Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Rakia was only begrudgingly listening to Dahstan’s wishes. The man who was currently in a position with his back to her was in a state of frustration.

“Ash.”

“You didn’t hear what I said?” Dashtan’s tone was cold and threatening. Rakia swallowed with a feeling of fear and anxiety that began to overwhelm her at the same time. She decided to leave the man. When she was behind the door of Dashtan’s office, Rakia sighed loudly. She thought he would react differently after learning about her pregnancy. She thought Dashtan would be happy and understand why she was hiding her pregnancy. Rakia went to her room to lie down while her mind did not stop thinking about Dashtan. All sorts of assumptions were raging in her mind and almost all of them were worrying assumptions.

“What if Dashtan divorces me and chooses Dalilah?” The question echoed in her mind, but the answer was uncertain. She intended to wait for Dashtan to return to the room but he did not come until midnight. Rakia was restless and got up from her lying position, at first she wanted to find Dashtan and talk but she decided against it and lay back down. Moreover, she was also sleepy. Finally she decided to sleep and finish the matter tomorrow morning.

Rakia’s hopes of talking to Dashtan were dashed that morning. The man seemed to keep his distance from her. More silent and didn’t even look at her. This was the first time she had seen Dashtan behave like this and it was really unpleasant. Rakia felt like she was going to be dumped any minute now and fear gripped her as soon as that assumption came up. But she could do nothing but wait for the right time to start a conversation between them.

Upon arriving at the office, Rakia intended to occupy herself with her work but found it difficult to do so as she was more anxious about her argument with Dashtan not being resolved properly. As she was brooding in the cafeteria, Liam came and sat on the chair opposite her.

“You look in trouble, want to tell me?” Liam took a sip of the coffee he had brought in a ceramic mug.

“Are you sure you want to listen and give me a solution?” Rakia wanted to make sure whether her current interlocutor was reliable or not. Liam moved his lips thoughtfully and then said, “It depends on the difficulty.” Rakia drank her chocolate milkshake through a straw.

“It’s about Dashtan.” Rakia started, Liam putting on the face of a good listener.

“We had a fight and this is the first time he's looked so angry and distanced himself from me.” Rakia’s face looked glum.

“I know, I’m wrong here too but I’m doing it because I have my own reasons, I also want to be understood here.”

Liam smiled meaningfully.

“Could you just drop the word me in that sentence for once? Do you know what the biggest mistake couples make out there?” Liam looked at Rakia seriously, the woman shook her head as her gaze also looked at the other person.

“They’re too self-centered. No one wants to give in and let go of the ego. Maybe Dashtan wants you to admit that you’re wrong in this. Dashtan is not a perfect man, Rakia....” Liam paused his sentence for a moment before continuing.

“You married a man who is still traumatized by relationships. Dashtan has a psychological problem that he hasn’t been able to overcome properly, even though he has been in therapy many times with a cyclist. He doesn’t have anyone who can help him get out of it.”

Rakia was silent and felt moved by Liam’s explanation of Dashtan. She realized that she had not tried harder to understand the man.

“You might think, he has a mother who loves him and I am the one who is close to him. He should be able to get out of his current situation. But Rakia... The problem is that the relationship between a mother and a child will always have a barrier even though everyone’s barrier is different, some are thick and some are thin. Dashtan and his mother are close, but he needs someone closer, even someone who can touch his heart and have him own space there.”

Liam paused for a moment and looked at Rakia to see her response. While Rakia did not expect Liam to be so sensitive.

“So, what should my attitude be? Should I be the one to start solving this first?”

“Inevitably, that’s what you have to do. In building a solid relationship let alone a marriage, the thing that must be released more is ego. How can you accept all the flaws and cover them up. Forgive over and over again, love more like you love yourself. Share things, be whatever is needed. Caring more than others and being the right place to always go home and get peace. It sounds hard and impossible but it’s the truth. Dashtan has tried to keep up with you and you should do the same for him.”

Rakia felt like she was with an expert in marital relationships. It was hard for her to believe it was coming from the lips of a man who had never experienced marriage.

“You’re not married, but why do you sound like an expert on this?”

Liam sighed loudly before answering.

“I had a relationship with someone too, but we broke up on our own accord because we just couldn’t click on the basics and it was hard.” Rakia nodded and felt ashamed of Liam who looked wiser than her.

“I’m afraid he’ll let me go and choose Dalilah.” Rakia admitted her fear. She could no longer bear the heartbreak a second time.

“Then you should give up what Dashtan wants.”

Rakia frowned, not understanding.

“Let go of your ego. The choice is only two, your ego or Dashtan. If you choose your ego you’ll end up in a court of law.”

That sounded scary to Rakia. She didn’t want her child to have a broken home from an early age. Rakia nodded a few times with determination in her eyes. This time she would not be stubborn and let things drag on.

“What if Dashtan doesn’t forgive me?” Anxiety was still hanging over her.

“Did Dashtan ever tell you that he loves you?”

Rakia nodded.

“You better believe it. We men if we are comfortable with a woman we will make her the queen of our lives.”

Liam finished his coffee while Rakia cast a glance out of the window, but as she looked out there, she saw the person they were talking about had just come and got out of his car.

“Dashtan’s here,” Rakia told him, to which Liam responded by following her gaze.

“Go, he must be looking for you,” said Liam who was then nodded by Rakia.