Fawad was totally confused when he saw her falling to the floor. He didn't know what to do. Was she sick or something?

He couldn't touch her either. He hurried out of the office to see if there was any female staff available, but unfortunately everyone had left as it was way past working hours.

So he had no choice but to transfer her from the floor to a couch himself. He slipped one of his arms under her neck and the other one under her legs and scooped her up in his arms. Ignoring the tingling feeling when he came in contact with her he carefully placed her on the couch. She was very light for a muscular guy like him.

 He muttered a silent alhumdulliah when he heard her breathing. He just hoped that Allah would forgive him for touching a non-mehram.

Having no medical education at all himself, he tried to remember what his sister, who was studying medicine had said about such situations. But he had never listened when she was showing off her medical knowledge.

So he just rang up his family doctor and told him to be there in five minutes.

The doctor came after a short while and after checking her pulse and heartbeat and BP, he concluded that she had fainted due to low blood pressure which was because of weakness and malnutrition and maybe she was going through emotional stress. He prescribed her some multi vitamins and left. 

She was probably neglecting her diet. Fawad tried to remember if he had seen her go out for lunch but he didn't think so. This girl seriously didn't take care of herself at all.

Suddenly a phone started ringing. It was in her pocket. He slipped his hand in her pocket and took out her phone thinking it might be her family worried about her.

Receiving the call he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Who is this?" Fawad asked the caller.

"Who the fuck are you? What are you doing with my sister's phone?" What?Didn't she say that she didn't have any siblings? He wondered confused.

"Who are you to Areesha?" he asked thinking he might have heard the other person wrong.

"I'm her brother. Now pass the phone to Areesha or  I swear I'm gonna kill you." he said in a threatening tone. Woah! Does this lad even know who he is talking to?

"Ok. I'm her boss. Areesha is currently unconscious. When she wakes up- "

"What?! Where is she? Give me the address now. I'm coming." Fawad meanwhile debated whether he should give the address or not. Even if he was a dangerous person he had security in the building didn't he? So it would do no harm.

He explained the address to the other person and without a word of thanks he hung up.

Fawad called the security and told them to check the person who was coming thoroughly before sending him inside.

As he waited for Areesha to wake up he couldn't help but steal glances at her once in a while. Even when she wasn't awake she looked worried and depressed. He wondered if she was over her broken engagement or not. Probably not, he concluded seeing her state right now and that she had taken so many days off too. He hadn't fired her after that because he had seen the potential in her.

While he was still in his thoughts his office door swung open to reveal a guy, about his age maybe. His face was etched with worry and his hair looked disheveled like he had run his hand through them multiple times. However, he looked nothing like Areesha, not even the slightest resemblance.

He ran to Areesha straight and caressed her hair without even glancing at Fawad.

Then after a second he plunged himself at Fawad and yanked him by the collar asking him what had happened to her.

"Calm down bro. Here's the doctors prescription. She is neglecting her diet and is in emotional stress." He said to whoever this guy was.

"If I find out that you have done anything to her, you. are. dead." he said through gritted teeth still having a firm grip on Fawad's collar.

"A-amir no don't leave me!" They both turned around to find Areesha muttering faintly in her unconscious state.

Looking at her Zayan concluded that this man in front of him probably and nothing to do with it and it was due to stress.

"Give me a glass of water." Zayan said to the other guy.

Ignoring the fact that this stranger was ordering him around in his own office, he quickly filled a glass of water from the dispenser and handed it over to him.

Zayan took the glass and sprinkled water on her eyes and she slowly fluttered them open.

"W-What h-happened?" She asked worriedly looking around as she sat up on the couch.

"Nothing. You are fine now alhumdulilah for that." Zayan said kissing her forehead. Fawad was watching the whole exchange silently and clenched his fists to see that guy kissing Areesha.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I forgot to eat lunch and I didn't have breakfast." she said as she took in her surroundings and realized that she was in her boss's office. She felt very embarrassed to say the least.

"W-who bought me here?" She asked pointing to the couch and hoped it was not what she was thinking.

"I did. There was no female staff available." Her boss said from the back. Her head snapped towards Fawad who was throwing daggers at Zayan.

"Oh ok." She said and an embarassed blush crept to her face as she thought of him having carried her here.

"Uh this is Zayan, my brother. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him during the interview." She said to her boss.

So he really was her brother. Thank God. No wonder he got so worried, Fawad thought. If anything happened to his own sister, Maya, he would snap as well.

"Nice to meet you." he said to Zayan who curtly nodded. Rude much?

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Sir. Thank you for everything." Areesha said to her boss.

"No problem. Just take care of yourself."

"I will inshallah."

"Come on, Areesha, we're leaving." Zayan said to her walking towards the door.

"Allah hafiz, sir." With that she followed Zayan out of the office and they took the elevator to the ground floor.

"My car is in here too. So I'll go by my own car." She said to him, walking faster to match his long strides.

"No you're not. You aren't in any condition to drive all by yourself. I'll come back for your car."

"What condition? I'm just really hungry. Stop being so stubborn Zayan."

"I am being stubborn? We are going home together. Period. I said I'll come back for your car."

"There he goes in big brother mode." Areesha muttered as he opened the car's door for her and helped her get in. "Zayan, I'm fine. Stop treating me like a sick patient."

He ignored her and circled to the other side of the car and got in.

"I don't want you working in this place anymore, Areesha. I don't like that guy." He said as he reversed the car out of the parking lot and into the main road.

"Well I do."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he applied the brakes suddenly and the car skidded to an abrupt stop making her jolt forward and she realized what she had said.

"Ok. Sorry, that came out wrong. I just meant that he is a respectable guy and there is no harm in working with him."

He still looked at her skeptically."Are you sure that's it?"

"What do you mean? Ok don't answer that, but stop whatever is going on in your dirty little brain. I'm working there. I got my degree to use it not sit to home idle. Just because I am a girl doesn't mean I can't work."

"You don't need to work, now that I am here." He said as he started driving again.

"I might not need to but I want  to,"

"Whatever Areesha. I still don't approve of you working there."

"Who said I need your approval. You're not the boss of me. I am working there. End of discussion."

"I can't believe you're fighting with me because of that guy."

"What? You are being unreasonable thats why we're having this stupid argument."

"Whatever."

After that both of them stayed silent. When they reached to their building, Areesha slammed the car door as she got out and hurried inside with an angry Zayan following her.

When she got inside the house, a mouth-watering aroma welcomed her.

"That you, Zayan?" Their mother yelled from inside as she heard the door opena and close.

"Yes ma!"

"Did you find Areesha?" She said as she came out rubbing her hands on her apron.

"Assalam-o-Alaikum mama." She said to her mother quite surprised at her cooking dinner for them and her concern for her well being.

"Ya Allah, Areesha. Thank God you are safe!  Where were you? You had me so worried sweetheart!"she exclamimed engulfing her daughter in a hug who was quite surprised at the sudden display of affection. What she didn't unfortunately understand was that her mother had always loved her she just didn't show it.

"Your daughter has been skipping meals so she fainted." Zayan supplied from behind her.

"What?! You fainted? What's wrong with you Areesha? Are you a little kid who can't take care of herself?" Her mother asked her angrily.

"Sorry ma." She said sheepishly.

"What sorry? Go freshen up and come for dinner. I've made your favorite biryani."

Areesha felt so happy to see her mother concerned about her for once. She really thought that no one cared about her.

***

After they had dinner, which consisted mostly of her mother piling her plate with rice again and again and a Zayan snickering at her trouble, she retired to bed, but not before taking multi vitamins that the doctor had prescribed. She was too worn out that she didn't even need her sleeping pills.

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