~Shahveer

"Shit"

The clouds burst into a loud thunderbolt as the lightning stroke across the horizon and without any delay, the uninvited heavy downpour started adding fuel to the fire.

"Shit!"

I kicked the trunk of my black SUV once again.

I extremely hated rain!!!

Specially the unannounced one !

And rain in Pakistan meant disaster.

I was trying to escape to the nearest bar as soon as possible.
But definitely can't take a risk while driving out this new SUV in such a wild thunderstorm.

Angrily, I took out my electronic cigarette from the back seat of my car and started smoking in order to calm down my already boiling nerves.

I just hate it when someone enters my room. Specially these pathetic subordinates. Silly servants!

Don't know where the hell she had kept my charger?

After 15 minutes of heavy smoking, I finally realized that another disastrous thunderstorm was waiting for me inside the mansion.

More disastrous than this one!

I had already expected a boring lecture from Mom and Dad. But I wasn't in a mood to face them.
Who the hell has time to listen to these conservative parents anyway?

Sluggishly dragging my completely drenched form towards the entrance, I quietly peeked through the corridor in order to avoid any unwanted creepy glares. All I wanted to do was change this heavily drenched outfit of mine and immediately race my car towards the nearest club here in Lahore as soon as this bloody rain stops!

After all, it wasn't that hard to explore some nightclubs in Lahore.

Pheww! This mansion was more like a 'bhool bhulaiyyan'! What's the freaking point of having these uncountable rooms and that too, for only four people?

Busy scrolling down through my phone, I unintentionally turned left towards the main corridor. My gaze was still glued on the screen which displayed thousands of unread boring messages from Melissa, Ryan, Claire, Sonya, Jackson and dozens of more creepy heads.

Ever since I had stepped in Pakistan, my Manchester squad had pledged to drive me crazy by messaging me continuously as if I was dead or what? Don't know when they will learn to respect my privacy. It's not that I am partying here without them. I hate getting so much attention.

It sucks!!!!!!!

For God's sake let me enjoy my sister's wedding for two weeks at least!!

Not giving a damn where my tracks were leading me to, I turned towards the door which I assumed lead to Alizeh's bedroom. Certainly not ready to remove my eyes from the phone and well of course, thanks to my totally absurd and perfectly spoiled manners, I hurriedly pushed the door open without even giving a single knock!

And.... then.... I...... blurted......out.....

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"Hey lazy head. Please lend me your____!!"
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WHAT ..... THE ........?......

Just a few meters away from me, there sat a fragile figure on a prayer mat who was apparently moving down in order to prostrate.

A peachy silk scarf was wrapped neatly around her pink, rosy, glowing face as she softly murmured the prayers.

I stared at her blankly as if there was an alien sitting in front of me who perhaps came from an alien culture?

My eyes unintentionally followed every move of hers as she bowed again for the second prostration.

This one was even more detailed than before.

God knows what was she doing?

What was making her prostrate again and again?

Interesting!

I pursed my lips trying to control my laughter as if I was watching a comedy show.

Gradually but unknowingly, my gaze landed on her hands.

They looked soft, fragile and angelic.

Her nails were not painted.
Something I was habitual of watching on the fingers of other girls.

Her pink moist lips quivered as she slowly lifted her head up and started murmuring some words again.

The words which seemed almost unfamiliar.

Slowly and gradually my eyes followed her index finger which she raised and then lowered politely while whispering few more verses.

It seemed as if my gaze was perfectly synchronized with each and every single action of hers as every next action was newer for me than the last one.

After exactly two minutes of murmuring, she turned towards her right and offered what seemed like a 'salam'.

Perhaps!

Then she slowly turned towards her left, her almost familiar hazel brown large deer-like eyes were still lowered as she looked towards her shoulder and murmured once again,

"Assalam u alaikum warahmatullah''

The hazel brown large deer-like eyes!

They seemed familiar. A blurred memory tried to help me recognize this stranger.

But it faded as soon as I tried to concentrate on it!

She slowly raised her long thick black eyelashes which had already filled the atmosphere surrounding us with purity and chastity!

And that's when I came out of my what seemed like an unbreakable trance!

Wait!

A trance?

Was I hypnotized?

Maybe because this was the very first time in my life I was watching a girl offering Salah in front of me.

Who is she?

It felt as if a spell was casted on me. I am afraid I haven't even blinked once in these four minutes.

Then she softly raised her hands and shaped them into a crescent and started making a Dua very peacefully.

Just a few seconds later, thank God she had finally realized that someone was watching her which abruptly made her jerk nervously from her position.

Why the hell did she seem so familiar when she simply wasn't?

As soon as her large kohl-filled eyes slowly moved to have a glance of her silent stalker, they twinkled with shock and ecstasy simultaneously.

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And that's when our eyes met!

For the very first time.

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~Hooriyah

"Hey lazy head. Please lend me your____"

I stiffened during my sujood. It seemed as if someone had extracted my heart straight out of my chest.

So this hyper, angry young man was finally here!

I tried to calm down myself as I prepared myself for the second sujood.

I wanted to completely concentrate on my prayers as I hated being interrupted by unwanted thoughts and conversations during my Namaz.

I hated each and every single thing which tried to distract me from my highly focused prayers and deep conversations with Almighty Allah.

But how can I hate the interference of someone who was so dear to me.

