FOREVER WITH YOU

Chapter 34: Her Heart Skipped A Beat

Tasleem cursed Rayyan in her heart and walked away.

***

The clock struck half past 2 in the afternoon, and Rayyan's friends, Habib, Hamid, Khalid, and Yasim, arrived, filling the room with the sound of laughter and chatter. The aroma of Tasleem's cooking wafted through the air, enticing everyone's senses. Hamid rushed forward from the door, his eyes scanning the room, and he took a long sniff, his face lighting up with excitement.

His stomach growled from the scent "Something smells amazing!" he exclaimed.

After he spoke, Khalid sniffed the air too, his nose twitching as he tried to identify the scent. He turned to Tasleem, who stood by the kitchen door, and asked, "Are you cooking?"

Tasleem nodded slightly, a hint of a smile on her face, and pointed to the kitchen. "I've got to check the stove." She walked to the kitchen, the sound of sizzling meat and simmering spices accompanying her.

Khalid didn't even waste his energy on showing any courtesy. He called out behind Tasleem, "It's about the right time for lunch. Tasleem, can we please have some food?"

Tasleem's heart skipped a beat as she unconsciously checked Rayyan's expression, noticing he didn't seem angry. She said, "Sure," then walked back to the kitchen.

Tasleem had cooked a lot of food because four more men were joining them for lunch. With only the soup and one meat dish left to prepare, she walked to the living room to tell them lunch was almost ready.

*****

Rayyan sat alone on the couch, his eyes fixed on his phone. The TV was on, but the volume was barely audible. She had no idea where Khalid, Yasim, Habib, and Hamid were .

Tasleem kept her distance, speaking softly from across the room, "Lunch is ready."

Rayyan glanced at her, his expression unreadable, and turned off the TV with a flick of his wrist. He didn't look excited or give her any response. He simply put away his cell phone and stood up before walking to the game room downstairs.

He knocked on the door, yelling at them in the game room, "Come, lunch is ready."

They all walked into the dining room and took their seats at the table. They didn't wait for Rayyan before they started eating. They saw Tasleem walking out of the kitchen with a meat dish and gave her their comments on her food.

"Tasleem, you're a great cook! I didn't know you could cook," Khalid said.

"Yeah, it's really good, better than the food in a high-end restaurant," Yasim chimed in, his eyes widening with delight.

Tasleem felt a surge of happiness at their praises. She smiled warmly, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"Thank you, it's nothing special..."

Before she finished speaking, Rayyan walked into the dining room with a bottle of champagne in his hand. The smile on Tasleem's face suddenly disappeared in a conditioned reflex. She quickly put the meat dish on the table.

Without looking at Rayyan, she said in a low pitch, "I'll check on the soup."

She hastily turned around and left them to go to the kitchen.

Tasleem walked back into the kitchen, but paused in a doorway with her back to the dining room. When she was about to close the door, she heard a loud noise behind her.

Although she hadn't turned around, she knew it was the sound of Rayyan putting the champagne bottle on the table. It seemed he was in a bad mood, for he made a sharp noise deliberately when he pulled out his chair.