CHAPTER 16- BUSINESS AND WAKE UP CALLS~ Farhan 💀

F A R H A N :-

"By Thursday I want you to get the report ready which I have to present in meeting, Am I clear Mr. Gillani?" I slid the file towards the marketing department Head.

"But sir Thursday is just in two days and I don't think report will be ready in such a short span of time." His voice was desperate,

"I didn't asked your opinion Mr.Gillani, I am telling you and it's upto you how do you finish this report, do extra shifts, appoint any interns do whatever you want to do but by Thursday morning I want those reports on my desk." I said closing off my laptop.

"But sir..."

"You are dismissed." I gestured him to leave.

He nodded and left my Cabin, bet he is cursing me in his head.

I got myself busy in some paper works when out of nowhere, the door slammed open to reveal my dad,

I sighed as he sat on the seat opposite to the desk,

"How can I help you Mr.Siddique?" I ask him.

"Hmm by going home and let me to do the work in my office." he said leaning back on his chair.

"For your kind information Mr.siddique my father has given his place as a CEO to me so now its My office, if you weren't informed that is."

"And For you 'kind' information you have a wife now at home." He threw my words back at me.

"That was very accurate observation of you." I remark clicking my tongue.

"So what are you doing here? go home spend some time with your wife leave this office work to me."

"You are the first retired man who still wants to work, and," I grabbed a file from his hand which he picked up from my desk, "I could say the same for you."

"Say what?" He grumbles,

"Having a wife and all, and you have kids too."

"Very accurate observation of you." He mimics me making me chuckle.

"But on a serious note Farhan, go spend time with your wife you guys are newly married and it's just second month of your wedding and here you are, sitting in your office ordering your employees instead of being with your wife, and enjoying this newly wed phase, trust me son this time won't be back." He snatches a file from my hand as our conversation steers on a serious note.

"But office is also important, baba." I argue.

"Not more than this time, trust me son, few years from now you will regret not spending enough time with your wife, look there are certain time periods of life, a time when you are newly married, a time you become parents for the first time, a time you will spend with your children, a time when you will celebrate five, ten, fifteen years of your marriage, and trust me when I say, none of this time will return. Live in the moment my son." He stands up from his seat walking towards the window showing the skyline of Ankara city.

"Office, business, money, career is going to be with you for the rest of your life, but this time will not." Baba seems lost in his thoughts, as if he had faced this.

"Did you wasted your time also?" I ask carefully

Standing beside him.

His smile is almost invisible, "I did, I so did, I preferred business over family, but now I don't want you to do the same."

"And you regret doing it?" I ask.

"More than you think." The corner of his eyes wrinkled as he smiled sadly.

Before the air around us gets more heavy, I steered away the topic, "So is there any other reason you walked in my office?" I questioned patting his shoulder, he looks back at me snapping away from his thoughts.

"Ah, no right, I also wanted to talk to you about our business." His full attention is back as he leans against the window frame.

I nod, "Alright, I am listening."

"Farhan." He calls out, "Business talk." He clears his throat.

I stood up straighter and nodded my head, "About that?"

"Day before yesterday I met officer khan, and he informed me that," he clears his throat, "Emir has been released from the prison."

"What?" I rear back in shock, "How is it possible?"

My blood boils remembering every single pain my family had to endure hearing the name of that fucker.

My fingers curled in a fist, coiling my anger I banged my fist against the wall,

"He was sentenced for more than 15 years how is it possible?"

"He was left on parole for good behaviour." Baba sighed harshly.

"Good behaviour?" I scoff, "Bet he planned it all along."

"Of course he did, and I am sure he is planning something, be careful now Farhan, he might come after you."

"Yes he will, he will come after his death." I made sure my tone was full un filled promises which I had to leave behind.

"Farhan." Baba warns.

"Yes baba, this time he have to die." I look at him, "This time he will die."

He throws me a worried glance and shakes his head, "Just, just remember, this time I won't have the patience to carry another funeral, please."

He looks down at the window, his body looks so weak right now, his shoulders hunched, his face had more wrinkles than last time, he looks so tired it breaks my heart.

"Baba." I turn him around and hugged him, a gravel formed in my throat when he rested his head on my shoulder as his shoulders shook silently.

"I have already lost my one son, if I lose another I won't be alive."

"Baba." I warn him weakly, "Nothing will happen to me, you will get your revenge and your son too. Trust me."

And I mean it, this time, control is in my hand.

****

"What am I doing here?" I question myself for the fifteenth time.

