No Ziah, you have two more files to complete don't sleep. I give my self some moral support but adjust the pillows behind my back while laying on the couch.
Advantages of cousin being the boss. Well, normally Ziyan won't let me be so casual on work but today I don't know how he is leaving me to lie on the couch while reading the files as if it is some story book.
I rub my eyes concentrating on words which are jumbling in my mind, but I force myself to read it again and understand it clearly but I was really not able to handle the sleep so I let the file fall on my face and I drift off too my Disney dream land, where my Prince Charming is rushing towards me in his white horse. Beautiful.
An hour later
Someone tapping my arm, breaks my dream were I was about to fall in his arms and he was about lean closer to that sweet deed, It was all beautiful.
"Ziah" I throw my leg telling my devil mother in-law to get lost who is ruining our sweet moment "what is it?" I mumble forcing myself to bring the dream which is slipping away from my mind because of this ugly voice.
"What is it?!" I sit up angrily feeling so upset at the person who just now ruined my soft moment with my prince charming.
"God I was having such a nice dream! What do you want now?" I spat angrily but rub my swollen eyes "Ms Ziah, you are at work, you can think about your prince charming kissing you later and now within 20 minutes if you don't come to my desk with the work I assigned you completed, your salary of a day will be deducted" he spats on my face and I am fully awake now after hearing him.
"20 minutes? You can't be serious, I still have 2 files to read" I pout looking up at the guy who is standing with his hands tucked in his pocket "you're wasting your time Ms. Ziah" he walks away as if he did not just blackmailed me on deducting my salary.
Who said he is a gentleman? I did not! He is not at all a gentleman! He is a rough man! What is the opposite of gentleman? I don't know but that is he!
"Your wasting your time Ms Ziah, jerk!" I calm myself before proceeding on setting up the papers in order and that's how my 20 minutes gets wasted only by settling the papers.
"Come here Ziah" on time as if he has kept the Alarm he calls for me "Two minutes please!" I feel the pressure of writing Board exam now.
When he does not reply, I stand up and take a look at the marketing rate, which I am sure he will ask and the years in which we were profited and quickly I flip the page to remember the year when the company was going through a great loss and that was when Uncle died.
Because of not giving attention to the company, it was on the edge of getting bankrupt but Ziyan saved it by working day and night and that's when I started seeing changes in him and that happen three years ago.
"Ziah, I called you" I quickly rush towards him but a gasp leaves my lips when I stumble forward because my Abaya thought it is a right time to ditch me.
"Ya Allah" I hold my heart and the papers closer to my chest but see Ziyan shaking his head at my utter nonsense.
I stomp the ground for embarrassing me before rushing towards him "here" I place the paper infront of him as I stand by his side, smiling widely, proud that I have completely what is said and I have already planned that I will answer the first two questions which for sure will be from the first few files and then ditch him by saying I am tired. That's a full-proof plan I have.
I bend to see what he is trying to read but he stops his action and rests back before craning his head to look at me "I am smart right? I know" I grin proudly.
He lifts his hand and points at the front of his desk "stand their" rolling my eyes till the back of my head, I stomp towards were he was pointing at.
Pulling out the chair when I was about to sit he speaks"I said stand not sit" he lifts his chin up to look at me while flipping the pages.
"Okay principle" I roll my eyes on his face and stand with my hands together, he scoffs at that and goes back to look at my hard work attentively.
He settles the paper down before opening his mouth "So you are well aware about the collaboration with Mr Rag right?" He asks as if I just now joined the company, dude I work here from the past two years.
"Ofcourse I do, did you forget I work in the Marketing department, which apparently does all the work of your company" I remind him so he could raise our salary, my co-worker's should send some dua and blessing on me.
"Ziah?" He calls out for me in a soft tone "yes?" I give him a bright smile "Next time you answer my questions with more than a yes or No when it is not necessary, you will be out of this building, did you get that? Hmm?" He raises his eyebrow, I told you he is a total jerk! Some were not believing me!
"Yes but what—" he cuts me off rudely again "yes?" He furrows his eyes and I press my lips together nodding "yes" I mumble and he nods with a "good".
"Did you read all the files thrice?" He asks me to lie, so I do "Yup!" That was loud but who cares, mumbles and stutters are quickly identified so every time we lie it should be loud and clear. Free Advice from -your one and only lovely Ziah Othman Ali.
Oh god I am hilarious sometimes.
I laugh in my head but grin physically "so if I ask you anything from this you will be able to answer right?" I give him a firm nod with a loud "yup!" And he shuts his eyes in irritation, expecting an yes and not an yup which is so unprofessional. But I love irritating him.
My smile, grin, heart drops down my stomach when he picks up the last file which I did not even touch.
Panic hits me like wave of ocean and I silently stand there nibbling on my lower lip, feeling so much under pressure that I will faint if I don't leave this place now.
