Chapter 8

Saad's pov :

"No sir... She won't be allowed inside the building..." Hearing this my blood boiled. What was I supposed to do now?

"And where is the company? How much time will it take for me to reach there?" I questioned, controlling my anger, my hands fisted.

"I will send you the location sir. But please be on time, we need to make a good impression on them and we need this contract. Punctuality should be the first thing." Was I his boss or was he my boss?

"Alright, send me the location quickly." Ignoring his latter instructions, I replied while thinking what to do about Alayna.

"All the best sir." He ended the call.

I couldn't go back to leave her at our hotel room and then attend the meeting, it would be late. I would just have to take her with me or leave her here. Closing my eyes in frustration, I sighed. I could already feel an upcoming headache.

As soon as I received the location from my assistant, I opened it while turning on the GPS. Thankfully, it turned out that the company was nearby, in fact it was at a walking distance.

I stood up and started pacing around the tree. What should I do about Alayna now? My mind was not working. Even if I took her to the company, I couldn't take her inside with me. And I didn't have that much time to take her back and leave her at the hotel room.

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips and my hand went to my pocket. Realising that I had a spare mobile phone and a sim card with me, I quickly retrieved it from my pocket and turned it on, hoping that it still had some battery left. Thankfully, it turned on and I quietly mumbled Alhamdulillah a few times.

I checked whether the sim still worked or not and it was still working. Sighing in relief, I went to Alayna with the phone and the backpack which we brought with us. It had a water bottle, my files and some other stuff.

"I have an important meeting right now and I have to go. I'm sorry I'm leaving you like this but I don't have any other option." Taking Alayna aside with me, I told her while handing her the backpack.

"Here, I'm keeping my other mobile phone in this bag and if you want anything or don't feel safe just call me. You know my number, right?" I asked her, concerned and worried. She nodded her head.

"When will you be back?" She inquired, looking at me with innocent curiosity.

"I will be back as soon as my meeting ends, I promise. Don't worry about me. Just stay here and don't go anywhere. I will call you, okay?" I informed her while keeping the mobile inside the bag and taking out my files from it.

"Okay."

"Alright, where should I keep this bag now?" I asked her while looking around, trying to find a place to keep it.

"Just keep it here with this tree trunk, I will remember it and keep an eye on it." She smiled at me.

"Alright but be careful, don't lose this bag." I warned sternly.

"Okay bhai. Come back soon." She started walking towards the playground. "I'm going to play now." She yelled back.

"Okay, In Sha Allah. Allah Hafiz." I shook my head, smiled and started walking out of the park. Glancing at her one last time, I mumbled Fe Aman Nillah. It means that I leave you in the custody/protection of Allah. And whatever we leave in the care of Allah always stays safe. So it's good to leave the house while reading this dua or while leaving someone with this dua.

I was also thankful that I had on my working clothes. Since I had the meeting scheduled in the morning I was ready to go. But as it was cancelled Alayna didn't give me time to change and asked me, more like begged me to take her to the park. So I came here in my white shirt and blue pants. Mumbling Alhamdulillah, I quickly left for the meeting.

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The meeting went pretty well Alhamdulillah and thankfully, I was able to reach there on time. Hopefully we would get the contract, and if not, then I knew that I tried my best but it wasn't written in our company's fate. After praying Zuhr salah in one of the cabins there, - for which I was pretty late - I headed to the park to pick up Alayna.

On the way there, I saw a blind old woman trying to cross the road. After helping her, I continued my way. Wasn't it so sad that people don't even try to help someone even when they see that they need help. It was actually saddening to see people lost in their own worlds to even care about helping someone in need. Who were mostly old people we encounter in our daily lives. Sighing, I shook my head, clearing up my thoughts.

Reaching the park, I looked around, trying to find her. It was around 3:15 now and I was becoming worried because I couldn't find her anywhere. Even after rechecking the playground, I still couldn't see her. Worried, I quickly dialed her number and waited for her to pick up the call. I was pacing around aimlessly while running my hand through my hair, stressed out. She didn't pick up the call, making me more worried.

My gaze landed on a kid who fell down the swing and I rushed to help that boy. After helping him clean up his wound and telling him to play safely, I stood up. Just because I was worried about something or someone didn't mean that I couldn't even help others. And if my sister got hurt, even I would have wanted someone to help her if I was not there with her.

My gaze was roaming around trying to spot her when suddenly, I recognised the bag which I gave her still resting with the same tree trunk. Rushing there, I opened it. The mobile phone and the water bottle, everything was still in there as I left it. Panicking, I started calling her name loudly.

When I still couldn't find her, I took out my phone and showed her picture to everyone present in the park. Asking them whether they had seen her or not. It turned out that no one saw her around here. I started reciting any and every dua that I could remember and prayed for her safety.

She was my responsibility and I just left her like that in a park, that too in an unknown place? Where was she even gone? Was she alright? Was she hurt? I desperately hoped that she hadn't lost her way around here and was just playing hide and seek with me. Or something worse might not have happened, I didn't even want to think about it.

"No no, she is fine, she will be fine. Nothing will happen to her. I will find her soon. In Sha Allah." I mumbled to myself. Positive thinking only. No more negative thoughts, I reminded myself.

I was lost in my thoughts when someone sprayed something in front of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut but before I could fathom what was happening, I lost my balance and blacked out.

My day was officially ruined.

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GLOSSARY :

- In Shaa Allah - It means "if God wills" or "God willing". The phrase comes from a Quranic command which commands Muslims to use it when speaking of future events.

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