CAIRO, EGYPT.

"MAN, I WAS just about to call you" Came a voice from the other end after they exchanged their salaams. "I just heard what happened, Subhan Allah Ya hakuri? Allah jikan shi"

The corner of Aslam's lips tilted up in the slightest bit. Under normal circumstances, he would've made fun of the man's pronunciation and accent whenever he speaks Hausa. With his mother being Hausa, it's expected he can speak it well enough but his situation is complicated. So, he doesn't really know except for the stuff he learns from his Nigerian friends here and there. "Haquri alhamdullilah"

"May his soul rest in peace. May Jannah be his final abode"

"Ameen ameen. Jazakallah khairan"

"Wa iyyaka" He released a small sigh. "I heard he passed away earlier today, right?"

"Yeah. Before Subh prayers"

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun" The man on the other side sighed. "How are you coping? I know it's not easy"

"It's not, and to be honest man, it just got worse" Aslam released a loud sigh, resting his forearm on his thigh as he massaged his temple with his fingers. His other hand held the phone to his ear. "That's why I called you to begin with. I need help"

"Help? You know you can count on me anytime. Tell me, what is it you want?" The man on the other end didn't hesitate to offer his help. He considers Aslam a good friend of his, because he truly is one. Besides, Aslam has been always been there to offer him help whenever he needed it to, it only feels right to do the same for him.

"I need information"

"Information?"

Aslam nodded, despite knowing the man can't see him. "Yes, information" He pushed himself off the bed, casting a quick glance at the door to make sure no one was standing there. Even if someone is standing on the other side, waiting to eavesdrop in his conversation, he won't let it happen. So, with that thought in mind, he made his way over to the window, "It's been two years but there's something that triggered the whole thing to begin with. Grandpa spoke to someone about Hisham, and then he had a heart attack afterwards"

"Didn't he tell you anything then?" He expects the old man must've told him something at least, since he woke up two days after having the heart attack two years ago. However afterwards, the man's situation didn't get any better and as such has been managing like that until he had another heart attack that very week-which eventually left his brain dead. Or so he heard.

"No" Aslam shook his head, eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. That's what he upsets him the most. He spent all this time with the man and he yet, he refused to tell him-or anyone else-a thing about what truly happened to him. It frustrated Aslam to no ends. "But I have this gut feeling Hisham has something to with it. Which is why I want you to look into it for me" If there's one thing he knows about his friend, it's that he has connections which would get him what he wants in little time; hopefully.

The man on the other end thought about it for a couple of seconds. "Why don't you ask the man he spoke to?"

"That's the thing" Aslam brows drew in as his frown deepened. "Only Huda saw the man and even she didn't see his face clearly. From the little she said, I doubt he's someone I know"

"So we have a mysterious man no one knows. We have Hisham who is somehow involved in this. And, your grandfather holding his silence till the very end" The man pointed out the facts they have, for a clearer understanding. "Do you think your grandfather hid it because he's trying to protect someone or something?"

Aslam had thought of that too. "Honestly, that could be a possibility but he left his shares in HGH to me. He wouldn't do that just because he cares about me" If that was the case, the old man could've shared it amongst them all because despite their differences, they are all family to him and he loves them. But he didn't. Instead, he gave it to Aslam. "I believe he did so to get me into the whole business"

That made more sense to him. Because, everyone knows Aslam doesn't want anything to do with the business. He was more than content being a doctor. Besides, business talk just bores him. His grandfather knew that well too, because he expressed it all the time. That's one of the reasons why he never had shares in the hospital to begin with. But what happened? Overnight, he became the one with most shares since the old man left it to him.

There has to be a reason. And Aslam believes it has to do with Hisham. That, he's sure of.

"Okay, let's assume that's correct. What exactly do you want me to find out? You know I can't figure out if there's something going on with your hospital, right?" Sure, he has connections but stuff like that wouldn't be easy for him to just find out.

"I want you to help me find that man my grandfather spoke to"

"Aslam, it's been two years. That won't be easy"

"Nothing about this would be easy. But I can't trust anyone with this. If I figure this out, I can get Haroon to help me with the hospital once I return to Nigeria. But Irfan, I need you to help me with this please"

Irfan Tawfiq, a close friend of Aslam's sighed. "Alright man" He relented. He would've done it anyway. He just wanted to get the facts straight to remind him that it won't be easy. But, he would do his best nonetheless. "I'll get right on it and in shaa Allah, I'll let you know if anything comes up"

"Thank you, Irfan"

"Mention not, Doctor"

The call ended, just in time a knock came on the door to Aslam's room. Dropping his hand by his side, he dropped his phone on the bed as he made his way over to the door, where another knock came. He would've just asked whoever is on the other side to come in, but he had locked the door earlier when he came in so he had to unlock it for whoever it is.

