Iman's POV
Zane stopped the car and I opened my door after a long day at the zoo. I still can't get over how much I sound like a child saying that. But, either way, we were both exhausted and now all that was left was dinner and then we'd be heading back to France, finally.
"Thank you." I told him once he closed the door for me.
Once the guard standing by the front door saw us, they opened the door for us and Zane helped me upstairs to my room.
"Just text me when you're done getting ready and I will come back." He said.
I nodded and watched him leave through the door, making sure to close it before he did. Then, I walked in to my closet and grabbed the remaining abaya from the rack and put it on. It didn't really take me long but I was trying to take my time because I wasn't sure of what was going to happen once I got down there.
That's when I grabbed my phone and sent Zane a text.
Me: I'm ready
While I saw anxiously on the bed, waiting for him, a lot of thoughts kept escalating in my head. The fact that I wasn't going to be there as a witness was even terrifying than seeing a spatula in my mother's hand. Since they were going to do men and women separate this time. They always find the need to change it up.
Just then, I heard a click of the door and saw Zane coming in.
"That's odd. You usually knock." I stood up.
"Yeah, but you said you were ready so I didn't find a need to." He said
He always knew his way around questions and found a response quicker than I was able to recite my name.
Slowly, he led the both of us downstairs and walked me to the women's side of the dining area first and gave me over to Shiekha. Before he turned and walked to go over to his side, I grabbed him by the arm and made him turn back to look me in the eyes.
"Hey, please try to understand your brothers once they speak to you today, ok?" I begged of him.
But he only raised his brow and turned back to continue walking, leaving me to freak out even more than I already was.
Zane's POV
I walk in only to be greeted by all my family members and since uncle Saeed was the only person I actually trusted out of everyone in here, I sat beside him to only see Hamza, Hamdan, and Khalid across from us.
Something suspicious was going on and Iman was a part of this too. But, the only thing I could do now is wait and see.
"My brothers, tonight is the final night, my son, Zane will be feasting with us and be in our presence. May Allah accept his marriage and the things he has done for us during his visit."
My father finished his dua and everyone said, "Amin," to it. But, I didn't even raise my hands because he had no meaning or soul behind those words he recited just now.
Afterwards, everyone started digging in and devouring the food as they were all hungry but the food didn't suit my taste and I had eaten some things at the zoo just a little while ago so I wasn't hungry.
"So, who's invited to the wedding?" Uncle Saeed asked, grabbing some rice off the plate.
"We haven't sent out invites but they'll be delivered just three days before the wedding." I assured him. "And don't worry, you are invited."
I chuckled at his sigh of relief once I said that and grabbed my glass of water to drink it.
"So, how long has she been pregnant for."
I almost choked on my water and instantly diverted the glass away from myself.
"Uncle Saeed!" I exclaimed.
"What? When I heard sudden news of your marriage, I couldn't help but think it was because of that."
I scoffed at the way he thought about me.
"No, it's not because of that."
"Then what? Don't tell me your black soul actually fell in love." Uncle Saeed asked.
I shrugged simply because I didn't know what to tell him. I didn't know what love was so how was I supposed to answer that question.
While everyone was busy and ate their food, I continued to chat with those around me and didn't realize the time. It was getting late and if I wanted to make it to France in time, the earlier I left, the better. Plus, Iman's mother seems to have missed her an awful lot and I don't want them to be separated any longer.
"Well, it's time for me to go Uncle. You can manage the place without me, right?" I joked with him and he rolled his eyes.
"Of course I can, my boy. I've been doing so in your absence." He made sure to emphasize the last word and I shook my head, standing up to say my last goodbye.
Baba noticed so he didn't miss his chance of letting everyone be informed.
"Everyone, time has come for my son to leave. Those who wish to say their last goodbyes may do so."
I rolled my eyes and Uncle Saeed just shook his head, looking at Baba. We both knew all too well that my father was putting on a show in front of everyone. But what was the point when they were all family and they knew him and his real side?
After each and every goodbye, I started heading out the door and took out my phone to text Iman once I finally got out but before I was able to send in my text, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
"Zane!"
I turn to see Hamza walking out the door, followed by Khalid and Hamdan. My suspicion grew even more than when Iman gave me that advice earlier so I asked the three of them,
"What's going on?"
They exchanged glances amongst each other and soon, Khalid spoke up.
"A couple years ago, Hamdan was being forced to marry someone by Mama as you may remember. I was the one who told him to target Iman's family after running into her father one day."
"And I" Hamza said, "Told him that we could exchange business together and made him sign a contract that was actually to put him in debt."
"And I am the one who picked up Iman at school that day and asked for her hand in marriage." Hamdan finished
I felt my blood coiling and every cell in my system was sending me negative signals to punch all three of them right now and right here until Hamdan spoke again and said,
"Basically, what we're trying to say is that we're sorry. It's not like we knew you were going to target her in the future and actually have feelings for each other."
