Four Years Ago.
Baita Cantonment, Bauchi State.
Inaya was determined to make up for the work she had missed out on; though it turns out, there wasn't much. Her subordinates pretty much handled themselves well and did everything in her absence, leaving only a few that they couldn't handle on their own.
Mind set on not being brought down by anything, she made a decision to not leave the camp until she had completed everything. There were already a few rumors regarding her absence though she wasn't gone for long.
However, with how fast her past reputation had caught up with her, almost everyone had their eyes on her. So, how could they miss how she was absent with no official reason—with First Lieutenant Kari for that matter. A scandalous rumor was bound to spread.
Those that were at the shooting range the day she fainted didn't miss the exchange between them, at least up until they were out of sight after she pointed her gun at him. Safe to say, everyone knows the two are mortal enemies, or at least, no one dislikes her like he does. Did sizzling hate turn to burning passion? They couldn't help but wonder.
Else, why would they both disappear, and return like nothing happened? At least, Inaya returned. Aadil is nowhere in sight; he hasn't been since he dropped her back at the division before disappearing yet again.
He hadn't returned, and it's been hours already.
A sigh left Inaya's slightly parted lips, as she reached her hand out under the glasses she donned to rub her eyes. She had been working the entire day, and now, the sun had set long ago and everyone had left, leaving her alone to finish off since she was determined to do so.
Not to mention, she was trying to crack into the security footages. If not that she had work to finish off first, she would've done that long ago. Hacking a CCTV camera is like child's play to her. A military one though—Baita Cantonment in this regard, proves to be more difficult than expected.
Clearly, there's something they are hiding.
And she would be lying if she says the difficulty doesn't excite her. It meant there's something big, and if she gets her hands on it then only God knows how it'll be of importance to her.
After the action, she stretched her arms slightly before she pushed the chair back, and got on her feet. Rounding the table, she headed outside with the intention of getting water from the dispenser. On reaching where it is, she picked up a disposable cup before leaning down and pressing the cold water button.
When the liquid filled the cup to the brim, she paused and straightened her spine. Leaning on the nearest table, she brought the cup up and allowed the cold liquid to go down her throat.
The door opened, earning her attention almost immediately. When the person responsible for the action came into sight, her brows drew in, still downing the cup. However, when her eyes darted down, she nearly chocked on the water.
She was quick to drop it on the table, wiping the liquid on her lips and coughing a bit to clear her throat. Once she got that in check, she pushed herself off the table and hastily approached him—her lips slanted downwards while a crease formed between her brows.
She came to a stop in front of him, stopping his movement as well. Her eyes were fixed on his hand that was all bruised up and bloody, before tilting her head upwards to meet his gaze. "What the hell happened to you?" She questioned, her tone ladened with worry.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" She repeated, staring at him as if he'd grown ten heads. "You're bleeding."
He quirked a brow, amidst his expressionless façade. "So? This the first time you see a soldier bleeding?" He was avoiding her question, not willing to give her a straight answer.
Inaya's eyes narrowed at Aadil, not liking how he is acting as if it's not a big deal. Sure, it's not a big deal for someone in their profession to be hurt, but that doesn't mean they go around wearing every injury with pride. Plus, they are still humans as well—no one should get hurt without a valid reason, and even then, the person is to be pitied.
Despite spending so many years in the army, the sight of blood still isn't something she likes.
"Is this a joke to you?" She asked instead, unable to help herself. "I get that you want to act all macho and whatever, but you have a bloody hand and quite possibly, a broken knuckle or two. And yet, you still want to act like it's nothing?" She rushed the words out in a spur of anger; though there was an unmistaken underlying worry in it that even he couldn't miss.
He held her gaze with his blank ones, staring deep into those hazel orbs of hers that never failed to fascinate him even though he doesn't show it. It is weird to say all he could think of then was how she looks cute in glasses? It made her cold demeanor crack, giving her a teenage girlish look of some sort.
"It bloody hurts." He found himself uttering in a low tone, instead of voicing what's in his mind.
Her brows crinkled yet again, her frown deepening. "What?"
He rose his hand, the bruised one, to sight. "It bloody hurts." He repeated, his voice clearer this time around. "Will you help me put a band aid on it?"
She narrowed her eyes at him because yet again, he was doing that thing where he makes himself impossible to read, and still inserts light words here and there to confuse one. To confuse her.
When she didn't give him answer, but only glared at him—a glare which spoke volumes, he found himself adding without realization. "You owe me for taking you to the hospital," He mumbled, his voice low. "I didn't do that for free, you know. You owe me."
Deep down, she doesn't owe him a thing. He didn't do it because he wants anything in return. But, he had gotten quite used to getting on her nerves by saying stupid stuff. It just so happens that he finds himself rambling in these sort of situations to avoid that glare of hers.
