Chapter 46

• That afternoon, Dashtan arrived home after returning from the office; as he took off his tie and looked at his watch, he remembered Rakia. He clucked and ruffled his feathers in annoyance at himself for forgetting to pick her up. He took off his tie entirely and threw it on the sofa in the living room, after which he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, unbuttoned his wrists, and rolled up his sleeves to the elbows. When he turned around to go back outside, he found Rakia had just entered and came over.
• “Sorry for forgetting to pick up....” Dashtan stared at Rakia, who just passed him without greeting him as if he was not there. Confused by the woman’s attitude, he felt that something had happened. Rakia entered her room and immediately closed the door and locked it. Dashtan kept all his curiosity about the woman’s behavior to himself as he walked to his room to change.
• Meanwhile, Rakia placed her bag on the dressing table and let out a rough sigh. She wanted to talk to Dashtan but should shower and change first. Her work and Dalilah’s problems were like burdens piling up in her mind. She took a shower, dressed, and left the room for the kitchen to make tea. While in the kitchen, she found Dashtan making coffee. The man smelled of refreshing bath soap; Rakia was affected by the scent. She looked down and walked over to Dashtan to get a cup from the top of her cabinet.