CHAPTER 6

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*Didi - sister
*Di- short for sister
*Pawz- a pet clinic and adoption shelter

“I’m not against marriage,” he said, the metallic ring of the knife resuming its relentless rhythm on the cutting board. “I’m just against marrying someone like you--- A teacher who kisses her students shamelessly in the living room of her house,” he added, each word more biting than the last, “with her parents and guests present.”

The shock of his words hit me like a physical blow. My hand slipped as I tried to set the pot down, and before I could react, it tilted. In an instant, the scalding rice water and grains poured out, splashing onto my left wrist. A searing pain shot through me, and I screamed.

Adil rushed toward me, grabbing the pot and steadying it from behind. “Sumaiya!” he shouted, his voice sharp as he inspected my hands. “How could you be this clumsy?”

It was the first time he said my name, but the burning pain in my wrist drowned out everything else. Adil turned on the tap and pushed my hands under the cool, running water. “Please focus, will you?” he muttered, frustration lacing his voice.

“It’s just my left wrist,” I managed, freeing my right hand from his firm grip. As the pain began to subside, I became aware of how close he was, his arms around me in an inadvertent backhug.

“I’m fine now. I can take it from here,” I said, pushing him back with my elbow.

“I’ll prepare an ice bag,” he said, stepping away.

“Wait,” I called, needing to know what he meant earlier. “What did you mean by what you said?”

“Now’s not the time, Sumaiya,” he sighed. “You need immediate treatment,” he added, turning to leave.

"No", I insisted, and he stopped. “Tell me, Adil, why did you accuse me of doing something so lowly?” I could already feel the anger bubbling inside me like lava bubbling inside of a volcano,ready to burst out at any given moment. “I kissed my student? What kind of nonsense is that?!”

“Don’t pretend to be innocent, Sumaiya,” Adil said, taking a few steps toward me, his voice cruel and menacing. “On the day of the funeral, Charun was about to kiss you, and you were moving your face closer to his lips. Fine, you didn’t actually do anything that day since I intervened, but you’d probably do many other things alone with him if you had the guts to do that in the living room with all of us present.”

I was dumbfounded. I knew Charun had a crush on me, but did he really try to kiss me? Or was Adil lying to accuse me? I spoke up, confusion filled in my voice. “Charun wanted to tell me something important and asked me to come closer so he could whisper it into my ear. I felt uncomfortable getting too close, so I only leaned in with my ear, keeping our bodies as far apart as possible. Are you saying he was trying to kiss me?”

Adil hesitated, confusion crossing his face. “Yes, that’s what I saw.”

I fixed him with a serious look, still angry at being accused. “You’d better not be lying right now, Adil.”

“I don’t lie. I’m a pious person, and I never lie,” he said firmly. “I’ll be right back.” He quickly prepared an ice bag, turned off the stove, and started to gently press the cold pack onto my left wrist. His hands, cradling mine, helped to calm my anger but not my racing thoughts.

“Are you sure he was trying to kiss me?” I asked again.

“Yes, I’m 100% sure of it. Why else would I shove my face between the two of you so abruptly?” he answered.

I thought over his words and told him how I had believed Charun was going to confess something important that night. The conversation deepened as Adil asked more questions, and I ended up telling him almost everything that had transpired between Charun and me, though I included some of Charun’s successes as my student. I had always been proud of him as a teacher, after all.

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