And so the plan was set that morning. Hikma would be involved. She would be used as bait to get Basit out of Gabriel's manacle. Roti was heartless and she didn't give a shit about her cousin. All she knew was that, she wanted her son back and didn't mind sacrificing her blind cousin for her son.
Roti couldn't concentrate the whole day. Thoughts running through her head about what was going to happen. This engagement that had been arranged for her mistress' daughter was her final path to getting her son back.
It was a very risky thing to do. The man they were up against in particular was cruel. He was no other than The great Gabriel Khilafa Dhul Qarnayn, her mistress' oldest and only son. She knew him. And she knew what he did.
It was all thanks to David Jones that she got to find out who he was.
No wonder. His name Gabriel and its Arabised version which was Jibril was the name of Allah's first archangel. His other name Khilafa which meant Caliphate. His surname Dhul Qarnayn (Zulqarnayn) was the name of one of Islam's greatest kings.
And he was by all standards, powerful, brave and wealthy. Yet he lacked one thing. Or maybe two. Sense of Humanity and Love. It was all lucid in his eyes and his behaviour.
Roti knew this spelt trouble. It was a 2 way thing. Either they were successful and had to live by hiding in the shadows or they got caught and lost their lives. She wanted neither.
All she wanted was her son back and her money. So she was stressed the whole day with thoughts of what and how to go about the plan.
So the day in the Qarnayn mansion went fast. Her mistress wanted her to bring her niece along with her to the mansion The following day. That was the day when Miss Sara was going to get engaged to Huzaifah. It was going to be a grand affair. Gabriel and his mother would make sure of that.
As much as he hated the fact that his sister was going to be taken away from him, he acknowledged the fact that she had found happiness and was willing to see to it that she remained happy for life.
Gabriel had returned from his 10 o'clock meeting with Salman and the bloke they caught trying to steal weapons. He had inflicted so much fear in the poor lad that, he resulted in literally shitting his pants out. It was quite a scene and he made him feel more and more enraged.
One of his principles.
DESTROY PEOPLE WHO SHOW SIGN OF WEAKNESS
Gabriel was an Alpha Male and he hated weak people. He believed that the world needed strong and brave people alone and anyone weak was just a piece of waste to the world. The only people who were 'Weak' and deserved sympathy, were his family members. Which comprised his sister, his mother , his uncles and his aunties. All others were just vagabonds and useless.
As Gabriel sat on his bed staring at the wads of dollar notes, he realised how unhappy he felt. He was having millions, maybe billions but he had no idea what to do with all this wealth. He could go wherever he wanted to. Eat whatever. Do anything he wanted to but he wasn't happy.
Now his mind went back to days ago. In his early days of returning home from being away for so long. When he had an argument with Rama.
REMINISCENCE
Gabriel had been away for about 12 years to build his empire. Now here he was. All grown up and very successful. He was a busy man amongst others. An extremely busy man. It was hard for him to go by a day without working.
Even when he decided to come home and rest, he still couldn't help but see to the progress of his warehouse. It was doing great and he was proud. He wanted some time to rest and think about himself. But his family was bothering him about marriage.
A marriage he didn't want. The marriage between Gabriel Khilafa Dhul Qarnayn and Sonia Elmir. He didn't want it. Never had, Never will. But the pressure was too much.
Though Sonia and her mother Rama were on him, he still knew that he didn't love her and would never marry her. But he was a man and every man had urges and limits. And he, he had huge and mostly dark urges. To break and To consume.
He had noticed how Sonia now wore seductive clothes. She would move around the house without a hijab. She would wear clingy clothes that made her seductive yet disgusting. Gabriel liked it. He didn't like her though. She was like a sex doll. A whore. A slut. A harlot. Everything considered slutty.
She would wink at him a lot and pout trying to look more lascivious. She would wear kohl under her eyes to look mysteriously alluring. He knew she wanted him but he, he despised her.
He had promised himself that if she showed any signs of seduction, he would wholeheartedly take her and when he was done with the fun, he would dump her or worse.....
So Gabriel was in his room one evening when he heard a knock on his door. He wouldn't have answered but he just did anyway. It was Rama; Sonia's mother. She looked like she had something to discuss with him.
She had expected him to invite her in and offer her a seat but instead he stood still watching her with bored eyes. She saw all the boredom in his eyes but still decided to take the bull by its horn.
"Son? I came here in peace and also to ask why you haven't asked set the date for the marriage between yourseld and my daughter yet?" she asked. She had been thinking that he came down to come and marry her daughter but clearly, he didn't seem to show any interest in her daughter. She became more and more disturbed at that.
He growled and rolled his eyes at her and stood his stance and gave her a piece of his mind.
