FRIENDSHIP LIKE US; OBSESSION ✅

CHAPTER 9

Salam❤️

FINAL FLASHBACK

FLASHBACK: The Night Before the Journey to the Baba's House

The apartment door groaned on its hinges as Nizam finally turned the key, his shoulders sagging under the immense weight of another soul-crushing day at A.K. Perfumes. He stumbled toward the living room, his entire existence narrowed down to a single, desperate goal: the soft, welcoming embrace of his beloved sofa. It was his sacred daily ritual-drop the keys, drop the bag, and drop his body into oblivion.

But before Nizam could even exhale his carefully planned "I'm dying" sigh, a loud, dramatic **THUD** echoed through the room.

Aiden had beaten him to it. The Jinn was already sprawled across the cushions, his shimmering red velvet thobe draped artfully over the upholstery. He was mimicking Nizam's exact exhausted posture, rubbing his lower back and huffing like a manual laborer who had just finished a double shift in a coal mine.

"Yaar... *bohat thak gaya main*," Aiden groaned, elongating the words with theatrical flair. "I am so... so tired! My goodness, Nizam, the sheer workload today! I am utterly exhausted! How do we manage this every single day?"

Nizam stared at him with a deadpan boring expression, poking his tongue against the inside of his cheek. He rolled his eyes so hard he nearly saw the back of his own brain. With a heavy thud of his own, he sat down right next to the dramatic spirit, shooting him a look of pure, unadulterated judgment.

"Oh, really?" Nizam challenged, glaring at the Prince of Fire. "And exactly what 'work' did you do today, Aiden? You son of a Jinn. What Herculean task could have possibly exhausted your Royal Highness?"

Aiden turned toward him, his face a mask of wounded innocence. His glowing red eyes shimmered as he looked at Nizam.
"I spent the entire day sitting in your office with silence, Nizam! Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be quiet for ten hours straight?"

Aiden complained, his voice rising in pitch. "And then, you take forever to serve me my beloved food! My stomach feels like a hollow cave. And even after all my patience, you just spend the whole day glaring at me!"

Aiden paused, throwing his arm over his forehead in a classic drama heroine pose. "Is it a crime to be a Jinn? If being a Jinn is such a sin, then go ahead! Go.....punish me ! Punish me! Sentence me to the silence again!" And his drama starts!

Nizam rolled his eyes at the peak drama, but despite his best efforts to remain annoyed, a small chuckle escaped his lips. Aiden was truly something else. He shook his head, looking at the Jinn with a mixture of disbelief and growing fondness.

Nizam know perfectly that beneath all the supernatural power and the ancient history, Aiden was fundamentally like a child-innocent, impulsive, and incredibly sweet. Aiden probably wasn't lying when he claimed to be the most beloved and beautiful member of his tribe; there was a magnetic, radiant charm about him that was impossible to ignore.

Nizam watched him for a long moment, his gaze softening into something warm and protective. He found himself drifting back to the day they first met.....two month ago-that bizarre, terrifying day in the kitchen with the fish. Everything had been so chaotic back then, but sitting here now, it felt as though the madness had settled into a strange kind of harmony.

Against all odds, the high-profile personal assistant and the 600-year-old Jinn had found a rhythm.

Today, everything felt set. Everything felt..umm..... right.

"You're so weird, Aidan. " Nizam whispered softly, a tired but genuine smile playing on his lips. " But the good one."

Aiden beamed back, his red eyes sparkling with joy at the lack of a lecture. "Does that mean we are having extra kebabs tonight, Habibi?"