Next Day...
8:30 a.m...
Hospital...
Rohail walks in the hospital. He is a little on edge and highly sleep deprived. He couldn't sleep for a second last night. He knows that nothing would have happened. He has a lot of faith in his love and in his wife but he just didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with guy who once upon a time also was her finance; then she doesn't even remember that he is married. As he gets on the elevator to get to the 2nd floor, he checks his reflection on the elevator door. He didn't look that bad. He had taken a fresh shower in the morning. So at least he look fresh. He was wearing a white shirt and blue denim with zara shoes. His sleeves were folded up till his elbow.
Just then the bell ring and the door open. He took a right and walk straight down the hallway and then took a left. Now his steps seems to get heavy as a dark shadow comes across his face. He stops in front of her door. After a taking a deep breath, he knocks. "Come in," Seher's voice comes from behind the door. Calming his nerves, he turns the knob and walks in. Almost on instinct, he scans the scene for Aahil and Seher. Seher was sitting on the bed with her I-pad. After not finding Aahil anyway, his gaze came back on Seher. She was wearing a simple sapphire blue shalwar kameez. She had no make on. Her hair was in a simple braid behind her. She gives him a big smile as he walked towards her bed.
"Assalamu Alaikum," she greets him with a smile. "Walaikum Assalaam. Kaise ho?" he asks as he sits across from her on the bed. "Kaise ho? Ab aapko mera khayal araha hai?" she asks him childishly. "Ab?" he asks her with a smile. "yeh poocho ka kab tumhara khayal nahi ata," Rohail thought to himself but shaking his head he gave his undivided attention to her. "Tum asa kyun bol rahi ho?" he asks her when she doesn't reply. "Aap kal mujhse mila bena hi chala gaye? Aur phir raat ko bhi nahi aye." she tells him cutely. Rohail's smile deepen realizing that she missed him and wanted him to come yesterday. Rohail reaches out grab her hand sitting on her lap.
Suddenly, she gets all self-conscious but before she has time to react he pulls her by her hand. She came right on him barely preventing her fall on him. He looks at her with his deep eyes as he says huskily, "Kyun miss kiya mujhe?" Seher couldn't help the crimson color that highlighted her cheeks. She opens her mouth to say something but words wouldn't form in her mind. She looks away not being able to take his intense gaze. She wets her lips and look back at him. Somehow his intense gaze never makes her uncomfortable. It should but it doesn't.
After gaining a little courage, she looks back at him. After taking a gulp, she says in small voice, "meina asa to nahi kaha?" looking away again. Rohail's smiles gets even broader. "Kuch baata kehna ki nahi, samajna ki hoti hai, Seher," he says huskily as his eyes's color got dark with his feelings for her. Sharply she looks back at him. His gaze burning holes in her!
Suddenly realizing that this was getting a little too intense, Rohail blinks breaking the connection and let her hand go. Quickly recovering, she moves back on the other end of the bed as she puts distance between them. He smiles at her. "Yeh sab choro yeh batao Aahil kaha hai?" Rohail asks about Aahil distracting her. "Huh? Aahil?... Haan woh shayad kaal raat ya aaj subah chalagaya tha. Mein jab subah uthi to woh yaha nahi tha," Seher replied calming her nerves. "Hmm..." he smile at her. She smiles back but a little awkward smile. "Sh*t! Why did I have to go overboard. Sab theek sa chal raha but I had to ruin it," Rohail chastised himself. Awkward silence fell between them as both get engulf in their own thoughts.
On the other hand, Seher was facing a storm of emotions inside her. "God, what is happening to me? Rohail shouldn't effect me but he is!! Very Much as a matter of fact!! Meri mangni ho chuki hai! In fact, I love that dude! I can't feel like this," Seher thought to herself mentally shaking her head. "Its just attraction. He is bloody good-looking iss lia asa feel ho raha hai aur uski ankha bhi asi hai... itni gheri bas aur kuch nahi... aur kuch bhi nahi!!!" she explained to herself. "But then mujhe usse kuch kehna chahiye... mein kuch kehti kyun nahi?... Shayad woh mazaak kar raha ho," She looks at him from corner of her eyes.