He won't admit it, but she's actually quite intimidating. And when her eyes hold emotions he couldn't quite decipher, he finds himself in a desperate attempt to rid them; to rid her of such worries. It's quite ridiculous, huh? He says he hates her, and here he is, trying to do otherwise.
Inaya darted her tongue to wet her now chapped, lips, before pressing them together. "Sit down." She stated simply, her glare relenting before turning around in search of the first aid box.
Aadil didn't need her to say him twice, he settled on the nearest chair and watched as she seeks out the first aid box, before walking back to him. She pushed a chair close to the him, and opened the box after gesturing for him to bring the hand up. He did just that.
She went ahead to work on cleaning the wound. Admittedly, her actions were slobby—as if she doesn't have much experience in that. And, she doesn't. One would think the sight of blood doesn't faze her, but it actually does.
Her skin crawls whenever she sees such. And though she puts a lid on such emotion whenever the need arises, during occasions like his, she tends to recoil back to avoid having those feelings. That's why she never bothered to learn to clean one's wounds; she never attempted to clean anyone's.
But there she was, with so little expertise—determined to get rid of the blood, and treat his wound with the little knowledge she has. It was obvious from her action that she wasn't certain of what she's doing, but Aadil didn't complain.
Even when she added a bit too much antiseptic, and made the wound sting more, he kept his lips sealed. Unless he sees that she's at the stage of doing some permanent damage to him, he'll let her do her work.
And besides, he has a lot of expertise on this—he could pass as a medical officer if he wants to—so he knows exactly how far she could go to cause some damage. So far, she's still far from that. Who would've thought there's an area the great Inaya Sa'id is lacking in though?
That is news.
Time seemed to have slowed down, because the action lasted longer than either of them realized. But, at one point, Inaya was done and was soon closing the first aid box while Aadil has a now bandaged hand with no more bleeding. At least, none at the moment.
He'll need to redress it when he gets home though, because her work wouldn't last a few hours. She truly needs more practice on the entire thing but well, it is the intention that matters. Besides, he was the one that asked for it.
Bringing the hand down to rest on his thighs; sparing it a glance before meeting her gaze again. "Thank you." He muttered lowly.
She still hadn't moved an inch, and neither did her expression waver. She still sported that glare and deep frown to show how displeased she is about the whole thing. "I don't know what you've been up to, but how can you be so careless enough to get hurt?"
"It's no big deal. I don't get why you're acting this way." Yes, it hurts but it's nothing he can't handle. Why is she acting as if he got beaten up to pulp or something?
She parted her lips to say something in return, to remind his thick skull of what he refuses to accept only to decide against it. Huffing out a breath, she found herself questioning instead. "Can you tell me how you ended up with that then? Because I doubt there's a training that requires that of you. Not to mention, you weren't in the division all day. What were you up to?"
Aadil pressed his lips together, thinking of the right answer to give. He then carefully picked up his words. "Let's just say, I found myself an occasional punching bag."
"Huh?"
He never gave her an answer to that. He only gave her a look she couldn't decipher.
~*~
She was quick on her feet, holding back the urge to sprint off just to reach her destination quicker. Honestly, if not that there were a lot of her subordinates going around, she would've done just that.
However, when she eventually found herself dissatisfied by her speed, she increased her speed by walking even faster. The time it took her to reach the main building seems to have taken eternity, but the minute it came into sight, slight relief flooded her heart.
Once within eyeshot, her eyes fell on the reason she had been rushing to get there just in time. Her lips slanted into a deep frown, her eyes narrowing as she closed the distance between them.
He hadn't noticed her presence, at least until she came to sight. His face was blank as always, she found it hard to read him. She didn't allow that to hold her back though, only coming to a stop once she was close enough—he did the exact same thing.
For the first time since he met Inaya, she actually seemed pissed off. If her enraged expression didn't give her away, then the words she gritted out did. "What the hell did you do, Aadil?"
"Why? Don't tell me you're worried about me now." Though his face didn't give anything away, and his tone was monotonous as always, there was something light about his words. "Actually caring doesn't fit you, Ma'am."
Her eyes narrowed even more if possible, "Does it look like I'm kidding right now?" His reaction is pissing her even more. When he didn't say anything to answer her, she added. "Why did you do that to Rasheed, huh?"
The minute she heard of the squabble that took place between the two, or more like how Aadil stormed to the infirmary and broken a couple of bones of a patient, one she knows pretty well; she found herself flying off her seat. She was even more worried after hearing Aadil was summoned by the discipline committee. How can she not be worried? Those old hags aren't easy to deal with.
Aadil wasn't making the situation any easier for her though, not in the slightest. "Educating a subordinate?" He was still dodging the actual answer.
