Part Three - Mr. Charismatic:
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Half an hour later, a soft knock was heard at the Ibrahim Mansion.
Aahil went toward the huge front doors and opened it only to get surprised by the person standing on the other side.
Sanam brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and met his gaze.
"I guess we never got a chance to end our dinner in a respective way." She told him.
Aahil shook his head lightly but glad by the fact that she had showed up at his door step.
He stepped aside for her to enter. "Come on in."
She walked inside through the long hallway and into the massive living room. Her eyes wandered around as she found the place very stylish yet simple.
She took a seat the cream colored leather couch.
"I would have thought one of your servants would open the door."
He sat down on the other couch. "I like to do everything on my own."
She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "A Nawab, who likes doing things on his own, wow that's a first, I must say."
He rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you not to believe..."
"- The newspapers? Yeah, I know. I can't help it when you read a lot."
"Relax; it wouldn't hurt if you weren't so dominating once in a while."
She stared at him. "Excuse me?"
Since when did they get so comfortable around each other's presence?
"You heard me."
"I do not have a dominated personality."
He shrugged his shoulders while a small smirk was easily playing across his lips.
"Then I don't have a... what did you say? Ah yes, a charismatic personality?"
She shook her head feeling slightly bad about her behavior a few hours ago. They didn't even finish their dinner properly. "I was way out of line before.."
"Forget about it," he interrupted her as he stood up from his seat and headed toward the other side.
"You want some coffee?"
"Sure."
He disappeared inside the kitchen to prepare the coffee. Sanam was left behind with her own trail of thoughts. She took a deep breath.
This was so not her. She would never do anything like this, let alone go on a dinner with a man like Aahil.
She decided she could roam around a bit rather than waiting and getting bored in the process.
Her eyes found the place hugely decorated and for some reason she liked the colors which was being used at the mansion. They were all light colored such as cream, white and gold.
She was highly impressed by the other side of the living room, where a huge indoor swimming pool was placed. She wondered if he ever took a quick swim once in a while - and most importantly how he would look in just a pair of black swim trunks.
She quickly shook her head and scolded herself for even thinking these thoughts.
What in the world is matter with you, Sanam! Stay focused.'
He returned back into the room and found her standing near the pool side area. He walked toward her with a two mugs of coffee.
He gave her one as he took a small sip from his own.
She tasted her coffee and stared at him. "You made expresso?"
He nodded. "Yes, with one tea spoon of sugar. I thought you would want one just like the time at the meeting."
They stood in silence as they enjoyed their hot mugs of coffee.
"She was after the money" Aahil admitted breaking the silence.
"The woman you saw at the restaurant," he reminded her.
"Did I ask?"
"No but your eyes were at some point."
Sanam remained quiet. "I thought you said you liked getting surprised"
"In a certain things, yes, but only when I know the woman well enough."
Sanam gave it a thought. "I could be after the money as well for all you know."
He shook his head. "I know you. You're different. Besides, I'm very good at reading women. I know what their intentions are from the very first meeting."
She was impressed by his choice of words. "So am I," she said taking a long look at him.
"So, Miss Khan, what are my intentions?" he said taking a sip while his eyes were showing a hint of mischievousness in them.
"Right now? To talk rather than drink your coffee."
He had to admit that he liked her answer. Two could play the game.
"I thought you said you liked getting to know the person you're with?" He smirked.
"Oh, I still intend to hold on to that."
"Good, so we're both at the same page then."
They stood silently as they enjoyed their coffee, staring into the light blue water ahead of them.
"I've never done this before," he admitted suddenly breaking the long silence. She noticed the change in his voice or was it just something she had imagined.
"Drinking coffee while standing up?" Sanam joked.
Aahil shared a look with her as a light laugh escaped from both their lips.
"No, having a decent conversation with someone like you. Getting a chance to enjoy the silence with someone."
She lowered her gaze slightly and onto the pool. "You don't know me."
"I know enough. The fact that you chose to come back tells me something."
"I only came here to make amends."
His gaze lingered on her. "Yet, you're still here."
She raised her gaze into his and held it. There was something about his eyes which made her question about her own decisions. Reality started to creep into her mind.
"You're saying as if you never had a decent conversation with anyone - merely just been busy with one thing." She secretly implied.
Aahil, on the other hand, had already caught the hint and chose to answer her in his own way.
"Rule no. 1 Miss Khan - do you remember it?"
"Never trust the newspapers."
"Good girl." The way he had said the words did things to her senses.
She sighed.
