Rejecting Jawaad took a lot of courage from my side. Deep within me, I knew I still had feelings for him, but I didn't want to be played with again. I hadn't even recovered totally from the previous heartbreak...
When I rejected Jawaad, I thought he would get offended and want nothing to do with me anymore because I was well aware of how behemothic his ego was, but shockingly, he didn't. He became even more persistent.
I had finished my 400l first semester's examinations and had gone back to Abuja for my internship in the Standards Organization of Nigeria. Na'eem was doing his at Nasco LTD, and as for Hala, I had no idea because she didn't tell me.
Every morning, I would find Jawaad waiting for me in front of the corporation. On the first day I met him there, I learned it wasn't very far from his place of work. As politely as I could, I told him to stay away from me, but it fell on deaf ears.
The following day, he returned with gifts for me. Though flattered, I donned a poker face and told him that he wouldn't be able to win me over by giving me gifts.
Just like every other morning, I arrived at the organization and found Jawaad's car parked a few distances from the gate. He had been doing that for five days consecutively.
I alighted from the car and told the driver he could leave.
Immediately Jawaad saw me, he plastered on a smile.
I didn't smile back.
I walked up to him with my brows tightly furrowed. "What are you doing here?"
"Good morning to you too." He greeted, sarcastically. "How are you?"
I rolled my eyes in response.
He said, "I will take that as 'I'm alright, thank you'."
"What do you really want from me, Jawaad?" I asked for the umpteenth time. "Why won't you just leave me alone. I said I'm not interested in being in a relationship with you. Are you trying to force me?"
"Nope." He shook his head. "Of course not."
"How can you explain you stalking me then?"
"Stalking?" He chuckled. "I'm not stalking you. I'm simply visiting you, but if you don't want me to keep coming, I can stop, but I assure you, you will miss me."
I scoffed. "Who do you think you are?" I wanted to talk rudely or even throw a few insults at him to make him stop coming back, but after one look at him, I retracted.
I just couldn't do it.
"On a serious note, Manal, I just want us to be friends. For now." He added the last part in a somewhat conceited manner.
"As I said before, I don't want to be friends with someone who will constantly stab me in the back. I don't keep hypocrites as friends." I didn't realize how harsh my words were until I uttered them.
I looked at Jawaad and noticed his demeanor had changed. I instantly wished I could take back my words.
Jawaad jiggled his keys in the hand and walked past me. He said nothing. Not even a goodbye.
My heart fell. I felt bad because he had constantly apologized for what he did, but at every chance I got, I threw his mistake at his face. It was uncalled for.
Throughout the day, I wasn't myself. I kept on glancing at my phone, hoping he would call. After what I said to him, I knew it was practically impossible, but I just couldn't concentrate on the work in front of me.
I couldn't call him either. It would make it seem to him as though I also wanted him. It may be the case, but I didn't want him to have an idea. We were better off this way because I didn't have any plans of ever falling into his traps again.
"Hey, Manal, are you done?" One of the staff at the organization, Mr. Ammar asked me when I went to his office to drop some files. Since I started my internship there, he has been the one closest to me. He put me through how I was supposed to fill my logbook and also gave me a brief orientation about the organization. It got my colleagues talking about the special treatment I was giving, but I assured them it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Although Mr. Ammar was a nice and hospitable person, I didn't want to get too close to him. The reason was that he was married. I was wary of his wife cornering me somewhere and giving me the beating of my life.
I had to be circumspect.
"No," I replied. "It's barely 2 PM, I still have to be there till 3 PM."
"Didn't you say you were feeling sick earlier?"
"I still am." Jawaad was making me feel some type of way. My conscience wouldn't stop hunting me.
"Then let's go." He proposed. "I have closed for the day. I can drop you off at your house."
"Thank you, sir, but that won't be necessary. Our driver will come and pick me when it's time." I politely declined.
"
He shook his head. "That won't be. I think you're stressed. You should go home and have a rest. I'm permitting you to leave."
In a way, he had a point. I needed to go home and rest. My head had been fuzzy since the morning. "Okay."
"Cool. Let's go?"
"Sure. Let me go and pick my bag. I will meet you outside." With that, I walked out of his office and back to ours.
I walked over to where I kept my bag on my desk and picked it up.
Walidah gazed at me, questionably. "Are you leaving already?"
Walidah was one of the interns there. So far, my relationship with her had been better than with others. For some weird reason, they seemed not to like me at all.
"Yes," I replied. "I'm not feeling too well." I purposely omitted the part that Mr. Ammar would be taking me home because I didn't want her to misinterpret the innocent gesture.
"Tell me the truth!" She smiled sheepishly. "Your boyfriend is coming to pick you, right?"
I frowned. "Who?"
She rolled her eyes, not buying my display of oblivion. "The guy that I always see you talking to outside, every morning."
"Oh! He won't be coming anymore... and, he is not my boyfriend." I clarified.
"Oops!" She gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry. You two look so good together, I thought...never mind. Is he your brother?"
Irritated, I snapped, "Certainly not!"
•
When I walked out of the building, Mr. Ammar was already in his grey Range Rover. I quickly got in. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting I had to explain to them why I'm leaving."
"Relax, Manal, it's fine." He chuckled.
I released a breath and nodded.
Mr. Ammar turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. He glanced at me—which got me uncomfortable—before he started to drive.