"Ziyan?" I call for him in a low voice and he hums in response with his eyes on the paper "can I use the restroom please?" When he sees my pale face he nods and I rush out but not to the restroom but to my department "Zach!" I yell for my friend who grins when he sees me "hey! Long time no see?"
"Zach I am on edge of being hung up on the wall with my hands and legs being nailed against it for lying, now tell me fast about the marketing history of Mr.Rags company and the sales date and everything quickly" I pat his back thanking Allah that our VP is out for lunch and she takes a very good time to eat and come back.
"Okay okay" he sits on his seat opening the file and I see Alia rushing towards me with her mouth filled with burger, I ignore her curious face and listen to whatever he is saying in a hurry, but nothing registers my mind.
So the only thing came in my mind was what I did I quickly grab a pen, writing down all the important dates and the percentage of profit and loss and what they have planned with us and were, how, excetra.
And within five minutes he tells me everything and now even my fingers are filled with ink.
"Okay okay Thankyou" I throw the pen away before quickly rushing out, bumping into some chairs and tables which gave me a sudden pain on my thigh by kissing my sweet legs.
But my dedication for work is so much, that I ignore everything, every single thing. Even the pain on my toe I am feeling.
Breathing heavily I land on his floor, but take deep breath's before opening the devil's cabin, not before knocking on it twice. Because manners first sweetheart.
He lifts his eyelids up from his phone to look at me, and I quietly walk in like a good girl I am.
"You okay?" The first question he asks when he sees my face "yeah" he nods at that and I stand in front of him.
I look at my hand and I was not able to understand anything since it was too down and I am sure he will catch me, If I keep looking down like this.
So I gulp and hesitantly ask "Can I take a seat?" He nods with his eyes on me, he is not even bothering to look anywhere else.
"Ziah, I think you know we have a clean washroom here in this floor, May I know why you bothered going down?" No, you may not! Oh my goodness! Is he a stalker or something.
"It's actually, I feel comfortable in using something which I always use so yeah that's why...And stop that, why are asking me all the girls talks now, ask what you should" I roll my eyes getting annoyed and he raises his eyebrow nodding.
"So can you tell me the stock value of RK industry and why we are collaborating with them?" I lick my lips ever so professionally looking down only to see so many number that my head is spinning "umm 91.23?" I bite my lips when I see him eyeing me so attentively that it is very hard to even look down.
Gosh he should have become a professor, instead of a business man.
"You are asking me or telling me Ms Ziah" I scratch my neck feeling so much under pressure that I cannot even gulp my saliva "both I guess" that comes out very low but It reaches his ears
He nods and looks down flipping the pages and I am mentally praying that some women should do a dramatic entry and accuse him for making her pregnant so I get away from this but I know nothing like what my brilliant mind is thinking will happen and just like that he asks another question and I keep all my trust on Allah and tell him the first number I see.
And to everything he nods, which bring a bright smile on my face for giving all the right answers.
God this was difficult than any exams I have attended.
But that was easy, I didn't know fooling Ziyan The devil, Male witch will be so easy.
"Okay that's enough for today" I nod my head multiple time at that with a bright smile before standing up to leave "Ziah, come here" he calls me when I was about to leave and me being the happy soul I rush towards my boss.
I stand near him looking down at the file he is looking at and arranging it properly.
"Give me you hand" huh? the way my heart drops down the ground, literally gives me a heart attack, I bite my lips so scared that I can't even explain "I-why?" Rules of lying, never stutter and never mumble and I am not even following my own rule because of the fear of being thrown out of the company I am feeling.
He lifts his chin up only to glare at me, and that glare was enough for me to shed rivers and fountain.
I forward my right hand which is crystal clean but see him rolling his eyes "the other one Ziah" I quickly shake my head, hiding my hand behind and fisting it tightly.
He lets out a deep breath and rests back waiting for me to show my hand which I am not going to do "why is your hand full of ink?" My eyes automatically shut close when I was caught red handed "on the way, there was ink bottle and it accidentally fell on my hand" stop lying and tell him the truth Ziah!!
I stumble few steps back when he stands up and towers me with his height, my eyes glued on his shiny shoes, I am not even daring to look up.
He moves forward and slides his hand behind my back to take a hold of my left wrist only to pull it to the front so he can take a look at the reason of my humiliation.
"What is this Ziah?" He stares at me for explanation but my head is lowered so much that even brides nowadays don't look down as much I am doing.
"I don't take you as a cheater, you don't know, you didn't get it in your head you say it on my face and not do this stupidity. Did you get that?" I nod my head feeling ashamed "you are making feel guilty and ashamed of myself" I tell him while blinking my eyes to not shed a tear infront of this jerk "well you should be, shouldn't you?" I do not say anything even though he is playing with my last nerve.
"I am already getting humiliated in home a-lot don't make me jobless I won't be able to face my parents if you do that" I mumble but he leans against the table still holding my tiny hand and his big ones.
