THE FORMER SHADOW
23. Requesting Explanation

Badrina's handcuffs came to a halt, she shone a bead in Arshaka's eyes that glimmered with anger.

"You're threatening me?" challenge Badrina to raise her chin.

"What do you call it." Arshaka doesn't care about Badrina's judgment. The man still clasped Badrina's wrist.

Seeing his efforts in vain, Badrina did not want a commotion, eventually he agreed to Arshaka's request.

Then Arshaka was willing to give up his grip on Badrina. The woman walked first towards Hafez.

"Hafez, thank you for dinner today. I'm sorry, I haven't been able to go home with you. I.. I. went home with Shaka," Badrina said unpleasantly, she glanced at Arshaka who was looking at her intently.

"Shaka, how do I keep going? Home alone?" elmira asked chimed, she was agitated after hearing Badrina's words.

"I'll take you first. Mari," said Arshaka encouraged Elmira to go first to the exit.

Hafez felt that he was not considered by Arshaka to be present, but he was able to restrain himself from having a particular purpose for Badrina. He only smiled faintly looking at Badrina's face that was not good with the situation that occurred.

Arriving at the parking lot, Arshaka immediately took a position on the driver's seat. There was no special treatment for the two women who would enter his car.

As Badrina was heading towards the front passenger door, Elmira suddenly overtook to sit on the front bench before Badrina's hand touched the car's doorknob.

Badrina's hands clenched, she let out a long sigh. It's just a matter of seating, no problem here, inner Badrina.

He shifted to the rear passenger door, entered and stayed until the car left the restaurant location.

Their first destination was the Elmira residence. The three of them did not speak at all throughout the journey. Each was busy with his own thoughts until the time came for Elmira to descend.

"Thank you, Shaka, for dinner tonight. I'm so happy." Elmira touches Arshaka's arm holding the steering wheel. Elmira even kissed Arshaka's cheek as a thank you.

For them it is common as a sign of friendship. However, the glaring eyes flickered and Badrina's open mouth showed shock at her ex-husband's friendship.

Elmira was out of sight, she had entered her residence.

"Move ahead!" arshaka's orders to Badrina. The man saw Badrina from the rearview inside.

Badrina silently glanced at him while looking out at the car. Arshaka looked back. "Rina, move forward," orders Arshaka's second time.

Badrina was still unmoved in the same style, as if Arshaka's speech meant nothing at all.

Arshaka is impatient for Badrina's abandonment, she clamps Badrina's outstretched calf. "Pin-dah!" he opened for a moment after Badrina looked at him.

"I don't want to, just here. Sitting on the bench of your new ex-lover, I'm not going to!" balas Badrina ketus brushed off the cliffs of Arshaka. He turned his feet towards the door.

Arshaka clucked and straightened his body and checked the dashboard drawer to pick up the sanitizer. He opened the glass and sprayed the sanitizer onto the front passenger seat and wiped it with a dry tissue. Then he closed the car glass.

"Have, now move!" Arshaka does not like to be denied.

Although Badrina has high emotions, in fact she is quite obedient to her husband, as evidenced by the age of eight years of their marriage.

Badrina relented, she walked out, opened the front passenger door and sat down with a direct look through the window next to her.

The car is moving slowly. Arshaka occasionally glanced at Badrina who remained silent on the spot.

"Where do you know Hafez?" The silence in the car was broken with Arshaka's question.

"Why was Cantara not taken?" ask Arshaka. He was not angry with the way Badrina replied.

"It's none of your business" he said again after turning to Arshaka.

Arshaka was still patient with Badrina's answer.

"Know Hafez for how long?" ask Arshaka. The man wanted to dig up his ex-wife's closeness with the man named Hafez.

"What the hell are you wondering. I'm curious about your business. I don't even care if you do anything!" spray Badrina, her body pointed at Arshaka, even her fingers pointed at the man.

Arshaka was unable to continue the journey, her heart rumbled. Badrina's tone of voice and choice caused Arshaka to be emotionally stirred.

He pulled over his vehicle, opened the seatbelt and directed his body towards Badrina who had been staring back out of the car.

"Take the habit of not yelling, Rina. I repeat, where do you know Hafez?" repeat it with a sense of patience that is almost extinct.

"I don't want to answer." Badrina's defiant gaze and raised eyebrows, made Arshaka's patience completely at the tip of the horn.

Arshaka clicked on Badrina's seatbelt, grabbing the woman's nape forcibly until it approached her face, "If you still don't comply, I'll make sure Monday will take care of Cantara's custody on my behalf," arshaka growled in a whispering tone.

Badrina pushed Arshaka's body, "You're so happy to threaten me!" badrina shouted as she slipped away from Arshaka.

"According to my words. Done." - timpal Arshaka.

"Before I answer, what is your problem with me and Hafez. Why do you want to know so much about us?" badrina asked, they were still facing each other.

Arshaka fixed his seat. "He's not a nice guy, your circle isn't him. So, I want to know, know where," replied Arshaka while leaning her back to the steering chair.

"Not a good man how? Hafez was polite, handsome, and his smile --,"

"There's a lot of her everywhere, Rina. He approached women to take advantage of his target" Arsahaka said.

Badrina did not believe because of what benefit would Hafez get if he approached her. Moreover, the one who introduced him was Aunt Poppy, it was impossible to be introduced to a man who was not good.

"I know she's a lot of girlfriends, but it's normal for a guy. You have no close female friends. Got 'em, right? Elmira is one of them." accuse Badrina of being fierce.

"I don't want to argue with you, just answer my question" Arshaka again asked the same question.

"From aunty," replied Badrina.

Arshaka turned his head quickly, "Tante Poppy?" Badrina nodded. "Make what?" ask Arshaka back.

"Ck.. your plain pretentious. Cuisine does not understand, adult men and women are not in the bonds of intermarriage introduced to each other. What else if not for personal closeness" Badrina said with a casual attitude.

"And you want to?" tanya Arshaka fretted.

"Why not? I once wrongly chose a partner and insisted on rejecting the idea of aunty. I'll fail, now receive the reward," a tone of contempt was heard from Badrina's voice.

Arshaka moved unsettled. He can teach Badrina's choice of who according to his tant to be introduced to other men. But not a guy like Hafez either. The person she knew as a female player.

Badrina will suffer with Hafez. He also did not want his son to have a father connected with children everywhere. Arshaka thinks it is necessary to go to Aunt Poppy for further explanation.