Chapter 8
Zoya’s Point of View
The whole kitchen was messed up.
I was not expecting the house to be like mine but neither was I expecting it to also be like this.
I was standing near the counter covered with flour and the flour container was lying on the ground.
Abrar ran into the kitchen with a worried expression on his face as he scanned the kitchen as well as me for any injuries.
“Who keeps a flour container on top? It’s so high”, I complained as Ingrid dusted the flour that poured on my body away.
But Abrar did something I was not expecting at all. He started laughing. Abrar looked at me and was laughing, pointing at my face and clutching his stomach.
“Why are you laughing like an idiot?” I yelled at him angrily. There was nothing funny about this situation right now. I was hungry.
But suddenly he stopped laughing and his expression turned silent as he looked around the floor.
Sometimes I wondered if he had brain issues, but shrugged it off and continued dusting off the flour from my hair.
.
I was a guy who used to spend money after a lot of calculations.
And this was gonna ruin my budget.
“Who told you to come to my kitchen?” He snapped, his voice was dangerously low.
“First you forced the idea of marriage on me, and now you invaded my space wasting my food. I am a guy who used to spend money after lots of calculations, I have nobody to run to for help. Everything here was bought with my hard-earned money so I would appreciate it if you do not waste my food. And now this action of yours is going to ruin my budget”
I was surprised by his sudden outburst, not too long ago he looked like he was worried about my safety and now he was angry at me.
“Why are you yelling at me? I was hungry and you were not awake. Do you want me to die of hunger” I snapped back at him.
I hated it when people yelled at me.
“Do you think I would cook for you?” He suddenly said, shocking me.
I raised my eyebrows. “Of course. Why can’t you?”, She uttered.
“Do it on your own. I’m not going to serve you every time. And you had told me to pretend to be your husband in front of everyone. There was no commitment as I will cook for you or something else” he said.
His outburst was totally understandable but I knew nothing about how the kitchen was so there was for me to go around cooking in the kitchen.
“But I don’t know how to cook “, I poured, looking at him above my lashes.
“I am done with your attitude. Why would I cook for you? You decided to come here. Why would I take your responsibilities?” He snapped.
Abrar ignored me and walked towards a cabinet and got the cleaning appliances to clean up the floor covered with flour.
“Then order from somewhere. You can afford it. No?”, he suddenly asked.
“Not so much. I’m still not the owner of Mr. Ali Builders ‘ Till then I need to survive with what I have”, I replied.
I could buy anything wanted, I had the money for it but I knew I had to spend wisely I currently was not working at the company so I had to be smart with my spending.
I knew that this jobless Zoya had more money in her accounts than this employed me. But obviously, she can’t spend all her food.
“Okay fine I will pay for the ingredients and you cook the food, doesn’t that sound like a good idea” I offered.
I needed to eat, back home my mum was the chef. I never saw the need to go to the kitchen.
“Ok, fine I will do the cooking, what are you going to do with flour?”, he asked as he cleaned up the floor..
“I wanted to make some tortillas but, well this happened” I explained
“Tortilla?” He asked a little surprised by my choice of food.
I could only nod in response.
“I can’t make it now. It’s too late. I need to go to the office ” he said as he stared at the clock hanging on the wall.
“But I want it. I don’t eat anything for breakfast except for that “, I complained like a child
“Zoya, I will be late. Try to understand, I cannot afford to be late to work”
“I will tell Dad why you were late “, I said while pouting. ” Please, but I want to eat tortillas” I begged
“You can’t control my life, Zoya” he suddenly yelled at me, his eyes full with rage.
For money I was scared but that quickly changed to duty as I switched from the nice Zoya who was trying to please and beg her husband to the Zoya nobody wanted to anger.
“Don’t you dare to shout at me” I warned him fiercely.
He had no right whatsoever to tell me.
He quickly bowed his head submissively and apologized, he looked a little bit scared and that made me feel relieved.
“”I’m sorry”, I mumbled. ” But try to understand. It doesn’t look good. And I don’t want to lose my job, I mean I don’t want people to think that I’m taking advantage of being Mr. Ali’s son-in-law, The fact is I’m not”, I tell her.
“Why do you care about people so much?” I asked.
“The way you care about what people will say if they get to know you are not married to me ” he snapped once again.
It seemed like Barat had not learnt his lesson on not to raise his voice at me.
“Are you attacking me with your words?” I asked him.
“Sort of “, I replied as he quickly rounded up his cleaning.
“The flour is no longer available so I am sorry I cannot make tortillas for you but I can whip up something else” he offers as he brings out some bread from the cabinet.
I could only stare at him in shock, I wonder where he got all this courage from.
“I think you haven’t washed your face yet. Will you please?” He said pointing to a door which I could only assume was the bathroom.
I was furious but I was also self conscious as to how I looked for him to have noticed I had not washed up yet.
He quickly got to whipping some eggs and making some toast, while I walked into the bathroom.
Nothing prepared me for the state of that bathroom I could only stare at it in horror but I knew I could not make a fuss. Putting on my big girl panties I began washing my face when I suddenly opened my eyes and I saw the most dreadful creature crawling on the wall of the bathroom.
I screamed with all my might yelling. “Abrar” I screamed in horror.
“Abrar where the heck are you, come here now” I yelled once again when he seemed not to reply to me.
“Yes. I’m… I’m here “, he said, I could hear his voice outside the door of the bathroom.” What happened?”, Why are you screaming?” He asked sounding a little bit worried.
