Twisting Roses

34: The Changing Winds

-What if he stares...her gaze, her everything is his breather-

Realities, emotions and feelings can be so distracting and overwhelming. I felt consumed by all that was happening around me, so badly embraced by the grip of tangling sensations. Zaheer had liked me for a long time, but his feelings had to do something with me being from the city. My husband...his actions seemed so confusing now. It was the heart he was playing with...the heart he was consuming. The mind had learned the lesson of not holding on to his warmth. 

Trying to distract myself, I had decided to stay occupied in the hotel's restaurant. After Demir's promise, I just didn't have the heart to return back to my suite. It was early morning, so I knew Asmara would have gone back to sleep. 

I needed to work in order to calm my nerves. 

Setting the buffet table with folded napkins, I winced as I saw the serving boy and girl now entering the restaurant floor. 

"They come this early for work?" I frowned, horrified. 

"No, Ma'am. Their mother actually lives in one of the staff quarters here, so whenever these children feel like, they come for work." Amara spoke from beside me, setting some roses and listing down the instructions I was giving her. She seemed comfortable in my presence now, a little grateful for all that I had done.

"Their mother lives here?" 

It was news. 

I didn't know Demir provided his work staff with shelter. He never really bothered with people beneath his class. 

"She used to be one of our cleaning ladies. Her husband died in a road accident. She, too, lost two limbs. Sir Demir decided to support her by giving her a place to live in, food and making sure that her children were sent to schools. Sana didn't like this dependency, so she pled for our boss to give her some sort of job. Sir Demir decided to ease her worries by allowing her children to work in the restaurant, yet her kids don't really work here. We just hand them voice-controlled tablets for taking orders." 

"Oh," I spoke lamely. 

This was news.

This warm gesture further tangled me. 

I had misjudged Demir's intentions. 

He hadn't really been mistreated by these twins or been cruel to his helping staff, but that is just how I had always remembered him to be. He never used to bother with his house staff, was arrogant and considered himself superior.

"Amara, can I ask you something?" I asked after a minute of pause, stepping away from the table while biting on my thumbnail in deep thought. 

"Course." She moved the glass cups to the centre of the room. 

"Is Demir a nice boss?"

She halted. 

She stepped away from the table and looked a bit hesitant. After all, I was talking about her boss. This could get her in trouble. 

"Umm...he is a good man." She fidgeted. 

Her words seemed like a lie. 

Though, disappointed, I was glad her truth strengthened my stand against Demir and slightly untangled my nerves into believing I was right in moving on from my husband.

"That's nice." I smiled, turning back towards the table again. 

"Actually, Ma'am, he once used to be really strict with the staff." She caught my attention again. "He used to give impossible orders and fire workers for no apparent reasons. Our whole hotel would fear the days he could come for visits," she confessed, seeming a bit reluctant. I knew she didn't want to lie to me but also didn't want to offend her boss's wife.