Novels by _najeeb.i

ETHANGrowing up, Marcus and I had a sort of sixth sense where we could always detect when the other person was in the building even without us seeing them. As soon as he walked into a building, I could somehow tell that he was around. And I would immediately turn in the direction he was about to walk in from. But that was a lifetime ago. Now, I didn't feel anything as I sat in the restaurant and waited for him to walk in. I was gently tapping my fingers on the table, planning what I was going to say in hopes that it would be enough to sway him. I'd gone through a thousand different possibilities of how this conversation could play out, and yet each time I wasn't so sure how well it would go. The door suddenly swung open, and I looked up to find Marcus striding towards me nonchalantly. He looked awful, it actually took me a few seconds before I realised it was him. His beard looked disheveled and unkempt, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He wore a large black hoodie, and

“Remind me again how the kiss felt,” Rachel said. “Come on,” I laughed. “I’ve told you about it a thousand times already.”“I still want to hear it again,” she said. “Now spill.”We were seated at the cafe across from the office for lunch, and she was staring at me like a wide-eyed teenager who just wanted to talk about boys and love. “Rach, are you alright?” I asked cautiously.“What do you mean?”“I mean why do you seem so invested in this?” I explained. “Normally you would be the one to tell me that this is nothing to get hung up on, and it’s just a kiss. So how come you’re so surprised and you want to keep talking about it?”For a moment, it looked like she wasn’t going to say anything. She leaned back into her seat, eyes vacant as she stared off into the distance and twirled her finger around her the rim of her coffee cup. Finally, she turned to face me and said, “I’m lonely.”Hearing her say that in such a timid voice broke my heart into a million pieces. I reached out and too

ETHANI knew I was a gone man the moment I woke up with the goofiest smile on my face. I couldn't even brush my teeth properly, because the smile just refused to disappear. All I kept remembering was Olivia’s lips on mine, and the feel of my fingers grazing her bare skin. “Get it together, Ethan,” I whispered to my reflection. “You have an important meeting today.”Reluctantly, I finished getting ready quickly and headed for the office. I was already prepared for how stressful today was going to be, but the sooner we got this over with, the faster we could get things back on track.Alicia was there to greet me as soon as I walked into the building, and she was practically bouncing on her feet as she handed me my coffee. “Good morning, Mr Reynard,” she said. “Big day, huh?”“Indeed,” I replied. “What time is the board meeting?”“In an hour,” she replied. “Although Mr Jones arrived a short while ago. He’s already in Conference Room B, and he asked me to inform you that he’s around.”O

At first, I thought I must be dreaming. Surely I couldn’t be doing this right now. It felt like my soul had slipped out of my body, and I was watching as I leaned forward and kissed him. But when the sensation burned through me like a hot knife, there was no denying it anymore. His lips met mine softly, and it was obvious that I’d shocked him. He seemed uncertain, like he was testing something before he suddenly deepened the kiss. There was some unspoken but undeniable tension that lingered in the air as he pulled me towards him, placing me on his lap before he pushed my lips apart with his tongue. The kiss sent warmth spiraling through me, a slow unraveling of every doubt I’d ever had. I melted into him, my hands finding their way to the back of his neck, feeling the way his pulse raced beneath my fingertips. He didn’t rush at all. Instead he took his time, moving slowly and carefully, taking his time to explore every inch of my lips. He tasted like cherry, and I wrapped my arms ar

“Holy shit!” “I know,” I replied, smiling as Rachel flipped through the file incredulously. She looked like she was going to pass out, which was exactly how I’d felt when I read through the file earlier. We were now sitting in the living room, testing the brand new couches while eating Chinese takeout. The file contained a treasure trove of evidence that could bring down the entire Reynard family. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if this ever got out. Marcus would be done for, and probably end up in prison. “So what are you going to do with this?” Rachel asked. “Are you going to give it to the media?”“Not yet,” I replied. “I mean I know how bad it would be for him, but I’m saving it until I actually need it. I know he’s not going to be happy when he finds out that I’m back, but if he tries anything stupid, I’m going to use this against him in court.”“You sick bitch,” Rachel laughed. “I love the way your foul little mind words.”It was our favourite line from Aladdin, and

MARCUSI opened my eyes slowly, the blinding lights overhead causing me to wince. There was a steady beeping sound coming from somewhere over my head that I knew would irritate me very soon, but I couldn’t turn to see what it was. My head felt like it was going to explode, my mouth was painfully dry, and when I tried to turn, pain shot up my entire body and I was frozen in place. “You’re awake.”I shifted my gaze to find Emily sitting beside me, a cold and distant look in her eyes as she regarded me like I was a stain on the bottom of her shoes. “What is this?” I asked. “What am I doing here?”“You’re in the hospital, Marcus,” she said. “You drove straight into the lobby of a building and injured six people.”I remembered it now, the screeching of the brakes, the fuzziness from all the drinking, and the pain that exploded all over me as the car slammed into the wall. “How long was I out?” I asked. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she spat. “I just told you that you’ve injured six pe

