Chapter Nine

Yasmin have been all by herself in the past four days. She has never been left alone for this long and four consecutive days without anyone's movement was a little scary. There was no movement whatever so ever in her new home and she felt so isolated. So this is what going separate ways meant. She thought as if having a second thought.

Her phone buzzed on the kitchen island in front of her, Ikram's name was flashing on the big screen. And she literally jump with excitement.

"Assalamu alaikum!" She answered thrilled she had never await for a phone call like this.

"Wa'alaikum salam, i know you missed me." Ikram replied from the other side, laughing. She heard the enthusiast in her cousin's voice.

"Whatever, how are you?"

"Fine, why are so predictable? Ikram asked with a hint of humor.

"Me? Am i?" She asked pointing at herself with her forefinger as if Ikram was there to see.

"Of course, you're. I predicted you will sent me a thank you message, and you did just that."

"Am i not supposed to do that?" Yasmin smiled, she had sent messages to few of her cousins. Those she had their numbers thanking them for their presence at her wedding just to past time. Initially it was only Ikram she wanted to thank, but it became too boring on the first day being all alone in the big house.

"I wanted you to surprised me with a call, but it never happened."

"I will take note of that?" She laughed and it was enchanting.

"So how is our groom and the new environment?"

"Alhamdulillah, you did a great job with the interior, the house is looking amazing." She can hear her cousin laughter from the other side. "Did i said anything funny?"

"Of course, Yasmini. You must be in the kitchen to said that." she laugh again, Yasmin stare around the kitchen suspiciously.

"How did you know i was there?" They all knew she had a thing for kitchen, so they just make it extra special. And she love it, especially the big frame window by sink counter. The ash cabinet and the double door fridge that's beautifully installed into its cabinet shelve.

"Did i told you are very predictable?" Ikram asked ironically, she was lazily laying on the couch of her mother's living room. If it wasn't too much say, she was still tired from the wedding.

"Whatever!" They said at once, Ikram knew that was the next thing her best friend would said. And they burst into a fit of laughter.

"You know, we should have gotten you married a lot sooner, you sound so happy. That's a good beginning, bestie." For some reason Yasmin sound so happy to her, not knowing that her best friend was feeling so boredom and alone which was why she was so excited for the first phone call she had received.

"When are you coming to visit? I will make all your favorites." Yasmin asked eagerly waiting for the reply.

"Hhhh chai! This change is too much for me to take in, did Yusuf perhaps cast some spell on you." A moment there Yasmin wanted to asked who Yusuf was. Well, that's your husband's name and you're living in his house at the moment, her subconscious reminded and she unconsciously nodded her head in agreement.

She wanted to tell Ikram no spell was casted upon her, but her newly wedded husband had left her all alone to herself to guard his house. Was she complaining?

They have ended the call after Ikram have told her she wasn't coming anytime soon.

Yasmin turned the noodles she was cooking into a bowl and off the stove. She sat back on the island stool which is directly facing the kitchen entrance, and immediately start munching on her noodles with chopsticks.

She fancy doing that all thank to Mrs Ai Ruoman, she was a chinese woman who coached them back at the culinary school. Mrs Ai Ruoman believed that cooking was the first original art, and she make sure she inject that spirit into them.

At that time Yasmin wasn't into cooking, she just went there mainly to fulfilled someone's dream of coming a chef. As time went by, she also sees the art of cooking and how people interact with the aroma, how an effective communication can be passed through a simple meal. It has the capacity to engage all the senses. She have long known that the presentation of a dish is as important as the taste, aroma and texture of what is served.

Yasmin was indulged in her noodles when she heard someone saying "innalillahi wa'innah ilaihi raju'un." She looked up to see someone standing by the edge of the island with his left hand on his chest, it was Yusuf looking like he was thrown from somewhere. It was like he didn't expect anybody to be there. What he said next left her staring back at him with a widened confused eyes.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?" He was looking like he had seen a real life ghost, that too so close to him. Yasmin wanted to tell that the kitchen was no longer his alone, but theirs if he must claim its ownership. She was dressed in simple long sleeve blue green abaya, her head tied with  the same color headtie and knotted to the front. And her skin was still glowing from the dilke.

