"About my job application today. You threaten them not hire me.right?"
"You finally get my warnings now." That was all he said at the end of her statement.
Layla's frowned and slowly she sadly smiled which turned into a dry chuckle and then a tormented laugh.
"Hhhh. You know.." she started and flicked away the tears that rested at the base of her eyes.
"..This all your threats will never make me to agree to your absurd request."
He nonchalantly shrugged
"If this doesn't work,I have other plans."
"Use them but they will never ever change my stand."
"Excuse me."she added and walked away. Azeem gave her a long look before making his way too.
~
Layla dejectedly find her way home.
The fatigue she felt from today's morning continued to linger in her body, especially after she had encountered that scum of a bag face to face. A soft sigh escaped from her lips and she closed her eyes. Slowly her body relaxed, and her mind lulled to sleep while she sat on the bed.
'Layla,what are you doing in the backyard?' She heard her mother's voice from the house.
'I am building a castle, Mama. Come see!' Come see little Layla's castle ."
Her reply from the backyard of their house.
Her mother stepped outside the house from the back door, and her eyes fell on little Layla. The little girl's hands were covered in wet and dry mud on her skin. Due to the previous night's rain, it had left the ground muddy. The little girl had pulled the front of her dress till her knees to avoid it from getting dirty. But she had forgotten to take care of the back of her dress, where its hem touched the muddy ground.
'Oh my goodness, looks like we'll need to get you to bath after this,' Her mother stated in a worried tone. Her eyes fell on a squared-shaped structure of mud, on top of which was a smaller square. 'Is this your castle, my dear?'
Layla nodded, 'You and I shall live in this castle, mama.'
'How wonderful. I cannot wait to live in this castle,' answered Her mom, and she stretched her hand to Layla to hold. 'Come on, time to clean you up.'
Little Layla placed her muddy hands in her mother's hand before getting up. When she was picked up in her mother's arms, the little girl said, 'Mama. We shall have horses and then sheep. Cows and cats. Dogs and... what do you want?'
"I just want you and don't want anything more than that,' replied her mother, and Layla circled her arms around her mother's neck with a smile. 'But we might not be able to stay together forever,' whispered the woman. This had the little girl pull away from the crook of her mother's neck.
'But I want us to be together. Forever and ever,' little Layla stared into her mother's eyes. 'Will you leave me, mama...?'
Her mother smiled fondly at her daughter's attachment to her and patted her back. She said,
'I would never leave you, not purposely. But one day, your prince will come to take you to live with him. Someone who will love you dearly, just like your papa loved me or more than that.'
The little girl had a confused look, and she said, 'I have you.'
Her mother laughed, kissing her daughter's forehead, 'You will always have me. One day, there will be a person who will love you and make sure you are always happy. And protect you from the monsters that we hide from.'
The monsters weren't just the creatures who were different, but also the ones they knew and were familiar with. Ones who caused harm.
'I only want you,' the little girl repeated, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck again and hugging her tightly.
Back in the room she laid, Layla opened her eyes that she had earlier closed.
"Sadly mother this not a prince,not a knight in shining armor but a monster. Wanting to ruin my life." She breathed out and got up to walked into the bathroom.