*The drive to the beach took longer than any of them had anticipated. The weather was dry, with the heat rising to a dangerous level. Twice, they had to stop to fix a punctured tyre. "Are we there yet?" "Just a little further," he replied, wading through the traffic. "It won't be long now."They had left his uncle's house early that morning, with a picnic basket which they filled along the way. They had hoped to beat the traffic by leaving early, but even so they only managed to cover eighteen miles in an hour. By the time they finally reached the beach, it was a few minutes past noon. The sun was high up in the sky, and their shadows had disappeared underneath them. There was a small crowd gathered on the sand, which surprised him as it was a weekday. "Come," he said to her, offering his right hand while he took the basket in the other. "I know the perfect spot for us."He led her away from the crowd, keeping his hold on her tightly. He recognized the group as students from the

* Azra was a bright-eyed, polite, little eleven year old who couldn't meet anyone's eyes when she was brought to the house by Adnan. Afrah, who had been discharged three days prior, watched from her window as he drove into the house with the little girl sitting beside him. Looking at him, she still didn't know what exactly she felt. Of course she still despised what he'd done, but she didn't necessarily hate Adnan himself. Forgiving him was hard. It was probably the hardest thing she would ever learn to do. But it would be worth it if they would learn to live happily for the rest of their lives. Azra's mother had been much too happy to let her go. They had been struggling to provide for the little girl with her new husband, who was significantly less-wealthy than Adnan. Layla knew the girl would have a better future with her biological father. When she got the call from Adnan, a part of her wanted to hang up on him. But since it concerned his daughter, she'd listened to his plea a

*Carpets and curtains. She dreamt of them both, not as separate entities, but as one. Throughout her existence, Afrah had been surrounded by carpets and curtains, each lending its own unique addition to the story of her life. They were always silent, never considered but ever present. She recalled the carpets in her bedroom, how soft and flat it was. Twice a year, the carpets would be taken out so they could be washed and returned. The curtains were washed every month, and Afrah remembered sitting in the middle of her room one time when both carpets and curtains were removed, and she simply stared at the barrenness of her room. Strange how something as insignificant as carpets and curtains could change the entire appearance of her bedroom. She recalled the carpets in her father's room, the plush cream color stretching from wall to wall. His curtains were white, which she remembered complaining to her mother about once. "Why can't I have white curtains as well?" she'd asked. "Bec

*Afrah didn't know she was capable of doing it until she'd done it. Spontaneous action was never her area of expertise, knowing fully well that she was more of a reactive person than a proactive one. But the sight of Fahad falling to the floor jolted her to action. It was like a spark had awakened in her, grinding the gears in her brain. She began by lunging for the gun. Yusuf wasn't expecting her to move. Neither did he hear her move, since the carpet muffled her footsteps. He was still pointing the gun at Fahad's twitching corpse when Afrah's hands suddenly wrapped around the gun and yanked it out of his hands. He staggered back, bewildered by her action. And then she brought the gun to his chest, looking him dead in the eye. Time seemed to freeze in that moment. Neither he nor she dared to move. Between them was their hateful glare, separated by the barrel of the gun. His breathing was calm, while hers was irregular, coming in short bursts. In that moment, their roles were rev

*Every movement caused Afrah to jump; every second his eyes spent watching her made her skin crawl. She didn't sit. Instead she remained where she was standing, her arms folded in front of her. Yusuf meanwhile had leaned back into the seat, sighing comfortably. "What would you like to have?" he asked nonchalantly. "Some water, perhaps? I have some orange juice which still happens to be fresh. Or would you prefer a coke? I have some wine as well, but then knowing how close you and Adnan are, I'm sure he's taught you to stray away from fine wine. So, which would you prefer to have?""I would like to have my daughter back," Afrah replied. Yusuf studied her for a few seconds before he chuckled. "Of course," he said. "It's why you're here, is it not? As for me, I'd like a Bloody Mary."He stood up then, stretched with a slight groan before he left the room. Afrah remained where she was, awkwardly staring at the stained walls with nothing but a single wall clock hanging on them. She tho

*"I remember it like it was yesterday," Halima said. "And I know how cliché that sounds, but it really does feel like yesterday even though it was almost thirty years ago."Adnan tilted his head to the side, trying to detect a hint of deception in her words. "I was a little girl, so foolish and ignorant. I guess I've always been like that. But we can say that my ignorance and foolishness were somewhat exaggerated at that point in my life. Before I tell you how it happened however, I think you should understand the beginning of it all. I believe I was on my way to my uncle's house that day. I'm sure your father told you all about the village we grew up in.""Bakura," he replied indifferently. "Yes," Halima replied, twisting her hands. "It's a small settlement, and we grew up so close that everyone knew the name of everyone else. It was so small that it was impossible to leave home without everyone being able to give a detailed account of where you went. Your paternal grandfather and