27-09-2025, 10:07 PM
(This post was last modified: 27-09-2025, 10:08 PM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 38: Janina (Act 1)
Rahim clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the beer bottle. Yusuf’s words hung in the air, but they didn’t penetrate the storm raging inside him. He stared at the table, the image of Lina’s tear-streaked face flashing in his mind like a cruel slideshow.
“I… I can’t,” Rahim muttered, his voice low and strained. He pushed back from the table, the chair legs scbanging against the floor. “I need some time alone to think.”
Yusuf nodded, his expression softening.
“Alright, man. Whatever you need.” He stood, clapping Rahim on the shoulder before walking back to the bar. A few minutes later, he returned with four more beer bottles, setting them down in front of Rahim with a quiet, “On the house. Just… take it easy, yeah?”
Rahim gave a curt nod, his gratitude unspoken. He grabbed a bottle and moved to a dimly lit corner booth, away from the noise and chatter of the bar. The cool glass pressed against his palm as he took a long swig, the bitterness of the beer doing little to dull the fire in his chest. His thoughts spiraled to Lina’s confession, the way Ravi and Kumar had dared to touch what was his, the fact that she had kept it from him for so long. It was all too much.
He was halfway through his second bottle when a soft voice broke through his thoughts.
“Rahim?”
He looked up to see Janina, one of his shop's patron standing beside his table, her hips swaying slightly as she shifted her weight. She was dressed in a snug blouse that hugged her full figure, her makeup subtle but flattering. Her lips curved into a playful smile, though her eyes held a flicker of concern.
“I thought that was you,” she said, sliding into the seat across from him without waiting for an invitation. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Rahim exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, something like that.”
Janina tilted her head, studying him. “You don’t usually drink alone, do you?”
He shrugged, his gaze flickering to the table. “Not usually.”
She leaned forward slightly, her cleavage subtly accentuated by the angle. “Well, if you’re going to drink alone, at least let me keep you company. Misery loves company, right?”
Rahim managed a half-hearted chuckle, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sure.”
Janina signaled to the bartender for another drink, then turned her attention back to Rahim. “So, what’s got you all brooding over here? Business troubles? Wife troubles?”
His jaw tightened at the mention of Lina, but he forced himself to keep his tone neutral. “Just… a lot on my mind.”
Janina nodded sagely, her expression sympathetic. “I get that. Life’s not always easy, is it?” She paused, then added with a teasing lilt, “Though I’ve never seen you so serious. Usually, you’re all shy and awkward when I flirt with you at your shop.”
Rahim raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not shy.”
“Oh, please,” she laughed, her voice light and melodic. “You blush every time I compliment your little shop.”
“It’s not a little shop,” he retorted, though there was no heat in his words.
Janina grinned, her eyes twinkling. “There he is. I knew you were in there somewhere.” She took a sip of her drink, her gaze lingering on him. “You know, you’re kind of attractive when you’re brooding. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Rahim snorted, shaking his head. “No. Probably because it’s not true.”
“Oh, it’s true,” she insisted, leaning in a little closer. “But I prefer you when you’re smiling. Or blushing.”
He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny the faint warmth creeping up his neck. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
Janina laughed again, the sound low and husky. “So I’ve been told.”
The conversation flowed easily after that, Janina deftly steering it away from anything too heavy. She talked about her kids, her job, the latest gossip from the neighborhood and anything to keep Rahim from sinking back into his thoughts. And though he didn’t say much, he found himself relaxing in her presence, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
At one point, she reached across the table, her fingers brushing against his hand. “You know,” she said softly, “whatever it is that’s bothering you, it’ll pass. You’re a strong man, Rahim. You’ll figure it out.”
He met her gaze, the sincerity in her eyes catching him off guard. For a moment, he considered opening up to her...telling her about Lina, about the betrayal that still burned like a brand in his chest. But he swallowed the words, instead nodding stiffly.
“Thanks,” he murmured, pulling his hand away.
Janina didn’t push. She simply smiled and leaned back in her seat. “Anytime.”
They continued talking for a while longer, the atmosphere between them growing warmer despite the unspoken tension. By the time Rahim finished his third beer, he felt a little lighter, though the weight of Lina’s confession still lingered in the back of his mind.
As Janina stood to leave, she gave him one last smile. “Take care of yourself, Rahim. And remember, if you ever need someone to talk to… well, you know where to find me.”