"Listen here Rama ! For the millionth time. I will marry her when i want to. I am not interested in you or your daughter's disturbance. So don't ever speak to me about you or your damn daughter!" he growled with distaste at her before banging the door at her face.
The older woman enraged stomped into her room and immediately called her daughter Sonia. Sonia didn't completely live with the Qarnayn's. She was a university student and was doing quite well. Rama narrated the whole incident to her daughter who stood dumbfounded at that.
She was having high hopes that Gabriel would ask for her hand now that he was here. She had always loved him and now that he was successful, she felt the attraction even more. But he, he didn't seem to be interested in her. At least not anymore. In fact, he seemed to hate her. She had tried time without number to get his attention.
She had done every single thing to get his attention. She had even tattoed his name on her wrist. She tried to attract him in all ways. But all she saw in his eyes were lust. But wouldn't it better to be his whore than not having him at all ? she foolishly thought.
But now, he had made it clear to her mother. She was confused as ever.
Rama decided to lodge a complaint against Gabriel to his mother who happened to be a very close friend of hers. They grew up together and were literally best friends. She was optimistic Nawar would find a solution to this.
Rama emotionally described the incident and carefully exaggerated the scene to make her look pitiful.
"To think that you and I were best of friends and I sought to continue this friendship by making us family? Your son, he was very rude to me. He insulted me and my daughter and to top it all up, he slammed the door into my face." she moaned in a fake sorrowful tone.
Nawar was bored. I mean very bored at her speech. Rama had always been a worry since childhood. She would make a big deal out of every little issue. She was getting very irritated by the fact that her friend was treating her son like a kid.
"Rama! I tell you if Gabriel is interested in her, he will make it known. He's 32 for God's sake! Not a child and we can't dictate to him what to do and what not to do. Pleaase let him be! And he would never insult anyone who was close to his mother. This is I know." she snapped.
Rama had expected Nawar to be on her side but it seemed like she had her own mind and thoughts on this matter.
Nawar didn't think that a grown up man like Gabriel should have an arranged marriage with Sonia, when there were millions of ladis out there who he could choose from. She liked Sonia alright, but her character? NO! Sonia was a spoilt child. Her mother had doted on her too much.
Rama walked away quite pissed off. But in her mind? She had her own plan. If she played her cards right, Gabriel and Sonia would be happily wedded.
BACK TO PRESENT STATE
He felt like marriage wasn't for him. And now, he his sister was getting married and she looked extremely excited. Never had he seen her more focused in her life. She would blush at the mere mention of her suitor. She was very happy.
He noticed how she smiled more often. She looked extremely jolly. It was very pleasant to the sight. She was the happiest bride he had seen. Which was actually the first and only bride he ever saw.
Then his mind went back to the maiden she was always talking about. He didn't know her name. But he realised that she would be coming the following day with Roti who happened to be her cousin. Well, that's what he knew and heard from his mother.
He decided then, to block his mind off all thoughts of that pitiful blind creature. He didn't know why his family was making him feel guilty about the girl. That Girl! He felt bitterness in the tone in which he spoke. What was it with him and her? Gabriel grabbed the packet of his cigarettes and realised they were empty.
'Damn!' he inwardly cursed as he got up to go purchase some. On a normal basis, he would have sent one of the maids to get it for him. But today, he wanted to go out himself. Maybe to relieve himself of his mental stress and tension.
Gabriel pulled his ripped jeans on and threw on an expensive Burberry shirt. He put on his Jordans and walked out of his room. He decided to walk. He hated the fact that he had to be stared at while he walked down the street. It pissed him off. But he figured a little of breeze would do him good.
Gabriel found his favourite cigarette shop. The cashier today was some chic with natural red hair and looked very slutty. She seemed to have deep interest in Gabriel. He gave her a wicked grin. She was amazed and he noticed how she had managed to get most of her bosom out and showing to the beautiful Greek god before her.
He gave her a tip of 100$ which most definitely would have been her salary for 2 months . She was more and more amazed at him now as he lighted one of his cigarettes there and then. He looked finger licking good in her opinion as he walked out of the shop withe the blunt in between his lips while he burnt his lungs out.
Gabriel knew he had that pizzazz(charisma). He was very alluring and any woman would fall into his trap. As he walked back home, he came across a sight. She was one heaven of a sight. In her arms was a baby. It looked newly born. She stood by the side of the road.
There, he recognised her. She was that maiden he knocked down weeks ago. This time, she was holding a baby and a brown bag full of what seemed like baby items. She looked exhausted. What was going on with her? He could swear that the first time he saw her, she wasn't pregnant. Where from this baby? Or had she already given birth and was he mistaking the baby for a new born?
