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Chapter sixteen👑

Ignore the typos please 👀

Nazneen 💕

After the breakfast scenario,I had found that Khalil left the house almost immediately and that was when Zulfa woke up. By then,it was already noon. When she had her brunch, she came into my room while I was organizing my closet.

"You could have left that for one of the maids to do it" her sudden interruption from my train of thoughts startled me.

I hadn't seen her all morning and almost forgotten she was even around. Shrugging off her what she said, I hung plain back abaya and a rack "I prefer to do this myself"

Her mouth formed an 'O' before making her way to were my remaining suitcases were and one of my dresses too and hung it too. I didn't bother asking her not to because I knew she wouldn't budge. Speaking of suitcases,I noticed that the suitcases from the kayan lefe were missing. Yesterday,I was too tired to pay attention to whether my luggage was complete or not. Then the thought of my parents came in.

I wondered what they were doing at this moment. The probably might still be in Damaturu with kaka.

Kaka.

Since my birth,I don't think I have done anything to earn her hatred. If anything,I have been trying to get her to like me and all my attempts had been futile. Ummi always told me that she had always been strict and overbearing, seeing the situation now makes it not so difficult to believe.

I didn't know I was so deep in my trance until Zulfa snapping her fingers appeared from nowhere. She was giving me the are you alright look. "Sorry,I zoned out" I apologized "What were you saying?"

"Uhmmm" she scratched her head "I was telling you that I'll be leaving tomorrow"

That was a news I didn't want to hear at all. Why was she leaving all of a sudden? Doesn't she like it here? Or maybe she doesn't like me? Did Khalil say anything to her?

'Maybe if you ask her instead of asking me, you'd get your answers' my subconscious mind reminded me. Before I could even ask her why she was leaving, Zulfa beat me to it.

"Believe me,I would have loved to stay but I have to get back to school"

That makes sense. Since she was leaving tomorrow and she's technically my sister in-law,I should send her off nicely. Khalil adores his little sister and if I wanted to have a good five–month–old–married–life, I should at least try my best to make friends with his family and be in good terms.

"But promise you'll come visiting frequently"

Her eyes twinkled in delight"Why not, after all, we're family"

"Of course"

'Family for the next five months' my subconscious mind reminded me.

I shook off that unnecessary thought and smiled at her,she too reciprocated it.  We were already done with my clothes,so Zulfa sat cross legged on the floor and I joined her.

"This is my first time seeing you smile like this" she confessed "Of course you try to be as cheerful as possible,but I know that it doesn't reach your eyes. You always seem empty inside like you are in constant pain"

I didn't know how to reply to something like that. I never knew that Zulfa was the deep type. "I didn't know I was that readable"

She chuckled "You are actually very difficulty to read but I have a thing of seeing past people's facade"

"That's very nice,I wish I have that kind of talent"

She laughed again and stood up "It was really nice spending time with you" I nodded and she turned on her heels.

"Do you like cake?" I asked before she could walk out of the door.

"A lot. I'm a sucker for sweet stuffs"

My lips stretched into a smile "Then I think we would get along just fine"

After concluding my Asr prayer,I went down to the kitchen for my very first time since yesterday to see how things were going. As expected of an Al Farsi home,they were maids–about three of them already getting ready to prepare dinner.

Back at home,me and Ummi always did the cooking and all the maids which were a very few of them,took care of all the other chores. I wonder if things would work the same way here but at this moment,I didn't even know how to acknowledge my presence at this moment.

Ummi had called earlier to inform me that the dowry that Abdullahi had paid before the wedding has been returned back to him and so as the kayan lefe since I didn't end up getting married to him anymore. She also told me that Khalil sheikh Al Farsi had already paid my dowry and his family were already preparing the kayan lefe.

I told Ummi that the kayan lefe wasn't necessary and she agreed to it but my mother inlaw wouldn't agree to it, something about it being their responsibility and all of that.

The oldest among them walked up to me with her head bent low. The woman had to be older than Ummi yet she had to courtesy before me.

"Madam Nazneen" she greeted "My name is Lubaba and I'll be the one of the meal preparation this house" she said gently yet with utmost confidence. "What would you and Mr Al Farsi like to have for dinner

Suddenly, I felt all eyes on me and I couldn't speak anymore. All the words flew from my mouth. I couldn't muster any courage to find my voice so I quickly left the kitchen.

Leaning against the wall close to archway, I tried to calm my self my dragging a long breath from the air around me.

"Did you see the way she ignored us,like we were nothing" I heard one of the other maids say.

"So the rumors are true" another one piped in "She's very arrogant and full of pride" 

A swell of anger rushed in through me. How could they judge me like that. Why does everybody see me as a bad person when I try so hard to be the good guy.

"Enough gossiping ladies" Lubaba's scolding voice was heard "She has been through a lot and the last thing she needs is dramas among us workers" then I heard her sigh after shooing them away.

I peeled myself from the wall and went to sit in the living room. The television was on and I was watching it yet my mind was too far away to even comprehend what show was going on.

Zulfa sat beside me and we watched in silence till the sound of her brother's car was heard. We watched as he crossed the foyer to the living room, where we were seated. I mustered enough courage to greet him politely.

Of course he didn't sit,he just pressed a kiss on Zulfa's temple and climbed up the stairs. I met Zulfa's eyes and she sent me an apologetic look.

"Don't mind him" she had told me "The both of you would end up getting used to each other"

I nodded at what she said but I didn't believe it. How was I supposed to when the workers think of me as the bad guy,my husband for five months might start to ignore me and the one person that is keeping me company would leave tomorrow.