Abrar
"Zoya is looking so calm after coming back home. Did you say something to her?", dadi looked at me with her suspicious eyes, making me feel like a culprit. I got clueless and rolled my eyes, unable to say something.
"What? Tell me. See, she is really upset", dadi said, looking at Zoya from the kitchen counter. She was arranging the table for dinner.
I paused for a moment while looking at her. Her eyes met mine abruptly for a while, then she immediately drove them away. I wondered if any of my actions offended her. I didn't want to hurt her sentiments, nor I did anything wrong. Then what exactly affected her so much?
"Will you tell me?", dadi shrugged next to me while filling the bowl with curry and then handing it to me.
"Nothing, dadi. Just argued", I said and I knew dadi would not try to ask about the matter.
"If it's only an argument from both sides then it's fine. But I hope you didn't do anything one-sided that hurt
AbrarHer words confused me. I remained standing there like a statue, unable to understand what she exactly meant. I tried to repeat her words as her reactions flashed into my mind.She said it affected her because it didn't feel bad? What the heck was that? Zoya and her twisted words! When I was assured that I started knowing her well, she made sure that I stumbled upon the fact that she was impossible to understand.I glanced at her for once. She was not sleeping. Though she was not facing me, I could say she was still awake."Good night, Zoya", I grumbled and walked towards my couch, expecting her to reply to me. But she didn't.I pulled on my quilt and looked at her."And please decide if you want to say things clearly to me. I can't crack riddles after a hectic day", my voice was harsh. She didn't say anything as I expected."Isn't not replying to someone after repeated questions a bad manner?", she spoke after a while."Y
AbrarZoya was never a sensitive girl but I could sense she was holding back her tears too. She had many things unwrapped inside her that I didn't know. However, I always knew that there was another Zoya hidden inside her whom I still didn't know."Are you missing your ammi too? You can call her up", I said when I listened to her broken voice."Nothing like that. And I never cried missing my ammi. I cried missing her last time when I was twelve. That was the last time", she said."You were in—""America", she said before I could speak. "Eight years in America. Six years in Delhi. Far away from them. I'm kinda habitual to stay alone"I never felt like she was out of the country for such a long time. Her behavior never felt that way. She was always like the desi girl."What's in Delhi? I mean you finished your studies in America if I'm not wrong", I asked curiously because it was something that I was totally unaware of. "Sorry if
Abrar "You didn't tell me anything about it", I clamored in surprise. "I would do it after a few months", she glared at me. "So, it would take time to tell you. No?" "Yeah", I sniffed. "Now, if this truth comes out, I'm afraid that they may try to drag this matter again", she was tensed. I could sense her tension from the moment Irtaza showed up. At that moment, I wanted to remind her that once I told her she would have to pay a big price for this lie. However, she was too tensed. I didn't want to blame her more. She knew she invited this for herself. "Don't worry. We'll tackle the situation well", I smiled at her. Our eyes met and a smile of relief came across her face too. "I thought you would bash me because I was the one to start this", she muttered. "You started this lie alone but we lived this lie together. Even it ends, it will end with us", I told her. We kept staring at each other for a while. "
Zoya"What happened? Scared?", he asked with the same creepy smirk on his face which used to piss me off. I clenched my fists while gawking at him."I'm not scared of anyone if you literally know a little bit of me, Irtaza. If you're here to utter this nonsense, you better get lost. I'm not interested in dragging the past", I shrugged off, looking straight into his eyes."Nor do I, Zoya. I don't want to. But what to do? You're not easy to forget?", he bit his lower lip then licked them, staring at me. Leaning back to his chair, he looked at the ceiling when I was trying my best not to lose it."I'm not easy to forget or my rejection was not easy to forget. Ego!", I blurted out. He hated me. I knew he hated me, my attitude, my personality. Everything. There was no chance that he would still be stuck there because he liked me."As if you don't have an ego, Zoya Ali, ops! Now, it's Mrs. Zoya Zafar. Sounds so— I mean, gosh! You could be Mrs. Zoya
Abrar"I can't wait to unfold you", I groaned, looking straight into her eyes. Sometimes I felt like confronting her and make her spit everything that stayed behind the darkness to me.She would say. She would have no options instead of telling me what had been going into her tiny head for months. But I waited, patiently waited for this to come."I can't wait to unfold it to you", her voice was sharp and raspy, a smile clinging to her lips when she drove her eyes away from me. "But I don't know if things would remain the same between us once you would get to know everything"Adding this, she had already warned me a million times. Maybe, she wanted me to be prepared. Nonetheless, I knew whatever the secrets were, they could change our equations but not the way I felt for her. The only reason I was not telling her about my feelings as I didn't want to start anything by keeping mysteries between us."I don't want things to remain the same between us,
AbrarI lifted my head to see her, finding her already looking at me. The darkness increased around us but the moon was shining brighter than ever for me. She had worn a white suit today also. She had more than a dozen of white suits but I could differentiate between us. When the moonlight fell on her she appeared to be a fairy, sweet and timid, long hairs spread all around her back, a few strains of hair slapping her face with the breeze."Can I take a picture of yours?", those words slipped my mouth unknowingly.She folded her lips, keeping the smile on."What makes you feel like clicking my picture?", the smile on her face widened."Just— just like that", I mumbled, finding for a reason so I didn't look like a pervert. "I thought you would like a picture of yours in this view. The view is beautiful", I said, looking up at the sky, then my gaze slipped to the clean water of the lake."Stupid! Can you directly say that I'm looking bea
Abrar"May I come in, Sir?", I half-opened the door of Mr. Ali's cabin. He used to come office twice a week and usually on Monday and Tuesday. It was Thursday and I was a bit shocked to see him. It freaked me out when I saw Irtaza with him.I never disliked anyone for no reason. But for him! I didn't know why I couldn't stand him."Come in, Abrar", Mr. Ali beamed as I came inside with a smile."Good morning, Sir""Good morning. Have a sit", he said as I took my seat beside Irtaza."You're in the office today? Is there something important today?", I asked."Not today but tomorrow", Mr. Ali chuckled at me. I got confused."What's tomorrow?", I asked and with my question, both of them gawked at me. It was weird.I rolled my eyes at them. What was the next day? And if there was something, why did they get shocked when I said I didn't know about it? Was I supposed to know?"Well, Abrar. I don't know if you have a surpr
AbrarUnfortunately, Zoya wasn't there to save me from that mess. Also, I couldn't even talk to her about it. It was about her birthday and birthday surprise. I didn't look at Irtaza anymore. He would make me just nervous. Gathering a lot of courage I tried to talk to Mr. Ali again."Sorry, sir. There's no wedding picture of us. We were not in a mood to celebrate and Zoya was also upset since her family wasn't there. We just couldn't make it up", I said in a breath, hanging my head.Wow, Abrar! You were finally mastering lying. But hell! It wasn't a talent to be proud of. I felt bad whenever I realized that to support Zoya, I was betraying Mr. Ali. I wished Zoya to end all this as soon as possible."That's—", Mr. Ali paused. "That's really— I know"He sighed."But how's that—", Irtaza tried to speak but Mr. Ali hoisted his hand to stop him. He sealed his mouth finally and didn't speak between us after that."I'm sorr