"I start living here since five days ago." Yasmin said, but his face was still looking so horrifying. Maybe she had something on her face. She thought, since she didn't look at the mirror these few days even when she brushes her teeth. She quickly use her blank phone screen to check her face, but she didn't see why he was looking at her like that, like some living zombie. Did he perhaps lost some of his memories where she is his wife?

"So you're Yasmin, my new neighbor?" He asked using his forefinger to make a point and for the first time he said her name, it sounds so foreign on his lips. She only nodded, now she understood not to call her herself his wife, but his neighbor. Not bad, she agreed. Though, she did what every sensible person will do.

"Do you want some?" She pointed at her almost finished noodles in the bowl, avoiding his in intense stare at her. She wanted to leave him there when he didn't say anything, but she remember her mother advising her to communicate a little and the respect thing. So she just sat there waiting for his precious reply.

"No, thank you." He finally said after what felt like forever and sauntered away. Yasmin shrugged and went back to her already cold noodles.

Back in his room, Yusuf can't help but wonder, why he was married to that drop dead gorgeous lady in the kitchen. Here he was thinking she was some disabled girl her family wanted to get rid of. He accommodate one of the two Gwyneth boucle chair in his bedroom by the window which gives a good view of the backyard, where he is growing some plant.

However, that wasn't the matter at hand as he is now doubting his eye sight. He felt the urge to go back and see again, maybe she was only a figment of his imagination. Now standing on the hallway of their bedrooms, contemplating whether to go back or not. Before he could finish his decision making Yasmin shows up walking the to left side of the hallway where her room is located. She didn't notice him but his eyes were following each and every step she takes, till he heard her room door closed. She was real. He told himself.

The next morning Yusuf wake up to the kitchen filled with tantalizing aroma and his stomach growls. He is hungry and Yasmin was on it. She decided to start cooking for them last night since her husband was back from whatever break he went to, in the past few days. The truth was that Saif sent him out of his house the other day, that's the only reason he came home only to be dumbfounded by his latest discovery. He almost couldn't believe it.

As for Yasmin being back on her chores was the energy she needed. She felt so tedious not doing anything already, in the past four nights she was just holding herself from going against what her cousin and sister had warned her not to do. Of course doing the house chores at midnight. She was quite surprise herself that she feel utterly comfortable around the house especially now with Yusuf back. Normally she will die out of fear if she's left alone with a guy, the only men she trusted were her father and brother. And she raised a question to that now.

Yasmin had thought fitting in would be chaotic, she was never immune to a big change like this. Lucky for her, she was doing just fine, maybe it was her embracing her new life and the environment.

"Good morning!" She greeted the person who came inside the kitchen just now. Slightly turning her back to see Yusuf fixing some coffee for himself with the coffee maker. She had already mixed the coffee ingredients last night, when she didn't get anything to do. She had taken a trip to the kitchen and the first thing that caught her eyes was the coffee maker. She try incorporating new coffee recipe, now all she needed was a feedback to know if it was good enough.

"Good morning!" He replied after feeling like it. Yusuf knew he was acting weird and the girl in front of cooker isn't helping his matter. Is it always going to be like this?

"The breakfast will be ready in ten minutes." Yasmin added sieving the puff-puff from the frying oil, putting it in the strainer for the remaining oil to drift away in the bowl under.

"I am running late for work, thank you." He replied calmly, Yusuf was dressed up in a white button down dress shirt and grey pants, he was looking breathtaking even with his saturnine face. Though, Yasmin didn't noticed that as of yet. Her attention was on whisking the custard on the flames.

It's only when he left did she replayed what he said in her head. He was running late,my foot. It was only seven in the morning and he was late, Yasmin wonders if the man lied about being a doctor instead of a school teacher. Maybe she will start sending food to his workplace too, just like what she did with her father and all those schoolers in her father's house. She use sent food to their schools when they left without breakfast. So Yusuf better not try rejecting her food, anything but that.

