Salam.
Enjoy 😊
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"Tawfiq!" Naima run down the stairs to him before jumping at him.
"Habiba." Tawfiq muttered into her neck.
"You're okay! Alhamdulilah! I was so scared!"
"I'm okay too, mama. I just thought you should know that." Karim mumbled.
"It sucks being ignored." Dean sighed.
"Karim!" Naima let go of Tawfiq before hugging Karim.
"You don't have to strangle me, mama." Karim chuckled.
"Where's Zaira?" Naima frowned.
"The doctors said they need to monitor her for a few days before she can come home."
"I'm glad she's safe." Naima said genuinely.
"Zain."
Karim saw his Aunt Halima approach his Uncle Zain before hugging each other.
"Where are the kids?" Dean asked.
"The little ones are upstairs but the others went to the beach. They should be back by now..." Naima wasn't able to finish when the older kids all came through the doors attacking their parents. Except for Nick.
"Aunt Layla. I haven't seen you in so long." Nick exclaimed.
"Nicky...well you know you can visit any time."
Bella eyed Nick and opened up her hands to receive her hug from her son after letting Arthur go.
"I don't hug traitors." Nick glared at his parents.
Bella gasped with fake shock.
"Me? Traitor?"
"Yes. Both of you. You took Karim along with you and as if that wasn't enough you went with him on a private job." Nick frowned.
"How do you know...that idiot told you right?" Bella sighed.
Nick just shrugged.
"Remember I'm older than you. I get to do stuff you can't, Nicky." Karim teased.
"Don't call me that. You're also a traitor for not telling me. Come on, let's go and get some food and then pet more animals." Nick grinned.
Habiba, Daneen and Iman let go of their fathers and followed Nick into the kitchen. Arthur however stayed behind.
He was looking at the people standing uncomfortably at the door.
"Who are they?" He asked his father.
Dean looked at Tawfiq. For a moment they had completely forgotten about them.
"Ameenah, Hakeem, come closer." Tawfiq gestured them closer to everyone.
Naima smiled at them before looking at Tawfiq.
"This is Ameenah and that's Hakeem. They helped us find Zaira. They've lost their parents to the war so we decided to bring them here. I thought maybe Mariam would like to adopt them." Tawfiq explained.
Mariam was Hassan's mother.
"And if not, I'm sure I can get someone who will."
Naima just smiled at the two of them.
Hakeem held unto his sister tightly like she would disappear if he let her go.
"You seem exhausted. Come with me, I'll get you new clothes and you can change into them after taking your bath. You'd like that?" Naima asked.
"Yes. Thank you." Ameenah replied.
"What about you, Hakeem?" Naima looked at the younger boy.
He moved behind Ameenah.
"He's not good with communication but he'll like that too." Ameenah answered for him.
"That's great then."
"What would you two like to eat?" Halima asked.
"Um...food?" Ameenah chuckled.
Halima grinned.
"I'll see what can be done about that then."
"Come with me then." Naima gestured.
Ameenah just turned to look at Tawfiq unsure of whether she was to go with her.
"Don't worry. Go with her." Tawfiq nodded at her before she began to follow Naima quietly with Hakeem.
Halima made her way to the kitchen to start off before Naima joined her.
"I'm going to take a bath and go to the hospital." Karim informed his father.
"Now?" Tawfiq arched a brow.
"I don't want to leave her alone." Karim revealed.
"Will you be staying?" Dean asked his sister who shook her head.
"My girls and I will be leaving right now."
"You won't stay for lunch?" Bella questioned.
"I wish we could but we need to get back soon. We'll have lunch another time."
"I'll see you guys around then. Bye, Arthur. I'm off. Addio." She waved at them before turning to leave.
"Bye, Auntie."
The girls were outside waiting for her.
"Layla doesn't do well with big family gatherings." Dean chuckled.
"I can tell." Tawfiq watched her walk out of the house.
Apart from she and her girls, Michael had gone back straight to the UK after they landed.
"I'm going to get like 20 hours of sleep now." Dean yawned.
"You deserve it." Tawfiq nodded.
"Come on, Arthur, let's go." Dean pulled him along leaving Bella, Tawfiq and Karim behind.
"Wait for me!" Bella shouted before jogging to catch up with them.
"Home!" Karim grinned before walking away from his father to his room. He couldn't wait to see Samia.
~
Four days later, everyone else had returned back to the US the previous day.
Ameenah and Hakeem now lived in the palace too and everything was being processed for them to be adopted by Mariam and her husband. She seemed happy to have gotten kids she could call her own now. Even though no one could ever replace Hassan for her. Ameenah was adapting quickly but Hakeem was special so it would take a while for him to become comfortable with the change.
Karim as usual, since they arrived with Zaira was in the palace clinic sitting by a still unconscious Zaira, talking to her or well himself. She had been moved from ICU in the hospital center to the palace clinic since she was out of danger.