Rahim clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the beer bottle. Yusuf’s words hung in the air, but they didn’t penetrate the storm raging inside him. He stared at the table, the image of Lina’s tear-streaked face flashing in his mind like a cruel slideshow.
“I… I can’t,” Rahim muttered, his voice low and strained. He pushed back from the table, the chair legs scbanging against the floor. “I need some time alone to think.”
Yusuf nodded, his expression softening.
“Alright, man. Whatever you need.” He stood, clapping Rahim on the shoulder before walking back to the bar. A few minutes later, he returned with four more beer bottles, setting them down in front of Rahim with a quiet, “On the house. Just… take it easy, yeah?”
Rahim gave a curt nod, his gratitude unspoken. He grabbed a bottle and moved to a dimly lit corner booth, away from the noise and chatter of the bar. The cool glass pressed against his palm as he took a long swig, the bitterness of the beer doing little to dull the fire in his chest. His thoughts spiraled to Lina’s confession, the way Ravi and Kumar had dared to touch what was his, the fact that she had kept it from him for so long. It was all too much.
He was halfway through his second bottle when a soft voice broke through his thoughts.
“Rahim?”
He looked up to see Janina, one of his shop's patron standing beside his table, her hips swaying slightly as she shifted her weight. She was dressed in a snug blouse that hugged her full figure, her makeup subtle but flattering. Her lips curved into a playful smile, though her eyes held a flicker of concern.
“I thought that was you,” she said, sliding into the seat across from him without waiting for an invitation. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Rahim exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, something like that.”
Janina tilted her head, studying him. “You don’t usually drink alone, do you?”
He shrugged, his gaze flickering to the table. “Not usually.”
She leaned forward slightly, her cleavage subtly accentuated by the angle. “Well, if you’re going to drink alone, at least let me keep you company. Misery loves company, right?”
Rahim managed a half-hearted chuckle, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sure.”
Janina signaled to the bartender for another drink, then turned her attention back to Rahim. “So, what’s got you all brooding over here? Business troubles? Wife troubles?”
His jaw tightened at the mention of Lina, but he forced himself to keep his tone neutral. “Just… a lot on my mind.”
Janina nodded sagely, her expression sympathetic. “I get that. Life’s not always easy, is it?” She paused, then added with a teasing lilt, “Though I’ve never seen you so serious. Usually, you’re all shy and awkward when I flirt with you at your shop.”
Rahim raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not shy.”
“Oh, please,” she laughed, her voice light and melodic. “You blush every time I compliment your little shop.”
“It’s not a little shop,” he retorted, though there was no heat in his words.
Janina grinned, her eyes twinkling. “There he is. I knew you were in there somewhere.” She took a sip of her drink, her gaze lingering on him. “You know, you’re kind of attractive when you’re brooding. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Rahim snorted, shaking his head. “No. Probably because it’s not true.”
“Oh, it’s true,” she insisted, leaning in a little closer. “But I prefer you when you’re smiling. Or blushing.”
He rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t deny the faint warmth creeping up his neck. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
Janina laughed again, the sound low and husky. “So I’ve been told.”
The conversation flowed easily after that, Janina deftly steering it away from anything too heavy. She talked about her kids, her job, the latest gossip from the neighborhood and anything to keep Rahim from sinking back into his thoughts. And though he didn’t say much, he found himself relaxing in her presence, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
At one point, she reached across the table, her fingers brushing against his hand. “You know,” she said softly, “whatever it is that’s bothering you, it’ll pass. You’re a strong man, Rahim. You’ll figure it out.”
He met her gaze, the sincerity in her eyes catching him off guard. For a moment, he considered opening up to her...telling her about Lina, about the betrayal that still burned like a brand in his chest. But he swallowed the words, instead nodding stiffly.
“Thanks,” he murmured, pulling his hand away.
Janina didn’t push. She simply smiled and leaned back in her seat. “Anytime.”
They continued talking for a while longer, the atmosphere between them growing warmer despite the unspoken tension. By the time Rahim finished his third beer, he felt a little lighter, though the weight of Lina’s confession still lingered in the back of his mind.
As Janina stood to leave, she gave him one last smile. “Take care of yourself, Rahim. And remember, if you ever need someone to talk to… well, you know where to find me.”
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