Sandal's POV:

It has been a whole week since we started Hareem's treatment and Mashallah (God has willed it), she was much better now, mentally and physically. She was shot in the shoulder, but thanks to Allah it wasn't serious. However, the shock was too much to handle for an eleven-year-old girl. She remained unconscious for a whole week and after waking up, she cried for days for not being able to say the final goodbye to Papa, Shoaib, and Palwasha and so did I. I also wasn't able to say goodbye to them too, but that didn't make me cry like her. I didn't cry once after the incident.

I wonder why...

I turned to look at her peaceful sleeping face beside me. She told us that she fainted after being shot.

She was shot! Shot, by a gun.

I cupped her face in my palm and got up to go to work after kissing her forehead.

~*~

Mondays were one of my favourite days once when I was eager to go to university, meet my friends, laughing at silly things and cursing boring lectures, but it all seems like a dream now, a beautiful dream that disappeared when I opened my eyes.

I reached work with zero per-cent motivation, looking at my watch, I sighed in relief. It was eight fifty a.m., which means Mr Ahmed would already be in his office. I started to look for Sohail Bhai, he was a security guard here and was kind enough to cover up for me whenever I have to change my sneakers to sandals. He put my sandals somewhere in the building, where no one usually goes and only he and Ali knows that I still came to work wearing my sneakers and change it later.

I found Sohail Bhai standing near the elevator, but before I could walk to him, my eyes landed on the man standing beside him.

Ya Allah! Mr. Ahmed...!

Hurriedly, I took a step back and hid behind a pillar. A moment pass and I peeked to see Mr. Ahmed, but he was nowhere to be found. Then, my eyes landed on Sohail Bhai who was making strange faces and pointing to the other side of the pillar. My eyes widened when I realize what he meant. I rushed to the elevator and press the first button came into my sight.

I don't know when the elevator came to a halt as I was busy praying for him to not yell at me later. I got startled a bit when I hear a man calling my name. I looked up to find amused Ali standing at the elevator door.

"Assalam o Alaikum, are you coming out or are you planning to make it your new residence?" He asked, raising a brow. I nodded and rushed out to be called by him once again.

"Where are your sandals?"

"I didn't get the chance to change into them, Sir Ahmed was there." As I said, he put his foot between the elevator's door, stopping it from closing.

"Did he see you?" He asked and I nodded in response.

"So that's why you look so worried?" And I nodded again.

"Relax, it's not like he is going to eat you." He said, smiling.

"I don't know, he does look like cannibali (cannibalism)..." I stopped my sentence in mid and Ali laughs out loud.

"Care to complete the sentence, Ms Sandal?" He said, smiling and I shook my head, biting my inner lip.

"Go to your office, I'll send you your sandals."

"How?"

"Sssssh! I'll manage." He stopped me from talking more and went into the elevator. Without wasting a single moment, I walk into my office and took off my sneaker, hiding it under a file shelve.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps. I relaxed a bit thinking that somehow Ali managed to send my sandals, but as the door swung open, I froze, because the man who entered was Mr Ahmed.

"Why did you run?" He said in an authoritative voice.

I kept silent, looking down at not having the answer to his question. I carefully took a step behind my desk, so he won't be able to see me barefooted.

"I asked a question, Ms Sandal."

"I don't know." I was barely able to speak.

No one ever talked to me in this tone, not even my father when he was angry and above all, he was a really big guy. Tall, about six feet of something, with a well-toned body and, have dominating aura.

"What?" He asked in disbelieve.

Again, I kept silent. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a door knock.

"Come in." Said Mr Ahmed, the door opened and Sohail Bhai enters holding my sandals. My eyes widened and I looked back and forth between Sir and Sohail Bhai.

"Excuse me, sir!" Sohail Bhai said to him and then looked at me.

"Bittiya (daughter), I am leaving your sandals here." He said, putting my sandals near the doorstep.

"Bittiya?" Sir Ahmed mumbled giving me a glance.

He must have also thought that it's weird, Sohail Bhai was not old enough to call me bittiya, and he was not even married. But he said to me once that, when Allah gives him a daughter, he wanted her to be like me. It was nice of him and it made me happy too, no one ever praised me like that.

I came out of my thoughts on Sir Ahmed's voice.

"Why you have her sandals?"

"One of its strep was broken, so she came to me, asking if I could fix it."

