𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Chapter 5

Zehra's POV

I woke up and blinked, finding myself face-to-face with the lamp on the nightstand.

Getting out of bed, I headed towards my suitcase to select a dress and grab my toothbrush. Then, I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up. Changing out of my pajamas, I slipped into a lovely light pink dress and adorned a matching hijab. Although I felt uneasy about Zaidan seeing my hair, I secretly hoped he would say something to put me at ease, assuring me that it's okay not to wear the hijab. However, that cold-hearted person didn't even stay in the same room as me for five minutes.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I switched on the room light and noticed that it was already half past eight in the morning. Seeing the time, a wave of disappointment washed over me for missing my morning prayer.

And if I don't drink water now. . . Oh, I don't even want to think about it. I simply need water. My thirst is unbearable, and I have no idea where the kitchen is. His legs wouldn't ache if he had just given me a tour of the house, but this stoic-faced man didn't even offer to help me with my heavy dress. So why should I expect him to show me around?

As I descended the stairs, a shadow to my left caught my attention, causing me to halt abruptly. What could it be? A jinn? Oh, Allah, please help me. I know I shouldn't fear jinns, but I can't help but be scared. Should I retreat to my room or should I gather the courage to investigate? I glanced at the ceiling, offering a prayer to Allah, hoping it wasn't a jinn, and then took a deep breath before cautiously proceeding towards what might be the kitchen. [Real creatures that exist in a world separate from ours, capable of causing harm, both physical and mental, to human beings.]

As I approached the dimly lit room, the light flickered on, causing me to instinctively shut my eyes and let out a scream.

"For God's sake, stop! Stop screaming, girl. My ears!" Zaidan's aunt's voice interrupted my scream, making me immediately cease and open my eyes.

"Uh-huh, As-salamu alaykum," I greeted, feeling a tinge of guilt for startling her with my scream, but I managed to hold back another scream upon seeing her dark, smoky eye makeup. It looked. . . somewhat eerie.

She shook her head at me before entering the kitchen.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, pouring herself a glass of water.

No I didn't, because apparently I was crying all night.

"Yes, I did. I just needed some water." I replied, feeling a bit foolish for stating the obvious. Who says, 'I just wanted water' instead of fetching it themselves?

"You can have some water and then get ready because you'll be making breakfast for all of us and helping with other household chores," she instructed, mentioning the dreaded housework.

"Okay, uhm–"

"You can call me Aunt."

"Okay," I replied, my voice suddenly lowering in volume as I approached her. She drank her water and then poured some for me in a separate glass. I sat on a stool and downed the water in three gulps, glancing at her as she perched on the countertop.

"I'm not sure what you'd like for breakfast, and I don't know where the ingredients are–"

"You can make omelettes for Zaidan's Uncle and some pancakes for me and Zaidan. For yourself I don't know. The eggs and all the ingredients are on the first cabinet." Where is my brother? Ugh, I dislike cooking.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. You won't be eating with us. You'll be making your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you'll have to eat either in the bedroom or here in the kitchen while we dine at the table," she informed me bluntly. Unsure of what to say, I turned my attention to preparing breakfast.