My Knight In Shining Kaftan (COMPLETE)

Chapter One

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
In the name of Allah The Beneficent, The Most Merciful

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Staring at the huge logo at the top of her mother's local restaurant, Salma sighed and made her way into the building. There were quite a few number of customers, some were served while some were waiting to be served. The first person she locked eyes with was Sadiq -a friend she grew up with in the same neighborhood and had started working at their restaurant when they both were rejected by all the universities they applied to.

He smiled and raised his hand to acknowledge her presence before proceeding to hand a customer their receipt. She headed straight to a door that had a sign that said -employees only- without getting anything close to attention, aside from the little exchange between her and Sadiq.

The kitchen smelled like fish, that was what it always smelled like but she never got used to it. Her eyes rove around the countertops and the faces of the chefs her mother hired after her success in selling one thousand plates of food at the Governor's daughter's wedding.

Seeing what her mother had achieved over the past few years since she started catering, Salma was determined to follow on her footsteps and also because her dream of becoming a Doctor were shattered when she had wasn't admitted into any uni, maybe that wasn't the path she was made to take in life.

Her eyes settled on her mother who was scrutinizing the newly hired chef that started a week ago. She sighed, relating to how the young man was feeling. Her mother actually forced her to learn how to cook, her cooking lessons started with tears and ended with a smile in satisfaction. Her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket, she was silently hoping that the person calling isn't a customer.

She had always wondered why her mother added her phone number on the flyers, cards and even the banner outside the restaurant. She came to realize that her mother wanted to pull her out of her shell and help her get over her social anxiety.

It was an unknown number, a silent groan escaped from her as she hesitated to swipe the reject icon. -something good may come with that one phone call- she thought and answered the phone. A male voice came from the other side of the phone, she replied quickly while rushing to her mother's office and searched for a jotter and pen.

'Hello, this is Pounded Yam and co.'

There was a moment of silence before the person began speaking, but due to lack of service from his end, she barely heard a word from him. It sounded like when aliens tried to connect with humans in American movies.

'Im sorry but I can't hear you'

'I...fo...te....shuuu....crap!'

The person hang up making her to let out a sigh. She dropped her self on the leather couch and inhaled deeply when her mother entered the office. She glanced at her daughter that was sprawled on the couch, she shook her head and went behind her table.

'Mummy, i think a customer called but I couldn't hear them properly so they hang up..' Salma paused and studied her mother's expression before ceasing the opportunity to press her demand for a new phone. '..I think the problem is with the phone' she bit her lower lip, silently praying she wouldn't see past the lie.