Chapter 22: "He's Done"

If y'all aren't busy, where've you been? 👀

See this lil bee 🐝? It's asking you to comment your reactions, Losties! 😅 February 26, 2021

Salma tried to focus on her breakfast. It had been a week since the wild chase across the town and Salma and Zayn were forced to stay low at the GCA local headquarters. Partly, to allow Zayn to recover and heal properly and partly to make sure Toryal and his cronies hadn't hatched more traps for them out there. Uncle Dawood had taken the rest of the family to an undisclosed location till the cleanup operation was completed.

Just a while ago, Salma had received the news that she could come out of hiding. It was decided that both her and Zayn would be escorted directly to the campus instead of their homes as an added measure to make Zayn less traceable. Salma was elated by the news. With Burak Kaka and Spogmae barely around anymore, her stay at the headquarters had stretched into endless hours of being alone - her constant companion being the dread of meeting Zayn. Salma had been dodging the eminent visit away, getting cold feet every time the opportunity presented itself.

As of now, she was still acting upon the same cowardly practice; trying her best to not take note of the dark haired man sitting a few tables away. She knew she should summon the courage to just go to him, say thanks and get over with it, but her stomach kept twisting into such a painful knot at the mere thought that she could not bring herself to do it. She had not yet seen him after he got shot and the more she delayed, the harder it was getting.

"Pundookey bachey!"

Ya Allah--

Jumping into action, Salma quickly slapped her veil on her face. She got a glimpse of Burak Kaka heading towards her, closely followed by Spogame before Burak swerved around, giving her his back.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted. "I wasn't looking. I saw nothing! Sorry."

"It's alright," Salma said, taking in a deep breath. "I'm decent now."

He turned back around, looking embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I'll find myself a . . ." He looked around at the dozen empty spaces.

"No, it's fine," Salma reassured. "I'm done so you can sit down."

Burak Kaka grinned and started walking towards her table before he saw the sandwich she had yet to eat.

"This I can manage without ruining my scarf." Salma picked up the sandwich and slipped it under her veil to take a bite. She was strangely aware of Zayn watching everything from across the room.

"Neat!" Burak Kaka smiled. He placed his food on the table and stepped over the chair to sit across Salma.

Spogmae took a seat to her left. Salma felt a bit overwhelmed by the Lady Green Coat sitting next to her. She was so awesome.

"Is my adorable pundookey leaving us today?" Burak Kaka asked.

"Don't call me that!" Salma warned.

"What did he call you?" Spogmae asked.

"Oh, um. Nothing --"

"Pundookey!" Burak Kaka said, playfully wrinkling his nose at her again.

Salma threatened to stab him with her plastic fork. Spogmae chuckled.

"That's actually cute!"

"It's not!" Salma shouted, then as if realizing who she'd been raising her voice with, she quickly looked away and said a lot softly. "It's not . . ."

"Aww, does the baddie Green Coat Lady has you scared and intimidated?" Burak mocked.

"No." Salma denied promptly. However, her straying glance towards Spogmae betrayed her actual feelings.

"I totally believe that!" Burak Kaka chuckled.

"I just respect her a lot," Salma defended herself, firmly avoiding eye contact with Spogmae so she would not suddenly lose her tongue again. Yet, she still ended up whispering. "She's awesome!"

"You're adorable!" Spogmae smiled.

Salma felt her face getting warm.

"How could you do that to me?!" Burak Kaka said dramatically. "We're a team!"

Salma felt a pair of gold-brown eyes snap towards her. Zayn turned back to his food when he caught her looking. Still whining about her picking Spogmae, Burak Kaka sat back in his chair and hid Zayn from her line of vision.

"I think you just blocked her view," Spogmae told him with a knowing smile.

"Huh?" Salma snapped back to reality.

Burak Kaka looked over his shoulder to see what she meant. Salma's stomach sank.

"Oh no, I wasn't really --"

"Princess doesn't bother with that injured moron --"

"I told you not to call him that!" Salma cried, the offense very clear in her tone this time.

Burak Kaka turned to her, looking very serious.

"You can't just keep insulting him like that!" Salma continued.

Burak Kaka raised a brow.

"Why?"

Salma looked at him incredulously. She was shocked to realize he was serious.

"What do you mean why? He's like any of us now," Salma said earnestly. "He and I have a nikkah done between us, Kaka. You --"

"That's why I can't respect him," Burak replied with a shrug.

"What?" Salma eyed him with confusion.

"Because you don't," he finished.

"Pardon me?" Salma scoffed.

"See, you said you and him have a nikkah done," Burak Kaka said. "You didn't say 'because that's my husband'. You don't accept him in that role. It's like you respect the process or the ritual that happened between the two of you, but not the person you did it with. You don't accept the position the nikkah bestowed upon him."

Salma recoiled at the brutal truth of his words.

"That's not true," she said quietly, but who was she kidding?