He was doing something on his I-phone. "He looks fine. Matlab usse koi farak nahi para... Kya Seher kya kya sochti rahti ho tum? Dheka woh mazaak kar raha tha... Chill! You know woh acha insaan hai.. itni choti choti baato pay apni itni achi dosti mat kharab karo," she warns herself. Making her mind of not making things more complicated, she decides to pretend that it never happened. Though it would be hard to forget his firm grip on her hand or his intense eyes looking right into her or his husky voice that she could still hear in her ear but no she has to! She decides to initiate and break the ice that has suddenly form between them.
"Kya kar raha hai?" she asks him making conversation. Rohail looks at her for a quick second checking her expression and then looks back at his I-phone. "Kuch nahi bas asahi. Meri choti behan hai woh tumse aaj milne ana wali hai. Woh bas kal hi Karachi aye hai aek college trip sa. Bas check kar raha ho ka woh kaha hai aur kab tak poochna wali hai," he tells her. "Aapke behan bhi hai?" Seher asks excitedly. Rohail looks at her putting his phone away. "Haan. Actually waisa to woh meri Mamo ki beti hai lekin kyunka meri aur koi cousins nahi hai aur apni behan bhi nahi hai tou she is just like my little sister," Rohail tells her. "Acha.. Im excited to meet her!" Seher exclaimed like little kid. Rohail smiles at her antics.
9 a.m...
"Aaj to Bhai mar dalaga," said a girl as she walked on the side of the road. She was tall about 5'6'' and slim. She had long silky black hair that can be seen beneath her duppata. She was wearing a simple pristine white churidar with a touch of forest green on the kameez and duppata. She had draped her duppata around her head, covering it. She had a black handbag on her shoulder. She comes and stops by the bus stop as she turns around so she is facing the road. As she turns, her duppata slipped a little revealing her face though she immediately pulled it in front again covering her face but not quick enough.
She is not that old probably in her late teens, probably 19. She was beautiful and all natural as she barely had anything on other than lip gloss and mascara. Mascara highlighted her beautiful honey-brown eyes hiding behind her navy blue almost black specs. The jewelry she wore were white earring tops in her ears. She looks down on her wrist to check the time. "OMG aaj Bhai sach mein mar dala... kya Allah Mia aap aek bar mera saath nahi da sakta har wakt daat par wana zaruri hai kya" the girl mumbles to herself irritating. "Yeh bus kab ayege... aa bhi gaye yeh bas," she said out loud as she peer sideways hoping to the catch the sight of the bus but no luck.
"Mujhe Bhai ki baat sun lani chahiye thi. Jab lift offer ki thi bhai nai tou la lani chahiye thi lekin majal hai ka mujhe akal agaye," she chastised herself. "Aa bhi ja yar.." she said again looking across the road. "Bhai pareshan ho raha hoga, bata dana chahiye mujhe," she mumbled as she reach in her handbag to pull out her Amazon Fire Phone to text him to let him know that she would be late. Just then a white 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class drove past her crazily splashing mud water on her. She was just stun for a second but then getting her sense back she yelled behind the car, "Adha ho kya?" But the car didn't stop, "Isko tou mein nahi chhodungi" she mumbles as fury took over her. She motioned a rickshaw to stop and hopped in. She asked the driver to follow the white Mercedes.
As the rickshaw drove, she thought of all things she would tell the driver when she gets to meet him. "Definitely need to give this driver a piece of my mind," she thought, "You just shouldn't have mess with me today," she thought as those eyes filled with anger. Finally after a long drive, the Rickshaw came to a halt in front of the Malik Group of Companies behind the white Mercedes. As the girl brought out money of her purse and handed to the driver, the driver of white Mercedes was already walking in the building. Leaving the change back, the girl hurried in. She knows its a man and he's wearing a gray suit. He is tall and walks in long strides which also makes this girl lose him as soon as he enters.
Malik Group of Companies...
