"What are you smiling about?" mum asked me as soon as I entered home.

"Ah, is it a crime to smile?" I asked kissing her on the cheeks.

"No, but when you smile like that, it means you are up to no good" she said suspiciously.

I broaden my smile to annoy her further and went to my room. As soon as I went to the room, I got a call. And my heart beat fasten.

"Did you reach home, my love?" Steve asked as soon as I pick the phone.

"Yes, and you?" I asked.

"Just parked outside your house. Wanted to see you home safely" he replied and I was deeply moved by his caring nature.

"Okay, Feamanillah" that is something my mum always say when I leave home and I wanted him to go home safely.

"Okay love, sleep tight. Will talk to you tomorrow" and I did sleep well.

I didn't hear my Thahajjath alarm and thought I missed my Fajr prayers but luckily manage to pray just before shurook. I never miss prayers. My religion is more important to me than anything else in my life. My clinic is opened at 9 in the morning. Rich people don't get up before 12 but there are some patience I consult for free. And they are the ones generally come from 9-12.

So I had my shower and got dressed to leave. The earlier I go, I can finish off some of the paper work which is pending for couple of days. I don't want them to pile up. At 6 a.m I wanted to call Steve but somehow felt awkward. When I was toying with the idea of calling him, my mum came to the room.

"I don't like the way you smile Sarah" she told me again.

"Mum, I cant help it. This is the only way I know how to smile" I told her.

"Well, if it had been how you always smile , then no problem. But you haven't smiled like that in years and suddenly here you are. What is going on?" she asked me.

"Mum, it is nothing that you should concern yourself with" and my phone rang - and I knew instinctly who it is.

"Who is that?" mum asked suspiciously.

"Farhan" I lied to her. And then I saw her smile. And I was immediately relieved.

"Okay, I am going down. Breakfast is ready" and she left the room and I answered the phone.

"Hello"

"My world" Steve told me in his deep voice. I was so glad I wasn't standing as I knew that voice could make not only my knees go weak but also make me swoon.

"Good morning to you too" I said smiling and being happy. I didn't know when I was this happy.

"Slept well?" he asked me.

"Yes. I was up since 5 a.m. Just got dressed to go to work" I told him.

"Prayers. Yea?" he asked me. I was surprised he knew.

"Yes. I made supplications to you as well" and I did. I made lots of dua for Steve and myself.

"What did you ask God?"

"That's between me and Allah. Now it is time for you to rise and shine" I told him not answering the question he asked. I made dua for his health and safety. I asked Allah to open ways in which we can be together without anyone harming us or we harming anyone and my list goes on. He doesn't need to know that.

"Do you love me babe?" He asked me. What sort of a question is that?

"What do you think?" I asked him back.

"I think you are madly in love with me. And I think you would do anything to be with me" and he knew that is the truth.

"Then why do you ask?" I asked him.

"Because you didn't confess your feelings. I know them and I feel them but I want to hear them as well"

"well, I waited for years for you. I am sure you can wait a decade" I said teasing, grabbing my bag. I am already late.

"Tonight then" he said laughing.

"No, I am meeting up with Farhan" I reminded him.

"And I said I don't share what is mine. You are not meeting that block head nor anyone else for that matter" he said stubbornly.

"Steve, I cant dump him over a phone call. He deserves to know at least a little bit of the truth"

"Then I will talk to him. And you have really bad taste in men" he said.

"Oh I totally agree. Imagine being in love in a ex-convict. My taste is that bad"

"Ouch! I will kiss you senselessly next time for that insult"

"I am meeting Farhan, for the last time. Please, give him some respect. I need to go now. Will talk to you soon" I told him.

"Bye love" and we hung up.

**********************************************************

I got dressed.

I have never been this happy all my life. The feeling of knowing someone deeply care for me and love me is quite alien to me. I need to sort out what I am in right now before I marry Sarah. Yes, I am going to marry her. She belongs to me. How is irrelevant.

I know my girl is quite capable. She is fiercely independent and quite strong minded. Though I am concerned for her after what happened yesterday, I know she is strong enough with or without me to take care of herself. And that makes me immensely proud of her.

Anyway, I need to talk to nana first. The game she is playing is dangerous. The power shift she plotted had made her own children hate her, but no one touches Sarah. No one threatens Sarah. And that includes nana as well.

As I went down to have breakfast, I saw Talia with her baby Sara. They are both like my own children. Talia still the loving person she is and her daughter Sara has taken a strong liking for me. I spend hours sometimes with them enjoying everything they offer unconditionally. But today I have things to do.

"Nana, a word with you if you don't mind" I told her as soon as we finished breakfast.

We walked to the library. And I closed the door behind her.

"If it is about Sarah, then you are wasting my time Steve" she told me.

"Tell me, what is the game you are playing? I thought you wanted to bring down Philip and you manage to do it successfully. Why meddle with my life now?" I asked her.

"You should marry someone who is well connected" she said flatly.

"I will marry whom I want nana. Know this. I respect you but I don't love you. You are one of the people who harmed me. Yes, you redeemed yourself but still, I don't trust you. Leave Sarah from this. I can leave all this with just the clothes I am in and never look back"

"How dare you?" she asked me quite angrily.

"How dare I? Well, for one thing, nothing you have nor offer is more important to me than Sarah. Absolutely nothing. Secondly, none of this is mine. I didn't build it from the scratch. I have expanded for which I am rightly awarded. But none of this is mine"

"All of this is yours Steve" she said.

I laughed. I don't want all of this. In fact, I don't want any of it. The dirty politics, and mind games and back stabbing, fakeness and extravagance are tiring to live in day in and day out.

"I give it back to you. Keep it"

"You cant give back what is yours" she said agitated.

"Steve, there is something you ought to know" and she started to weep.

What the hell.....................