"What?" I said, "What are you talking about?"
Hamdan scoffed before continuing. "Don't tell me you're unaware of it? That girl is not one to get close to a guy and yet she chose you. What do you think that means?"
"Besides that, she even talked us into apologizing to you and made a good point. You are our brother and if anything we should apologize to you for ruining your marriage. You already had a rough childhood and we made things worse by tearing Iman's family apart." Hamza said.
Iman's POV
"Thank you, Sheikha, for everything. You were of a great help and even got me to come out of my comfort zone."
I hugged her and made sure to embrace her tightly, giving her my specialty: grizzly bear hug.
"Thank you for coming into my life, Iman. You were an eye-opener and I even heard about the little meeting you had with all my brothers and how you got them to feel ashamed of themselves."
"How did you find out?" I let go and looked at her with such shock written all over my face.
"Oh trust me Iman. Things always go through me before they happen." She smirked.
I smiled and then turned to hear Zane's footsteps echoing through the hallway.
"Iman, are you ready? It's late, we have to leave now." He immediately said upon seeing me.
I nodded, "Yes, I'm ready. I even made someone grab the suitcases."
That's when he walked closer and made sure to grab my elbow with one arm and my waist with his other arm. Sheikha waved her last goodbye to us as we headed out the door but Zane stopped once he heard his mother call him.
"Zane!"
He turned his head to look in her direction as she walked closer to him.
"How could you leave without saying goodbye to your mother?"
Zane looked down upon feeling guilty and couldn't face his mother and I agreed with her. How could he just walk out without saying goodbye to her.
"You know why, Mama." He said, "You know why I'm not able to do that."
His mother sighed after his response and I watched the two in their emotional states along with Sheikha standing on the other side.
"You think I'm actually going to disappear forever when you say that, don't you? I know you're still traumatized from your youth but it doesn't hurt to try, my son."
Ugh, there went my bipolarity as I started to tear up after what she said. She was never around for Zane to comfort him and the word "Goodbye" started it all when she left him for the first time. But, I hadn't known that Zane was still traumatized about that. I only knew the story but not the effects.
After a period of silence, Zane slowly walked up to her, tilting his head up and kissed her on the forehead as she closed her eyes, followed by her tears streaming down and cascading into her cheeks.
"Til' next time, Mama. Til' next time." He whispered but they were close enough for me to hear it.
***
I woke up from a nightmare and looked around my surroundings to see that I was still inside the plane but then I panicked after I didn't see Zane in his seat, which was right across mine.
"Zane..."
I slowly stood up while the plane was moving and looked left and right and then, abruptly, a figure appeared through one of the doors, causing me to scream in fear and close my eyes with both my hands covering my face.
My heart accelerated and I was breathing heavily from the fright but soon, I felt hands on my own which removed them from my face only to find the devil himself in front of me, staring back into my eyes.
"What are you doing up?" Zane asked.
I hit him in the chest. "You're evil!" I exclaimed.
"And you're still a child. Who gets afraid of their own fiance."
"I'm the child? Says the one who can't knock before coming through a door!" I said.
I was about to sit back down on my seat until Zane snaked his arms around my waist and brought me closer, causing me to hit his chest which, by the way, wasn't soft. All I was able to feel, even through that fabric, was muscle.
"Iman."
The way my name just rolled through his tongue through a whisper sent chills down my spine causing me to respond.
"Yes?"
"Tell me. Why'd you choose me. Even after all my threats to your business and the sudden proposal."
I paused to look at him and see whether he truly desired the truth and after confirming it, I responded, "Because you didn't use my weakness. My company was just something I made to prove to myself in the past that I was able to do anything I set my mind to. It was just an object whereas in the past, my father would constantly run to make ends meet because people were using him left and right just to get through me. It wasn't just your brothers because our neighbors wouldn't leave him alone about asking for me."
I tilted my head and slowly starting brushing my fingers through his beard in a downward motion.
"I've even gotten used for my brothers and they were my weakness at the time. All the way up to my education, I was threatened. But your proposal and your threat, I saw right through. You had no intention of harm and you simply just knocked on this door of mine called fate and allowed yourself to change my world." I smiled.
"Without you, I wouldn't be standing inside this plane after just going through a series of unfortunate events. But despite all of that, I got to know more about you. The one who only wanted someone to understand him. And that, I do know."
Then, I slowly lifted myself using my tip-toes and connected my lips with his and kissed him. A move I thought I'd never make first towards any man. But something about him, I couldn't resist.
***
A/N:
Hello lovely readers!
Here's another update packed with all the answers to your questions and there is even some switching of POV's between Iman and Zane. Hope you enjoyed it!
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Thank you~