Chapter 6

Lizzy helped Rakia fold the clothes still on the bed and then stacked them with Rakia’s other garments in a suitcase lying open near the bed.

“You don’t want to come with me to Singapore? Just a week for vacation.” Rakia got out of bed and crouched in front of her suitcase, adjusting the location of her things that didn’t feel right.

“I’m busy this month, I have a client website that I have to finish soon. I’ll go there later when you want to get married again.”

Rakia frowned as she looked at Lizzy, sitting with her back on the bed.

“Excuse me? It’s like I was once married and then divorced,” protested Rakia. Lizzy giggled because Rakia captured her joke.

“Are you thinking Is it easy to get married? Look at me, i haved relationship for while and then...just what? Nonsense.” Those were some of the thoughts that Rakia wanted to throw up. Lizzy changed her sitting position, turning her body to face Rakia with her legs dangling over the side of the bed. Her hands rested on the edge of the spring.

“But if you meet Ben again, what are you going to tell him?” Lizzy asked, looking at Rakia, who was busy fixing the contents of her suitcase. The questioner just shrugged her shoulders for a moment.

“I hope I’ll never meet him again,” Rakia replied coldly. Lizzy caught her friend’s change in mood and decided not to ask any further questions and changed the subject.

“But if you meet again with a guy at the monas?” Lizzy asked, glancing at Rakia with a crooked smile—the one who rolls the eyes.

“No. He seems to be the same as Ben, a troublemaker.” Rakia folded the last of her clothes and piled them on top of her other clothes in the suitcase.

“It’s done,” she said with a happy smile.

“I really want to go with you to Singapore, but I have a lot of work, I’ll catch up later, I pray that you will quickly get a job and find a mate.”

Rakia uttered the word Aamiin loudly while raising her hands in front of her chest with her palms facing upward as if people were praying. Lizzy’s cell phone rings to distract them.

“From Han,” Lizzy said before answering the call. Rakia also chose to dwell on the items she would bring. She had overheard a bit of Lizzy’s conversation with her boyfriend. And it reminded her of Ben and the betrayal again. She stared blankly at the surface of the suitcase she had closed and daydreamed. Ben broke her heart.

“I think I have to leave you first, Kia, Han invited me to eat.” Lizzy looked at Rakia, who was daydreaming at that time. Rakia quickly snapped out of her daydream.

“OK, no problem, I also want to go out and find an eye patch to sleep on the plane later.”

“Do you want to go together or not? Han wants to pick me up,” Lizzy offered. Rakia stood up and then turned her body towards Lizzy, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“OK.”

**

Throughout the trip, Rakia was just a mosquito repellent for two people chatting in the front seat. Lizzy and her boyfriend Han discussed random things, while Rakia could only stay silent and didn’t make a sound. After all, he was also busy with his thoughts.

“Last Sunday, I accompanied my cousin to Monas to go to the gym, and he met a girl he said interested him. I don’t know why he was attracted because of what; what is clear is that he said he had met him twice. The first was at her mother’s rice stall, and the second was at the monas at that time,” said Han, who immediately caught Rakia’s and Lizzy’s attention. Sitting in the front seat, Lizzy immediately turned half her body to where Rakia was sitting. They stared at each other momentarily, sending telepathic messages that only they could understand.

“Oh yes? At least your cousin is too exaggerated, isn’t he single?” asked Lizzy, trying to get information.

“Yup, one of the most wanted bachelors from Dubai; you know what my family is like. Ash is predicted to inherit the position of his father, who is currently serving as a member of the Dubai Parliament.”

Lizzy nodded in understanding.

“Handsome or not?” asked Lizzy, who was immediately rewarded with a lazy chuckle by Han. Lizzy chuckled.

“Just kidding. Yes, I just know.” Lizzy had a good feeling about this.

“Just search the internet, Dashtan Al Ghani.” Han said a name, and for some reason, Rakia was familiar with that name. However, she was not in the mood to think too hard. Lizzy deftly opened her cell phone and searched the internet.

“I just get off at the bus stop, the mall is not far from here,” said Rakia.

“Come on, Kia it’s OK we take it to the destination.” Lizzy protested.

“No need, you have to date, it’s already close anyway, Han just get off at the bus stop, OK?!” Han complied with Rakia’s wish.

“Be careful; someone else will kidnap you,” Lizzy ordered before Rakia exited the car.

“Hopefully, the kidnapper is from the royal family,” Rakia said as she exited the car. Hanan chuckled at Rakia’s answer. She waved at Lizzy just before Hanan’s car moved forward, leaving her. She turned towards the bus stop seat and sat there. Three people were waiting for the bus like her. A man wears a white, short-sleeved shirt with a rectangular sling bag and black pants made of fine cloth. Rakia guessed that the man might be attending a job interview somewhere. At the same time, the other one was a young girl wearing a private school uniform in this city.

The bus they were waiting for came and stopped right in front of the bus stop; Rakia got on the last. Before she could find a seat, the bus was already running, and she staggered a little backward due to the speed of the bus. She would have almost been knocked back if it weren’t for someone grabbing one of her wrists. Rakia glanced at her wrist, which someone gripped—a man wearing stylish glasses. The man turned to her and smiled.

“Hey, we’ll meet again,” he said, instantly making Rakia’s eyeballs want to leave their places.

“Come here, just sit beside me,” Dashtan said, pulling Rakia slowly towards her seat. It happened that the chair next to him was empty. Rakia wordlessly followed the man’s suggestion.

“Why take the bus?” asked Rakia curiously. It would be strange if someone she previously knew had a private vehicle taking public transportation.

“Isn’t that right? I’m also a resident here, so I have the right to use this city’s facilities.” Dashtan spoke without looking at Rakia. Beside him, Rakia rolled her eyes.

“I mean, you have a car why don’t you take a private car?”

“I don’t know; I have a feeling I’ll see you again.” Dashtan’s words made Rakia blush, but she quickly suppressed her feelings so the stranger’s gossip wouldn’t consume her.

“You stalked me huh?” asked Rakia with her squinted and sharp gaze at Dashtan.

“What for? I don’t know your name.” Dashtan turned to Rakia and took off his glasses. Rakia held her breath for a moment because of the handsomeness of the man who amazed her.

“My Name it’s doesn’t matter. Where are you going?” Rakia blinked a few times while looking away.

“Mall,” answered Rakia, short and stingy. Then she suddenly realized something and dared to turn towards Dashtan.

“You are Dashtan Al Ghani, right?” she asked with a face asking for confidence. Dashtan smiled.

“Yes, that’s my name, I like to hear you say my name, instead I want to know your name.”

“Rakia,” Rakia answered shortly and again, stingy. She also turned her face again from Dashtan. The man’s charm was too great to contain, so she became nervous and awkward.

“Incidentally our goals are the same, want to go out with me?”

For some reason, Rakia feels that her life in the future will be related to this person. She took a deep breath and nodded in approval. Dashtan smiled contentedly and felt that from now on, he would keep Rakia in contact with him without the girls noticing.