She gave him an unimpressed look. "I'm not joking." She declared, her grave expression certifying her words. "Tell me you didn't do that because he was the one behind what happened to me?" She inquired, though she pretty much knew the answer.
Unfortunately, she just had to find out who was behind it a step behind him, or more like two steps since he's already reaping the fruits of his action.
He let out a slight scoff under his breath. "I'm not that righteous, you know." He used her own words against her.
Instead of being humored, she found herself gritting her teeth and glaring at him even more. So, this is how it feels to be made into a joke when one is angry? It's not a good feeling—especially not with what she is feeling at the moment.
No wonder he was irked when she said that before.
Putting a lid on her emotions, she fisted her hand by the side. "I could've handled it on my own, you didn't have to get involved." She gritted out.
"So...I take it I'm not getting a thank you?" He inquired instead, not seeming affected by her anger in the slightest. It feels good to turn the tables around for once. Who knew he'd eventually be the one annoying Inaya Sa'id?
Funny how life works, really.
Inaya found herself rolling her eyes. Looking away, she flicked her eyes close for a brief moment and took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She repeated the action a couple of times after, before her gaze fell on his bandaged hand. Her heart sank, her frown deepening.
"So, that was how you got injured." She mumbled lowly, before flicking her guilt filled eyes to meet him. "First you get injured, and now you get suspended, all because of me." That's what's affecting her the most. "You really didn't have to do that. I could've handled myself well, I know how to take care of myself."
"You know, a simple thank you will really be better than all this." When he got another glare for saying that, he simply shrugged. "Just saying." He added in a low voice.
She ran a hand over her face, the guilt weighing on her shoulders. Letting out a deep sigh that had her shoulders slumping, she found herself meeting his gaze again. "Why did you have to that really? Why did you do all that, and even risked your job for me?" She isn't blind to see how much the military matters to him, and yet he risked getting suspended to get back at the man who sent her to the hospital.
He didn't say a thing.
So, she swallowed thickly and darted her tongue out to wet her lower lips. She then found herself saying in a small voice. "You can't do that, you know."
"Do what?" He inquired, genuinely confused.
"You can't say you hate me, and do all this." She declared. "That's not how this works."
He pressed his lips together, holding his answer back because he couldn't find the right thing to say. He didn't want to say something that will make her feel even guiltier, so, he opted for an answer that he thought would work. "Let's call it truce then."
"Huh?"
"Let's call it truce for what I did to you back then, what happened at the office." He had apologized, but he still felt bad about it even afterwards. "Let's agree to move past everything after this."
"I already forgave you for that. I know you didn't mean it."
"That was the part you were supposed to say 'deal'." He pointed out, to lighten the mood though his unchanging expression killed the intention. "But I'll take your statement as that. So...we're done here, right? I can leave now."
She drew her lower lip between her teeth, the wheels in her head turning. She then kissed her teeth, and shook her head. "No. I'm going in there to speak to them. I can't allow them to do this to you..." She made a move to stomp in there.
He was quick to step in the way and stop her, "Woah...calm down, woman. Don't take away the few days off work that I'd gotten to get away from you."
She gave him an unimpressed look. "Shift, Lieutenant." She was trying to use her rank against him then, knowing he can't fight against it.
But, he did. "No can do, Ma'am." He stated, but was quick to add when she glared at him. "I'm suspended so I'm not your subordinate as of now. And, I'm serious, we're supposed to hate each other—I can't have you having the others think we actually get along." As if to confirm his words, he looked around to make sure they aren't gaining any unwanted attention.
"Well, don't we?"
He arched a brow, yawing his gaze to her as if asking is she seriously is asking him that. "Don't let any of this get into your head. When I do return, we'll go back to how we were. This..." He gestured to the bandaged hand, "...doesn't change a thing. I still don't like you in the slightest."
"And here I thought you were warming up to me. You know, your cold heart is softening for me a bit." She still joked, though her eyes were still narrowed at him for not letting her stand up for him.
She would feel much better if she does something for him as well. She can't stand someone falling victim for trying to stand up for her; she can't stand it especially if it's Aadil.
"Don't kid yourself." He answered without a second thought. "You and I don't belong in the same sentence. We never would."
She still held up her glare, but it eventually softened as she started to believe his words that he truly is alright with being suspended. "Whatever sails your denial boat, Kari."
~*~
Long time no AN.
Hello, how have yall been? It's been a couple of days, I know.
Blame this Jami'a thing though. Legit makes me forget I'm even updating a book here. Sha, the complete book is still up on Okadabooks and Selar as well, in case I ditch yall again. And, if you've already bought, and read it, do send in your reviews please. Thank you.
Also, I hope you've been good. What's up, what have I missed? Let's catch up in the comment section.
At this rate, I'll probably ditch writing for a while as well. So, if I go missing, you know why.
Hope you have a good day.
Love, Jannah Mia.