Chapter 22: Chapter 22

"Make it a takeaway." They all heard Sadeeq's voice, and Ihsan turned to look at him with feisty eyes but she could clearly see the storm roaring within him.

This boy is an idiot, how could he do something wrong to her and still act like an asshole? Instead of him to apologize? She folded her hands across her chest and looked at the waiter that had began taking their plates off the table.

She read his name from the tag on his left breast and smiled at him; more widely than she did the last time. "Imran, you're only making a takeaway of his plate. I'm eating here, a nice restaurant by the way. I'd love coming here everyday."

Imran looked between a widely smiling Ihsan and a fuming Sadeeq. He's a guy, and he knew what he saw from Sadeeq's eyes from the first time she smiled at him. He couldn't risk being punched by this jealous boyfriend and get his ass kicked out and lost his job.

He gulped down a lump in his throat and looked at Ihsan again, with a slight hope that she would understand him. Because from what he saw, she clearly knew what triggered her guy's anger. "I'm sorry Madam, but I think your boyfriend said he wants me to make a takeaway, shouldn't I do that? You eating alone while he waits might seem off." He tightly pressed his lips into a smile and hoped she would give in to his words.

But what shook him more was how the smile on her face immediately faded, and she straightened her posture, looking at him with what he grew up to know as sheer anger. "What an insult, Imran? How would this boy be my boyfriend? He's just an asshole of a brother that my loving father considered bringing us here together." She looked right into Sadeeq's eyes and scoffed, seeing that he was an inch to bursting out.

Sadeeq clenched his fists that were impatiently trying to punch Imran's face since the first time Ihsan smiled at him. And now Ihsan's word, he knew it's either he dragged her out of this restaurant and they left to their apartment or he might loose his sanity right here in the midst of the people.

"Ihsan." He slurred through gritted teeth, intently staring at her with his eyes that turned to bloodshot.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes, and for a second-he forgot he was extremely angry at her. "What did I said wrong, Sadeeq? Aren't you my brother? And this way you're acting as if you possess me, you might scare my suitors off."

She peeled her eyes off a seething Sadeeq and placed them on a bamboozled Imran, "I'm sorry for the disturbance, Imran. But this boy sitting right opposite me looking as if he owns me is no one but my brother, and there is just one year gap between us. So, if you were planning on asking me out, don't hesitate please-because you look so handsome and I'm sure you wouldn't behave like an asshole." Her smile towards Imran was genuine and loving, as she waited for whatever it is he was stuttering with.

"I'm so-sorry..." before Imran could say something, Ihsan's amiable and flirty voice cut him off.

"Oh Come on Imran, don't be afraid of him, he's just a little boy that takes a one year gap something gigantic that he will be acting like my father atimes. Here, put me your digits and I'll call you when I get home." She pulled out her phone and handed it to Imran. But before Imran could collect the phone, Sadeeq was on his two feet, Ihsan's phone in his hand and her wrist clutched tightly in his hand.

He dragged her out of the building, miles away from the restaurant and found an open space that could serve as a sanctuary for a mean time before he flung down her wrist. "What was that?! Tell me, what were you foolishly doing in that restaurant? Are you out of your senses?!" He clamored, his forehead veins visible enough for an internally shaking Ihsan, but her demeanor didn't say anything about the trembling of her inner self.

He didn't deserve an answer from her, isn't he the one that told her not to tell anyone she's married? Isn't he the one? And now what's her fault just because she tried getting herself a boyfriend she could hangout with, without waiting for her asshole excuse of a husband or is it a one year gap partner? That suited more. A one year gap partner. And she grinned! She actually grinned while Sadeeq was hovering over her, his eyes deep into hers she was sure she would've been ripped apart if looks were a blade.

"Ihsan what's wrong with you for Allah's sake? Perhaps you probably need to visit a psychiatrist! You're such an idiot that I'm asking you the reason you're flirting with a waiter before my eyes while you're my wife and you just stand here grinning? Did you perhaps thought of him?" He rambled in one breath, shaking her shoulders to have her eyes back set on his so he could see wether she had gone nuts.