She was stun for one second because of the view from inside. This building was even better from inside. It had lavish, marble fitted floor and a through professional atmosphere. But the best thing was that it was all windows! The walls were made of glass. It was so beautiful. She was in awe. Though she has seen her Dad's office and her Bhai's also, it should not be much of a surprise. But being a student of architecture, she couldn't help admire everything. Just then she notice people walking around were noticing her standing there in the middle. They all were older than her like bhai. She probably looked like a baby right now. Plus her clothes were a mess because of him she thought with gritted teeth. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerve, she fixed her duppata around her head and moved towards the reception with head-up.But just then she notices that same guy, he was talking on his I-phone so she couldn't see his face as he walked into a room adjacent to reception desk. With quick steps, she tries to follow him but the receptionist comes in between. "Mam, aap kaha ja rahi hai? Mein apki kuch baadat kar sakti ho?" receptionist asked blocking her way. "Hello. Ji. Mein Mah... Mujhe unse milna hai jo abhi abhi andar gaye hai isse darwaza sa," the girl said not moving and pointing at the door behind receptionist. "Mam, Aap nahi ja sakti. Aur aap Boss sai nahi mil nahi sakti appointment ka bina. Apka naam kya apna bataya?" the receptionist asked her. "Meina apko apna naam bataya hi nahi hai," the girl replied quietly. "So I was right. Yeh Boss hai matlab yeh office iska hai... hmm" the girl thought in her mind. "Dhekiya mujhe apka Boss sa milna bohaut zaruri hai. Please so if you could please," the girl tried talking politely motioning her to scoot.
"Im sorry, Mam. That won't be possible. Aap Boss ko nahi mil sakti appointment ka elawa." the receptionist told her. "Look I will only take five minutes.. Mera pass bhi pura din nahi hai," the girl said getting irritated. She checks her watch and groans inwardly. "Tu jaye apna kaam kara aur phir appointment laka agayega," the receptionist told her rudely. This really made the girl lose her mind, "How dare.." before she could finish a man came towards the receptionist. "Aleeza, mujhse zara Khan's file doge please," he said charmingly to the receptionist. The girl couldn't help notice that he was really good-looking, maybe older than her by few years. The receptionist looked at the girl not sure if you should move. The girl pointed at the desk for her to go and do her work. She even took a step back to let her know she is not doing anything.
The man quietly watched this exchanged. As the receptionist went to her desk, the man turned her to the girl. The girl looked at him, also, and gave him an awkward tight-lipped smile and nodded. He gave her a full big smile. The girl looks confused. As he chuckled quietly inward, he pointed towards the door and winked. Her eyes got huge behind her specs. She opens her mouth to say something but he quieted her with his eyes and motioned with his head to go. With a last look at the receptionist, she slipped in after giving him a smile.
Inside Boss's Office...
She walks into a big room. This was even better than outside. Its like every room is better than the previous one. For one second she forgot why she was there and look around the room. Her eyes missing nothing. Just then her eyes met another set of eyes, they were emerald green. They were so pretty she momentarily got lost in them. But then, what was not pretty about this eyes' owner. He was very good-looking. Well-built probably also as his biceps stretched under is well fitted gray suit. He is probably really tall. Heck, he is really tall the girl remember seeing him outside the building. Then his light beard gave him the perfect look. "God, he looks like the male characters from my favorite books," the girl thought in her mind as she looked at the man sitting behind the desk staring at her with dead expression. "Gosh his dead expression are so... Shut up Mahreen! Focus!!!" she told herself and got a hold of herself.
The man sitting behind the desk cleared his throat grabbing her attention and breaking her reverie. "Yes. What are you doing here?" he asked her as he stare her down with his intense eyes. "Gosh his voice is even so PERFECT!!!! OMG Mahreen, could you please get a hold of your hormones! For starters why don't we start with greetings?" Mahreen told herself and with difficult her brain wheels starts to work. "Assalamu Alaikum," suddenly feeling religious she greeted him with Salaam in a small voice with a small and shy smile. Suddenly the intensity of his eyes lessen only a little and with a little nod he replies back, "Walaikum Assalaam." "Aapko kya howa hai?"he asked looking at her clothes filled with mud water. She looks down at herself and a horror expression comes over her face at the realization of how she looked at him. "Just Great! My first impression is just perfect!!! Pata nahi kya soch raha hoga yeh mera bara mein," she thought getting lost in her mind again.