Once he had done just that, he pulled the door open only for his gaze to fall on the last person he expected to see there. At least, at that time. "Taslim..." He called out softly.

Taslim darted her tongue to swipe her lower lip, as she fiddled with her fingers in front of her. "Can..." She paused, clearing her throat as her voice came out a bit hoarse-due to the tears she had been shedding. "Can we talk?" She asked, blinking.

He stared at her for a moment, not missing how puffy her face looked and how her eyes were red. They were swollen too and to wrap it all up, she doesn't exactly look good. But to be honest, they all don't with everything going on. "Yeah," He nodded, "Come in" He moved back, opening the door wider for her.

If it was anyone else apart from his siblings, he wouldn't let them in. But Taslim and him have been living in that house for more than a decade so he didn't have a problem with it, and neither did she. Besides, they clearly need to talk and they won't get the privacy to do that outside.

Taslim walked in, leaving him to close the door behind her.

"Please, take a seat" He gestured to the divan in the corner of the room, while he took the egg chair opposite it. He waited for her to settle down first, before he parted his lips to speak.

She beat him to it though. "I told Abu I wouldn't marry you" She decided to just say it outright. There's no point of beating around the bush. He didn't miss how she refuse to meet his eyes, instead she was looking anywhere else as she kept pulling the sleeves of her sweater-something she does when she's nervous. He knows her that much. She released a small sigh when he didn't say anything, and dared to look in his direction only to see him already looking at her. "I know you don't want to marry me either, so I saved us both the struggle" She looked away yet again.

Aslam stormed out earlier after the Lawyer told him the condition of him getting the shares. Everyone in the family knew Aslam wouldn't do that. Well, except her. She knows him well enough to know he would go to any length to get what he wants, and she could tell he wanted something in that situation, and it has to do with the hospital. But she wouldn't want him to get it like that. Not for him to be forced into a marriage with her.

So, she met her father after the little meetup and told him her intention.

The wheels in his head had been turning since she said that. His head tilted to the side slightly, as he decided to voice out the question in his mind. "Why did you do that?"

"I saved us both the struggle" She shrugged slightly, looking at her intertwined hands.

"Why did you do that, Taslim?" He asked again, this time around his voice sounded a bit stern. "Don't lie to me" He understands her on most situations, or more like all the time. He has a feeling he knows what her answer would be, but he needed her to say it.

They both needed to face, and accept it. Else, they will be stuck in one place for an unnecessary long time.

Taslim flickered her eyes close, taking in a deep breath as she looked up, her eyes meeting his for the first time since she stepped foot in the room. She was so tempted to look away, for she couldn't hold the intensity of his gaze but she knew she had to. At least, she needed to look him in the eyes and give him the answer he so badly wants to hear. "Do you want to marry me?" She asked, her voice, soft and composed as always.

She was truly the definition of feminine even without trying. At first glance, one might think she's the perfect lady out there but she knows she's far from it.

Aslam said nothing. But his silence was louder than the words he didn't utter.

She chuckled lightly, though there was no humor in it as she looked away for a brief second. Blowing out a low breath, she rested her hands on her thighs to stop herself to bouncing her leg repeatedly. "That's why I did it. I don't want to get stuck with you like this. No, I can't do that to you, and to me" She darted her gaze in his direction, "Don't worry about it, he won't pressure you into anything. He was actually elated about the news" She let out another humorless chuckle.

Of course her father would be happy to hear she doesn't want to marry Aslam. It's not like he ever wanted her to be with the man. Besides, if Aslam does marry her and acquire the shares, he would have more shares than him just like that.

Why would he want that?

"And Hisham?" Aslam found himself asking. He knew her father won't be a problem. That brother of hers though.

Taslim looked away, not wanting to ever allow her eyes to meet his. Not when he has mentioned that so called brother of hers. She wasn't there to speak about him. She didn't want to.

"Taslim, look at me" Aslam called out, leaning forward slightly as he rested his hands on his thighs. It doesn't matter what anyone would say. He cares about her. No one can deny that. "What did he do to you?"

This time around, she couldn't stop herself from bouncing her feet repeatedly. "Can we not talk about him?"

"No, we're going to talk about him" Hisham did something, that much he could tell. "Tell me, what did he do to you?"

She kept shut.

"Taslim..."

"Just please!" She cut him off, her eyes clenching close. When she spoke again, her voice came out much lower-so low that if the room wasn't quiet, he wouldn't have caught onto the words. "Let's not talk about him, please"

Aslam sighed, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay," He wanted to get the answers out of her, but it's clear she doesn't want to speak about it and he can't do anything about it. The room was quiet for a few minutes with both of them lost in their thoughts. He on the other hand was waiting for her to gather her thoughts before he could speak. And when she did that, he leaned back in the egg chair and crossed his arms over his torso. "Taslim, can I get you something?"

"Huh?" She blinked, looking up to meet his gaze.