He saw how she stood there. She obviously couldn't cross the street. I mean how could she ? When she had no eyes and had no guide? He would have walked away. Pretended he hadn't seen her. But for some reason he didn't know, he stayed. He didn't know when he moved closer. The more he moved closer, the more magnetic her innocent frame felt. She was heavily small as compared to him. He looked like a giant while she, like a midget.
"You need help?" he asked curtly while taking a puff. He noticed her eye colour only now. Her blind brown eyes moved around hastily trying to find who this person was. He was without doubt a man. Could she do this? She had vowed never to let any man touch her. Even her hand. But this, this was for a reason. She needed help and it seemed like he was the only one around to help her.
"P-Please..." she muttered. 'Ugh!' she heard him growl underneath his breath. She was hoping she wasn't being a burden. Then, her small soft palm was suddenly grabbed by a huge rough palm. The tension in this man's palm when he first took her hand reduced after feeling the state of her soft palm.
Her palms were the cutest he had ever seen. Though they had traces of cuts and several burns, they looked the most attractive he'd seen. She was unique. Only now did he observe that.
As they walked with meditated steps across the stairs, he noticed how the baby kept its eyes on him. He didn't want to pry. But he wanted to know.
"That your kid?" he asked casually. He noticed her sudden uneasiness. She faltered in her speech. Was she hiding something? She looked sad for a moment before she suddenly decided to confide in him.
"Y-Yes.... h-her name is Laiba" she told him. Gabriel was surprised. She looked very much like a maiden. Looks deceive he thought. But for some reason, he felt hurt. Hurt that she wasn't a maiden. Hurt that someone had claimed her. Hurt that she had gotten pregnant for someone. Hurt that she had given birth to someone else's baby.
Suddenly his hurt turn into rage. Why had she had this baby for someone else? His grasp on her was no longer gentle. It became rough and very unfriendly. He pulled her further away from the road. Now they had finally reached the other side of the road. He would have let her go. But he didn't let go of her hand. She didn't understand why and she looked too shy to speak.
"You gonna find your way home?" he asked as he puffed out smoke which she unknowingly inhaled and begun coughing. Only now did he realise what he did and he didn't know whether and how to apologise. She seemed to not know what was going on around her environs.
It was after a while that she came back to normal. Gabriel didn't know what came over him but he realised that he had thrown the blunt away. At least he would smoke when she wasn't around. He realised that he had her interests at heart.
"Yes. I wouldn't want to be a burden on you. Thank you sir." she acknowledged truthfully.
He felt once again like a 64 year old simp. He was used to being called Boss and Sir sounded new to him. Everyone who worked for him called him Boss. So sir, even though she didn't work for him was a whole new thing. It made him feel extremely old. Too old in his own opinion.
He was going to try again.
"Its alright." he answered curtly but not so rudely.
He held her hand possessively and walked with her to her home. She was thunderstruck when she realised he wasn't asking for directions yet seemed to know where she was heading to. Though she couldn't see, she knew that the direction to her home was where he was leading her to.
He saw the puzzled look on her face and he didn't know where that smirk came from. He gave her a beautiful smirk. Not his usual perverted smirk but the type he gave to his mother and his sister. The priceless one. If only she could see.
A few hundred metres to her home, he begun engaging her in small conversations. It wasn't his thing but he did it anyway.
"So? The kid? Who's her father?" he asked quite interested. She looked quite confused but decided to just give him slight details since he helped her out. Not to seem rude.
"She doesn't have one" she replied softly as she realised they were in front of her house. It was an old dilapidated building with faded roof and a terribly bad door. But half a loaf was better than none, wasn't it ? She slowly let go of his hand which had a feel of safety yet had a feel of chaos and sin. She heard his slight sigh.
"Oh. Okay. Bye" he said before taking his leave. Gabriel walked without turning back. His kitten had a baby who didn't have a father. He felt her pain. Whoever that man was, surely was a bastard for abandoning such a lovely creature and his baby. He walked until he got to the side of the road before turning around.
He saw her staring towards his direction. Completely oblivious of the fact that he was still there. She sighed before turning her gaze to the baby in her arms whom she couldn't see. She smiled at it before turning around tp enter her home.
Gabriel sighed again before crossing the street and embarking on his trip back home.
Once again, he had intentions. New intentions. His mother was going to invite this lady and her aunt to their home tomorrow for both the engagement and for him to apologise to her. He would make his intentions known, there and then.
Now his mind went to his captive. What was he going to do to that imbecile and how would he get him to tell him the whole truth?
HEY GUYS. I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER? HAS HIKMA REALLY GIVEN BIRTH? HOW IS HER AUNT GOING TO TAKE THIS NEWS? WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE GABRIEL'S INTENTIONS? WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT? FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.
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