Chapter-2

"Madam." 

I stood there in my place, unflinching; with the phone still pressed against my ear. He was smiling. The same smile that I remember. The smile that had drove me mad and haunted me for a torturous long time. Until, I came to detest it. 

"Don't you remember me?" He asked with that lopsided playful grin, as I gaped at him dumbfounded. How could I forget him? I used to be able to spot him from afar, just by looking at his back. He was there in the face of every man that I saw after that. Even after spending the entire day trying to come up with reasons to hate him, I would still be clinging to the tiniest bit of hope at the end of the day. 

"Here you are." It was Fahad bhai who pulled me out of my trance, as he came to stand next to him. Quickly, tearing my gaze from him, I turned to Fahad bhai.

"Assalamualaikum Fahad bhai!" I said, greeting him with a warm smile, which he returned with his own.

"Walaikumusalam Mahnoor! How are you? I was looking for you near the bus. It was good that Haider saw you. You remember Haider, right?" He spoke quickly, without giving me much room to interrupt.

"Ah.." I could only utter this as my gave shifted between Fahad bhai to him, who was watching me intently with a small smile playing on his lips. Immediately I returned my gaze to Fahad bhai who was taking my bag now and guiding me towards his car.

"And? Was your journey alright?" Fahad bhai inquired, walking beside me as he dragged my bag behind him. Without intending to, I glanced at him before answering Fahad bhai who was looking straight ahead. Just then, he looked sideways and our eyes met.

"Yea—h. It was alright." I returned quickly, turning my gaze to the road ahead. On reaching the parking area, I was having a discussion with Fahad bhai about my job when he unlocked the car for me and asked me to sit inside while he kept my bag in the trunk. Just as I turned to open the back door, I was beat to it by him, who had until now been leaning against the car door, without interrupting our discussion.

I watched him for a second before nodding a thanks and getting in. He waited for me and closed the door after me. I didn't dare look at him through this.

"How's everyone at home?" Fahad bhai continued the conversation while I unintentionally kept a lookout for him through the corner of my eye. Just then, Fahad bhai got a call. I scooted to the far back in my seat and got busy with my phone. Suddenly, I heard the radio switching on and couldn't help but look up. I stared straight ahead as he continued changing between stations. 

"Is this alright?" I heard him say, as he finally stopped at one. Glancing up, I saw him looking at me through the rear-view mirror. 

"It's fine." I returned shortly with tight lipped smile, before getting back to my phone. Only to hear him change it again.

"The song had already ended." He explained, even though I didn't ask, making me look up and nodding at him through the mirror.

"What are you doing Haider?" Fahad bhai inquired after getting off the phone. I didn't look up.

"There isn't even one good song." He returned annoyed. Ya Allah, when is this drive going to end??

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"Oh my God!! Ma sha Allah!!" I exclaimed as soon as I saw her after coming into the house. She giggled as I gave her a hug; carefully.

"Heyya Noor--" She returned bashfully and I stepped away to give her a look over . 

"O.M.G! Ma sha Allah! Just look at you! You look AMAZING!! Ma sha Allah! Many many congratulations!!" Unable to contain my happiness, I went in for another hug.

"Mahnoor, your friend has got so huge that I think by the end of pregnancy we'll need help to shift her from one room to another." I heard Fahad bhai behind me, who was as usual teasing her. Since, she was the type of person who could eat anything but not gain weight. Even during the 8th month of pregnancy she was lean and healthy.

I spinned around with a smile to see Fahad bhai, but my smile faltered when I saw him laughing beside him. We had an eye contact for a moment, before I turned straight again. Soon, Fahad bhai was on Maha's side and hugging her in attempts to coax her into forgiving him.

I watched the scene before me with a smile, until I saw a presence shift beside me. Before I knew it, I had turned to look up at him, who was already looking at me with an unreadable face. 

I hate him. How can he do this? Why does he have to do this every time?

"OH! Mahnoor is finally here!" I heard Sahar baji's voice and until then, didn't realise that we were standing staring at each other. Of course. Obviously! I should've seen this coming. I thought angrily, seeking the source of voice, who was walking towards us with Uncle, Auntie and others behind her. I left my place and made my way towards them.

Shit. Did they see? Doubt it. They had just come out of the house, while the 4 of us were standing outside in the veranda. 

