Chapter 46

"My manager, he gave goods to some Americans worth tons of money without them paying. Now they are no where to be found." Yusuf's eyes bulged open as his heart did a back flip. "Innalillahi Wa'inna ilaihir rajiun. This is bad," he muttered. "I don't even know what to do, Yusuf. How can we start tracing these people? I can go out of business cause of this." "Have you informed your father about this?" Muhsin shook his head. "Baba does not have to always be the one to clean up my mess. I have to take the responsibilities this time. And most of the blame I take it. I am also careless else this wouldn't have happened." "No, muhsin. No one is above mistakes and this is just a trial that you have to pass by being patient. Just calm down and we would get through this...." Then the everything went silent. His whole surrounding went blurry and mute. He felt dead inside. His tongue felt dry. His throat felt as if someone thrust a handful of itching powder inside. His eyes were scruffy. He looked at Yusuf talking but he had no idea what he was blabbing about. "Muhsin... muhsin..." He blinked and looked at his cousin again. "Come, get up, I'm taking you home." He helped him up from the chair. He took him to his car and drove him home. Muhsin found himself walking into the house. Everything wasn't just right with him. He needed someone to talk to. Someone that would give him answers to his worries and tell him soothing words. He needed someone he would lean on. His parents had always been the one to clean the mess for him but they had other worries to take care of. He was a grown man and he had to start cleaning his own mess. He walked up the stairs to her room. She looked up from her bed before she smiled. "Babe, you're back. Come please." She motioned him to come as she opened her arms. He joined her in the bed and cuddled up together. When they finally clasped each other in a warm, slow and luxurious hug, he felt a bit relieved. "How was work?" She asked stroking his soft hair. He looked up from her chest. She couldn't read depression all over his face? "I have a huge problem at the company, amira. I might shut down the whole company." "What happened?" "I used almost all my money to ship in new items and my manager signed a contract with some Americans which turned out to be robbers. They took the goods without paying now I don't know what to do." She shrugged and cupped his face. "This isn't something to worry about, babe. Your father is very rich. You can sell the company and start up another business. I know your father will give you the amount of money you would need." He gently swatted her hands from his hair and shifted away from her. Sell his company after going that far? "Amira what are you even saying? It does not make any sense. You mean I have to always lean on my father? Won't you be ashamed if your husband has to depend on his father whenever he has a problem. No, I can't do such selfishness. I need to take this responsibilities and clean up my mess." He dropped down from her bed and started walking towards the door. "I'm going to the mosque now to pray. You should also get up and pray before I come back." He sauntered out of the room without a back glance. She hissed and shrugged her shoulders. Her idea was brilliant, she mused to herself. Just that he was too dumbfounded to see it. It was a simple and easy way for him to get his money back but chose a hard way. That's your problem, she murmured. ** As he placed the phone back to his chest pocket, he reversed and drove out of the compound to Nile university. It's been three days now but nothing had changed. He had been attending meetings over meetings to see how things would get resolved but still no progress. Things only got worse for him. He looked at his phone ringing but ignored it. Amira had been calling him nonstop and he knew if he did the mistake of picking up her call, she would end up getting him more hurt and depressed than he already was. He parked at their department where he was sure he would find her and luckily, he did. She was coming out of their department together with three of her friends that looked familiar to him. He shrugged when he couldn't remember where he met them but he was sure it was in the school. She caught sight of him and smiled a bit before she bade her friends goodbye and walked towards the car. "Good evening," she started with the moment she hopped into the car. For some reason he felt a little relieved. "How are you? How was lectures today?" She smiled and nodded, "it was okay alhamdulillah." She observed his face and looked away. He reversed the car and started driving out of the school. "Daddy is out of town with the driver so he asked me to come pick you up and he told me your phone wasn't going through." She slowly nodded but then she looked at him again. "Is something bothering you? You look pale, lost weight if I may say." She stared at his distressed face to his hands then back to his face. He had to park the car by the road side to make sure he heard her right. "I mean it's like something is bothering you." She explained when he asked her to repeat her question. "How did you... how did you figure out that I'm not okay." He couldn't help but ask. It left him in awe that she could tell he was not in good shape. "Your face says you're not. The eye bags especially. You've lost weight too. What's wrong?" He kept staring at her unable to think of how he felt exactly. How did she do that when he had to tell his own wife he was in trouble and she did nothing of help even after telling her his worries.