Tanwir Sarker
The esteemed CEO of Tarkan Industries was not impressed in the slightest.
A deep frown placed itself on his lips, stress lines evident on his forehead and his hair was a disheveled mess. Fatherhood took a toll on him. I could only imagine the pressure Ibrahim was feeling as the head of a steel company. He had so many people depending on him, looking to him for guidance, yet at the same time he had a newborn son and a wife who needed him to be present in their lives.
I admired his devotion to his family, admired his dedication to justice. What is it like to have all the power you need to right the wrongs of others?
Ibrahim sighed, tugging at loose strands of inky, black hair. "Sorry," he apologized. "There's been a lot of problems at the company lately with this new proposal and managing a newborn on top of all that has been stressful."
"Don't worry," I reassured him with a tight smile. "That's a bigger priority than our meeting. Do what you need to do."
He shook his head. "No, it's not okay. You took time out of your day to meet with me and I should be giving you my full attention."
I threw my head back in a deep chuckle. "You really amaze me, Ibrahim."
He raised a brow at me.
"How can you run this giant corporation and still maintain your honorable values? How are you not tainted by the bitterness of your role?"
At this, my friend didn't skip a beat in his response as if it were the most logical thing in the world. His tired features began to look more alive, snowy skin tinted in a rosy pink, rigid posture relaxed with his laughter.
There was a sense of tranquil peace when Ibrahim spoke of his family, of his values. His usually cold visage would become warm with love.
For once, I felt like I finally understood why.
"When you embrace your wife in your arms, do you feel a strong desire to love and protect her?" he asked me. "When you embrace your nephew, do you want to be the man he looks up to? When you embrace your parents, do you wish to be the child that they bloom with pride for?"
I nodded, knowing the feeling all too well.
Ibrahim smiled. "That's all you need. That desire to be the type of man that your family deserves is all you need to not be touched by the impurities of this world."
I didn't know what to say. He was right. All that I was chasing after had always been for my family, yet I was painted in the ink of dishonor because I chose to pursue a path that strayed from our deen (religion). Even though it was hard to admit, I did join the mafia for selfish reasons.
A feeling of dread washed over me as my gaze settled on my friend, witnessing his selfless act of duty to his family and to his company. Here he was trying to eradicate the corruption in our cities, and here I was telling him to abandon it.
What type of man am I?
Sensing my distress, Ibrahim quirked his brows. "Is everything alright?"
Come on. You're protecting your wife. Just tell him.
I felt like I was playing the role of his friend behind a mask of deception, felt like I was hiding behind my past. Somehow, my connection to Ibrahim was on the mafia's radar, where they hounded our relationship like a pack of wolves hunting after their prey.
My body tensed under the burden, stressed by the uncertainty of the future. I wanted to protect everyone, but I couldn't. At the end of the day, I was just as human as Ibrahim and Kanza, and I was equally susceptible to human flaws.
Ya Allah, help us. Help all of us.
"Tanwir?"
"Yeah," I said, sinking back into reality. "I heard that you were trying to buy harbor property."
The warmth in his eyes vanished, turning as cold as a tundra. "How do you know about that?"
"That's not important," I dismissed.
Ibrahim wasn't having any red herring excuse. "Tanwir."
He was way too smart for me to walk around him with excuses or typical mafia tactics. Ibrahim came from a past of darkness, came from the depths of horror, witnessed the unspeakable. He knew of the depraved nature of mankind and what greed did to those who succumbed to its poison.
But I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. This was one of my closest friends. I didn't want to bring this darkness into his life. I wanted to protect him from it.
"Please," I croaked, my voice breaking. "Do not buy that property. It's not worth it, Ibrahim."
A seed of realization dawned across his features, and his expression relaxed, dark eyes settling on me with a gentleness that came with fatherhood. "Do you know why I want to buy the harbor property?" he softly asked.
Clearing my throat, I said, "Somewhat."
"There is a lot of underground corruption here and a lot of people turn a blind eye to it even if they have the power to prevent it. People in my position revel in masking their intentions, cheat and lie their way into success without caring for who gets hurt in the end. Laws hold no weight when evil is shrouded in gold."
Why does he have to be such a good person?
Perhaps it was the crippling guilt I felt or maybe it was the bond of brotherhood between us. Whatever it was, I knew that I could not let Ibrahim fall victim to the mafia. Alexander loosely guaranteed his safety, but I didn't trust him.
"Look," I started. "You have a loving wife and a newborn. Don't risk all that for a piece of land even if you have good intentions. That property that you chase after has dangerous individuals after it, people who won't be happy with an outsider's interference."
"Oh, so that's what this is about," he sighed. "Tanwir, I know that rival mafia leaders want that property and I know they have some trafficking going on there."
"No," I shook my head. "You don't know. You don't understand the severity of it."
He raised his brows, crossing his arms over his chest. "You think I don't know how criminals work?" he questioned. "Really?"
"Mafia leaders hold no mercy. They won't let you go if you do this."
He scoffed in disbelief. "I don't fear anyone except Allah."
"Ibrahim, please."
"As Muslims, shouldn't we be protecting what we hold dear to us? Shouldn't I, as a father, help foster a safer world for my child to grow up in?" he fired question after question. "I'm not obtaining land for greed. I'm doing it to make our environment, our home, a safer place to live in."
My blood was rushing to my ears as terror immobilized my sense of reason. I couldn't allow Ibrahim to go through with it. My past rang bells around me, spinning the room in my head as I became acutely aware of my breathing.
Flashbacks from the past blind my eyes briefly as blood enters my vision in a midst of darkness, dead bodies, flames, disgruntled yelling as I walk away from the past. The urge to protect was so strong that my breath caught at my throat, a suffocating grip tightening as guilt weighed down on me.
Thought after thought came crashing down, striking me in painful memories that I thought were locked away. I struggled to maintain my posture, to calm myself, but I wasn't sure.
When I spoke again, my voice was a mere whisper. "Is this worth risking your family for?"
His jaw clenched. "You know something," Ibrahim stated in a scary calm.
"I do."
"What is it?"
"The mafia won't hesitate to hurt you or your family."
"How would you know that?"
The bitter, cold truth laid on my tongue. "Because I used to be one of them," I said, straightening. "And they did it to me."
Assalaamualaikum!
Long note ahead.
Sorry for the long delay everyone >.< Let me explain the last few months. First off, school with some of the hardest and most butt-kicking classes. I'm nearing the end of my undergraduate studies so a lot of classes are more specific in biochemistry. Second of all, I got promoted at my job as an associate scientist, so that was exciting, but it meant I had more responsabilities. Basically, I was trying to adjust to my new schedule and write, and I had some writer's block too which only made things worse.
Third, Bitter Sweet got published, so don't forget to buy it :D
And for the most exciting news, I got married!!! Alhamdulilah I got married more than a month ago, so planning our Nikkah was another stress of its own. Literally got married the week of my final exams. It was rough.
All this together was why updating LTP was taking so long. But I am back after a long time with some exciting projects. I talked about starting a YouTube channel or a podcast over the years, and now I'm finally making it happen. The link will be on my profile and my carrd.co
I can't promise to update every week like in the past, but I can promise to start updating more regularly. As for the YouTube channel, right now it's mostly gaming stuff but we do plan to add more book-related videos later on.
Anyway, I drawled on for a while. Back to the book, do you think Ibrahim will halt his business investment? Also, what type of book-related videos would interest you guys?
Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow! (Lol, I missed this.)