Chapter 5

The whole kitchen was messed up. Zoya was standing near the counter covered with flour and the flour container was laying the ground. I looked at her being surprised as she pouted.

   "Who keeps a flour container on top? It's so high", she said in a baby tone. I couldn't but burst into laughter as I figured out her height and obviously her flour-coated face. I tried to control my laughter but I couldn't. She gazed at me angrily.

   "Why are you laughing like an idiot?", she shrugged, dusting off the flour from her hairs. I finally stopped laughing when I realised that one container of flour was wasted by her. I was a guy who used to spend money after a lot of calculations. And this was gonna ruin my budget.

   "Who told you to come to my kitchen?", I said in a blank tone as I knelt to clean it. 

   "You were not waking up and I was hungry", she shrugged.

   "Do you think I would cook for you?", I raised my eyebrows.

   "Of course. Why can't you?", she uttered. I was done with her attitude. Why would I cook for her? She decided to come here. Why would I take her responsibility?

   "Do it on your own. I'm not gonna serve you every time. And you had told me to pretend to be your husband in front of everyone. There was no commitment like I'll cook for you or something else", I shrugged as I cleaned the floor and started cleaning the kitchen counter.

   "But I don't know how to cook", she pouted as I looked at her. I found the Zoya into her whom I met on the street. Why was she so complicated? Sometimes she was so innocent to handle herself and sometimes she was too bold to control any guy.

   "Then order from somewhere. You can afford it. No?", I said.

   "Not so much. I'm still not the owner of 'Ali Builders' Till then I need to survive with what I have", she said. I knew that this jobless Zoya had more money in her accounts than this employed me. But obviously, she can't spend all in her food. 

   "Please do that for me. I'll pay for the ingredients", she added. If she hadn't forced me for the shit of a fake marriage, I would've denied taking that. But she didn't deserve to have the courtesy.

   "Ok", I agreed. "Well what were you going to do with flour?", I asked her.

   "I wanted to make some tortillas but...", she stopped.

   "Tortilla?", I looked at the clock. "I can't make it now. It's too late. I need to go to the office", I said.

   "But I want it. I don't eat anything for breakfast except for that", she said in a blank tone.

   "Zoya, I'll be late. Try to understand"

   "I'll tell dad why you were late", she said while pouting. "But I want it"

    "You can't control my life, Zoya", I screamed at her in a rage. For a moment, she got a little nervous but only for a few seconds. It didn't take much time for her to switch to another version of hers.

    "Don't you dare to shout at me", she warned me. I admit I was scared but not from her. I was scared of losing my job. 

    "I'm sorry", I mumble. "But try to understand. It doesn't look good. I mean I don't want people to think that I'm taking advantage of being Mr Ali's son in law, the fact is I'm not", I tell her.

    "Why do you care about people so much?", she shrugged.

    "The way you care about what people will say if they get to know you're not married to me", my tongue slipped.

    "Are you attacking me with your words?"

    "Sort of", I said with a lot of courage and then get back to the stove. I brought out some bread and looked at her.

    "I think you haven't washed your face yet. Will you please?", I showed her the door of the washroom on the opposite side. She angrily stared at me and moved towards the washroom. 

I felt a slight happy as I could turn her down for the first time, not less than a victory. I washed my hands and made toasts for two people. Then I placed the vessel of tea on the stove. I walked into my room, took a shower and got ready for the office. I could barely find my clothes in this mess.

   "Abrar!", Zoya screamed from the washroom. She is still inside? What is she doing? She kept screaming my name as I rushed to the washroom.

   "Where the heck are you?", she screamed again.

   "Yes. I'm..I'm here", I came near the washroom. "What happened? Why are you screaming?"

   "Pathetic washroom!", she blurted out. "Why are so many cockroaches over here?"

I sensed fear in her voice and it gave me unexpected relief. This girl was getting on my nerves from last night. It was unexpected for me to know that she is afraid of something, at least cockroaches.

   "Oh!", I sighed.

   "What do you mean by 'oh'? Do something", she spat.

   "What can I do? You should come outside if you are afraid of them?", I rolled my eyes.

   "I've taken a shower and I didn't bring my clothes", she said in a low tone. Wow! What an amazing girl! Who forgets to bring clothes while taking a shower? She does.

   "It was your mistake. Why didn't you bring your clothes?", I shrugged.

   "Because I'm not used to. I have an attached bathroom in my room and I never needed to bring clothes inside", she muttered. "Now will you please do the favour of giving me my clothes?"

   "Gosh! You're actually assuming yourself my wife or what? How can I open your luggage?", I uttered.

   "So you want me to come in front of you in a towel?"