A chuckle leaves his lips and even though I so want to look at his smile I keep my eyes low "you seriously wrote everything but still did not get an answer right" he shakes his head and that's when my head snaps "what do you mean?! You gave me a nod for every answer I said! Do not lie now!" I yell on his face for wasting my time and making me look like a fool, this is third degree humiliation!
"I am sorry to say this but none of your answers were right" he take a sanitizer and applies it on my palm before grabbing some tissues "but you didn't say that it was wrong" I mumble and he nods again "well, I did not say it was right too" he acts smart with me which cleaning my dirty hand.
"So since you asked me to not throw you out for the sin you did, I have something else for you" now what this professor is going to give imposition? Gosh freaking hell! My life is a freaking hell!
"Which ink did you use it's not even going" he grabs the tissue box and the sanitizer before pulling my dead body towards the couch why does he look so interested in cleaning my hand for godsake!
When we sit he grabs my hand again, and starts going back to his work.
"Those files which I gave you, your taking them back to your home and some more which I'll be giving you now" I listen to whatever he is saying "What you have to do is, analyse, study and understand what is in it and make a perfect presentation out of it and in the next week were we have a meeting with Mr Rags I want you to do the presentation imstead of me" after completing the nightmare-full sentence he looks up only to see my soul leaving my body quietly.
"Are you out of your mind!" I yell my lungs out when I come out of the shock he has put me through.
His face scrunches up "lower you voice" he tells me calmly still holding my hand gently and rubbing the ink.
"How can you even think of scribbling your hand like this. This is so dirty, next time you do this childish acts then I guess you know what will happen" I stuck my tongue out mimicking the same "I guess you know what will happen, shut up! Because it's all because of you that my hand looks like I have dig some dirty mud"
"Wait—don't you dare change your topic! What happened to you, are you out of you mind? You know I won't be able to stand infront of everyone and say few lines on myself and your asking me to explain the presentation on which the whole company is working on and that to not infront of our employees but Mr.Rag, the riches business man, Are you serious Ziyan?!" I look at him with wide eyes, breathing heavily from the tension and stress he is giving me.
"I said you to lower you voice Ziah, I am sitting right in front of you, I can hear you clearly" Not able to take this rudeness and order's anymore, I kick his leg only to see his eyes snapping up but he tells nothing and only shakes his head, telling me that I still have to grow up from brain.
"You are doing the presentation, and that's my final decision. I am not changing it" he speaks in his serious voice, finally dropping my hand down on his lap and looks straight into my eyes.
I bite my lips to not sob at this difficult task he is giving, where I can clearly see the future in which I am getting humiliated and everyone laughing at me while Ziyan is getting so angry that he throws me out of the building by my hair and even Alia does not cry but looks at me with disgust for breaking the dream of every employees cause we all know how much this proposal means to Ziyan and if he gets it, we are hundred and one percent sure he will raise everyone's salary.
But I guess I am going to become that hard wall infront of their sweet dream.
"Please don't do this to me, I will mess up I am telling you, I know my ability and I can tell when I will stand their to explain I will only stutter" I shake his arm so he could agree and release me from this peer pressure.
"You sure you know your ability? I don't think so you know what you are capable off" argh! Stop it! I know I am not dumb I know what I am capable off!
"Ziah I want you to do this and you are doing it but if you don't want to do then you have another choice that is packing your belongings and leaving this building by 2 noon" he casually tells me as if he did not just said I will go jobless if I don't agree on what is saying me to do.
How can he be so heartless? I should hand him to some psycho scientist and tell them to check if he really has a heart or not.
"Why are you doing this to me? You know I will be humiliated but still...why do you hate me so much" I throw my head back with a very disappointing pout on my lips which is not fading away.
Ziyan holds both of my hand and pulls me into a sitting position "Sit straight" the earth may split into too or the skies starts throwing fireballs this guy won't stop teaching me discipline.
"I can feel my soul leaving my body, let me be myself and repeat La illaha illallah so I go straight to paradise and not meet you in hell" I again flop back but hear him sighing.
"On Monday I need the presentation ready you have 4 days to complete which I guess is enough. Now stop being dramatic and get back to work" I sniff and let out fake cry hearing him "how can anyone be so heartless and abuse this little soul so much! Ya Allah take me away" I throw my legs on his lap to lie down more comfortably while yelling out my frustration.
"Ziah this room walls are not sound proof and if you start yelling like this the people out will for sure barge in" he reminds but I am not in a correct mind to understand his words.
"Naim said you are coming to our house on Sunday?" I nod lifelessly when I hear him "hmm you can bring your work with you, I can help you if you want" my eyes snaps up to glare the hell out of him.
"The only day you let us breathe is Sunday and your asking me to work on that day too? Do you seriously want me to see dead" he shakes his head and finally pushes my legs aside to stand up.
"It's your wish, if you want my help then I will help you on Sunday or else you can do it by yourself" he speaks as he walks towards his seat.
Murdering is Haram in Islam Ziah. You can't murder him, Calm down.
******
A/n: Hey reader, Are you enjoying reading? Do let me know.