"It is so." Burak Kaka picked up his fork. "You don't really respect him. I don't blame you though. He wasn't exactly a nice person anyway, but practice what you preach, yeah?"

Salma said nothing. She took a small bite of her sandwich, chewing on it slowly as she processed the reality-check he had so kindly given her.

"Yeah. . ." Salma muttered after a while.

"Hmm?" Burak Kaka asked, busy eating.

"I should practice what I preach." Collecting her tray, Salma got up. "Dera dera manana, Kaka!"

"Wavd Vour?" he asked with a full mouth, confused.

Salma didn't reply as she reached Zayn's table. He eyed her questioningly, evidently surprised and unsure of her approaching him.

"May I?" Salma asked.

Not waiting for his reply, she pulled the chair and quickly sat down before her anxiety could catch up with her actions.

"Sure. . ." Zayn blinked, staring at her stiff form sitting across from him.

Salma stared at her half eaten sandwich as the cold anxious feeling returned, snaking around her gut, making her nauseous.

Okay . . . What now?

Salma looked up, and upon meeting his gaze, froze. Her mouth dried up and skin crawled.

"Charta xey?" Burak Kaka's voice made the both of them attentive to the Green Coat.

"She's not comfortable being alone him!" Spogmae's angry whisper carried over.

Having heard her reply, Salma and Zayn exchanged a look, and then quickly averted their gazes. Salma closed her eyes.

This is painfully embarrassing!

"Do you guys mind me being the third wheel?"

"No, not at all," Zayn replied, and Salma shook her head, a bit too eagerly.

Spogmae sat down. Salma met Zayn's gaze again in the passing. This time, she tried to hold on to her wits.

"I just . . ." she mumbled. "I didn't want you to feel left out."

Zayn's lips parted, but then hesitated to reply. Salma facepalmed mentally.

Please go with it. Just go with it. Just --

"Thank you," he muttered.

Salma breathed out a sigh of relief. She was giving herself a pep-talk to thank him and ask about his health when a loud scrapping of a chair against the floor jolted her.

"And ya'll think it is okay to let me feel lonely?" Burak Kaka sank heavily into the chair. "You woman are made of only one ingredient. Hypocrisy."

"Ma jarha." Spogmae rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't cry," Salma translated on impulse.

She stilled as three pairs of eyes snapped in her direction. Burak, Spogmae and Zayn were all looking at her questioningly.

"He. . ." Salma swallowed uncomfortably. "He doesn't understand Pukhto," she ended up mumbling.

Her sandwich was suddenly looking very interesting. She started researching its ingredients. Someone leaned closer to her.

"Tell me," Burak Kaka whispered secretively. "Did you work as Google translate before Google translate became a thing?"

Salma glared at him, forcing him to pull back and raise his hands in defense.

"You -"

Salma quickly bit her tongue, glancing at Spogmae. She was laughing.

Oh dear.

Even Zayn seemed to be fighting a smile.

Well . . . maybe it's not so bad.

She just glared at Burak Kaka once more before turning back to her sandwich, feeling embarrassed. An approaching staff member rescued her from further humiliation.

"Mr. Harris," he said, handing Zayn a bag. "Your things."

"Thank you," Zayn muttered.

He opened the flap to pull out a laptop and a notepad.

"So you're ready to leave then?" Spogmae asked him.

"Yeah," Zayn replied, repacking his stuff. "I called my driver to have it sent to me by whoever is at the gate asking for it."

"Good. Who's escorting you?"

"Me." Burak Kaka made a face.

"Happy driving." Salma smirked at the Green Coat.

"You came here unconscious," Burak said to Zayn. "Don't fight me when I blind-fold you out of here. We like to keep things a secret."

"He doesn't mean it," Spogmae told Zayn.

"I do."

"The blind-fold, I mean," Spogmae continued, ignoring Burak. "The van's windows are blackened. You'll be good."

"Okay." Zayn got to his feet, as if this much mad secrecy was normal in his life. "I'll get going then."

Salma felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, as he paused, his eyes trained on her.

"I'll go get the van started." Burak got to his feet too.

"Can I have a word with you?" Zayn dropped the bomb.

"With me?" Burak raised a brow.

Salma was hoping he would say yes when he crushed her hopes with just one word.

"Bee?"

Her heart sank. The two Green Coats turned to her, realizing she was the person Zayn wanted to talk to.

"Okay," Salma forced the word out.

Avoiding eye contact, Salma walked out of the dinner hall following Zayn.

"I meant just me and her," Zayn said.

Salma frowned, confused, till she followed his gaze and looked over her shoulder to find Burak casually leaning against the dinner hall's doorframe with his arms folded.

"My god," Salma muttered, embarrassed. "Move!"

She grabbed the door and started shutting it down.

"Not fair!" Burak Kaka protested. "I'm your fairy!"

"Go away!" Salma couldn't help but laugh as she shut the door on him.

