"Thanks for inviting her for coffee," Aahil said to Fredrick, his tone held a deep respect for the old man.
"Please don't be formal. It was my pleasure that she came to my small cafeteria," Aahil handed Fredrick his coffee bills and asked, "If there isn't a lot of customer's, could Aleena sit here for a few more minutes? I have an important task and it could take a few minutes of mine."
I sat there holding my half-empty coffee mug and flicking through the magazine's when Fredrick answered my earlier question, "It's been quite a time now that Aahil started handling things over here. But I must remark that it is his self-sacrifice that draws out loyalty from his staff. He will not ask anyone to do what he would not be prepared to do himself."
"He's always kept up with the family tradition in keeping himself aware of what's going on here, big as he's become. He hasn't forgotten who have been loyal to his family," He halted to give me a small smile of appreciation, "We have never seen him sit behind closed doors and relaxing, but he tries his best to work alongside other workers, he likes to keep himself involved with any problems or difficulties the men might face down here and always pays our due justly and in good time."
It was so overwhelming to hear good things about my husband.
My husband
Our blessed Prophet was very clear on this Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.
"Well, I guess you have been working here from a long time," I smiled, warming my hands around the hot mug, watching the steam rise, warm and aromatic on the air.
"It's been thirty years precisely," Frederick's tone suggested that he was proud of his job.
"Mr.Abdullah Hussain was the best employer any man could hope to work with. With some.....,' Frederick's shoulders lifted, his mouth pulling down derogatorily into deeper lines, "Wealth goes into their heads and they don't talk to the like of us. But he wasn't like that. And we all are pleased that Mr.Aahil Hussain is carrying on in the same way. Although, he has got double the energy and authority. Of course, he is younger but he surely knows how to handle things."
I sipped the remainder of my steaming coffee, my smile ruminative as I followed Frederick's gesture towards Aahil, who was taking brisk steps towards us.
Aahil was silent, the grim set of his mouth assuring me of his dark mood as I hurried to keep up with his long strides for the short distance to the car.
As we made our way, I noticed safwan at the far end of the parking lot. He was conversing and laughing his lungs out with the girl in a red suit, whom I had seen earlier.
Could that women be the reason for Rushda's troubled life?
But now wasn't the time as any, I decided, to dwell on those problems. Maybe sometime later when Aahil would be in a really good mood, I would ask his help to gain a solution to save Rushda's almost broken marriage.
Aahil was still not communicative as he negotiated the traffic, but when we were on the interior and not so inhabited lanes, heading towards the villa. He turned towards me, "Still angry?"
His question took me by surprise. Did it look that way? Was I the one who was angry?
"You are the one who is angry," I corrected him.
He discarded his coat on the back seat and said scathingly, "Asking a lot of questions, weren't you?" Suspicion burned in his eyes as he pulled with a fair amount of aggression, the spinning wheels kicking up dust.
"Why shouldn't I ask questions about my family if I want to?" I challenged indignantly.
He cast a sidelong glance at me "Your family?" he sneered, "If you considered yourself part of my family then you wouldn't have to aim questions at my employees."
Perhaps I shouldn't have, I realized, trying to study the nails of one hand which were resting on my lap, "Well, I knew the sort of response I'd have got if I'd ask you."
"That doesn't give you any right to go fraternising with them," He delivered with smooth precision.
"So what were you doing? Looking for some dirt to dig up about the family?" he grumbled.
I uttered a nervous laugh, watching him through lowered lashes. "Why?" I murmured, my voice unintentionally sultry yet taunting, "Is there something to dig up?"
The hardening lines around his mouth warned me that I was challenging the wrong man, "I am warning you...," he rasped, "Stop playing games."
I began ignoring his presence and started observing the window-pane, as the car sped by the scenic view of the countryside.
A short, blustery burst of raindrops sent a spattering of silver across the windscreen. A light winter shower, which ended almost as soon as it had begun.
The road was hilly, dropping away steeply to verdant pasture and sea. Cows and goats roamed freely on the grass verges of the road, ignoring the vehicles that sped by, nipping delicately at the short green roots.