"Miss..??" he talked again breaking her chain of thoughts. "Ji?" she asked a little lost. "What the heck am I doing here?" she thought to herself with a inward whine. "Aab yaha sa kaisa nicklo... woh bhi dignity ka saath," she thought with a inward groan. "Mah... I mean Miss Qureshi," she said quickly catching herself. She is so not about tell a stranger her name even if he is so hot and dangerous and... Focus Mahreen you are getting lost AGAIN!
"Ok.. Ms. Qureshi, how can I help you? You see I'm kind of busy and you came without any appointment." he said with a fake smile breaking her heart in million pieces and sending a blood rush to her cheeks of embarrassment. But this brought her anger back also, getting her confidence back she took steps towards him, "Really, Im very busy too." she told him haughtily. "Reallyy? So what are you doing here? Go and do your work!," he replied back haughtily as he leaned back in his chair and looked at her.
Taking a deep breath to control her urge to roll her eyes, she asked seriously, "Aap andha hai ya aapko drive nahi karna ata?" He squinted his eyes confused, "I beg your pardon?" he asked. "Yeh halaat meri apna ki hai" she said pointing down at her clothes suddenly realizing that when she said "yeh halaat meri apna ki hai" her heart beating fast. Controlling her urge to shake her head to shake this thought, she look back at him. He just stare at her for one minute with a blank face and then broke into a big laughter.
Mahreen just stared at him. First she was mad that he was laughing at her but then she notice how nice he looked as he laughed and couldn't help smiling a little as he laughed. He even look really young as he laughed. "Probably Bhai ki umar ka hoga yeh... nahi nahi hoge yeh,"Mahreen thought about him in respectful manner. In the middle of his laughter, he asks, "Iska matlab tum mujhe yaha suna ka lia aye ho?" he asks her. She looks away embarrass as that was the plan but now she seems to be tongue-tied. Then out of the blue all the laughter died and the room was quiet. "Ms. Qureshi kisse ki himaat nahi hoti hai mujhe ouchi awaaz mein baat karna ka lia aur aap mujhe suna ka lia aye hai?" he asks her in dangerously quiet voice.
Out of instinct, Mahreen took a step back. "Agar kabhi galti ho to maafi mang lani chahiye. Maafi mangna sa koi chota nahi hojata," Mahreen said quietly looking down. When she looked up, a dark shadow covered his face. He looks even more dangerous. Suddenly, losing all her courage she nods, "I'm sorry. Mein ja rahi ho. Bye," saying this she turns around. As she turns around, her leg hits the side of the glass table that was behind her and she is about land on the table hands down. Her eyes close in fear. Some seconds pass but nothing happened. She didn't doesn't feel anything. Instantly she opens her as this is not possible.
She found herself staring in beautiful emerald eyes. Those are even better up close. But those eyes had no warmth, they were so... cold. Then she realize her position as she looks down and found him holding her by her waist and her hands holding him by his shoulders. She immediately let go of his shoulder and pushed him slightly making space between them and got to her feet but then she took a step back and got hurt again by the table. Though she stumble again but manage by herself without his help. She moved to the side. Her eyes closed in pain. "You OK?" he asks her politely. She opens her eyes and nods with a tight-lipped smile. She was not OK but she was not able to tell him that. She wanted to get out of there ASAP.
"I'm going to go now. Sorry for bothering you," she said in a tight voice because of pain as she turns around and walks out the room without looking back at him even once. Outside the reception was empty so she quietly slipped out of the building. As she walks outside looking for a rickshaw, she text her brother, "Bhai, Im sorry. I won't be able to come today. I got mud splash all over myself by a stupid driver and now I even got hurt on my knee. I'm going back. Mein kal bhabhi sa aka mil loge hospital mein. Theek hai? Sorry :( ". After putting her Amazon Fire back in her bag and fixing her duppata, she walks around the corner. There she found a rickshaw and went back home.
Anupamaa
