make her join us.

Zohaib would always sigh like an old man at Abbu’s behavior while I’d try to suppress my giggle.

I started joining Zoya when she started her business. Her bakery isn’t popular in the town despite her having the best treats but it will be.

One day.

Zoya’s stall always gets a lot of rush during the festival. Therefore, it is one of the best weeks of the year.

The festival lasts a whole week where, sometimes, we get visitors from outside the Kingdom as well.

My steps come to a halt as we near our stall.

Not because of seeing the stall, no.
But because of the man sitting on one of the stools talking to Taimoor bhai.
The man whose presence makes heat rush through my veins.

Lubna stops on her tracks and turns around when she realizes I’m not walking with her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why is he there?” I whisper-yell.

Lubna looks at where Hassan and Taimoor are helping set up Zoya’s stall then turns back to look at me with a frown, “Taimoor?”

“No!” I step closer to her, “the other man.”

“Oh, Taimoor brought him.”

“Why?”

She shrugs, “Zoya said that Taimoor might trust and like him because he has never brought someone with him. Like ever.”

Out of all the people in the town, it had to be him?

“Did he do something? If he did, tell me. I’ll break his nose.”

I frown at Lubna and she raises an eyebrow. Shaking my head, I walk towards the stall with Lubna following me.

We greet Hassan and Taimoor bhai and they greet us back.

I make sure not to make eye contact with him while I help Zoya put boxes aside.

I don’t mind that he’s here. I really do not. I am, in fact, happy to see that Taimoor bhai trusts someone enough to bring him along to join us.

Taimoor bhai is one of the hardest people to impress. Zohaib bhai and Taimoor bhai got along because they were together since they were kids. Even when Zohaib bhai enrolled in the military, it never put a dent in their friendship.

He’s kind and respectful to everyone but winning his trust is one of the hardest things to do.

I got a free access card because I’m the daughter of my beautiful parents- who helped him in many ways- and the sister of my brother and his best friend.