Chapter seven: Head of Department.

What did she mean I was supposed to be here since last week, I had only met Ahamd yesterday.

I felt there was more to this than I knew. How long had they been talking about the marriage with Ruqayya and Umar and why was I just finding out now?

"Please tell me about my job," I said changing the topic. There was no point explaining to Flora that I had just met the Mukhtars. whatever conversation I needed to have was with my sister.

"you are now the head of the customer service and partnership department," she said

"Head!" I exclaimed out loud, "Yes ma'am" she answered innocently, how could I be the head of a whole department when I had no job experience? I thought to myself.

"Are you sure?" I asked in utter disbelief.

"Yes ma'am" she replied with a smile.

"but I have no job experience," I protested, as she nodded like she had already known that. I wonder what they were told about me for the past week.

"But you studied psychology ma'am, that gives you the ability to understand people better than the rest of us" she encouraged. 'even Ahamd's staff knew more about me than I did my future husband' I thought feeling cheated by the whole arrangement.

"Can you explain what exactly I am supposed to do?" I asked. I understood that this was serious responsibility and with the way Ahmad was acting, he didn't seem like a person to favour me just because I am his sister-in-law when I mess up.

"Working with the marketing team to find ways to engage customers, supervising how we respond to them, going for meeting with the C.E.O to meet partners" she recited like she had memorized it at the back of her head.

I could already tell she was a great assistant. "That's a lot of work," I said thinking out loud.

"Nothing you can't handle ma'am" she said enthusiastically, 'you are also a hypeman' I thought to myself. she was probably trying to kiss my ass because I am her new boss, the thought of being a boss excited me.

"You would also need to address the department ma'am" she suggested.

"We have all been expecting you ma'am" she explained.

"there is a meeting room behind that door" she said pointing at a door I didn't notice a the middle right wall of the office.

"O! Right," I said processing it all, as exciting as it was it was also a lot of work.

"would you help me, write down something to say" I requested as she nodded.

"or don't worry about it," I said changing my mind. I didn't want her to feel I was incompetent. I am sure she knew I was working here because I agreed to marry Ibrahim, I needed to prove myself too.

"I would call everyone in once you are done," she said, and I nodded.

"Please help me with a pen and paper," I said, so much for trying to be competent I thought as I realized I had not writing materials, it wasn't my fault I was given an empty office.

"A budget has been made for you to get everything you need to make the office comfortable for you ma'am," she said, like she could read minds.

"Thank you so much, Flora," I was glad Ahmad assigned her to me, she was very competent.

"Call me when you need me, ma'am," she said taking her leave.

I tried to scribble down something, but my head was blank, I had never been a head of anything in my life. Not even a class rep or student president. I was always just a follower.

"How do I address a crowd of workers? '' I thought for hours. I didn't want to have to ask Flora to do it for me.

'I am just going to wing it" I told myself as I dialled the 2 on the landline

"Yes ma'am" Flora said picking up the call, "call them in" I said, I had no idea what to say but I was sure I would when I read the room.

Minutes later Flora came in to tell me they were all ready for me, I walked into the room filled with over 30 staff. All eyes were on me, I began to feel nervous at the instant but I spoke regardless.

"Good morning everyone," I said, as the crowd echoed, "Good morning"

"My name is Fatima Farouk, and I am your new supervisor here," I said the word head of the department seemed a little too ambitious.

"I just came in and thought to introduce myself, I hope to get to know all of you eventually and I hope we can work together well, thank you" I said dismissing them as quickly as I could before my nervousness showed.

"Ma'am, I just got a call from the C.E.O." he asked to meet him on the 5th floor" Flora said, moving beside me and whispering as everyone dispersed from the room.

We got to the 5th floor to find a set being arranged. the whole floor was like a movie set with different green screens, video cameras and lights.

"What is this?" I whispered to Flora as we walked towards Ahamd who was giving instructions to someone arranging the set.

"Our marketing floor" She replied. "Hello" Ahamd said with a smile as we walked towards him, "how are you fitting in" he said like he wasn't the same person who was acting formal some minutes ago.

"Fine, thank you" I replied. "I forgot to give you this," he said, handing me what looked like a love card

"Ibrahim asked me to give it to you," he said, I blushed as I collected it, it had a tiny rose flower peeping out of it.

I opened it briefly, " my love for you is like a flower, it blooms every day" were the first letters I read before closing it and tucking it into my bag. I blushed as I thought about how sweet and thoughtful it was of him. I had only met him once and I didn't assume he was romantic. ,

"What do you think about this setting" Ahmad asked, it was a beach setting, I had no idea what it was for. "What for?" I asked.

"Our new perfume," he said, when it hit me, I had no idea what the company did, the name of the company said nothing about it "MK Cooperate Limited".

"This is a perfume manufacturing company?" I asked as he laughed. he shouldn't blame me though. All he did was tell me to come by the office without any explanation, he gave me the job without explaining anything to me.

"We are investors" he said, making me even more confused, "investors?" I asked, the last time I checked investors didn't market perfumes. I thought to myself.

"We invest in ideas and bring them to life" he explained and I wasn't sure I understood but anyway, I didn't want to look foolish so I nodded.

"This is our new investment, "Iphelia Perfumes," he said, "it's a local perfume and cosmetic line" he explained, "I don't know if Flora told you." "But you would work with the Marketing team to find the suitable advert theme for most of our products"

"Laila is not around now, but when she comes back, I will introduce both of you," he said as I nodded.

"Well unless it's a sun scream, I don't get why there must be so much light" "Is the ad trying to tell people that the perfume can withstand heat and sweat?" I asked I had no idea about marketing and I was trying to give myself 2 cents.

I watched him place his hands on his chin, probably processing what I had said.

"I don't know, it was Laila's idea, maybe you can understand it better when she gets back," He said.

"Who is Laila?" I whispered to Flora who was standing beside me, "the head of marketing," she replied. As I nodded.

"I thought she would be here, hence I asked you to come, but she had an emergency, let me show you around" he offered, moving forward as I followed.

Ahmad showed me around the marketing department showing me some of the products they recently invested in and were trying to find marketing ideas. He told me how I and Laila would need to work together to find the perfect strategy to market all these products.

"Well then, I am not sure you will be around when Laila gets back, I can introduce you to some other time," he said, what did he mean by he wasn't sure I would be around I thought.

My phone began to ring changing my train of thought, I wasn't sure it was professional of me to pick up a phone while the boss was talking to me, so I ignored it.

"You can pick up your call it might be your husband calling," he said, it was crazy how he was already calling his brother my husband.

'I am single until legally married' I protested in my mind.

"pick the call, I will talk to you later" Ahmad urged as he excused himself.

I lifted my phone to see a true caller ID "Ibrahim Mukhtar" he was right.

I moved to the corner of the room to pick up the call, "Hello, Fatima" Ibrahim's voice said immediately after I picked up the call.

"Hello," I replied.

"good morning dear. how are you"

"I am fine" I replied, our conversation still lacked chemistry.

"Thank you for the card," I said for the lack of what to say when I noticed a pause in the conversation.

"I hope you liked it" Ibrahim replied as I smiled. I could see he was trying. "I did thank you"

"Congratulations on the job"" I would like to take you out for brunch to celebrate" he requested.

"I just resumed work today, I don't know if I can leave the office." I was about to make an excuse when he stopped me.

"Ahmad knows I would want to see you today, I don't think it should be a problem" he said There was something about his voice over the phone, he sounded more confident. I paused for a while looking for another excuse.

"I would be on my way" he said taking my silence for a yes.