BRIDAL CONTEST

Chapter 33

"I have always took pride in being the first to know your thoughts after you" Aunt Maleikha said in Arabic, "i don't know what and where I've gone wrong that i have to hear somethings very dear to you from people."

Her assembling her children in her room and those not in town through video call is enough to scare them. Then she talks in Arabic and the scariest part is what she said. No one dared to ask what that was all for, they just kept exchanging questioning look.

"If i am your mother, if you ever consider me as that, that is. You will tell me of things about you that i don't know about, your assets and your dealings. Starting with Aryan."

He felt his heart lurched to the pit of his stomach. All the while their mother was talking he told himself he will get ideas from what other people are saying. He is not the nearest person to her nor is he her first child so he wont be the first so whichever way he didn't expect his name to be called first.

"I. Uhm...... I don't own anything you have no knowledge of", he got a glare for that. "I rented a place where I'm keeping cars. I intend to start a car rental business with them. That's all Ummi, i promise that is all," he ended under her scrutiny.

"Luxury cars for rentals? And why am I just hearing it now. Because you don't trust me? "

"Not at all. After finding out about Akhy's Uhm, investment. I decided to look for another stream of income too. I saw a video on how Designers were not made for the rich but for those that want to look rich so i decided to leverage from the market.

"Luxury car rentals for events and for wanna be's. I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone."

"Well it wasn't because I got to hear it from someplace.

Arshad you have already proved whatever you wanted to prove since Martina, why did you open a company without my knowledge?"

"The company was a pet project, i just wanted to see if I can start something from the scratch. First because of Abba's threat of stripping me off his enterprise but then Martina left me because she wasn't patient enough and of course what you foresaw. Later on, i fell in love with it but i have to show my diligence to Tambari so i brought it under it to be able to run it without much stress.

I didn't tell anyone in the family because i didn't want any help directly or indirectly. I wanted to see my strength and weakness, it was just to test myself."

Before she could go onto the next person the only member of the family absent came into the room. He doesn't have to ask to know what is going on in the room since he is the reason behind the gathering. They all greeted him and he answered elated.

"Why am I the only one exempted from this meeting? I smell foul play." They all laughed to that.

Dr. Tambari removed his Tangaran cap and lay on his wife's bed putting his head on her laps, she instantly removed the hands she kept on her laps. He turned his face towards her and said, "now you feel what i felt when you left me out of Aryan's mas'ala."

Aryan looked down at his laps for the first time finding his pale brown jeans more beautiful than the first time he saw it.

"Arshad when are you going to seek for my permission to court my daughter properly?"

It was now Aryan's turn to laugh.

"Oh! We can't take it that far, as it is now we need some serious damage control."

"There will be no need for that. All that drama is done but your son keeps looking for excuse to go out with my daughter. Care to explain why, young man?"

"Abba we will follow all the necessary protocols", says mum Himla. Seems like is only the trio that knows about Mr. COO's feelings. All this while the man in question just bowed his head and kept scratching his hind-head.

No! Can't believe i don't know my children anymore. Why did you allow me to go through the whole stress that is clawing our business when you have who you wanted all along.

"Mato Agro Company planned this whole thing even before The Bridal Contest. They wanted a collaboration with us because they are afraid we may venture into Agro Chemicals and push them out of the market. So the whole thing was to prove that we need such collaboration with them.

"Then the possibility of alliance came and they dropped it till it was dismissed."

"Wow! The length people go these days."

"I'm just coming from the office Arshad, i was briefed of the deal you closed with the South African Pharmaceutical company for Masquerade tree. I'm proud of you all. Most of all I'm proud of the woman that bore you", he ended looking straight into his wife's eyes.

"Uh-Uhm. It's time to close the door behind you. Shoo! Yalla Yalla", Umm-Himla sent her siblings out of the parent's room and ended the call.
They will do the children's conference call later because she needs some clarifications.

Arshad thought what happened  between him and his uncle the CFO will be a secret he will be taking to the grave since he is assured now more than ever that his uncle or his family will not say it to a soul but our past have a way of catching up on us.

Now how can he go and tell this same uncle to go and ask his father for the uncle's daughter's hand in marriage?

If he doesn't then what will he tell his family as the reason why he can't face his uncle with such proposal? He is at a crossroad and nobody is cutting him some slack not even his mom.

As if a revelation fell on him, he dropped from the couch and slipped his feet into his slip-on. A gentle knock on her door and he could hear her sleepy voice telling him to come in.

"Typical you, never sleeping with door closed."

"If i did you won't have come to share your troubles. Come and sit," she taps the space next to her.

Arshad purred out what has been keeping his eyes open for nights and he was glad as always that she didn't judge him.

"You've regretted what you did since then so there's no need hanging on that since you more than anyone know the consequences of what you've done you will stay clear from it next time."

"What I'm going to tell you is the same thing your heart is telling you. Go and meet him, the worst thing is he won't consent to it and you will have to convince him that you're worthy of his daughter. Stop wasting time already and do the needful."

"But that's not fair, that is me putting him on the spot, what if it causes a rift between him and his brother again?"

"Those two have gone through so much more and they've come out of it just fine. By the way, all is fair in love and war. Or are you willing to give up on her?"

The look she got as a reply says it all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hi guys,
It's been a minute 😁 Oops 😉
I've been working on something else, it's better than BC, trust me.
But will have to finish this before I introduce you to my new baby.

We'll be done in a chapter or two. I couldn't bring myself to finish it, let's say I'm missing it already.

Enough of me. How far, you?