Yusuf have never come to work this early before, his schedule always start at 9am. But he thought staying at home with his gorgeous wife isn't going to be a good idea, she was too beautiful to be avoided. Her eyes were too captivating and he can't stand it, those eyes that he still can't tell what color they are.

Why will his father choose a girl like Yasmin for him? That was all that keep coming in his head. And he don't like how comfortable Yasmin is around the house, as if she has always been there, she is the least bothered about him. He can't help but wondered if there was some hidden agenda in all these. His chain of thought were cut by the knock on the door, that might be his first patient for the day.

A young lady came inside with a salam dressed in an A shape ankara gown and a white veil wrapped around her shoulders. She was carrying a small food basket.

"Good morning!" She greeted, her smile so bright.

"Not again." Yusuf mumbles seeing who the girl was. "Good morning!"

"You are looking quite handsome today, what's your secret?" She asked sitting down on the chair in front of him.

"Hafsa, let talk about your medical condition, okay." He looked so serious, he knew the girl isn't sick. She was just there to flirt with him.

"Before that, here is your breakfast, i made it myself." She winks, joyously putting the basket on his table where it's not disturbing anything or anyone.

"I had breakfast already, now your purpose of coming here." He lied, he was only thinking since he came.

"Okay, I can't sleep last night because of a certain someone and my heart is aching too much, i am afraid it's going to burst anything soon." The youny lady informed him faking to be in pain and patting her chest. He knew she wasn't letting go of the breakfast issue. She will be back to it.

"How can i help you with that, did you mom knows you're here?"

"You know what i want is you and stop bringing my mom into this all the time." She pouted, Yusuf pinched between his eyes and gasped. He really need to do something about this girl. She was his patient few years back and she's all better now. When she was really sick, he took a good care of her and even visited her at home to check on her. That helped the girl mistook his kindness for something else and she is being too clingy ever since.

"Please, let me work, Hafsa. It's too early to start with your drama." Yusuf was being as polite as he can, not to make a scene, he had thrown her out of his office a couple of times, yet she keep coming back. Who does that?

"I don't see any reason why you don't like me, ain't i good enough? Yusuf, just let me love you, you don't have to do anything." Hafsa pleaded, but what Yusuf said next did not only surprised the girl in front of him but him as well. "No you are kidding me, right?"

"Of course not, i am a married man now." Yusuf never thought he will be using that against anyone, and here he was doing just that to a poor lady who is head over heels for him.

"I know,  you are just saying that to get me out of your office, you wouldn't do that to me, right?" She asked confidently. He didn't say anything, however, he open the drawer by his side and brought out something. It was his wedding invitation card which Saif has given him to distribute to those he wants to invite at the wedding, but he discarded them there.

"What's this?"

"Read it." He motion the invitation card in front of her. She stare into it and her eyes became blurred with tears.

"You're so mean, Yusuf. I told you i love you countless of time, but you went ahead and married someone. What does she have that i don't? I am sure i love you more than she will ever." Hafsa wiped her tears, she was really pained and Yusuf understood her pain, he is in that same position. Hafsa was a beautiful girl with a dark flawless skin and very attractive dimples, that alone is enough to drown someone, but Yasmin was no match for her not even the queen of his Marwa will be a match for Yasmin. If she is talking about the looks.

In terms of character Yasmin appeared calm and composed but it's too early to say. About love, there isn't any sign that Yasmin loves him and he is certain they loves him more than her. He felt bad for hurting them both, although he isn't guilty for Hafsa's feelings. He had made it clear to her already.

"This isn't the end, i am not leaving you, Yusuf. After all you're entitled to four wives, i still have space to fit in and you will regret not choosing me first." She wiped her tear after finding her solution. Yusuf though didn't look surprised, but she don't know that, she has just given him a good idea which is not going to work in her favor. He knew she wouldn't go away that easily, and he is afraid of the mess she might caused.