30

London

Zayed frowned seeing his bodyguards fleeing from the office.

"Aveline, we are taking the rest of the day off. Go get your bag and come down to the lounge with the kids. I will be waiting for you there, okay!"

He walked towards the elevator to go down in search of his bodyguards and he spotted them near his car in the parking lot.

"Max? Is everything alright? Did something happen at the school?" He asked with an anxious frown.

"It would be better to ask whether something happened to the school?" Max said with a scowl, forgetting that he is talking to royalty, for a moment.

"What happened?" Zayed asked.

"How the school survives those three little devils is a big mystery for me," Max said looking heavenwards and Zayed tried hard to stifle his laughter.

His 'always have a poker face' bodyguard is complaining!

"What did they do?" Zayed asked with an amused smile.

"What did they not do? They wanted to play hide and seek while I was driving. Can you believe it?" Max asked in disbelief.

"It's just hide and seek, right?? Children always play that. What is there to be surprised in that" Zayed asked shrugging.

"They wanted to play while I was driving. And one of the boys, no idea who, covered my eyes from behind my seat and started counting and asked his siblings to hide," Max said, throwing his hands in the air and Zayed laughed out loud.

"I have no idea how their parents are bearing with them. They should be awarded the Nobel peace prize. It's a good thing that I wouldn't have to see them again ever." Max said with a relieved sigh.

"Of course you would be seeing them again and again,as long as you are working for me, Max." Zayed said with a smirk and Max frowned.

"Why?" Max asked in confusion.

"Because those three little devils are mine!" Zayed said proudly and Max's jaw grazed the ground.

"Obviously you must have noticed that they look exactly like me." Zayed said too proudly.

"I didn't get a moment to comprehend that. The three of them kept us on our toes during the entire ride from school," Max said, still trying to come to terms with the fact that the three little devils are his junior bosses.

"And once we entered the elevator, they started pressing all the buttons and the elevator kept on going up and down and we had to keep the three of them locked in our arms to reach the cafe floor" Rey, the other bodyguard said

"This is just a trailer gentlemen. The movie is yet to be seen," Zayed said with a smirk.

""""

Ava was serving dinner for everyone.

Salim and Camille had already reached as soon as they heard about her and the kids.

Meanwhile Ava had talked to Elizabeth and Victor about what's happening. Victor is furious to know what Zayed had done.

Kate had said that she would be back tonight and Ava has been waiting eagerly for her. She badly needs all her comfort systems now.

"So? Little Zada, what do you want to become when you grow up?" Camilled asked with a fond smile.

"I want to become a princess," Zada said dreamily.


The kids are enjoying all the attention they are getting.

"Aww baby. You already are one," Camille said, pulling her chubby cheeks fondly.

"What about you, Zian?" Basim asked.

"I want to become a wildlife-, what was that Momma??" Zian asked, looking at his mother, his nose wrinkled as he was thinking hard to recall the name.

"Wildlife photographer," Ava said and Zian beamed.

"Yes, that!" Zian said proudly.

"Why?" Basim asked.

"I want to take photos of dinosaurs," Zian said.

"But there are no dinosaurs anymore," Zayed said.

"I will find them," Zian said without looking at Zayed.

"Oh my! Zayed, he likes photography like you," Basim said and Zian frowned at that, not particularly liking being compared to his father.

"And what do you want to be Zahir?" Salim asked

"I want to become rich!! I want to become a king and want everyone to follow me," Zahir said and Salim looked at him stunned.

"Seems like he is taken after you Salim!" Camille said dryly and Salim glared at her.

"So? Will you three be friends with Uncle Bass?" Basim asked, looking hopefully at the three and the triplets looked at each other.


"Why should we?"

"Because I am cute like you guys. Hot also," he said.

"Okay. We can be friends. But we have some conditions," Zahir said and they all looked at him surprised.

"What conditions?" Basim asked

"You will have to do my maths homework for a week." Zahir said and Basim made a crying face at that.


"Uncle Salim will do that for you. He is the maths genius of our family," Basim said.


"And you will have to take me to the park to feed the ducks everyday," Zian said and Basim showed thumbs up, easily agreeing to that demand.

"And you will have to convince Momma to let me keep the television remote," Zada added and Ava rolled her eyes listening to her little one's demands.
"Is that a deal??" Zahir asked and they all looked stunned at the triplets.


"Definitely Ahmeds," Camille muttered under her breath.

"At five they are making such deals. I can't even imagine what they will become in the future. They will definitely overtake the senior Ahmeds," Basim said.


"Okay guys! It's a deal! Now friends?" Basim asked and they all nodded enthusiastically.

"I am back," They all turned around to see a woman looking at them in confusion once she noticed them.

"Aunt Katie," the triplets yelled loudly and barrelled towards her and attacked her with a group hug.

"Hello everyone," Kate greeted them awkwardly and she looked at Ava.

"This is Kate Connelly. My best friend. And Kate, they are the Ahmeds," Ava introduced them to each other.

They were all having dinner when they heard the calling bell ring.

"Let me check who is at the door," Zayed said and stood up to check on the front door.

He opened the door and was met with a punch on his jaw. He staggered back with a wince at the unexpected blow.

Hearing Zayed wince, Basim had come out only to see a man, maybe in his early fifties, glaring furiously at his brother, with a woman at his side.

"Who are you?? Why did you punch my brother? You know he is royalty right?" Basim asked.

"Exactly. I don't even know who you are?" Zayed said

"That is for hurting my daughter," Victor said and the brothers frowned.

"I am sorry, but we don't know your daughter," Basim said.

"Victory, Lizzy" They turned around to see Ava and Kate walking with a smile towards the elderly couple and giving them a hug.

"You know them?" Zayed looked at Ava in confusion.

****

Once the triplets were fast asleep Zayed pulled Aveline into their bedroom.

"Aveline, are you okay?" Zayed asked in concern.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be okay?" Aveline asked with a shrug.

"Whatever happened in the office in the morning, I didn't get a chance to talk to you properly," Zayed said.

"What happened in the office? Everything is fine," Aveline said, shrugging.

"Aveline, whatever they said. Why didn't you react? Why were you listening to them silently? Why did you let them hurt you?" Zayed asked softly.

"It didn't hurt as much as it did when I had to hear it from my own husband. Oops! I was never given the right of a wife as the man who married me without my consent didn't accept that marriage. What exactly did you expect me to tell them?" Aveline asked and without waiting for a response got into the bed and turned away from him.