Out of all the things I could be doing here I am standing in front of a flower shop.

"Can I help you sir?" A girl from the shop calls out as I was standing in front of various bunch of flowers.

"That would be great." I mumble stepping inside the shop, my nose started itching from the various mix scents of flowers.

"What kind of flowers would you like to buy, sir?" The girl asks again.

I looked at the allies and racks of flowers and for the first time in my life, I was fucking confused.

"Um..I want something for my wife." I scratched the back of my head, since when was I this awkward?

The florist's face lit up, "Oh okay, I got you, what does your wife likes? Roses? Carnations?"

She points at the bouquets of roses behind her and I stare at those flowers, sure they are beautiful but me bringing roses suddenly, what does it define in our relationship?

"No, any other kind?" I ask,

"We also have lilies and Orchids and chrysanthemums and if you don't like red then we also pink and white roses-"

"What are those?" I ask pointing at a small bunch of purple flowers,

"Oh these," she picks them up, "They are hyacinths, it is said that these flowers are perfect representing forgiveness, they also represent beginning in the matter of heart, they are said to remark new start in love affair."

"Oh." I was taken aback by the meaning of them, flowers had meanings too? That's new.

"I will take those." I said taking out money from my wallet.

"Alright, any note sir?"

"Note?" I mumbled, "Write whatever you want."

She looked at me in disbelief but nodded taking away the money and packing those flowers,

Going back in my car, I stare at those flowers on the passenger seat, I am not being awkward..right? Whatever. she can either take it throw it for all I care,

Then why did I brought it after seeing her so upset?

After returning from office and going for a glass of water in the kitchen what I didn't expect was a whole ass eye opening lecture from my wife.

After thinking about what she said through out the whole dinner I picked up my car keys and went outside to take something which might please her, so here I am at a flower shop.

Life.

I really was itching to throw away those flowers and pretend nothing ever happened, but seeing tears in those eyes made me want to do something that would make them go away, something that could bring a smile to her instead of those damn tears.

I look ahead at the road and blinked, wait, why did I thought that?

Since when did I start thinking like that?

I placed my hand on my chest, feeling my heart beating under my palm.

A car whiz passed me making me snap out of my daze, I shook my head at my incredulous thoughts, this isn't for me. This isn't my aim, and to reach that I couldn't let any hurdles on my way effect it.

The left over humanity in me made me do it, those flowers mean nothing in front of my aim, I am just doing bare minimum as a human.

Yeah, that's all.

***

Dried leaves crunch under my shoes, as I step over it and walk further on the gravel road. This road is always dry, except for rainy days, like today where there was a light drizzle awaiting the winter.

Knowing this place like back of my hand, my feet took to me that place which I have been visiting from the past five years.

Removing my sunglasses I stopped near the grave stone on my right and placed the flowers underneath it.

"Hello brother." I whisper touching the grave stone.

My fingers trace the name on it, the name of the person who could no more tell his name, no more speak, no more...exist.

"Enjoying the rain? You always liked it." I chuckled wiping away the rain drops from his name,

"You always liked rainy season, but I didn't, you  always used to say it's god's most beautiful nature phenomena, everything is better when it rains."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, why was it not better for us? These were the same rains in which I buried my brother, the same rains where we lost everything.

The rain, the graveyard, and the boy sitting next to a grave, all alone, nothing changed.

Only thing changed was time, it's been years, but yet I feel like I am struck in the same time.

"You know, your brother got married?" I fisted the wet mud of the grave, as if I could hold his hand, "Mama says I have started a new life, so why doesn't it feel new to me?"

A bitter chuckle left my mouth,"I think it's pretty simple because I know the man who couldn't be good son, good brother, how could he ever be a good husband. This life isn't for me. I wish....I really wish it should've been me instead of you, you have so many people to love you and deserved it, but I don't."

I wiped away the rain drops from my face.

I kept talking but there was no reply, it was silence, like always.

I was sitting so near to my brother, but yet so far. There's so much difference.

"You were forced out of your own city, I promise to get your revenge. Your murderers will die, from my hands." I fisted the mud tightly, promising on it.

Taking a deep breath I forced my anger away and placed my head on the cool grave stone, the tree above the grave covered my head from rain falling, like a warm hand of a loved one.

"Until next time, my brother." I kissed the stone and stood up staring down at the grave,

My phone rang snapping me out of my trance, taking out my phone from my pocket, with a last glance to my brother, I stepped away to answer it,

"Yes?" I answered without checking the number,

"Hello, Sir it's me Julia,"

I frown, "Yes, what's the matter?"

