Chapter 1

"There is only one way to find out if he is still breathing". Alia, one of her employees and best friend, uttered.

"But how are we going to know that?" she scoffed, seeing the scene in front of me. "We don't have a stethoscope with us so how would we know if he's still breathing or not? I checked his pulse and I couldn't find it".

"Why are you sounding so helpless? You could just call the ambulance, you know" Alia said matter of fact

"Oh yeah! You have a point there I totally forgot about the ambulance thing". She said and dialed the number. They exchanged a few words and said they were coming. After about fifteen minutes they finally made it and took him to the hospital and said they must follow suit.

"Ma'am!". Her head snapped to the direction of the voice, a male doctor was standing in front of her with a short fitted lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck with a notepad on his hand.

"Yes! How may I help you?" She asked looking at him.

"If am not mistaking, you were the one that brought the patient here right". He said turning his head to the right were they kept him in the ICU. "Is he your relative or your...."

"No!" She cut him off "he is no one to me,I saw him lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, so my friend and I called an ambulance and brought him here". She said quickly and politely.

"So you are not a relative?" He asked again.

"No I am not, I just told you that" she said.

"Okay!" He said jutting something on his note pad.

"Can I leave now?" She asked and just in time, she saw Alia coming towards them..

"Let's leave now Kulthum" she stated flatly without as much as glancing at the person she was talking to. You can excuse her behavior because, for now, she is totally exhausted. She had been in the OR for quite some time now and she is currently dealing with a stubborn fatigue.

"Okay, but at least can't you say hi to him?". She reprimanded, murmuring to her and giving her a stern look.

"Oh! Sorry I didn't notice you! umm.... hi!" She awkwardly said. Turning her head back to me, "I think our job here is done". She continued.

"Okay I will take your leave now sir". He then nodded at her and she left.

"What the hell Alia?! Is something wrong with you?". She asked as soon as they were out of the hospital.

"What did I do? She asked. " I did nothing wrong, I truly did not notice him there, if not I would have said something! Am serious" She clearly lied massaging her temples.

"Okay!" She clearly wasn't in the mood for any bickering. "Let's go home, I'm tired".

"As salamualaikum!" (A method of greeting in Islam) they said in unison as they entered the living room which was empty and the lights were off. Knowing that nobody was home she just headed to her room and Alia followed suit.

As soon as she entered the room and flicked the light switch on, she then threw her veil on the bed to let her hair have its freedom then headed to the washroom to do her business and performed my asr prayer and so did Alia.

After that, they went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After much debate on what to cook, they ended up cooking her dad's favorite meal.

"Where are your parents?" Alia asked passing her the already chopped onions

"To meet a friend of theirs" she replied back, accepting the vegetable and thanking her for it. After that no one said a thing to each other as if they were manually controlled.

By the time they were almost done, they heard the living room door open and in came her worlds. Her role models, her lovely parents, however, before she could say or do anything she saw Alia hugging her parents.

Sometimes she feels as if she is not a part of this lovely family whenever Alia comes over and for that she envies her a lot. But, that isn't a problem. She is just a little jealous at the moment.

"Come here princess! Why are you standing over there?" Her dad asked and she immediately went to join the group hug.

"So?" Her father asked with a smile as if knowing what was for dinner. "What do you have for dinner tonight? I really missed your cooking darling". She knew he Just said it just to make her mum angry but she knew otherwise. She is an amazing cook. You won't believe it when she tells you until you taste a spoonful of her coconut rice. Lord so yummy she could already taste the delicious flavor melting in her mouth.

"I made your favorite meal!" She exclaimed

"So are you trying to tell me that you made fried rice and grilled chicken onions with my best salad and favorite fresh mango drink?". He asked happily and with a nod of their heads he continued.

"Wow! Really? I love that! Are you done yet?"He asked with a huge smile marrying his face.

"Yes dad! Let me just serve it to you now". She said and drew Alia to the kitchen to help her in serving the food on the dining table.

"Mmmm! Smells really good I wonder how it tastes" her father said as she was serving him the food and Alia serving her mum.

"Wow! Tastes great princess, I doubt if your mother has ever cooked a nice meal like this one" he said and glanced at her only to be face to face with a deathly glare from her which made them all laugh together.

"Thank you daddy, ah, before I forget Alia is spending the night here mom, she says she misses you two" she said what Alia told her earlier that morning.

"It's okay! We also miss her a lot. She hasn't been visiting lately. Is everything alright dear?". Her mum asked for the first time since they started eating their dinner together. She nodded with a calm smile and continued digging into her meal.