The sudden sighting of a huge buffalo from behind a thick bundle of hay made Aahil brake-hard which made the car jolt with sudden autocracy.
"Do you drive?" He asked casually as if he was speaking to a stranger as he took a right turn proceeding down into a deep and plunging wooden valley.
"Yes. But not like a maniac," I replied as it took an enormous effort to control my temper for his earlier exclamations.
The look he gave me was wry, amused, "You think I drive like a maniac?"
No...he drives superbly I thought but didn't say it. Silently admiring the confidence in which he had brought the huge care swiftly and safely down the steep and hilly road to the comparative peace of the countryside.
This place was breathtaking. It was filled with lush fields that rose on either side of the muddy road.
In the mountain's one could see the small lambs quivering, they looked like specks of fluffy white against the green hills.
"Oh look," The sudden sighting of a peacock brought a pleasurable exclamation from me.
There stood leucistic Indian peacock with iridescent blue and green plumage. It had opened its feathers for display.
"See there," I said excitedly pointing in its direction.
"What is so exciting about it?"
I craned my neck to get a better glimpse of the peacock from Aahil's side of the car-window, "Animals have always been fascinating to me and zoology my passion."
"You sound like a nerd," Aahil exclaimed and broke into fits of laughter.
I glared at him.
"I'm sorry," He said with a straight face and then broke into another fit of laughter.
"Aahil."
"Yes."
"Do you agree with Charles Darwin, who first theorised in On the origin of species that the peafowl's (female peacock) plumage had evolved through sexual selection."
"I believe that most of Charles Darwin's theories are done to make study and classification of animals easier and all his theories are not proved to be as established facts," Aahil replied and added, "I hadn't imagined you'd be the type of women who knew biological theories."
"Animal behaviour is one my favourite topics," I admitted a little self-consciously.
"Then we share a common interest," He commented. I could feel his eyes on me briefly but I didn't look his way, couldn't tell what was going behind his intellectual study.
His lips formed a wry half-smile as we drove down into the valley, over a small stone bridge spanning a stream.
"My father was right about his opinion of you. He told me that you had great charm, beautiful manners with fascinating conversational skills and an astonishing air of innocence too," Aahil murmured silkily.
I didn't answer, partly because I did not know what to say and partly because something in his last remark reminded me of how dangerously aware of him I was becoming.
"Look at me," Aahil invited softly, "I cannot bring myself to answer questions about our relationship. It's too early for me, as I had never considered myself as marriage material."
He leaned towards me and locked my hands with his. Our fingers twisted into each other. "But now things are different and you are mine," Accidentally meeting his intent brown eyes, I became alarmingly short of breath.
"In my life, many of them have wanted me. To be desired is scarcely a novelty, sweetheart," He held his eyes with my own.
"Then what separates me from the common herd?" I questioned.
A broad shoulder edged up in a graceful shrug, "Your beauty, your individuality and little things ..."
"Such as?" Defensively I folded my arms.
A faint smile softened the hard line of his mouth, "Every time my wealth made the deepest impression," Aahil conceded wryly, "Yet it appears to mean little to you. That is a new experience for me and most surprising response from you."
"Really?" I asked with disbelief, "Why surprising?"
"Had you been as avaricious as I believed, you would have played on the attraction between us. You would have been eager to impress me in the expectation of profiting from the intimacy.
But you deliberately argue with me to prove me wrong. And you make me curious. You're like a Chinese puzzle box. The box I intend to open and the mystery I intend to solve."
Tilting his dark head back, he studied me with brilliant eyes, waiting for me to say something.
"I'm sorry that I questioned your sincerity," I replied tight-lipped.
"But I haven't been fulfilling my part of it," Aahil cut in flatly.
"It's been an emotional time for both of us and I haven't been making it any easier for you," I muttered unhappily.
As the car came to halt outside the villa, I sprang out of the car and stalked indoors with him.
And, then he did the most surprising thing ever. Golden fire in his molten appraisal, Aahil swept me up into his arms and carried me into our room.
"I promise to be there with you in every joy and sorrow. You just need to trust me."
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