She shrugged off his hands from her shoulders, and rolled her eyes-Sadeeq could swear those eyes had a brisk journey in his soul. "I need to get home and find something decent to eat, if you could still remember that my plate is still laying there untouched. And between a flirting lady and a madly jealous brother, who needs to see a psychiatrist? Think well." Her words were short but they directly went to his heart and shook off the veins surrounding it.

She tried walking past him to hail a cab when he yanked her back with her wrist. Is she well? Because the normal Ihsan he knew, she would've killed him with her insults and sarcastic replies since when he met her crying at school-but she seemed so quite for his liking. But he was sure she had that part of her played in the restaurant. Is she giving him a silent treatment?

"Ihsan, are you having difficulties while talking? Is there a need for us to see the doctor? You don't talk like your normal self." He was still angry at her, but was still curious to know she hadn't insulted him up till now.

She glared at him and silently removed his hand from her wrist. "My doctor says I shouldn't stay long while hungry. If you could do us all the favor and drag your idiot ass from there so we could leave."

A grin graced his lips that he had to internally smacked himself. She just insulted him, but why was he happy as if it's what he had been waiting for, all his day. He didn't reply her, rather; he draped his arm around her shoulders as they hailed a cab-he wanted an insult again, but got an eye roll.

•

After they arrived at their apartment, Ihsan peeled off his arm around her shoulder and waited as he unlocked the house and they entered together. She snubbed him asking what she would like to eat and proceeded to her room, eager to have her hair washed, her face scrubbed, and her body relaxed from today's tiredness.

She bathed and walked over to her trolley that was still placed on her bed-she hadn't unpacked yet. She palmed her face and lifted up the clothes so she could see where her skimpy wears are and saw none. Taking the medium sized trolley, she saw it was full of her skimpy clothes and she grinned-remembering Sadeeq's insult in the morning about her frail hips and tiny thighs.

Not having any negative thought in mind, she took a pale yellow shirt that stooped just below her ass, with the flare of the fabric trailing down from back and front. This would surely show him that her hips aren't frail and small, and she definitely didn't have tiny thighs.

She lifted her still wet hair and packed it into a messy bun before she bathed in her perfumes and draped the gown over her body. She normally wore this shirt with a leggings at home, but here-especially today, she had something to prove to that idiot of a partner she had. Yes, he's her one year gap partner.

She took her phone from the charging spot and walked out of the room, directly working to the kitchen, she could feel the cool wind of Qatar kissing her bare thighs but she couldn't just let his words go.

She wasn't going to act all wifely material, but she needed to cook to save herself from fainting. She didn't want to ask him to order something for them, because that would surely call for a long conversation and she's sure she wouldn't tolerate his insults this time-because all that time, she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from insulting him back.

She stood at the cooking gas and lifted up her phone to eyesight. She roamed her Nigerian sim and immediately dialed Ummu's number, she knew she was supposed to call her Maama, but Ummu was always at her rescue, that's why she remembered none when she needed help but her.

"Ihsan!" Ummu practically squealed, because Ihsan could hear her grinning widely.

"Ummu! I wanted calling you since morning but then I have to be in school. How are you? Good evening." She couldn't forget Ummu always telling her not to forget saying her pleasantries with whomever she called.

They exchanged their pleasantries and Ihsan told her she wanted to cook an indomie, what would she use first? Ummu laughed and joked "Are you going to cook for your husband, Ihsan? That's my girl."

Ihsan whined and Ummu started telling her how to cook an indomie while Ihsan was moving frantically around the kitchen looking for whatever it is Ummu mentioned before they set to work. She put on the cooking gas and placed the pot down-as Ummu instructed still on the phone.

She was doing everything as Ummu instructed while having a chit chat-not knowing Sadeeq had almost rotted on his spot leaning on the kitchen door. Intensely staring at her frail body moving in her pale yellow shirt, he could see the hips and thighs he taunted in the morning. Her face freshly bathed, and her hair messy brought up in a bun. How she laughed and made sure her phone was resting on her chin and her shoulder keeping it firm-her frail and well sculptured fingers stirring the pot that had her first ever cooked meal! Yes, Zainab Ibrahim Karaye is a spoilt brat!