"You must think I'm annoying right? I just keep coming and talking and talking non stop." Karim chuckled.
She looked a lot better now. Even though she wasn't fully healed. Especially some broken bones which were going to take a while before they healed.
"Aunt Bella has thought me a few skills. I'm just waiting for you to wake up and be okay before I leave your side and deal with them."
Karim heard the door open.
He turned to see his mother. She had food on a tray in her hands.
"You should eat." Naima insisted.
"I could have come to eat at home. You didn't need to bring it here. But thank you." Karim was grateful.
"The second you wake up you come here and won't leave until it's nightfall. I think it's right I bring the food to you, don't you think?" Naima pulled his cheeks.
"I didn't see dad this morning." Karim commented as he quickly started to eat the food.
Damn, he didn't realize how hungry he was.
"Slow down. You'll choke. Your dad's busy with Salim rounding up all the Emirs. I can't believe them. We ate together with them, invited them to our home and they go behind our backs to plot your father's death." Naima fumed.
She wished she could beat them all up herself.
"Well at least now they'll be brought to justice. And will be used as an example for whoever succeeds them."
The doctor entered the room and bowed at them.
"Your highnesses. If I may?"
"Oh don't let us stop you. Go ahead." Naima stepped back for the doctor to do his checks on Zaira.
After a while, she was done.
"When will she wake up?" Karim asked.
"She seems to have gotten better. We'll pull her out of the coma tomorrow. But it's really up to her when she'll regain full consciousness." The doctor explained to them.
"So I can send her to the house after tomorrow?" Karim asked impatiently.
"Umm, if the necessary arrangements are made, yes, she could go to the house." The doctor confirmed.
"I'd like to send her tomorrow then." Karim looked at Zaira's face.
"I'll arrange for it, your highness."
"Thank you." Karim thanked her and she bowed at them before leaving.
"Eager to have her by your side?" Naima commented.
"I can't tell you how much."
"Your dad said you've decided to divorce her." Naima said.
"Yes. We both need a fresh start."
"If you do that, you know she has to get married again and get divorced before she can marry you right?" Naima explained to him.
"I thought of that so we won't divorce fully. We'll just nullify the marriage we had in the US not Islamically. So we'll still be married in a way. Just not according to any laws." Karim shrugged and continued eating.
[A/N: Can this be done? If not can anyone please tell me how to explain it because I don't know if this is permissible or not. Please correct me if I'm wrong🤭🥺.]
"You've gotten so deep in love." Naima smiled wildly at her.
"I don't know what I'll do without her. She's just so...great...amazing...beautiful. Isn't she beautiful?" Karim grinned.
"She is. But even if she wasn't, I'm sure you'd still find her beautiful." Naima laughed.
"I'm sure too."
"It's nice to see you so happy again." Naima added.
"You always had this fake happiness thing going on. You acted okay all the time when you weren't. You seemed so broken all the time but now everything is going great. See how wide your smile is." Naima ruffled his hair.
"Mama!" Karim groaned.
"You're messing up my hair! What if she wakes up and sees my hair in a mess?" Karim frowned.
"Is that why you dress up every morning like you have an important date to go to? You want to look spectacularly handsome when she opens her eyes? Awwww...that's so cute." Naima smiled.
She was right but Karim wasn't going to admit it.
"No. I don't dress up. This is how I dress at home." Karim looked away and went back to his food.
Naima just grinned and kissed the side of his head.
"I'll be leaving then for you to confess you undying love to your unconscious wife." Naima teased.
She hugged Karim's side before leaving him alone with Zaira.
"Don't think I dressed up for you or anything. I dressed up for myself." Karim mumbled in annoyance.
"Just hurry up and wake up after tomorrow okay?"
~
"I'll handle it from here." Karim nodded at the doctor who had been looking after Zaira in the clinic.
"If something unusual happens please don't hesitate to call me quickly."
"I will."
"Excuse me, your highness." She bowed and left the room.
Zaira was now in Karim's room which had been turned slightly to accommodate her. She was still hooked to an IV but she was out of the comatose state. Karim was expecting her to wake up anytime soon.
Karim placed a few pillows under her head so she could be comfortable. The bed was big so he slept by her side as he brushed her hair away from her face.
He wasn't going to sleep on the bed with her at night. That would be inappropriate but now he just wanted to be close to her for a while.
Wake up, Zaira.
Don't leave me hanging for so long.
I need you.
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It's short.
I know😪💀
It's just a filler anyways but it's a double update so don't despair🙂.
And anyways will Paired get to chapter 70?🤭
The way I'm seeing it, it might get to chapter 70 but definitely not 76-80.
But anyways It will come to an end soon enough but the end will tell if there's a sequel or not. I'm not sure there will be😪
I don't want it to endddd🥺🥺❤️
Anyways keep scrolling 😮
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