"Sir, it's actually Ayesha madam, I don't think she is well."

"What do you mean?"

"She is in her room since morning and when I went to ask her about lunch, she was crying."

As much as I wanted to ignore her, hearing she is distressed stirred worry in me.

"Was she alright?" It left my mouth before I could realise.

"I don't think so sir, she got a cal-"

"Look for her, I am calling her." I hung up the call walking out of the graveyard and dialled Ayesha's number, which for some reason was busy.

Maybe she is talking to her mom?

Walking back to my car in the parking, I removed my jacket and threw it in the backseat.

My eyes caught a glint from the passenger seat, moving forward I picked up the small glint which might be a small bead from clothing, or specifically from the top which my wife wore this morning, she was fumbling with this thing a lot, she fumbles a lot, mostly the skin around her nails. I am just a good observer.

Placing that small thing back on it's place, I called on the landline number this time,

Hearing the tremble in her voice, her hesitant tone, stirred an surge of protection in me, but this is what I was not looking forward for, having feelings. Feelings are as scary as they sound.

And for a man like me those are impossible, but she has something in her which makes me transgress my own rules. And it's so fast and so scary.

Hanging up my phone after talking to her, I read the message of my secretary, informing the details of a upcoming meeting.

Good Afternoon sir, our Zonguldak clients are available for a meeting today, so I scheduled one at one this afternoon, at olive café.- taher p.a.

Alright, will be there.- me.

***

I stood up from my seat shaking my hand with my clients as we finalise our deal,

"Taher will send you the official legal papers tomorrow at your office, thank you." I nod my head at them as we exchange pleasantries and bid goodbye to them.

"Took an hour." Taher sighs before picking up his files and putting inside his briefcase and walks with me away from the tables towards the spiral staircase leading down,

"It did." I say stepping down the last stair, "Now all we need to do before this project starts-"

My feet halted at the foyer of the cafe as I spotted a familiar face among the sea of other faces, sitting at a secluded corner, I could recognise that face anywhere because that's the only thing in my mind nowadays.

But what halted my steps was the person sitting opposite to her, a man.

'Can I go out for a while?' She asks softly, as if the idea would appose me.

'Alone?' I ask, maybe she needed some fresh air or something?

'Yes-no, I mean with friends, my friends.'

A weird feeling of betrayal cascaded over me as I saw her talking with an other man.

"Sir?" I snap my eyes back at Taher and cleared my throat,

"Go to our law firm and Finalise the legal papers, I have some work."

"Alright, sir." He nodded leaving the cafe.

My gaze traveled back to the person sitting at the corner and watched her talking to the man, my fingers curled in my palm, forming a fist.

Friends, huh?

The man in front of her turned his head as a waiter approached their table, and I was shocked to see it was......Danish? My cousin?

Since when did they started meeting?

And she lied to me to meet him?

She started talking to him aggressively and then stood up to leave, my knuckles turned white when that fucker grabbed her hand and started caressing it, fucking caressing my wife's hand. She jerked her hand from his grip saying something to him and walked away from him,

I hid behind the pillar beside as she passed beside me and storms out of the cafe.

I look back to see Danish shaking his head and smirking looking at the direction she went and sat back down on his seat.

I took my phone out of my pocket and texted her,

Where are you?- me.

On my way home.- Ayesha.

From how long is this going on? Secret meetings of lovers? That's why she was unhappy all the time, because she had to leave her lover to marry me?

My gut tightened with an weird feeling of betrayal, I was trying wasn't I? Then why she had to do this?

Before I do anything irrational like beating Danish to pulp or call Ayesha, I stormed out of the cafe and went to my car in the parking lot.

Sitting down at the driver seat, my eyes caught the sight of that damn bead again, this time I picked it up and threw it out of my window.

This is what feelings does to a human, it makes a person weak, pathetic, so that anyone could step on it and break it, destroy it.

Developing feelings makes a person weak.

It's better not ever having an heart which feels, which have lost it's ability to feel, and I think that's better for me.

But the betrayal I felt today, I will not let it go.

Lighting a cigarette in mouth, I drove my car from the parking, my anger has been suppressed for so long already, it's time to let people know what harm it can do.

I hate lies.

And most of all, I hate liars.

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A/N :-

Liar liar pants on fire 😔💯

This chapter is specifically updated by high request of my friend. Who knows who they are.

You all know the drill.

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