"I have a confession" He admits, offering her a small smile.

Her eyes narrowed at him slightly. "Is the confession something about you being a serial killer? Because if it is, I'm not keeping that secret"

He chuckled lightly. He didn't think she would be able to crack a joke in that situation. But it's not bad since she at least lifted his mood. If only he could do the same. "No" He shook his head. "If I was a serial killer, you'd be my first murder case"

"Wow" Her mouth hung open slightly, "I feel so loved" She stated drily, earning a slight chuckle from him yet again.

He shook his head, his small moment of amusement dying. His eyes met hers again, as he offered her a small, barely visible smile. "I've been pretending to not know how you feel about me" He confessed.

Taslim's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting him to say that. Sure, times without number she wondered whether he actually doesn't know or whether he actually chose to ignore it. For years, she kept switching between these thoughts, trying desperately to understand which it is exactly. She had given up though.

But here he is, telling her that he'd known all along.

The thought had blood rushing to her cheeks as she looked down, unable to hold his gaze. "You have?" She asked, her voice low as she clenched her eyes shut. She wished she hadn't heard him right. At least, she wouldn't be feeling so appalled.

"Yes," He nodded. "I told myself it's just a silly crush that you'll get over as you grow older. But, you still held up on to it as the years pass by, and honestly, I didn't have the heart to tell you otherwise" He then sighed, preparing himself to say the things he had been holding to himself all these years. "Taslim, trust me when I say I don't deserve you. You deserve so much more than what this family has to offer. You're a good person, and you know that, so why would you want to be stuck in this family for the rest of your life?"

He has never been a fan of marrying someone from your family, because he believes it only ruins relationships. And he especially didn't like the idea of it involving Taslim-even if he was one she's interested in. To him, she has been traumatized enough by the family, it would be better she marries someone far away to get away from the drama.

If it's someone else being married into the family, it's a different case. But not this.

Taslim's embarrassment from earlier slowly dissipated, as her shoulders slumped. His words were getting into her head, and as much as she loves it whenever he cares about her, she couldn't help but hate what he was saying because deep down, she knew she didn't want to be trapped in the Abd Al-Rasheed family forever.

"You ended this whole marriage issue single handedly, and yet, you still keep telling yourself that you like me to the extent of you giving reasons for it but Taslim, I want you to think about this. Do you still like me, or are you mistaking other feelings you have for me as that?" He had thought about that too. He believes, she keeps telling herself she's in love with him when she's really not. At least, not anymore. The old Taslim would've hopped onto the marriage without a second thought. But look where the present Taslim brought them too. "Think about that and decide what exactly you want to do with your life. Don't let me, your feelings, or this family hold you back. Do exactly whatever it is you want. Meet a man who will love you way more than you love him because then he will appreciate you. You deserve someone who will love you with no questions asked. You deserve happiness"

She looked up, for it was the first time Aslam ever said something like that to her. To anyone else, it might've sounded like he was letting her down gently. But weirdly enough she wasn't hurt at all by what he said-even if that was his way of telling her they'll never be together. Sure, she felt a slight pang but that was it.

"Love yourself first, Taslim. And learn to put yourself first. Accept the truth and embrace it. It doesn't matter if I won't ever reciprocate those feelings, you know I'll always be here for you. And I promise, I'll help you find your happiness. That's the least I could do for you after the pain I've caused"

That was the moment it truly reigned on her that she and Aslam would never be a thing. All the dreams and hopes she had regarding him will never become a reality.

Why wasn't she hurt though? Why doesn't she feel like the world was crashing down on her? Could Aslam be right? Could it be that she has been mistaking other feelings for love?

She needed to figure out the answer and sort her life out for the better. As he said;

Acceptance. That's the first step.

~*~

*Sighs as I watch my AsLim ship sink* Oh well. I'm not happy about this because that Aisha hates my Aslam but all is well.

Aslam baby, if we go back to Nigeria and Aisha refuses to take you, come I'll find a wife for you without a second thought. It can't be use she'll give a hard time o. Weirdly enough; I'm starting to not care about this AA stuff. I'm not shipping Aisha and Aslam for now sha.

Maybe Aisha and Hamza. Hamsha? Hehe, help me with ship names abeg.

Toh, I don't even know when I'll upload this chapter but all is well.

Taslim baby, I love you and I promise, these annoying people that hate you will love you too. *Flutters eyes unnecessarily* Yall know yourselves.

Now, IRFAN! Who noticed the small crossover? I have a feeling there will be another crossover soon, from yet another book. Can anyone guess which character will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming chapters?

Okay, the next chapter. I have a feeling you'll both love and hate it (Or some of the characters sha but all is well)

Now, good bye.

I can't even say goodnight since it's 12pm now but good day, good night, good whatever time you're reading this.

We out.

Love, Jannah and Tas baby.