Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Dashtan hugged Rakia tightly in their drenched state.

“Thank God...,” he whispered while Rakia was still in his arms. He then broke the hug and looked at Rakia with a relieved look on her face.

“Come on, let’s go inside, you’ll catch a cold, you have to change,” Dashtan said and carried Rakia in front of his body to enter the house. He dropped Rakia inside the woman’s bathroom as per the woman’s instructions.

“You also change, please get me the bathrobe,” said Rakia who was now sitting on the closed toilet of her bathroom. Dashtan complied and got up from his crouching position in front of Rakia.

“I’ll be right here after I change,” promised Dashtan to which Rakia responded with a nod as she looked at the man with a weak smile of gratitude. As Dashtan left Rakia to get changed, he first went back to the pool to retrieve Rakia’s walking stick then placed it in the living room then quickly ran to his room to change quickly and returned to Rakia’s room with the woman’s walking stick.

“Kia...,” Dashtan called as he opened the door just inches wide.

“I’m here,” Rakia said from behind the now open closet door, she was getting dressed there. Dashtan went in and closed the door. He took a quick peek at Rakia who was already wearing long-sleeved sleeping pajamas. He went over to the woman and helped her walk to the bed, as Rakia sat on the side of the bed, Dashtan crouched down to check on his wife’s sore leg.

“Aaawww...,” Rakia moaned as Dashtan tried to move her leg with light movements. Dashtan let out a harsh sigh and then his gaze rose to stare at Rakia.

“Why did you drown?” Dashtan asked curiously.

“I slipped, I was going to sit on the sun lounger,” Rakia replied.

“For now, don’t go near the pool until your leg is fully healed. What if I had come a long time ago? I could have found you already dead,” Dashtan said with emphasis.

“You’re afraid of becoming a widower, is that it?” Rakia asked out of jest and curiosity.

“Of course, who wants to be a widower? Besides, who’s going to warm my bed if you’re not around?”

“Oh, is that so? I’m just your bed warmer? How many times before I was your bed warmer?” Rakia’s tone was icy cold and her gaze fixed on Dashtan sharply. Dashtan looked down to hide the guilty look on his face.

“Not many, just....”

“Ten? Twenty? How many? Are they all just things you warm up your bed with and then throw away when you get bored?” Rakia pressed Dashtan further with piercing questions.

“No, that’s not how-“

“Then how? Huh? Answer me... Answer...!” Rakia kicked Dashtan with her painless foot but Dashtan managed to dodge her attack.

“Hey... That’s not it, I never slept with any woman after I finished with Dalilah, I-“

Rakia glared at Dashtan’s explanation and immediately cut off the man’s sentence.

“So you’re gay? So that’s true? Oh, Godness, you-“

Dashtan clucked then called out to Rakia in a threatening tone, “Rakia... That’s not it.”

Rakia instantly fell silent seeing Dashtan’s expression and hearing her frightening tone.

“If I were gay, I wouldn’t want to fuck you.”

“But you could be-“

“Nope. I’m clean and normal, Rakia..., how can you think I’m that the weird one?” Dashtan rose to his feet then took a seat right next to Rakia, staring at the woman. Rakia shrugged.

“Yeah... You know, men like you are always the subject of gossip because you’re too private, the slightest appearance in public will make you the talk of the media. I honestly don’t believe that you’re gay, unless you’re... Which...,” Rakia rolled her eyes in slow motion as her lips broke into a lopsided smile.

“Unless you’re a womanizer,” Rakia continued. Dashtan sighed, he understood the label people out there put on him. It was always like that, but he didn’t care, as long as they didn’t mess up his life that was enough for him. After all, he wasn’t bothering anyone.

“Are you comfortable with all the gossip and labels?” Rakia wanted to know, she turned her head and looked at Dashtan waiting for an answer.

“I rather don’t care,” the man replied matter-of-factly. Rakia frowned, she didn’t like that answer.

“How so? You’re not worried about it affecting your personal life? Or... Ruin your image?”

Dashtan laughed then looked at Rakia with an amazed gaze.

“You really are a journalist.”

Rakia laughed and felt that the sentence was a code that she was asking too many questions.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to have the chance to do great things in my career. Like you, you’re a genius and made it at a fairly young age. But I’m always tripping over myself with questions,” Rakia says. Somehow she wanted to let Dashtan have a little peek into her.

“Like?” asked a curious Dashtan.

“Like... Did I choose the right profession? Especially when I got fired. It made me wonder even more about my decision to choose this career. But I guess... I have to keep going, I might stop at that place but not anywhere else.” As Rakia finished speaking her mind, Dashtan snapped his fingers once.

“That’s the spirit. And now... You’ve gone further. You work in this country and are part of one of the prestigious television stations and... your husband is the owner. Isn’t that a proud achievement?!”

Rakia laughed lightly, she nodded then pondered for a moment then said, “At first, I thought... My plans would go according to what I expected. Marry the person I love and build a career, but in fact... I forgot something, that this life is not entirely mine.”

Rakia looked at Dashtan then asked, “Do you feel like me? Wondering about your own decisions?”

Dashtan sighed heavily.

“Long ago, when I was about to start my own company. But just like you, I couldn’t back out again or run away. I don’t know... I’ve always known where I should go or what decision I should make after carefully considering all the risks. And after that, I never regret anything.”

Rakia snorted and realized that the man she was currently with was a genius. She should have known that he had good judgment, unlike her who always wondered and hesitated.

“I forgot that you are the Mr genius,” Rakia chuckled.

“But... You know, I always call this a curse. You might be able to solve all the problems with your genius, but on the other hand the people around you will find it hard to adapt because they think people like me are hard to understand.” Dashtan sighed loudly, he stared at the floor of this room with his mind realizing something. Rakia looked at the man with sympathy, she understood what he was trying to say.

“You’re lonely,” Rakia said.

“Maybe so.” Dashtan advanced his lower lip after confirming Rakia’s assumption.

“Well, since I’m already here and in your life... I’m going to mess up your life a little bit so you don’t feel lonely. “Rakia looked at Dashtan with all the humor she had. The man laughed with the typical laughter of a sexy mature man.

“I’ll happily wait for the chaos. Oh, yes, as promised, I brought your pizza,” Dashtan said, reminding Rakia of the woman’s request this morning. Rakia clapped her hands in a childish gesture, he helped Rakia put on her walking stick and then they went out of the room to the living room. As they were in the kitchen preparing to eat the pizza, the doorbell rang, Dashtan went to open the door and he was surprised by the arrival of someone he didn’t expect to appear in front of him again.

The curious Rakia immediately followed Dashtan to the front door, she stopped when she was only about two steps away with a look of trust and disbelief, then said the name of their guest.

“Lila?!”