“It is not that I am here to disobey you. I simply think that you are being too harsh. Kim has done nothing wrong.”
“Given how quickly your sons jump to her defence, it seems that this Kim is special,” Kareef commented as he looked at his old friend.
“She really is. She is a great tutor and a great person. Ever since she moved in, Karim has been much happier,” Amare answered Kareef.
“If Karim loves her, given that he is your son, I do not see him readily giving her up,” Kareef replied, hoping that his friend would see reason.
“That is why she must leave,” Saeed demanded.
“Father that makes no sense; she is the best thing that has ever happened to him. Why on earth would you want him to give that up?”
“She is a western woman!”
“So what? Times have changed.”
“I know.” Saeed sighed and fell back in his chair. After a long few minutes he finally spoke. “This world is changing fast and I do not know how to handle it.”
Amare raised his eyebrows. He’d never expected his father to say something like that. He had been fuming when Kim left his office. Kareef looked at Amare. Even he was shocked at Saeed’s sudden change of mood.
“There is nothing you can do to stop the world from changing. You just have to accept it,” Amare said. Saeed looked up at him.
“Is Karim really happy around her?” he asked.
“Yes, father, he really is. He is a different man; he is the better version of himself.”
Kareef laughed, “I never thought I would see the day that Karim changes because of a woman.” Amare agreed. He had never thought he would see that day too.
Amare first teased Kim about Karim when he saw her watching him working out in the courtyard. He later saw Karim stealing glances at her when he thought that she wasn’t looking.
Whenever she was around him, even though he was not talking to her, he seemed happier. He had even taken her advice and computerised their accounting system because of her recommendation. The old him would have never listened to her.
“I never thought I would see that day either,” Saeed replied.
“So, will you allow Kim to stay and be with Karim? Who knows, they might not work out but shouldn’t they be at least given the opportunity to try?” Saeed was silent for a few moments.
“Fine,” he said at last, exhaling loudly.
“What? You are really going to agree?” Kareef asked in shock. Saeed’s reputation preceded him. Everyone knew how traditional and rigid he was. He even had problems with the Tazeems because of it.
He had strongly disliked Adilah Tazeem for her western ways. She may have been born of Arabic blood but she behaved like a westerner, which had made Saeed’s blood boil. He had always expressed how grateful he was that she was not his daughter.
“Yes,” Saeed nodded. “He refused to part ways with her. She also refused, no matter how much money I offered her.”
“Father, offering her money to leave Karim was just wrong.”
“I am aware of that.”
“How much did you offer her?” Kareef asked her. Amare and Saeed both looked at him as if he was crazy. “I am just curious,” he told them as he shrugged his shoulders.
“One hundred thousand,” Saeed said quietly.
“You’re worth hundreds of millions. Is that all you could offer her?” Kareef demanded.
“This isn’t a situation to joke about.”
“Even in your attempts to buy her off, you are still stingy,” Kareef told him as he laughed. Saeed narrowed his gaze at him and Amare shook his head. Even he was smart enough to know that it was too early to joke about it. “Anyway, now that you are going to let her stay, I suppose you should go have a word with her.”
“I guess so.”
“And offer an apology. It is the right thing to do,” Amare added.
Saeed rose from his seat. “This woman must be an angel. I have never seen you and your brother defend one person so much.”
“She is an amazing person and she deserves it.”
Saeed nodded. He left his office and headed to Kim’s room. He had lost to both his sons. It was only right that he went to apologise to her for his inconsiderate and rude behaviour. He hoped that she would accept and agree to stay.
When Saeed reached her room, this time he knocked before he entered. The last thing he wanted was to see his naked son splayed across her bed again. Saeed walked into her room, but Kim was nowhere to be found. He quickly searched the room before calling out to the maid.
“Where is Miss Atkins?” he asked her. The maid bowed her head before she spoke.
“Sir, Miss Atkins has left the residence with her luggage.” the maid replied.