F A H A D' SÂ P O V
No. Nothing. We got nothing in any of the orphanage possible.
"What do we do now Fahad? This was the last orphanage from the list that we had decided to go." Nada groaned while we were walking towards my car.
"Umm let's go to the police station and inform them about Alizah." I suggested.
Somewhere some clue must be there. At least a missing report.
"Okay. But Fahad." Nada suddenly stopped at her path.
"What Nada?" I turned and asked her genuinely.
"Until they find her parents, we will keep Alizah with ourselves, okay? Please I request you. We have taken so much of risk just because of her so what's in keeping her with us till the cops find her parents. Please please please please PLEASEE!!"Â She pleaded actually she was begging right now.
"Fine I never said that we won't keep her with us. We will surely do. First let's talk to the police then we can decide." I suggested her.
"Hmm."
"Get in." I opened the door of my car for her. Come on, chivalry isn't dead yet.
"Wait Fahad." Nada halted me.
"What?"
"My car is still at Target please let's go and take my car." She requested. "I have my car keys." She chimed in before I could say anything.
"You sure?" I was skeptical. Yes, I don't trust her. Not even a bit. She herself gave the reasons not to trust her.
"Yes-yes. Ask your driver to pick up your car from here." She gushed.
"If anything goes wrong then you will suffer I am telling you Nada."
"Ok I will be held responsible. Target is just at a walkable distance from here we could walk and go." She said motioning her hands to the road.
"Fine then I'll call the driver to pick my car from here." I took out my phone from my pocket.
After calling the driver, he told me that it will take fifteen minutes to reach at the place.
"Ugh! I am hungry rightnow. You wait. I am going to McDonalds." She said turning when I stopped her by holding her wrist.
"Don't go anywhere. It's not safe. I still don't trust Junaid he could do anything. You and Alizah will be with me, and anywhere I go." I dictated her sternly.
She just gave out a cry and went inside the car to sit on the backseat.
Alizah was in my hands sleeping peacefully. Ofcourse she was the main personality today. For her we had to travel all day long.
"UGH! WHERE IS YOUR DRIVER?! AM HUNGRY RIGHTNOW! ITS BEEN TWENTY MINUTES SINCE YOU CALLED HIM AND NOW ITS HALF PAST TWO! I AM STARVING." Nada threw her usual tantrums.
For now she was feeding Alizah her baby food inside the car and I was standing outside waiting for my driver to come.
"Whose idea was it? Mine's or yours?" I taunted. "I am also waiting with you. So shut up now. Your shouting gives me headaches." I concluded massaging my temples. She got out of the car, shutting the door with a bang, and stood beside me, glaring.
Alizah was continuously chewing something but she didn't have anything in her mouth maybe her teeth are gone come out. Her gums must be swollen I guess.
And there was an another kid, Nada, who was constantly whining. But yes, it's been twenty minutes but still the driver hasn't come.
"Fahad I am very hungry rightnow." Nada spoke. It was barely audible. Like a whisper. She kept her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. Such a drama Queen.
"Nada! Hey! Please don't faint here. Not when you have Alizah in your hands."
"Stupid I am not fainting. I am just out of energy." She confirmed straightening her head. And then we have Alizah in between, with full energy mode.
"Sir! Sir! I am so sorry!" I heard a voice.
I turned a little back to see Farhaan, the driver, coming in our direction.
"Where were you Farhan? We have been waiting for you since twenty minutes. You told me that you will reach here by fifteen minutes." I scolded him.
"Huh? You told me that he will reach in ten minutes. You liar!" Nada gasped.
"I didn't want this." I pointed my finger at her. "Your drama. That's why I told only ten minutes." I explained her in a bored tone acting as if I had done nothing wrong.
"I am famished. Please let's go." She urged caressing her stomach.
"Fine. We will." I just gave her a weird look and sighed.
"Yes Alizah I will take you wait till I give the keys to him okay?" I said to Alizah who was stretching her hands at me to hold her.
"These are the keys. Take my car to my home. Okay?" I instructed Farhan.
"Yes sir. I am sorry sir. I was stuck in traffic. I am sorry that I caused trouble to Ma'am too. Sorry Ma'am." He said turning towards Nada.
"Oh it's okay. It was not your fault anyway. Thank you for coming." Nada spoke dismissively, who was standing still with no energy. Man she really needs to get feeded.
I looked at her and turned back.
"Thank you Farhan. Now you can go. AllahHafiz (parting greeting of Muslims. Basically meaning let God be with you)."
"AllahHafiz sir." He said and I was going to turn back when he said "It's good to see you being a family man, sir. A wife, a baby. Take care of them sir." He smiled and went before I could say anything.
"Weirdo." Nada muttered.
Whose gonna tell him that they both aren't my real wife and baby? Did people want me to get married so badly?
"Now we go to McDonalds! Yeah!" Nada squealed.
"Why McDonalds? We could go some other place too."
"No that's my favourite and it's near too. If we have to go somewhere then first we have to go to Target take my car then drive somewhere else then eat then go home-"
She and her childishness.
"Fine let's go. There are too many 'then' in your sentence." I rolled my eyes. We proceeded walking towards McDonalds which was away a five minute walk, according to Nada.
After filling our stomachs with burgers and fries and what not we walked towards Target to get her car.
Nada was still rambling about how the worker of McDonalds again asked her about her eye colour whether they were real or not. Seriously people need to mind their own business.
"Take out the keys Nada! We need to go to the police station too." I said once we were near her car.
"Oh yes. Here." She stretched her palm out, giving her car keys.
"You know Alizah I feel so good rightnow. Now that I am full." I heard Nada talking to Alizah. Stupid!
"Your level of childishness irritates me."
