𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟗

Faizan

The door to my office flies open and in stands Farhan, making an dramatic presence.

“Your guardian has arrived,” he announces, then looks behind the door, “I didn’t break anything, did I?”

I lean back in my chair, resting my elbow on the chair’s arm rest and the side of my head on my fist.

“Okay, yup, everything is fine.” he closes the door then walks towards my desk, “as I was saying, your-”

“Sit down, Farhan,” I cut him off.

“Tsk, kids these days.” he mumbles as he takes his seat, “To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling me into your office?” before I could answer his question, he continues, “This kind of reminds me of the times I was called in the principal’s office every time I got in trouble, it’s not a pretty memory.”

“I called you in to make sure of something.”

“Which is?”

“Did you give Arzo the internship because she’s Zahid's sister in law?”

I spotted Arzo in the meeting held for interns today. I wasn’t planning on going in but Farhan made me. I probably ruined the atmosphere judging by how everyone looked like they were scared to death.

Everyone except her.

Her innocent brown eyes moved around the room with confusion filled in them as to why everyone was acting so scared. As if she didn’t understand the reason I’m known as a monster instead of a boss because of my strict rules and my inability to smile or feel any emotion.

Some people might call someone like me a robot but most people call me a monster.

I never tried to find the reason why.

People can think whatever they want of me, I don’t care about their opinion neither am I begging for anyone’s validation.

“I am very well aware of your conditions, my friend and I respect them. So, no, I didn’t give Arzo that internship based on her relationship with Zahid bhai. Her resume was the best out of all.”

I raise an eyebrow, “was it?”

“Yes- did you not read the resumes I sent you?”

“No.”

“Rude.”

“The last time I rechecked something you chose, you started whining that I don’t trust you with the business,”

“That was the lack of sleep and chai talking.”

“Either way, as long as you didn’t or won’t pull any unnecessary strings for her or anyone, I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he dramatically bows his head, “anything else, boss?”

“Yes. Get out.”

He lifts his head to glare at me even though he knows it doesn’t do anything. He mumbles something in urdu as he gets up and makes his way out of my office.

I lean back in my chair and rest my head against the headrest, staring at the ceiling.

The events from the day play out in my mind including a woman with innocent brown eyes.

Were the events not enough interactions for us?

I close my eyes to rest for a while.

As my eyes close, my hearing senses rise. I hear every little tick of the clock, the sound of the air conditioner, the muffled noises coming from the outside.

 I take a deep breath, forcing my muscles to loosen-

 I immediately regret it.

 An excruciating pain courses through my back into my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

My body locks as multiple images from the past flashes through my eyes.

You’re a fucking disgrace!

My eyes snap open and I sit up sharply, forcing myself to take deep breaths despite the pain spreading across my body.

It’ll go away. It’ll go away. It always does.

I start reciting Ayat ul Kursi, focusing on the words and their meaning. The pain starts to subside and my body comes back to its normal tensed self.

I run my hand through my hair, releasing a heavy breath, trying to forget the reason behind the pain. I have been trying to remove it since Zahid’s parents legally adopted me as a kid but it never leaves me.

It sticks around to remind me of how my life was supposed to be, to haunt me during the times I try to be normal like everyone else.

I couldn’t feel emotionally since I was a kid.

But he made sure to make me feel physically every chance he got.