Chapter 52: Chapter 52

BETWEEN THE LINES

RASHIDS' POV

Okay.... A little flashback. The week after my uncle Farouq had come to our place and offered a deal to my father, the Sheikh, concerning his oil company being handed over to us if I get married to his daughter, I already knew there was something cooking... but that alone wasn't enough to bring up something tangible as to why he wanted to just handover the company to us.

I felt it would be good, but marrying his daughter was out of my plans, there was no way I was going to marry Abla, not now, not even in my next world to come, but when Sheikh Farouq had threatened selling the company out to an outsider, someone who is not family, I immediately knew I had to do something about it. So what did I plan?.

First, I had to take the company off from his hands by whichever means asides marrying his daughter and how would I achieve that?. By buying his company, but how?. Now, that was the problem, Since I was little, I knew Sheikh Farouq to be a very smart man. He would make sure no family member come into the venue where the auction sales would take place, secondly.... he would make sure the news doesn't get to us as to when and the time it would take place and commence.

Weeks rolled by and time was running against me, I knew I had to do something before I end up in the hole and Farouq wouldn't mind covering me up. The decision I was about taking was that easy and also hard.

Mr Brown Belanger?, The name rang a bell in my head. He was the ex boss of my wife, My Wife?, I inhaled sharply, Yes, she's my wife and I promised myself that once this is over, I'm staking my claim on her permanently where it belongs. She's mine and I'm not going to let her slip off my hand like before, I would fight for myself, for her and for both of us. She tries acting so strong, but deep down, I know she wants this, she wants us TOGETHER.

Mr Brown was the perfect person for this, someone whom Farouq wouldn't suspect a bit. So I hired him, I didn't pay him no, he pleaded he repay the favor for what I had done for him earlier.

Three weeks ago, I called him, told him everything and the part he's going to play, the man was good to go, but a week later he was hesitant about our plans, said it was like a DEATH TRAP.

This was the big confusion, "The Licence of the Agreement." I laughed when he asked me that. I knew Sheikh Farouq like the back of my palms, with a huge money on set, he wouldn't bother checking the names in the contract, he was that gullible and stupid. That seemed to clear the doubt in Mr Brown's head. So, we were good to go, Again.

Now, there was another problem, we needed an opponent, a striking and heady male figure. Someone who would push, pull and push Sheikh Farouq until there's no bit of strength left in him. Someone who has a thick Ally with our family, Sheikh Farouq removed.

So I sneaked into my father's library, Sheikh Abdul, looked for the big book of records, my eyes searched through effortlessly, I had almost given up when I found him, MR BAKAR.

A grin spread across my lips, he was the perfect person, and I would make him a heady, striking opponent to Mr Brown Belanger. So without wasting much time, I gave him a call. Boom, he agreed to it. Mr Bakar and my father shared this bond between them, which no one could figure it, not even Sheikh Farouq, to him. The both were enemies to each other.

Now, that was a recap of everything that happened.

BACK TO REALITY

Sheikh Farouq shifted uneasily on his seat as he looked at the approaching figure of his nephew. He looked around, Mr Brown was still not present. His had felt all mushy, he didn't want to admit that he had been fooled. No, that was a negative thought for him and he tossed it aside.

Rashid walked towards him, with one of his hands rooted deep in his pocket and the other caressing his stubbled jaw.

His hands curled to fist as he banged it on the table in front of Sheikh Farouq, which made a loud impact as some of the shareholders looked away from the scowling Rashid.

"Move." Rashid snarled. One word that made Sheikh Farouq's blood go hot and cold and hot again, he felt all his pores open widely as sweat rimmed all over his body. Rashid came to claim ownership of his possession, but in a very aggressive and crucial way, that in Sheikh Farouq's next world, he would never belittle Rashid and his words.

"Move?, T-too where?. Y-yo-you're not th-the owner of this c-co-com-company a-and the highest au-au-auction bidder hasn't arrived...." he stuttered, he was going to act all brave, but his words seemed to fail his intended action.

"Dear Uncle, if I can remember your last words to me. You planned something sinister, but now... it seems like the table has turned and you're all DOOMED. You should at least be merciful to yourself, for once in your life accept defeat. You should be pleading with me to at least let you buy some shares, but no.." he paused, pinched the bridge of his nose, a smirk forming on his face, "you want to lick your sores all by yourself. Suit yourself."

"H-how did this happen?, It's not you that bought..." Rashid didn't let Sheikh Farouq finish his sentence as he interrupted immediately.

"Ohh yes. It's me. Rashid Zadir. It was all calculated. He called the shot, you were amazed at such outrageous price, you were overwhelmed that finally the company's out of your hands and into a stranger's, but you were all wrong and you began failing when you signed the document, when it was issued without you going through it, without you reading it. It was signed as "The Official Contract Between The Two Legal Parties, Sheikh Farouq Bin-Zadir and Rashid Abdul-Zadir."

Rashid motioned to Dargok who immediately came over to Shiekh Farouq's side and lifted him off from the seat. Sheikh Farouq had a sullen look on his face, he knew he had been defeated but almost immediately his Iris shifted, he slapped Dargoks' hands away from his and turned to Rashid.

He casted a long gaze at everyone and the way they looked away from him, instantly he knew it wasn't a ONE-MAN plan. His team all had a hand in his being overthrown.

"Be very careful of your priceless possession. I'll be coming for sooner than later, when you least expect it." Farouq threatened as he turned and walked off like a desolated man.

~~~~~~~

Rashid watched as his father's face lit up in smiles, he was happy too.

"Didn't know you had that in you. For a while, I thought your brain is just mushed up, but then, you always keep surprising me. I should be very happy right now...." he hesitated, walked towards his window and stood, staring outside.

"But?" Rashid pestered, already he had a feeling of what his father was about to say, but then, he already knew it was about Janelle. Sometimes his father's care and affection towards Janelle makes him think she's more loved than him, but that wasn't his problem. Hell yeah, his father could love her as much as he wants, that wasn't his problem, he craves her so much that it hurts, both physically and emotionally.

Days like this which was so hectic, he wanted nothing than to be wrapped up around her and in her, but right now, there were limits, boundaries he couldn't cross.

"No buts Rashid!. Where's Janelle?, Where is your wife?. Sometimes forget about business, try to woo her back, in her case I always find your foolishness extreme, you should go read psychology and have a master's degree in it, because you lack sentiments and emotions. Even after bagging first class in Economics, I see no use of it, it's more like a waste, I don't need an economist in my house. I need that young boy who was once filled with emotions, who knows the right thing to do and at the right time." His father paused, gripped the window pane so hard that Rashid had to reach him immediately and drag his hands off the sharp edge so he wouldn't hurt himself.

He looked at his father, their eyes met each other. For the first time in years, he was matching his father's gaze squarely.

"Father, I lie if I say I'm not doing anything to get my wife back. I don't want the papers, I don't want her writhing beneath me for her pleasures... Allah!, I want that, but I want her to be beneath me because she loves me, because she's forgiven me for my past deeds and not because she wants to use me to finish off. It's a work in progress, Father, and you know how it always ends up. POSITIVE."