11

Day seven, Ramadan.

Zarah's p.o.v

Sincerely speaking, I can't cook any of those dishes I mentioned earlier. My mother never get the chance to teach me.

That's why I always give my daughter takeouts. 

I have been googling the recipe to stuffed camel and Kuzhi. The video I watched about; how to make 10 minutes Kuzhi—the narrator touched her heart saying: the recipe of Kuzhi is in here.

It will be professional to imitate that youtuber.

Prince Abubakar won't have a clue that i can't cook. Wait? he asked me something. 'do you like me? ' or am I just hearing things, don't be silly Zarah.

You're hearing things.

Why is he staring at me, its making me uncomfortable. He's not even paying attention to what I'm teaching.

"Astagfurullah." He muttered, why did he seek for forgiveness? Well that none of my business.

The oven alarm went off but suddenly the door burst open. I knew her from somewhere, oh my God, I can't believe my eye—she is @Yasee_Futtaim, she have a million of followers in Instagram and her blog. She's got so many subscribers.

I love her, she is like my idol.

"And, who are you?" she asked in a unceremonious tone.

Look at me talking to the eminent blogger and Instagram influencer,many crazy things are happening to me.

"I AM THE NEW...."  I stuttered as she cut me short.

"Prostitute."

Subhanallah, what did she just called me? Abubakar seems to be enjoying the show. He just sat on the counter and kept chuckling.

"Yasmin, she is my new cooking tycoon and we are in the middle of a class!" he said with laughter in between each phrases. Was he mocking me? He's kinda confusing.

The air was getting heavier, it was hard for me to breathe, what is going on.

"That thing was staring at you lustfully!" My idol said, I can't believe she just call me a thing. I thought she was nice because she seems to be on her blog.

"So this is the real Yasee, I thought she'd be a little bit nicer and have good charisma. I didn't know she is a beast in human clothing!" I said frankly again summoning the undying courage in me—yes I was angry.

She called me a prostitute, I wasn't a kerb crawler. And now, a thing? Things just got personal.

She seems so mad, so am i.

She was about to say something but she was interrupted by a loud bang,suddenly the fire alarm went on—water started sprinkling on me as the microwave explosion caused smoke to spread around the alarm sensor.

"Ouch!" Yasmin yelled and she fell down like a drama queen.

What is she doing? 

"Yasmin! Yasmin!"Abubakar called as he wiggled her."You had only one job,to cook and you can't handle that; you forgot to turn off the microwave, you are so irresponsible." Abubakar scolded me and it reminds me of what I said to Dale. There was a weird feeling I felt in my heart.

What do I expect, I'm crazy to think he like me.

He carried Yasmin in his arm like a Greek mythology God, Atermis to be precise. Yasmin smirk at me devilishly as they made their way out.

Gosh! she is version 2.0 of the evil queen.

"You are so irresponsible, why would you keep a stuffed camel in the microwave for an hour?" Mr. Tariq Al- Futtaim asked me, I know him—he owns the Futtaim fashion line and also a publishing organization in Kuwait.

His net worth is approximately $ 6.1 billion dollars.

I can't believe why I kept getting in billionaire troubles—first Abubakar, second the rude brat and now her father? Oh they'll be the death of me.

I couldn't utter a word, I don't want to prolong matters, he is way richer than my entire lineage. I just stared deeply at the emerald floor.

"Don't make another mistake or your job is over, don't you dare harm my daughter!" He added scornfully.

That really wasn't a lie. They've got strong genetics connecting the both of them. Saying daughter made me remembered mine. I bowed before excusing myself from the scolding.

I was sitting in the iftar point with my Safeenah, the moon was already out. I could see it outline, it was deducting.

We've been waiting for Dale an hour ago.

"Prince Abubakar!" My daughter said in a jovial manner, I looked up and saw the prince, what did he have for me now, call me more names?

"Why are you still here?" he asked me.

I didn't know he wanted me gone so bad—I rolled my eye balls and said;

"We are waiting for our driver, Dale,"

"Dale Yahaya?" He asked and I nodded.

"I'm....Sorry-" He paused "For saying all those stuffs earlier today." The prince reluctantly said to me.

The rude prince apologizing? I wanna make sure I heard him—I asked him again. "What did you say?"

"I said nothing!" He answered trying to regain his pride. Just then a honk was heard, Dale Yahaya come out of the vehicle. Safeenah jumped to hug him, Dale was a good guy, his future wife will be so lucky.

"Good night prince Abubakar Ibn Hamdan" I said to the prince using the honorifics properly. I bowed and walked away.

*****

The alarm went off, I was on a high tower, but from the view; I knew it was Paris.

I was on the Eiffel tower,

It's not as if I have visited Europe before, but I've watched tons of movie acted in there.

Prince Abubakar walked to me and grabbed my hands—showered kisses on it.

"Mi lady!" He gestured, I think something is wrong with him. His accent was sexier than before. He moved closely to me and he licked his pink lips as there is chocolate crumbs on his lips.

"Do you like me?" He asked, this is weird, the Prince's accent was replaced from his usual Arabian accent with the famous model from Paris; 'Ricky De Luna'

He leaned in and our lips was damn close, that was when I heard another alarm. As I heard the alarm, Prince Abubakar vanished into thin air.

Slowly the Eiffel tower collapsed, I fell in an endless lope.

My head was on the air, I felt like I was gonna die.

I woke up, yes I gained consciousness, but I couldn't move my arms neither my eye balls, I was stuck on my bed—I was experiencing the worst episode of my life; sleep paralysis.

I woke up,

I was sweating and breathing heavily. I opened the water bottle next to the bed and I gulped it in, I was sure I am fully awake now.

I checked the digital clock, the time was 4:35 am— I  still have time for Sahoor, I entered the bathroom, and washed my face.

******

           
Our Tesla parked, I was late today—I wasn't happy to go to work today not after that weird dream I had,

Or nightmare?

Uthman was walking towards our car, I knew I'll get scolded again, I was super tardy today. Uthman greeted me with a kind gesture, he was transforming gradually into a gentleman; I guess it's time to bury the hatchet.

I was in the royal kitchen doing what I do best. "Googling recipes." I googled the recipe for Shawarma and Alharees, I notice shawarma had something in common with stuffed camel.

The cold prince walked in with a gloomy mood.

"Why are you late, you aren't punctual,punctuality is the key." He lectured me like he was my freaking dad.

"I am so sorry prince," I bowed in respect.

"Why are you so courteous today?" He asked.

So I was a rude one before, "I am sorry for being less courteous before, forgive me your grace," I said again, I could see through his face he was disgusted as I was using the right honorifics for him, isn't that what he wanted?

"Today we are preparing shawarma and Alharees, shawarma is just like stuffed camel," I said. 

"Can't you take that off your face?" He suddenly asked.

Sorry i forgot to say—I was covering my face with a Niqab, at last mission accomplished.

Niqab is a chiffon fabric Muslim women used in covering their face, to cover their beauty for the sake of Allah. But I wore it to make the prince angry.

"I thought I was a prostitute without it!" I said making sure I sounded rude—emphasizing on PROSTITUTE.

The door handle flicked and it opened, guess who entered? It was my ex-idol, thank God I've unfollowed her on every social media accounts.

She held a fire extinguisher tightly against her chest.

What is she gonna do with that?

This is the edited chapter.