The Wedding Tonight

Chapter 15: The Coffee ☕

Sohail was home today, he had taken the day off and that meant a whole day with him. I didn't feel comfortable going to work when he was home but I went anyways.

"Asalamualaikum." I turned around to the familiar voice and smiled as my eyes landed on Adam, the shock immediately disappeared from my face.

"WalaikumaSalam Adam, what brings you here today?" I asked.

"Oh I just wanted Amna to see this place for once. I have not told her yet that this would be the venue." He added.

"So what did she say?" I insisted on asking.

"She liked it. I'm glad she did, I was worried she wouldn't." Adam said.

"Oh, that's great.

"How is your husband doing?" He asked.

"Sshh.. no one knows here.."

"Let's go on a double date when I'm married." He suggested. That was the worst suggestion ever, but I didn't say so. I just forced a smile and we both walked into my little office. I sat on my chair, he sat on the visitor's chair as we discussed the kinds of themes and decorations.

After an hour or so he stood up. "I'll make sure you're satisfied with us." I said a bit formally as a manager of this restaurant. He gave a brief nod and smiled.

"I trust you. Allah Hafiz." Were his last kind words before he walked out of the room, clicking the door shut behind. I sat back on my chair for a while and then went on round, asking in case some costumer had a complain or better advice for us to bring improvement.

Sohail: Should I come and pick you?
Me: You're home. You dont need to come all the way here to pick me.
Sohail: Told you not to bother.
Me: Okay, I'm free then.

It was almost 3 in the afternoon usually I stayed until 4 or 5 but I wanted to go home early since Sohail was home. Within twenty minutes Sohail arrived. I grabbed my brown bag and tightened the strap of my brown heels and walked out, gracefully.

I opened the door to Sohail's car and got inside. "Asalamualaikum." I said just as I placed my butt on the passenger seat. He turned to face me and smiled a little.

"WalaikumaSalam." I heard him answer. I closed the door before he accelerated the car and drove us home. My eyes shifted to his hand on staring wheel, and then to his rolled sleeves, he was wearing a plain white shirt just like the one he would wear to work. "So, how was your day at work?" He asked.

"Nothing different." I said, he nodded. My eyes went on his clean shaved, sharply edged jaw. It was all gone, the only thing that I liked about him was gone too. "You shaved?" I asked, though I realised I sounded like he had done something disgusting.

He was surprised. Like he thought I wouldn't notice him. Off course I would notice it, he looked awful. "Why? Does it look bad?" He asked, checking himself in the rare mirror, he lifted his chin up and checked himself. Like one of his eye was on the road, the other on the his chin.

"No it's fine." I dryly added but I knew he knew that I didn't like it. I didn't sound too convincing.

"It will grow back in few weeks." He said with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Weeks?" I was shocked.

"Now don't start scaring me. I don't look that bad. Mom also liked the new change." He added.

"A mother always likes her son even when he hasn't changed from past few days." I reasoned. But when I came to think of it the reasoning was a but harsh.

I rolled my eyes and shut them close, I knew his eyes were on me beside the fact that he was driving. None of us uttered a word, until he stopped at home. I walked out of the car and went inside as the guard welcomed me inn. Sohail handed his keys to the driver so he didnt have to park. We both walked in together. The maid smiled at us so I forced a smile back.

"Sir you asked me for coffee but you left. Should I make one for you now?" The maid hesitantly asked. Sohail's eyes landed on me.

"Only if the madam drinks too." That was all he said before walking upstairs skipping one step in between. The maid's eyes landed on me as she started blushing. Ugh!

I wasn't hungry a cup of coffee would be just fine. "Okay then." I nodded at her before she hurried back into the kitchen, I walked upstairs, right towards our room. Sohail was no where to be seen so I just dropped my bag on the bed and crash landed on the bed as I stretched my back.

In about ten minutes our bedroom door was knocked. Urgh! I wish Mahreen was here. I would've asked her to see the door. Sighing in disappointed I got of the bed, my eyes drew to Sohail who walked out of the balcony and recieved the Coffee, I was still gaping at the balcony door. I didn't know we had a balcony.

It was beautiful with two picnic chairs and a small round table in between, the grill was nice and gave the neighbour's garden view.

The seat on the right was clean but the one in the left wasn't, perhaps no one sat on it. Sohail walked after me with the tray of coffee in his hands and placed it on the round table. "I spend my evenings here. It's so peaceful." He said. I was still gapping at this beautiful new place I just found.

"I have been here for almost a week now. Why didn't I see it?" I asked myself.

"Perhaps you were too disappointed to be sharing this room with me so you didn't want to explore it." Sohail chuckled. It was partly true but now that he had mentioned it, I felt uneasy. "Wait, let me clean this up for you." Sohail bent down and pulled out some box with a napkin inside it. He dusted of the chair for me whereas I was mannerless enough to tell him that I'll do it on my own. "Come sit. Its all clean now." He said and tapped the chair. I stepped forward and sat down.

"Thank you" I muttered.

I tried to lay down on it but it felt uncomfortable. Perhaps it will take some time, I straightened grabbed my cup of coffee and sipped from it. "So what is it that you hate about me except the shaved beard?" Sohail asked, I sipped from my coffee.

"I never said I hated you." I chuckled. Sohail sipped from his coffee.

"They don't get along well either." Sohail's eyes landed on the neighbouring couple who just came for a walk in their beautiful garden. "But you know what I like about them?" He asked, his eyes turning back to me as he held them.

"What?" I asked.

"They know each other, other's strength and weaknesses. They might argue all the time but they are always there for each other just like siblings. The connection is deep and it can only been seen when you dive in deep and explore." His eyes bore into mine and mine into his, suddenly out of blue his phone started ringing. He walked inside the room to answer and I gasped, I couldn't help but wonder what he meant by every word he said.