Alfiq's suspicion was right—the food-filled tiffin carrier was something he had seen before. It turned out to be the one his wife had brought. Alfiq swallowed hard as he watched his two security guards apparently enjoying their lunch.
Shrimp balado and stir-fried bok choy, complete with crackers packed in a separate tiffin carrier, made Alfiq fight desperately to hold back his hunger. Shrimp balado had been Alfiq's favorite food since childhood. Ah, he shouldn't have refused the food Inaya brought. He felt a little regretful.
“Come on, Mas, join us. There's so much food.”
“Yes, Sir, please, let's eat together!”
Alfiq wanted to snatch one of the shrimp pieces that looked so tempting, but his overpowering pride made him choose to walk away, leaving his security guards to enjoy the lunch that should have been his.
“Sir, there's a meeting after the noon prayer,” said the man in the sage-colored shirt as he approached Alfiq.
Alfiq nodded in understanding. He then hurried to the men's ablution area. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and performed ablution.
The female employees who noticed their handsome boss immediately stopped what they were doing for a moment. The sight of Alfiq performing ablution only made his handsome aura shine even more. Many of Alfiq's employees blushed just from watching him wash for prayer.
“Mr. Alfiq is so handsome,” one of the female employees exclaimed in awe.
Her eyes sparkled brightly.
“It's such a shame the boss is already married. It takes away a little of his handsomeness.” One of the female employees chimed in with a giggle.
“Yeah, all he does is break his female employees' hearts.”
Alfiq vaguely heard the admiring remarks from the female employees at his office. He often caught them gossiping about him, and even gossiping about Inaya—the dimpled woman his Umi had arranged for him to meet through ta'aruf.
Many of the female employees couldn't accept that Alfiq had gotten married just like that. But who could go against his Umi's word? Even Alfiq himself bowed to his Umi.
“Sir, will you lead the prayer?” one of the employees asked with a friendly smile.
Alfiq nodded and walked toward the prayer leader's place.
“He's handsome and pious, too. Oh my gosh, Ina is so lucky!” one female employee whispered to the coworker beside her.
With deep devotion, Alfiq led the noon prayer in his office prayer room. He always performed the congregational prayer with his employees. They stopped all activity and fulfilled their obligation to pray together.
After completing his worship, Alfiq returned to his office. He grabbed his formal jacket, then went to the parking lot and sped off to the meeting. He was a man who was disciplined when it came to work.
He had even forgotten that he hadn't eaten a single bite of rice. The worms in his stomach seemed to have developed amnesia after once thrashing around in hunger.
Alfiq glanced at the watch wrapped around his muscular wrist. It was the wedding gift from Inaya. Seeing it suddenly made him think of the slender woman.
It seemed Inaya had deliberately given him the watch so Alfiq would always remember his wife whenever he checked the time.
“What do you think she's doing?” Alfiq wondered.
He felt impatient to get home and tease the girl. Teasing Inaya had become Alfiq's hobby whenever he was at home. To him, bothering Inaya was an obligation.
“Why am I thinking about that woman? Ugh, I must be lacking something in my diet.”