"I'm sorry, I can't go with you! I can't go out of town!"
Zain was again amazed, How can he expect a sorry for her rudeness she was apologizing for something else, this isn't the first time she behaved rudely with Zain
Zain was again thinking when he realized what she actually has said
"What! why?"
Tilting his head Zain spoke all confused, she didn't say anything in the meeting then why now? and looking at her face Anna seemed distressed which was more confusing to him, they stood there mute until Anna spoke she took too long to answer him back and finally when she utters something this came out of her mouth
"Um- I... I just can't!"
"I need a reason!"
Even hearing her answer it wasn't so pleasing to Zain's ears as he asked again, whereas Anna wasn't sure, what she was thinking was if she should tell him or not, it was something that kind of personal for Anna and she didn't want to break it but having no options she had to give him a reason
"Maria! I can't leave her alone here!"
Zain closed his eyes hearing the fact, the fact he forced himself to forget, but all of that was now in front of him once again,
"Why Alone! where is your husband?"
Zain spoke thinking Anna was married, while in reality it wasn't even close, hearing his words Anna frowned her eyes, what did he just say? her husband? is he mad or something?
"I don't have one!"
Anna mumbled with no emotion in her voice, she was confused, why he was asking for her husband when she doesn't own one when she isn't even married yet
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know that!"
And there you go another misunderstanding, now he thinks that her husband which never existed has died already, he was making Anna more and more confused by his behavior, he said sorry as if he felt sad, but why? why would he be sad if she doesn't own a husband, everything was messed up
"Why are you saying sorry?"
"I'm sorry for your husband, it must have been hard to grow a child alone"
Zain spoke well mannered he was shocked at in this young age she already has seen a lot and surprised at how did she keep up with everything at the same time, her job and child and also she was a single mom, whereas Anna's eyebrows got raised hearing what he just said she didn't understand a word what he said, the confusion was written on Anna's face
Sorry for your husband? must have been hard, growing a child! alone!
these words were beyond her understanding
Anna blinked her eyes twice before she shook her head disagreeing with his words, whatever he said didn't make any sense to her
"One second! Ahh.... maybe you're not getting my point!"
"What? OK I mean I think, we... we should get inside and continue with this right?"
It was awkward, they both didn't get what they were saying, Anna nodded at what Zain uttered before they both lead themselves inside of the restaurant, again
"So?"
"Huh?"
None of them knows how to start the conversation, after sitting quietly for whole 3 minutes, Zain spoke, knowing the girl who is sitting in front of him would never utter a word first,
"So, when did your husband died, ahh... I mean.. nothing, don't answer that!"
Why did I even ask such a question!
Are you dumb Zain
It was embarrassing what he just asked and there was another brainstorming was happening in his head, Zain was self-talking when he heard Anna speaking
"My husband didn't die!"
"But.... you said earlier, that he died! and now? what do you mean by"
It was getting more and more confusing for Zain his brain was about to bust he couldn't understand a word she was saying
"I didn't say that!... you said that!"
"but you said--"
"I said I don't have one!"
Zain's frowned eyebrows with confusion written on his face, whereas Anna sat there with her poker face they both were talking calmly, showing the palm of his hand Zain indicated Anna to stop talking before he spoke himself
"So, you're not married?"
"No!"
No? what about her daughter? where did she came from?
Zain asked himself all these questions, but he wasn't the one who could give him the answers, so asked the one who can answer
"Then How?"
"How?!"
Anna raised her eyebrows, what How?
she didn't understand what he was asking so she just repeated his word questionably.
"Maria! um... she is your daughter right!"
"Yes! ah... I mean no"
No? the word NO made Zain more confused, last time she said Maria was her daughter, and moreover, that day when he met that little girl she also named Anna as her mother, then why was Anna saying No now
"No?"
"Yes, no!"
Zain tilted his head in confusion and shook his head telling Anna that he still didn't get what she was saying which Anna understood instantly and let out a heavy sigh, there was just silence until Zain broke it
"But you said she was your daughter!"
"Yes, I said that but she's not my real daughter, I adopted her!"
What! everything was cleared now, the girl Anna called her as her daughter was not her real daughter but the adopted one, but why did she adopt her? another question, but Zain didn't dare to ask that personal question, it was her life and she can do what she wants, but at this young age adopting a child was an act of bravery in Zain's sight he didn't expect that for Zain she was the book of surprises
Every time he meets her, she surprises him with something new, like every new chapter of that closed book he's trying to open, he gets something new, every page surprises him, every word makes him want to read more~
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chapter
45