"If you have so much against the newspapers and tabloids, then why not just forbid them from writing. That way the case would be closed for good."
"I'm a public figure. How far can you go on closing each article written about you? The ones who are close to me know whether it is being said in the right context or not."
The new set of information had her question about her own opinion about him. At this state she was ready to ignore whatever she had read about the Nawab. The black words printed on white paper did not matter anymore.
"How come you never enjoyed the silence before?" she wondered. "You make it sound like you are cursed."
Aahil raised his gaze toward her. He shifted it after a moment into the light blue water in front of him.
"Perhaps I am. You never know?" He looked back at her with a small evil like grin across his face.
She wondered how much truth there was in his voice. Was he teasing her or was there something to it at all? She couldn't really tell.
-------
That night Sanam was busy driving home from Ibrahim Mansion while her thoughts were busy circling in her mind. She couldn't help but study each word Aahil had told her throughout the night.
"Do you always flirt like this with everyone?"
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"I didn't take you here to impress you or give you any kind of wrong idea. I simply liked your personality. I saw a strong willed woman behind those eyes and I wanted to get to know her better. That's all."
She had to admit that she had enjoyed her time. The evening had actually turned out to be pretty interesting. Far more better than staying home and read one of her fictional novels as she always did on Friday nights.
Sure he had come across a bit arrogant but there was something else about him - other than his brooding looks and charismatic personality. Yes, he had been attractive due to his well-dressed sense and a bit of his play of words. She liked that about him.
"I've never done this before, having a decent conversation with someone like you."
"You make it sound like you are cursed." She asked.
"Perhaps I am. You never know?"
It was like she had heard a sense of vulnerability and truth in his deep rough voice.
Was money and name really a curse?
She had read it somewhere, but had always wondered if it was true or not. Maybe today, she had gotten her answer.
Sanam shook her head as she parked the car outside and climbed out while grabbing her bag.
Her eyes found a car parked wrongly at the parking lot a few meters away.
"Ugh, what is wrong with this person? Is it so hard to park inside the parking lines?"
Another memory crept into her mind as her face changed into a light frown.
"Relax; it wouldn't hurt if you weren't so dominating once in a while."
Ugh! I am so not dominating - I just have a way to do certain things. How on earth did he even come up with such a thing?'
Sanam shook her head as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside her three roomed flat and closed the door behind her.
Gasp!
"Finally woman! You're home." Seher jumped in front of her from the living room.
Her twin sister gasped by the sudden shock and cursed.
"For God sake, Seher! What is wrong with you?"
Seher ignored the questions while munching into a packet of chips in her hands.
"So, tell me how did it go?"
The two sisters walked inside the hallway and into the living room where they sat down.
"You've been out late in the night than you usually do."
She wiggled her eyebrows at her way.
"Yes, and I'm also very tired right now." Sanam said taking off her heels.
Seher gasped as her lips replaces a smirk. "Oh, tired are you? Was he any good?"
Sanam knew there was no need to be shocked by her question.
"I'm not you" she joked lightly.
"Touch, Sista. But seriously, was he any good?"
"Seher seriously, what have you been reading while I've been gone?"
"Relax; I've not been reading the ridiculous Fifty Shades of Black if that's what you're implying."
"Gray" she reminded her as she knitted her eyebrows together. "Fifty shades of gray."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. I've just been busy with one of your boring books."
"Alright, no more boring books to you anymore. I swear I need have to hide them next I'm out."
"Oh, so you indicate that you're going to see him again?"
Sanam grabbed her bag and stood up. "What I'm indicating is that I'm going off to bed."
She disappeared into her room where she changed into her night clothes. Seher was seated on the double bed and watched her sister hang her clothes inside the closet.
"So did you guys talk?"
"Yes, we talked." She said slipping under the covers.
"And.. what did you see? Did you like him?"
"He's different and slightly hard to figure out."
"Well he is a complex character. I know that from Rehan and what he has been telling me about Aahil."
"Yeah? What do you know?"
"That they are like day and night but I know he always speaks highly of him. I remember him telling me that he is hard to crack, as if he has this hard shell around him before letting someone inside. He is a womanizer according from the many tabloids, but like you said he's hard to figure out. I'm sure he's a softie at heart, tough guys are usually like that."
A simple like smile appeared across Sanam's rosy lips thinking that she had learned something new today - Never ever trust the newspapers - especially not when it was about Aahil Raza Ibrahim.
****
To Be Continued! 😉
Edited by mahwash22 - 10 years ago
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