Jazakallah Sohail Bhai....

"Thank you Sohail Bhai, I hope it wasn't troublesome." I said, walking to him. He smiled and went out, leaving me with Sir alone.

While picking up my sandals, I felt his eyes on me. When I turned back, he was really staring at my feet. Feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze, I put my feet into my sandals in scurrying.

A smirk formed on his face as he took a step forward. I stood at my place, staring at his feet, but on his second, I raised my face to look him and when our eyes met, I saw a glint in his eyes which I didn't understand. There was something, that made me want to keep looking into his eyes, but I abruptly averted my gaze. He took another step closer, which made me take one step back.

"Sir, do you need something?" I asked, trying to end this uncomfortable situation. But instead of answering me, he turned back and left the room.

What was that...?

~*~

Today I got my first paycheck.

It's been this long...?

I put my check under a file for now, as I was busy in RE-TYPING some documents.

I still think Sir Ahmed is a jerk, even working under him didn't change my opinion. He was fair to his work, but was extremely strict and unfair, to me at least. He kept giving me too much work compared to others. Sometimes he also threw comments on how dull I am. Only Allah knows how I endure all this.

I sighed and start working. Suddenly, the door opens and Sir Ahmed rushed indirectly towards me. Startled, I quickly stood up from my seat.

"Sandal, leave the work you are doing and go to my office. A girl in a pink dress will come, make sure she leaves as early as possible. Now go." I nodded and started walking towards the door.

"Oh! And one more thing, Sandal." I turned to face him.

"If she stays for more than three minutes, then you will face the consequences." He threatened me in a calm voice.

What? Just three minutes???

Still, I nodded and left. After exactly two minutes, the door of Sir's office opened and a girl about mid-twenties came in. She was wearing a pink and yellow dress, a parrot green dupatta hung on her neck, paired with a pink clutch and high heels. Her long, healthy and straight hair was set loose on her back.

Unintentionally, my hand reached under my scarf, touching my hair with my fingertips.

I wish I had healthy hair like hers...

"Where is Ahmed?" She asked in a demanding tone.

Instead of answering her question, I take a brief look at her, she sure was wearing an expensive dress, but what's with its colours?

It looks like a Gola-ganda ...

Out of nowhere, Areeba's voice echoed in my head. She uses this word to describe bright multicolored dresses like hers.

"I asked where is Ahmed?" This time, her voice held annoyance.

"He is not in the building at the moment. What business do you have with him?" I replied in a calm voice.

"My business is personal. Who are you to ask?"

"His assistant."

"Since when does Ahmed start hiring girls like you as his assistant?"

Not this again...

"Since now! Will, you kindly tell me your name before leaving, so I can inform Sir Ahmed about your visit while giving him today's report?" I said to her with a smile.

I hate people like her and Sir Ahmed. I couldn't anything to Sir Ahmed because he is my boss after all and I don't want to be kicked out right now. But I will gladly deal with her.

~*~

Ahmed's POV:

Feeling amazed by Sandal's comebacks, I leaned onto the wall to eavesdrop on their conversation. A smile formed on my face when she mentioned giving me today's report. I never asked her to give me daily reports and yet she easily lied to her. To be honest, it was odd to hear her talking, because she never talked to me much. It's as though she kept counting her words while conversing to me and she was not allowed to say more than a few words. Sometimes she just nods to everything I ask.

I heard from the staff that she was quite nice and humble. Also, she became friends with some of the workers. But to me, she was still like a working machine, she didn't even frown when I say rude things to her.

Suddenly, something crossed my mind. I opened the door, interrupting both ladies.

"You look beautiful in this dress, Anam and so sorry for making you wait, I just reached here." Walking to her, I said in a cooing voice.

She smiled at me and gave a triumphant look to Sandal. While she stared at me wide-eyed with a small frown on her face.

"It's okay since you're here now. Let's go to lunch, I am so... hungry." She said, pouting.

"Sure!" I smiled, opening the door for her.

Before leaving, I turned to face the annoyed-looking Sandal.

"Not more than three minutes or you will face the consequences. That's what I told you, right?"

She didn't reply and bit her lower lip as if refraining herself.

"Make sure to tell your family that you will work overtime for a month with me, starting from tomorrow," I said and turned to leave.

"Huh?"

Before leaving the office, I heard Sandal's confused voice and a smile crept on my face.

This will be fun...

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