Once we were outside the gates, I could swear it was Jawaad's car parked a few distances from the office, but then again, he wasn't the only one driving a black Benz in the whole of the city.
I inferred I was only hallucinating because his thought had been with me. For a fact, I knew Jawaad wouldn't return. His pride wouldn't even allow him.
"Are you sure you don't need to visit a hospital?" Mr. Ammar's voice pulled me out of my trance.
I shook my head.
"Are you sure? You look pale."
"I will be fine."
"Are you sure?"
With a small smile, I nodded.
"Manal." He called my name and continued speaking before I could answer. "Do you know you have a beautiful name?"
"Thank you, sir." I smiled. "All thanks to my mother. She gave me the name."
"Nice. My daughter's name is also Manal." He took a glance at me. "She's a cute little thing...just like you."
I didn't know how to reply to the compliment for it didn't feel right, so I decided to remain silent. I knew he had a wife, but I didn't know he had a child already.
"I'm sure she's going to like you when she meets you someday." He added.
"I'm sure I'm going to like her as well. I love kids a lot."
"I can tell." He smiled. "I have no doubts you're going to make a good mother someday."
His last sentence knocked me off guard. "Huh?"
"I said," he repeated, this time, slower. "You will make a good mother someday."
It felt peculiar hearing a man I barely knew say that to me. I got even more uneasy. I couldn't wait to get out of his car.
"You didn't say anything. Am I wrong?"
"How am I supposed to know?" I chuckled, nervously.
"Because I'm the one telling you this."
I hummed.
"So, how many siblings do you have?"
I hesitated for a while, before answering; "One. Imran."
His eyes dilated. "Just one?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"I'm just surprised. Why only two children? It's unusual."
Now he was crossing the line.
I faked a smile. "It's their choice."
"Oh! So you also want to have just two children in the future?" He asked.
How's that your business?
Gosh! This man is making my blood boil!
"Sir, I'll get off here. I just remember I have an errand to run."
"Right here?" He asked.
"Yes. Please pull over."
He did. "Are you sure you want to get off here?"
"Yes." I opened the door and alighted from the car without sparing him another glance.
I released a deep breath. I was starting to feel suffocated in his car. How could he ask me those questions? We weren't even that close.
Thankfully, I was already close to my house, so I walked.
When I got home, Ummi and Abi weren't home. Just Imran. I was glad to find out he had prepared lunch for our parents and me, but I didn't have an appetite.
I went into my room and plopped into the bed, but not before locking the door.
I took out my phone from my bag and found out that Jawaad hadn't called or left any messages. It bothered me that I might have pushed him away for good.
Antsy, I dialed Farida's number. For sure, I knew I might get a clue on what was going on in Jawaad's mind. At it was, I was freaking out.
"Hello, girlfriend!" Farida's thin voice rang in my ear.
"Hello," I responded in a subdued voice. "How are you doing? How's school?"
"I'm fine. School is boriinggggg without you, but I'm happy it's my final semester."
At that moment, I wasn't really interested in knowing that. I just wanted to know if Jawaad had spoken to her. "Yeah..."
"How's your industrial training going?"
"Fine..."
"I just hope no one is courting you there? You're not hopping in their cars, are you?"
"Did someone tell you that?" Deep down, I felt Jawaad had seen me in Mr. Ammar's car. I wanted to confirm if my hunch was right.
"Who will tell me? I'm just telling you not to give anyone a chance there."
Disappointed, I hummed.
"Have you made new friends there?"
"Uh-uh."
"Why?"
"We talk to one another, but I haven't gotten close to anyone yet."
"I like the sound of that." She laughed. "My position as your best friend isn't about to be stolen just yet."
Usually, Farida would tease me about Jawaad, but she wasn't doing that now. It bothered me more than it should. He had told her something. "Hmm..."
"What's with the 'Hmm'? Is something bothering you?"
"No!" I was quick to answer. "What would I be bothered about? I'm home with my family... I guess I'm just exhausted."
"Very well then, I'll let you have a rest."
"...don't you have anything else to talk to me about?"
"Something like?" She asked.
"Nothing. Bye." I ended the call before she could respond.
Exasperated, I threw the phone to the other side of the bed and groaned. I couldn't pinpoint why I was so disturbed about the issue with Jawaad. Was it because I didn't want to lose him or because I felt bad for the way I spoke to him.
"It has to be the latter." I mused.
"Should I call him?" I shook my head. "Not an option. What should I do now?" I grunted, feeling indistinct. "Maybe he is going to come around tomorrow."
That evening, when Ummi and Abi returned from wherever they went, Ummi noticed how uptight I had become. But when she asked me about it, I told her I was just feeling a little under the weather. I didn't tell her, not because I didn't trust her, but because I didn't want her to think I still had feelings for Jawaad after everything he put me through...
In the wee hours, I awakened. I couldn't bring myself to sleep. The fact that I called Jawaad a hypocrite to his face kept weighing me down. "I must have hurt his feelings a lot that he doesn't even want to talk to me anymore."
I closed my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep, but all I could see was Jawaad's hurt face.
"Let me sleep, you devil!" I groaned and placed a pillow over my head.
•
Manal Issa confused girl 🤣🤣🤣
Assalamualaikum/hello!
What do you think about our new character, Mr. Ammar? 🧐 It seems he is interested in Manal. What do you think?
Do you think Manal went too far by calling him a hypocrite?
Jawaad and his ego though 😅 do you think he's going to come around as Manal expects?
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deey_jah
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