“Do you want me to keep an eye out on Ms. Haseeb?”
I glance up from the computer screen. “No. Why would I?”
“You asked me for information, so I thought..” Ahsan trails off.
I shrug, looking back down at the screen and clicking the Print button. “I was just curious.”
And really, I would be a fool to not know what was going on in the life of the person I was going to marry.
Especially if it was something dangerous.
But apparently, Ms. Mansha didn’t find messing with the spoiled brat of a fucking Mayor to be dangerous at all.
And if she didn’t care about him threatening to kill her, then who am I to.
My secretary comes in with the printed paper, and I hand it to Ahsan.
“Ahmeds new offer.”
He scans through it quickly. “It’s like he’s completely forgotten his reputation is hanging by a thread.”
I cross my arms on the table. “I’m not surprised. His new lawyer doesn’t take threats seriously.”
He purses his lips. “So what are you planning to do?”
I shrug. “They’ve offered mediation.”
“But he’s trying to dig up dirt on the company.” Ahsan points out.
I shrug. “Let that be for now. I’ll go for mediation.” Ahsan’s brow furrows. “Don’t worry, I’d like to see him thinking he’s finally wriggling out of this mess.”
Ahsan nods. “And the lawyer?”
“She isn’t important. But tell me if she gets another threat.” I pause, then say as an after thought, “or if she drops the case.”
He nods again. “Anything else?”
My lips curve up. “I have a wedding coming soon, so do honour me by attending.”
The quizzical look on his face makes me chuckle.
Ahsan has been my employee since the day this company came into existence, and was, by now, used to sudden changes in conversation.
So putting him off guard really gave me a sense of victory.
A notification pops up on my computer.
I look back at Ahsan.
“You will get an invitation of course.” I say casually. “But for now you may leave.”
He quickly adjusts his expression, before giving me a nod and leaving.
He’s a good man, and useful too.
Because of his slender built and soft face, many people make the mistake of taking him lightly.
And that’s when they begin to lose.
Biting my togue, I turn back to the computer screen, clicking the e-mail notification open.
It’s a document from Mansha.
I open it, just when my phone rings.
Granny.
“Hey Granny!” I say cheerfully.
“Khizer! How are you? Why didn’t you send someone to pick up your lunch today?”
I scratch my forehead. Shit.
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I had a lunch meeting today.”
“But it’s not like you’d have eaten anything!”
I smile. Granny is the only one who knows I don’t eat restaurant food.
It’s bland and unnecessarily heavy.
It makes you feel as if you ate twice the food you actually did.
“It’s fine, I had a croissant. I’ll join you for dinner though.”
“Do that.” She says, cheering up.”I need to talk to you anyway.”
“About what?”
“Sugra Jalal called.” She sounds excited, which can’t be a good thing for me. “She’s agreed to give us her daughter!”
This had to happen today.
“But Granny-” I begin.
“I know what you’re going to say.” She cuts me off. ” ‘She’s not my type’ or ‘I don’t like her family’ and the good old ‘sorry granny, but have you seen her face?’ ”
“I said that once!” I protest.
“Whatever, you come home tonight and we’ll discuss it ok? I assure you, you can’t do better then Sara. The girl has the looks, the brains and the family. And do you remember the food she made? I know how you only like home made meals, and if she always cooks the way she did that night, you certainly won’t be disappointed in that area either.”
“Come on Granny, no one cooks better then you.” I say cheekily.
“Yeah well, but will you eat my food if I come out of my grave to cook it for you everyday?”
“Seriously Granny? You’re really playing the dead card?”
“I didn’t play anything!” She says innocently. “Come home tonight and we’ll talk, how about that?”
I sigh.
“As you wish. Goodbye.”
“Bye bye.”
I cut the call, then immediately open Google.
I should tell Mansha about this, her cousin is in between after all. I look up her profile on google, finding her business contact on her Facebook page.
I dial the number on my phone, then call her.
She picks up after the second bell.
“Good afternoon, how can I help you?”
I frown. It isn’t her.
“Hey, I want to talk to Mansha Haseeb?”
“Ms. Haseeb is busy right now, this is her secretary speaking. If you have a message for her you can give it to me, I’ll pass it on to her once she’s free.”
“Well, just tell her it’s Khizer Malik, and he wants to talk urgently.”
“Sure, of course. Anything else?”
“No. Thanks.”
I cut the call.
I want to tell Granny about Mansha tonight, so she doesn’t try to convince me to marry her cousin anymore. This’ll just make it more awkward telling her about Mansha later on.
But I’m pretty sure Mansha will eat me alive if I do it without telling her first.
Then there’s explaining to Granny why I’m marrying her.
This isn’t an arranged marriage if I’m choosing the girl myself, so there has to be a love story.
And, for the life of me, I can’t think of a single scenario where me falling for Mansha would make logical sense.
The girl has never uttered a sweet word, did something considerate or even talked properly and respectfully around me.
There is no existing reason as to why and how I would have fallen for her.
And I can’t come up with one to save my life.
Mansha and ‘love’ are two different things.
I’m jolted out of my thoughts by my phone ringing.
It’s an unknown number.
“Hello?” I say, picking it up.
“It’s Mansha, you called?”