Chapter 23: Chapter 23

A knock on Rakia’s bedroom door was heard as Adeline’s voice called for the woman to come downstairs immediately, as Dashtan was waiting for her in the living room.

“Is he really serious about you, Sweetie?” Adeline asked as she walked with her daughter down the stairs. Rakia sighed and nodded, at least that was what was going to happen in the future. They would get married and have a household that was... Meh. Rakia’s mind didn’t know what to call the household. Adeline smiled, her face beaming. She was happy with the news that her daughter had found someone who could make her forget the pain of heartbreak.

Adeline handed the food box to Rakia.

“I know you didn’t have time to have breakfast.” Rakia smiled and her heart warmed. Since she lived alone in Jakarta the attention from her mother was very rare. They only communicated over the phone but the time was very limited. She said goodbye after giving her mom a quick peck on the cheek and went to the living room. Before she could see the figure that picked her up, the man’s musk scent assaulted Rakia’s sense of smell. The scent was masculine and instantly made Rakia smile embarrassed. Especially after she saw Dashtan sitting on one of the couches waiting for her, it wasn’t even six in the morning and he was already here. The man already looked fresh and fit, Rakia felt like she got a windfall in the morning.

“Hi, thanks for coming on time,” Rakia said, distracting Dashtan. The man looked at Rakia with an appraising gaze as he stood up. For some reason, Dashtan’s every movement in Rakia’s eyes looked very graceful and intense. It could make her blood boil so that her whole body felt hot. She had to admit, the man had incredible charm.

“Do you always look at all women like that?” asked Rakia who was just trying to distract Dashtan from looking at her intensely. The man raised both foreheads while letting out a smirk.

“Not really, just some women, come on you’ll be late, but I’m willing to make you late,” he said to which Rakia responded with a subtle snort and a lopsided smile. They went to the car and as usual Dashtan opened the car door for Rakia.

“Tomorrow I will celebrate my birthday at the Lighthouse, I will invite your father, your mother and also Pedro’s doctor,” Dashtan told her which surprised Rakia. She thought of a gift for him. Rakia nodded her head in agreement that she would come tomorrow.

“What time?” Rakia turned to Dashtan who looked attractive from the side as well. Rakia rolled her eyes in her mind over her judgment which she felt was inappropriate at a time like this.

“7 pm, and dinner together until it’s over.” The car stopped at the intersection due to the red traffic light.

“Did you invite a lot of people?” asked Rakia curiously.

“Not really, just acquaintances who have a good relationship with me.

“Do you want a gift?” Rakia again asked that question making Dashtan laugh softly.

“A gift? Mmm...,” Dashtan said as she pretended to think. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel of the car.

“I have three requests.” Dashtan turned to Rakia who was currently looking confused. The woman thought maybe she should say yes to the request, and not think about it.

“Three requests?” Rakia tried to understand by asking again.

“Yes, and you have to fulfill them, and I can use those requests anytime and for anything.”

Rakia squinted at Dashtan. It sounded like she was the Genie in the movie Aladin and Dashtan was her Aladdin.

“How’s that? Do you agree? I want a gift like that from you.” Dashtan looked briefly at Rakia before returning to her car as the light had turned green. Rakia sighed loudly, she wanted to retract her words offering the man a gift but it would sound cowardly.

“Okay... I’ll keep those three requests,” Rakia said and it was as if her mind recorded it in a special book that was her prime memory. Dashtan’s car turned a corner and entered the parking lot of a building. They had arrived.

“Are you going to be on the news this morning?” asked Dashtan curiously. This was because without Rakia knowing, he had been watching television since the woman had been presenting the news on television.

“Yes, why?” Rakia, who was half facing the car door, looked at Dashtan curiously. Dashtan faced his upper body to Rakia, he put one of his elbows on the steering wheel. Looking at Rakia with a smile that could melt a glacier in the Arctic.

“I’ll watch the morning news if you bring it,” he said which made Rakia smile with pursed lips then shook her head weakly as she opened the car door and got out. Dashtan followed Rakia with his gaze until the woman entered the Daily Singapore building through the two-leaf glass doors. However, just as he was about to start the car engine, Liam came and approached Rakia in front of the DS main door. They chatted for a while and then entered the building together. It didn’t escape Dashtan’s notice and he felt that Liam was giving everyone a clear signal that he liked Rakia.

Dashtan grunted then started the engine of his car and drove away from the television station parking lot. His mind was filled with Rakia and Liam who were coworkers. It bothered him a little but for the moment he could put his unusual feelings aside. He stepped on the gas pedal a little deeper to increase the speed of his car, the main road was not yet fully crowded. He had wanted to take Rakia to breakfast with him but her schedule seemed to be quite busy and so he went home and had breakfast alone while waiting for his maid to arrive.

His cell phone chimed with the screen turning on and a message notification popped up. Dashtan who was having breakfast just glanced at his phone and had no intention of checking the message, until finally his phone rang a few seconds later.

“Ash! Where are you?” A familiar female voice rang out as soon as he answered the call.

“At home, what’s up, Ma?”

“Pick up your father at the airport, at eight o’clock take him to Daily Singapore for an exclusive interview there at nine in the morning,” his mother informed him. Dashtan sighed. She chuckled, his schedule conflicted with a meeting at his office.

“But, Ma, I have a meeting at the office at that time, is Zamir not coming with him?” asked Dashtan still with a lingering feeling of annoyance. It was always like this, when hia father went to Singapore, he was the one who always had to pick him up even though he also had a lot of work to do. His mother’s sigh was heard.

“Alright, I’ll tell Zamir that you can’t pick him up, then he’ll rent a limo to take papa to DS, how about it Rakia?” His mother’s last question made him frustration drop for a moment.

“She's fine.”

“That’s not what I mean..., when are you getting married? When are you going to propose to her?” The woman’s questions were like bullets fired at his in rapid succession.

“You just wait, it won’t be long... She’ll be my wife soon,” Dashtan replied and could hear his waiting for the assurance and ended the call. Dashtan grunted as he put his phone a little further away from his breakfast plate this time. He thought about going to the jewelry store to buy a ring for Rakia but he didn’t know the size of her finger. Finally, he thought of a way to get the size of Rakia’s ring finger. Dashtan sighed, the more she met Rakia the more she filled his mind.

“Don’t include anything in this wedding,” he muttered and finished his breakfast.