   "I didn't say that"

   "Bring me my clothes now"

I was getting late for my office I got late already. Still, I had to serve her like a slave, in a decent word her so-called husband. I walked inside her room; correction it was my room which she snatched from me. Her luggage was open, laying on the floor and her clothes were scattered all over the bed and floor. This girl is a messy af. I rolled my eyes on her clothes.

    "Abraaaarrrrr..", she screamed again. "These cockroaches are flying"

Her voice became heavy as if she was gonna cry in fear. I smirked and took the time to find her clothes. My eyes went on a yellow salwar suit. It would look good on her as she is brown. I picked it up and calmly walked outside. She was screaming continuously.

   "There are 5. Please, come soon na", she almost sobbed. Is she crying? I didn't like it and rushed to the door. 

   "Zoya, are you ok?", I panicked. 

She slightly opened the door and brought out her hand.

   "My clothes", she shrugged.

I gave them to her. She immediately took them and slammed the door. I still heard her screaming. Maybe those cockroaches were disturbing her by flying around and this poor girl couldn't come out as she was stuck because of her clothes. 

Meanwhile, she immediately opened the door and walked out hurriedly, unfortunately, her wet legs brushed with the floor and she slipped. I couldn't understand the situation before that she fell on the floor. 

    "Ahhh", she cried out. I got shocked and immediately knelt on the floor. She had grabbed her waist in pain. 

    "You…", I was about to touch her but couldn't manage to have the courage. "Are you ok? Did it hurt?"

    "No, I'm pretty much fine. That's why I'm screaming", she yelled at me in sarcasm and again cried out. "Aaahh! My back"

I was not sure what I should do. Do I hold her? Lift her? Or leave her like that?

    "Now what are you waiting for? Help me to get up?", she continued yelling at me. My head got numb with her non-stop screaming. I instantly clasped her arm and made her get up. She could hardly stand. I took her to the room while holding her both arms then made her sit on the bed.

    "God! It's terrible. I can't move", she cried. I went to my closet and bring out a hot water bag.

    "Wait! I'll bring hot water for you. You'll get some relief", I told her. She gazed at me with her anger-filled eyes as I walked out. 

It took me 5 minutes to warm the water on the stove. I could hear her groans from the kitchen. She must be badly hurt. Though I was happy when she was annoyed, I didn't want her to injure herself like this. I entered the room with the hot water bag and gave it to her.

   "Place it under your back", I told her.

   "Thanks. But no thanks", she threw me a blank look. "That's all because of you. Ahhh!", she hissed again while placing the bag under her back.

   "What did I do?", I exclaimed. "You should be careful while stepping out"

   "I got panicked and I wanted to come out as soon as possible because your washroom has some stupid cockroaches inside it", she shrugged. "Why did you say you live alone when you have a bunch of stupid cockroaches as your housemates?", she said, being annoyed.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing on her statement. Sometimes, she is too funny when she is angry, at the same time she looks cute, I must admit. 

   "Why are you laughing? Am I cracking a joke?", she shrugged.

   "Nothing. Anyway, do you need a doctor?"

   "I guess no. The pain is decreasing", she said in a blank tone.

   "Still, take this pain killer after breakfast", I leaned next to her and opened the drawer to take the pain killer. I gave it to her and she took it. "I'll bring your breakfast here"

   "No, I don't take my breakfast on the bed"

   "Then?"

   "I'll come to the table"

   "Can you manage to walk?", I rolled my eyes.

   "I should try it. If I don't try, how will I spend the whole day laying on this bed? You won't be here, no?", she murdered. Finally, she was uttering some sensible stuff. I shook my head. She tried to move steadily and managed to get up while shrieking. 

I watched her carefully so that I could hold her if she fell again. We walked out of the room. She sat on a chair and I put the plate of toast and a cup of hot tea before her. She made a dirty face.

    "I'll make tortillas for dinner", I told her. "But please, manage with this now"

She said nothing and took a bite from the toast when the doorbell rang. 

    "Who's this at this hour?", I exclaimed and walked towards the door. 

I discovered my landlord Mr Sharma and the chairman of the society with my neighbours as I opened the door.

   "What happened Sharma Ji?", I asked in confusion.

   "It should be our question Abrar Sahab. What's happening here?", one of my neighbours asked. I wasn't getting anything, what they were talking about. 

   "Sorry, I don't get it", I muttered.

   "Where's the girl you were trying to molest?", the chairman angrily asked. I looked at him in disbelief. Molest? I?

   "What? What are you talking about?", I raised my voice.

   "We heard a girl screaming inside your apartment. You live alone. Then what was the noise about?"