Next morning I wake up with a phone call. It's mom. My head still hurts a little as I sit and rub my eye with one hand while answer the call with the other. "Hello? " I ask

"Hey, dear. You up? " my mother's voice sounds fresh and I also hear few other voices on the back.

"yeah, woke up just now.. " I reply and yawn. God I really want to go back to sleep.

"I have two important meetings to attend today, so will you go and buy groceries from the store? I've left the list on the counter. " she tells me and I hear a female voice calls her from behind, "come on Sarah, we're leaving. "

"I will." I tell my mom and make my way towards the bathroom.

"OK. See you later. Take care. " she says quickly and hangup.

I throw my phone on the bed and turn the shower on. The warm water works a little to calm my nerves and reduces the headache at some point.
Standing there in shower I try to remember last night. I don't know when I fell asleep. I don't know at what time my mother came home. I only remember coming home in a very upset and unhappy mood, probably hating Danish and never wanting to see his face again. I also remember drinking a glass of water and then going to bed with a book in my hands. That's it.

I wrap a towel around myself and come outside. After putting on my favourite yellow T-shirt and blue skinnies, I brush my hair and walk towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast for myself. A glass of milk and a toast does good to start a day fresh.

As I go through the list my mom has left for me, my phone rings again. This time it's Haya. Shit! I completely forgot calling her back!

"Hey?" I say as I receive the call.

"you said you'd call me back! " she sounds angry and I roll my eyes because she doesn't know what a creepy night I had.

"I completely forgot. How about I meet you this evening? I'm going to buy groceries right now and will visit you after that? " I ask her and she agrees.

I hang up the call and pick up my purse and keys and leave the house.

******

The All You Need Store is very crowded as the Month of March has just begun. It's a large super market of three floors. The basement has all the cosmetics and cutlery items while the first floor has groceries and the second floor is for jewellery, shoes, bags and clothes. I pick one basket and start adding the grocery items to it.
When I'm done with that, I keep the basket at one side and make my way towards downstairs to look for some cosmetics I might need for Haya's wedding.

Lost in my own thoughts I'm going downstairs and suddenly get hit by someone from the back. A scream came out of my mouth as my foot slips and I am about to fall down but  someone just pulls me up by my hand.
My eyes are tightly shut and for a moment I forget how to breathe.

I can sense a smell of chewing gum but I'm too afraid to open my eyes I don't know why.

"Saba? " asks a male voice that sounds a lot familiar to me. I open my eyes and find a pair of golden brown eyes staring at me in the eye. They look deep, happy and.... Dangerous again. No way! I stand up quickly on my feet and suddenly all my confidence is just gone.

It's Danish!

"Can't you see where you're walking? I would have fallen down if ____"

"if I didn't catch you. " he completes my sentence with a smirk.

"who the hell do you think you are? " I snap and he smiles again.

"Danish Amin" he replies and bring his hand forward to shake mine but I refuse and start walking downstairs.
I don't want to involve myself in an argument with him again. God knows I didn't even want to see his face again yet he is here, just a few feet away from me.

"Saba please, listen to me. " I hear him say but I shake my head in response. Just then I am pulled by my arm. My back resting on the wall and the face of the person I want to hate so much is just few inches away from mine.

"just give me a chance to apologize, please. Stay calm for a sec, will you? " his hands are on my shoulder and his eyes are focused on mine. I can't think of anything when he's staring like that. I do as he says and stay quiet, when he is satisfied that I will not snap anymore, he sighs and begins,
"I really wanted to see you one more time so that I can apologize for my behaviour last night. I was drunk but I really shouldn't have shouted on you or pushed you away. Believe me I didn't want to. I thought we would never meet again but I'm glad we are here together. I'm really sorry, Saba. I mean it. "

"Get a room you two! " I hear someone call from behind when Danish answers, " no thanks, we're fine here! "

I can't help myself and burst out laughing, watching me laugh makes him laugh as well. He let's go of my shoulders and looks at me with questioning eyes.

"So? " he asks.

"what? "

"can we be friends? "

"Only if you don't plan on hurting me like that again." I reply and he nods.

" I won't." he replies. I sense a different expression this time, he's smiling but this smile is not a happy smile... I don't know but it looks more like a playboy smile. I push the thought away and start looking for cosmetics.

"Really? You are one of those girls who buy shit like this to look perfect?"  Danish says as I pick up the eyeshadow palette.

"Who doesn't use them? " I say and walk pass him.

"well in my opinion, you don't need any of these. " he says as he picks a blush on kit, turns it and then keeps it back to its place.

"I didn't ask for your opinion anyway." I reply with a smile. His jaw clenches for a moment but then his face gets back to normal. "whatever. " I hear him muttering.

After being done I take all my things including the basket to the cash counter. "that will be Rs.130 ma'am. " the guy says and I take out the money from my purse. Danish's eyes widenup as I open my purse but then he shakes his head as if he's trying his best not to look at my wallet that way.
Maybe that's a misunderstanding, but I really noticed him staring right at my wallet.

"here's your change. " the guy says as he hands me twenty dollars back.

"Thank you. " I reply and we both walk outside.

"May I drop you home? " Danish asks as we both begin to walk towards my car.

"I would love to, but I have my car. " I reply and his face fells.

"well, how about a coffee right now? "
He asks again, expecting me to agree on that. And I do.

*****