"Ma sha Allah! Mahnoor is here. It's always  great when you come. You need to come more often. It's been so long since the last time you came—" Auntie, Fahad bhai's Mom, was the cutest and the most adorable lady I had ever met. She was just love. Still in Auntie's embrace, I accidentally caught him staring at me with that sly teasing grin that I could recall from a similar incident before. I frowned at him slightly before turning away and got back to greeting everyone one by one, until someone suggested we should move inside as it was time to start the party. It was already late as they were waiting for me to come. Maha started dragging me to her room to get ready and accidentally my gaze wandered to him, who was laughing at something that Fahad bhai had said, as they made way outside to the garden, where the baby shower was being held.

"Oh look, your bag is already here." I snapped back to reality on Maha's voice and walked into her room.

"Soooooo?? How was your trip?" She teased, after sitting on the bed with some effort. I was busy opening my bag to get clothes to change into, so her words took a moment to register in my head.

"You!!" I shouted and she smiled evilly at that.

"How could you—!! Why wouldn't—Why didn't you tell me that he was coming to pick me?!" I snapped after recalling that important detail. 

"Honestly, I had no idea that he was going too. Sorry. Maybe they had to pick something for the bbq on the way so he tagged along?" She explained helpfully but I wasn't buying it.

"Even so! You should've warned me that he was here today Maha." I whined and could feel the heat rise up my cheeks.

"You would've panicked for no reason. See, I spared you some anxiety. Aren't I very nice?" She chided in attempts to earn some praise.

"Yeah right!" I returned smiling before throwing my shirt on the bed beside her. She giggled at that and I went back to getting other stuff out.

"Still, it's been what? 9 months? Since housejob ended? I didn't think you would still be hung up on him." She remarked carelessly but I became still at my spot. 

"Of course not. I had long ago stopped thinking about him. It just gave me a shock, is all." I brushed her away while zipping the suitcase.

"If you say so. But I did catch you two in the lawn—staring at each other." She was completely enjoying this situation, I thought gaping at her in pure horror.

"Did Fahad bhai—" She didn't need me to finish my sentence.

"No. Sahar came in before he could. Only I noticed." She giggled at the end of her sentence and I could only shake my head in dismay.

"Maybe he does have a thing for you Noor. I mean the way he was staring and he even went to pick you—-" Maha was suggesting something I had long before stopped considering. Took me a painfully long time and a lot of tears to get this far.

"Stop it—" I had to pause to let out a breath. It was suddenly getting hard to breathe.

"I have already moved on. I don't even want to talk about this." It took great effort to get these words out.

"I see. If you say so, but I don't believe you." She said calmly, while getting up.

"I'll let you get ready." I watched her leave with a blank expression. Suddenly, I wasn't feeling so good.

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Almost half an hour later, I stepped out in a traditional aqua dress, to match the theme of the occasion. Walking down the stairs to the garden, I wondered if I looked okay. Suddenly, I felt seriously conscious about how I was looking. It was sunny but not too hot Alhumdulillah.  

I didn't dare look up as I walked down the stairs, until I had a sudden urge to lift my head. It took only a moment for my eyes to find him and all the air in my lungs was knocked out when I saw him looking right back at me. Maybe I had stopped walking, or I might've still been walking. I am not too sure, but I remember we were brought out of our trance when he had accidentally burnt his hand on the bbq stand.

"Shit! Haider! Are you okay?" I heard Fahad bhai say, who was standing beside him. I, on the other hand had already turned away, in vain attempts to cover up any sort of involvement. Although my heartbeat was so quick, it was enough to give me a heart attack.

"What happened?"I heard Auntie inquire from the other side. Suddenly everyone was panicking so I quietly walked to where Maha was sitting with Sahar baji and Auntie.

"Not sure." I returned with a shrug, avoiding direct eye contact with anyone and pulled out a chair to take my seat.

"Ma sha Allah you look so pretty dear!" Auntie remarked giving me a light peck on my cheek.

"I think someone got hurt—Mahnoor! You look so pretty! I adore your dress.!" Sahar baji offered helpfully as she walked towards us with some cocktails and immediately followed up with a compliment. I turned a deep shade of red for various reasons, but didn't dare look up.

"Raahim, what happened?" Auntie asked Fahad bhai's elder brother and Sahar baji's husband, who was walking towards us.

"Oh, it was nothing. Haider got a little burnt from the bbq skewer. Fahad is doing his dressing now. He'll be alright." He explained without stopping. 

"I wonder how that happened?" I heard Maha say and looked up to find a playful grin on her face. My heartbeat chose that time to quicken, like some thief caught up in his act. So, I meekly turned my gaze down.