"Drive now, will you?" Always the attitude one.
I opened the car door to see no petrol in the tank.
Ugh! Nada you are so dead now.
"Nada!"
She still busy in talking to Alizah.
"NADA!!"
"What?"
"There is no freaking fuel!" I told her angrily.
"No fuel- WHAT?" She got surprised.
She came near opened the car door and looked inside.
"What? You thought I was lying?" I asked her once she was outside.
"No- It's n-"
"SHUT UP NADA! Now what do we do? You idiot I don't have my car with me too."
"I am sorry Fahad." She pouted looking down out of shame.
"Your sorry is not going to mend things." I stated calmly.
"We can hail a cab." She spoke timidly, looking up at me. Like a cat.
"That's the only option left, Miss."
"Okay then why are you being so rude? Things happen but solution is also within it."
"Inspite of being guilty you are giving me a ted talk?!"
"Who told you I was not guilty? I did say sorry but you were the only who said 'your sorry is not going to mend things." She mimicked the last part in a gruffy voice.
"JUST SHUT YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING MOUTH." I shouted.
"Stupid!" She muttered and turned the other side.
Idiot! It's her fault and she is blaming that also at me.
"Come now lets go. We will hail a cab Fahad or else we will be late." Nada said tiredly.
"Huh! It wouldn't have happened if you would have remembered that you had petrol in you car's tank or not!" I said and we walked off.
After fifteen minutes and two rounds of Alizah crying we got cab and we were finally sitting in the police station.
"We didn't get any missing report against a six-month-old baby missing." The police officer said.
"But if I get any information I will directly inform you, Mr and Mrs Sheikh." He stated and I nodded.
"And about Junaid, don't pay him any money. When you will not he will come to you guys and then inform us and we will take him to the police station because before as you said he had kidnapped your wife, the baby and anothe lady which is strictly against law.
Or else can you guys give me the address where you were kidnapped and kept." He asked.
"Ya sure." After giving him that house where Junaid had kidnapped and kept them and also our phone numbers we got up thanking him.
"And about Alizah-" he started but Nada cut him off.
"She will be with us please. You can trust us officer. If you want you can come to check her." She divulged.
"Fine then. You can keep her. I know Mr Sheikh so I can trust you, young lady but I will give my give my surprise visits."
"Thank you sir." She thanked.
"Thank you sir." We both exited from there.
When we were out on the road there were no cabs. Literally not even one. It was already dark outside.
"If only someone had remembered something. We would have been already sat in my car and would be home by this time." I mumbled searching cabs on Uber app.
"If only someone would have been less arrogant things would have gone nice."
"How does that make any difference?"
"See Fahad, if you start anything or any work with negative thoughts or thinking it will go like that."
"So when did I start thinking something negative? And for your information that's a stupid logic." I told her.
"You-" She was cut off by my phone ringing.
Finally a cab was booked, must be the cab driver's call.
"Hello."
"Yes sir I am you Uber driver. Actually I wanted to know that how many people are with you?" The man asked from the other side.
"I booked an UberGo which means I don't have people more than four." I said in a bored tone.
"No. Please can you tell because the passenger seat is broken that's why I asked."
"No problem. Just two adults and a baby."
"Okay then sir that's good. Will be there in five."
"Hmm."
"Okay sir bye."
"The cab driver is coming." I informed Nada.
"Thank God...seriously you have irritated me a lot today."
"Oh really? I guess it should be the other way round."
"Bleh. See Alizah how stupid your Dad is." She started talking to Alizah who was slept now already.
"She is already slept Nada. Stop disturbing her."
"Man, I am so tired today. Cab please come fast!!" She stomped her foot.
As on cue, the cab came, I checked the car's number plate and it was our cab. Some thing went as planned.
"Mr. Fahad Sheikh?" The man asked asked.
"Yes." I answered and looked at the passenger seat which seemed to be broken.
"Nada come our cab's here."
"Yeah finally!" She rushed towards the car and sat inside.
I also went and sat beside her with Alizah in my hands.
"Ugh! It's gonna take atleast one hour to reach home." I groaned.
"Yes! I'll sleep till that time." She yawned.
Lazy as always!
My phone rang and I flipped it over to see that it was Mom. She must be worried. I picked it up and told her that we will come in an hour.
Later, Rahim called and I told him about everything about what we did today.
"It was a long day for you guys. Plus your guys' arguments must have made the things more difficult, wouldn't it?" Rahim asked from the other line.
"Oof- don't remind me that. What do I say? You know how Nada is?" I spoke as my eyes spotted Nada, who was sleeping by now. Her head hanging in the air and to prevent from her to have a neck sprain I held her hand and tried to steady her but she moved to my side and laid her head in my shoulder.
So cliche. Why does she keep torturing even if she is unconscious.
"Fahad? Are you listening? You have already started dreaming just by hearing her name." Rahim teased me.
"Shut up Rahim. Always talking nonsense. I'll keep now. AllahHafiz."
"You were way more naughty and goofy than I am now. I miss the old you. AllahHafiz now. Faddy boy." He chuckled and cut the call before I could say anything. His words got me thinking though.
I looked around me. Two girls sleeping one on my shoulder and the other in my hands who has become a somewhat important part of my life.
One of them for sure.
Nada snuggled in more and continued sleeping.
Sigh! Such a long day it was.
Asalamwalaikum and hello people!! This was the chapter. Hope you all like it. Comment and don't forget to vote. Do tell me your favorite part of the chapter. Until then thank you, AllahHafiz, bye and take care ^_^
CHAPTER ORIGINALLY WRITTEN ON: 01/07/19
CHAPTER RE-WRITTEN/EDITED AND PUBLISHED ON: 13-05-20