She turned around, still chuckling under breath until she saw Zayn staring at her, dead serious. Salma's heart stopped. She got caught in the same net of dread and anxiety that got thrown over her every time she was around him. Swallowing her nerves, she prompted.

"You wanted to talk?"

Zayn pursed his lips, looking away.

"Yeah."

Silence. Salma felt her gut churn as he mulled over whatever it is that he wanted to say.

"I don't know when I'll get the chance again, so . . ." he began. "Look, that man is obviously family to you, and my opinion doesn't mean anything, but I wanted to do my bit anyway."

Getting the gist of what was to come, Salma nodded. She figured she might as well just hear the warning and be done with it.

"I want you to be careful," he said grimly. "Things aren't what they seem. People too. The dangers lurking around you are . . . horrifying."

He trailed off. Salma tried to tame her pounding heart. Did he come to the realization that he bit more than he could chew with the nikkah?

Zayn met her gaze.

"Just be careful."

Salma nodded. "I will."

Zayn gave her a curt nod. Salma's racing heart escalated even more as she realized now was her chance. He was about to leave. She might as well just say it --

"Zayn?" she said, making him pause. "I --"

Salma's mouth went dry when he trained his unblinking stare on her again. She swallowed and tried again.

"I just wanted to say, don't do it again," she said quickly.

He raised a brow.

"I appreciate what you did but you - I don't want you getting hurt," Salma struggled with her words, avoiding his gaze. "It's just that I --"

"Lie," he said simply.

Salma's eyes snapped to him.

"It's just that you lie?" Zayn shrugged.

What?!

Stumped, Salma's lips moved but no words came out of her mouth.

"Am I wrong? Your problem isn't me getting hurt," Zayn replied, his eyes narrowed at her. "Your problem is me helping you."

"That's not true --"

"Don't lie to me, Bee." Zayn cut in with a scoff. He kept his voice leveled but the underling rudeness didn't go amiss.

Salma opened her mouth to deny his false assumptions. She had meant what she said.

"You don't care and that's alright." Zayn shrugged. "Just don't lie to me to spare my feelings."

Salma felt her throat clog with tears without warning.

"That is not what I was --"

"I don't need that from you. Keep your pity."

What the --? When did she even --

Salma felt her heart sear. He backed off from her, then turned around and left, leaving Salma frozen in spot. Her eyes welled up. Things were not exactly cordial between them but the snub had hurt. She was trying to be nice to him, acknowledge what he'd done and ask him to not hurt himself. She was trying to be appreciative.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, Salma tried to calm down. He wasn't worth wasting tears for, she told herself.

"Pundookiya, taso -"

Salma quickly gave Burak Kaka her back, trying to blink away the tears that were slipping down her face for absolutely no reason.

"Princess?!" Burak Kaka cried, hurrying over to her. "Sally, bachey sa ushu?"

Salma tried to breathe normally. She shook her head.

"It was that Jackass, wasn't it? Da khrey sur! What did he say to you?!

"Nothing! I -- I have to go!"

Hiding her tear-streaked face, Salma slipped past a baffled Burak Kaka, only to run into Spogmae. A frown etched on her face the moment she saw her distraught appearance.

"Salma --?"

Salma made a run for the bathroom behind her. Stepping in, she locked the door and leaned against it, allowing the floodgates to open. She did not even know why she was over reacting so much. She had snubbed him quite a few times. It only made sense that he would do the same. Why was she crying over it?

He didn't need to be so cold! Salma told her subconscious as she angrily wiped her tears away. I had meant well!

Hasn't he?

Salma sniffed, pressing her palms to her eyes.

He had. Multiple times. And she just could not find it in herself to acknowledge it on time. He was probably pained. If a little bit of rudeness had her crying her eyes out, he was probably hurting a lot due to her indifference.

"What happened?" she heard Spogmae ask Burak Kaka.

"If that Khar survives me, he'll inform us!"

Salma turned towards the door in panic.

"For heaven's sake!" She hissed angrily. Scared that Burak Kaka would be punching the answer out of Zayn, she quickly splashed some water over her face and wiped it dry with her sleeve. She pulled her veil back in place and dashed out of the bathroom to placate the Green Coat. "This is between me and him!"

Author's Note:

Zayn's just had had enough. How justified is his outburst? Do you think he should have continued being patient? 🤔

Also, do you reckon Salma is too late in her attempts to appreciate the fact that he's trying? 😬

Burak would be pleased 🤣

Vote, comment and share.

Is anyone up for a round of comment goals? Asking for myself.

Patreon got updated to chapter 35. Thank you for your support 🥰

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Glossary:

Bachey: Kid, child (daughter).

"Dera dera manana, Kaka": Thank you very, very much, Uncle

"Charta xey?": Where are you going?

"Ma Jarha!": Don't cry!

"Da khrey sur": The Donkey (female)'s head.

"Khar": Donkey

"Bachey, Sa ushu?" Kid (daughter), what happened?

"taso": You (respectful, formal)

"ta: You (informal, frank)