“Pathetic Washington?”, I blurted out. “Why are there so many cockroaches over here?”
“Oh!” he said, nonchalantly like it was no big deal and I was the one making a fuss.
“What do you mean by ‘oh!’? Do something” I spat in annoyance.
“What can I do? You should come outside if you are afraid of them?” he said, rolling his eyes.
“I have taken a shower and I didn’t bring my clothes” I responded.
My closet was usually connected to my bathroom, all this was new to me.
Wow! What an amazing girl! Who forgets to bring her clothes while taking a shower? She does.
“Well that is your mistake. Why didn’t you bring your clothes?” the asked, sounding frustrated.
“Can’t you just bring a cloth for me, I felt like this bug might fly on my body any time soon please Abrar” I pleaded as I stared at the bug in horror. “And besides I am not used to that. I have an attached bathroom in my room and I never needed to bring clothes inside my bathroom”
“Gosh! You are so demanding, first breakfast now you want me to bring your clothes, am I your maid?” He yelled out frustrated. ” I don’t know what you are planning, but we are not officially married. I can’t just go and open your luggage, that is unethical”
“So you want me to come in front of you in a towel”
“I didn’t say that,” he said in a disapproving time.
“So Bring me my clothes now” I snapped at him angrily.
Gosh he was getting on my last nerve. It will take nothing for me to wrap a towel on my body and walk out.
“fine I will get it,” he did and unheard his footsteps retreat as he walked away.
“Abraaarrr” I screamed so loud in horror. “These cockroaches are flying”
This was what i feared the most I was so close to opening the door and running out in just my towel.
I wonder what was taking him so much time, my luggage was open and I had some clothes already spread out on the bed.
“Where are you, please, come soon” I sobbed as I stared at the unwanted creatures with fear.
“Zoya, are you ok?” Abrar asked outside the door, sounding panicked.
I slightly opened the door and brought out my hand.
“My clothes”, I asked
He placed them on my hand, and your fingers slightly brushed each other which made me shiver in a kind of way. But I took it from him and quickly slammed the door. And hurriedly out of my clothes while trying to avoid the flying creatures.
I opened the door and Abrar was standing outside with a worried expression on his face but as I tried to walk past him, I slipped and fell on my ass hard.
I grabbed my waist in pain as I closed my eyes. “Aghhhhhh” I screamed in pain.
Abrar quickly rushed to my side, his hand hovering around me but he refused to touch me.
“Are you okay? Did it hurt?” He asked looking worried.
But that was a stupid question to ask, I just landed on my butt hard and he was asking if I was okay.
“Yes I am okay, because one would be okay if they fell on the ground like this” I snapped at him, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
I grabbed my back in pain, it hurt like hell.
Abrar just kept staring at me looking lost like he had no idea what to do which just infuriated me the more.
“Now what are you waiting for? Help me to get up?”, I snapped at him.
He instantly clasped my arm and helped me get up. I could hardly stand, my leg trembling in pain. He took me to the room while holding both my arms then gently sat me down on the bed.
“God! It’s terrible. I can’t move”, I cried out in pain.
“Wait! I’ll bring hot water for you. You will get some relief” he said Ashe ran out of the room.
I was in so much pain I decided to just let it go, I wondered what hot water was going to do at this moment. This was all his fault.
It took him more than five minutes to come back with the white water, but the pain did not seem to subside.
“Please put it under your back,” he said s he offered me a bag as soon as he walked into the room
“Thanks. But no thanks’ ‘ I snapped, “That’s all because of you. Ahhh!”, She hissed again while placing the bag under her back.
“What did I do?” He was surprised by my sudden outburst. “You should be careful while stepping out,” he scolded.
“I got panicked and I wanted to come out as soon as possible because your washroom has some stupid cockroaches inside it ” I argued. “Why did you say you live alone when you have a bunch of stupid cockroaches as your housemates?”, I asked annoyed as the warm patch slowly helped ease the pain.
But he suddenly started laughing at me, does he think my bong in pain was funny?
“Why are you laughing? Am I cracking a joke?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he replied, still laughing. Gosh, he was so annoying “Do you need a doctor?” He asked
” I guess no. The pain is decreasing,” I replied.
“Still, take this painkiller after breakfast,” he said as he opened a drawer and brought out a container. And gave it to me. “I’ll bring your breakfast here” he offered.
“No, I don’t take my breakfast on the bed”
“Then?”
“I’ll come to the table”
“Can you manage to Walk?” He asked, looking at me with a worried expression.
“I should try it. If I don’t try, how will I spend the whole day lying on this bed? You won’t be here, no?”.
With Abrar’s help, he helped me walk out of the room and gently placed some on a chair by the counter.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
He placed the plate of toast and cup of tea on my table which was not what I wanted but I had no choice.
“I’ll make tortillas for dinner,” he said. “But please, manage with this for now”
I said nothing and ate my food quietly. But was suddenly disrupted by the ringing of a bell.
“Who is there?” Abrar asked as he walked to the door.
“That should be our question, Abrar Zafar” a man yelled from outside.
It seemed there was a commotion of some sort
“What’s happening here?” Another asked. Maybe they wet his neighbors I thought to myself.
“Sorry, I don’t get it,” Abrar responded, he looked flustered.
“Where is the girl you were trying to molest?” A voice rang. I almost choked on my tea when I heard that statement.
Molest? Who was Abrar molesting?
“What? What are you talking about?” Abrar asked as he looked stunned by the sudden question.
“We heard a girl screaming inside your apartment. You live alone. Then what was the noise all about?”