I could continuously feel his sharp deathly gaze glued on my trembling figure as I turned towards my right to offer salam.

Why wasn't he leaving? Does he even know how to respect someone's privacy?

God! I was literally shivering with nervousness.

Having no intention to land my eyes on his precious form , I tried to completely ignore his presence as I proceeded to raise my trembling hands in front of my Lord to make a detailed, very detailed prayer!

But this was getting complex after every passing second.

He wasn't moving an inch!

I finally gave up and slowly turned towards my left where this silent stalker was disrespectfully staring at me until I realized that my eyes were twinkling with shock and ecstasy, simultaneously!

And that's when our eyes met!

For the very first time in 18 years.

Drenched badly!

Water droplets slowly dripped from his dark brown hair and then through his thick eyebrows, then his smooth beard-free cheeks and chin and finally traced down through his neck towards his black collars.

His hands were tightly closed in a fist.

He was here! Right in front of me.

I feared to blink, so that I don't miss that perfect glance of his presence.

I feared to move, so that he doesn't disappear from where he stood.

I feared to speak, so that he doesn't talk to me the way he talked to Rukhsar Bibi in the morning.

Who was he?

A fantasy?

A flashback?

A memory?

Or a trance?

No doubt...

He was Veer!

My Shahveer!

This Shahveer was totally different from the Shahveer I saw in the morning.

This time, he was looking much welcoming than before.

The only thing which constantly made me feel inferior in front of him were his extremely dashing looks.

I was nothing in front of him.

I was a jerk. He was a book full of wisdom!

I was a lonely star which was impossible to be spotted on a dark sky .He was a bright sun ready to welcome a beautiful morning!

I was like sand from a beach ready to be crumbled any second. He was like a beautiful horizon ready to pour blissful rain any second!

I was an ordinary stone ready to be thrown away. He was an emerald ready to leave everyone craving badly for him!

I was a beggar begging for his love from God since childhood. He was the owner of this kingdom and had everything he had ever wished for !

All I could say was,

MashaAllah!

I smiled again while staring him with my lost eyes until he broke my trance.

"Ehmm Ehm" He coughed politely.

"I'm sorry for crashing into your room without knocking. I mistakenly assumed this room to be Alizeh's"

He scratched his neck sheepishly.

I remained silent.

For few seconds....!
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Until I realized that I was still staring at him, blankly

I jerked.

"Umm.. No ... Its.. Okay! Alizeh's one is..... the one...next to mine!"

Gosh! I was stammering.

"It's kind of really hard to remember each and every room in this creepy house. Well thanks then! I will go fetch that lazy head now!"

He finally turned to leave the room.

Wait WHAT?

Won't he even ask how the hell was I?

"Shahveer"

Being a totally desperate psychopath, I quickly got up from my prayer mat to stop him.

If desperation had a face, it would be exactly the same as mine.

He kind of looked shocked as he turned back, facing me.

Well! Now was he expecting me to not know his name?

"How are you?" I asked shyly while trying to stop myself from blushing.

Well that was extremely stupid of me.

"I'm fine." He responded coolly, with all his swag he had been gathering in these 18 years.

"You know me?" He added while squinting his large olive green eyes.

What kind of idiot was he?

"Well obviously Shahveer! Why won't I?" I chuckled, trying to be frank.

"Wait a minute! Are you the same guest MOM was talking about in the morning? " He asked with some embarrassment dancing through his eyes

"Mmmm..
Well I am sorry for misbehaving at that time. I kind of lost my temper. Just hate it when someone messes up with my belongings!" He rolled his eyes.

Wow! Very Nice VEER!

I tried my best to forget what he did in the morning but it was kind of hard to do!

"Umm it's okay, by the way I am Hoor!"

I smiled ear to ear expecting him to quickly recognize his favorite childhood buddy.

"Hoor? .......... Who?" He looked upon my desperate state with confusion, waiting for me to respond.

I paused.

The floor beneath my feet immediately swept away.

I gasped him with horror.

Saying that my world had almost collapsed would be probably the most accurate representation of my condition!

Hoor Who???

These words kept on ringing in my head making me feel extremely really very embarrassed.

It felt as if I had wasted my whole freaking self after someone who didn't even know who the hell was HOOR?

"Hooriyah Jahangir Khan"

I mustered up some courage to speak, trying to strictly stop those unwanted tears which were ready to dwell up in my eyes any time!

"Ohhh, I see!! Jahangir Uncle's daughter right? Hmm...Alizeh had almost eaten my whole freaking brain off, telling myriad of things about you. Hooriyah this Hooriyah that!"

He laughed hysterically while shaking his head.

Oh, so he actually remembered?Wow!

"Well how's Annabelle now, that creepy , horrible doll of yours ,Hu-ree-yahh?" He chuckled.

He pronounced my name in a British accent.
Never in my life I had loved my name to this extent!
I couldn't help myself but burst into laughter.

"She might have grown up. Haven't she?" He smiled.

Oh God! He remembered me! He remembered each and everything!

I was finally relieved.

"She's absolutely fine. She actually asked me to give her Salam to you!" I giggled.

"Well then say my Walaikumassalam to her!" He joked back.

I couldn't stop laughing now. He looked so cute while joking like this.

Eventually, there was complete silence between us as soon as we stopped laughing.

Oh Veer! I wish I could tell you how much I have missed you. How much these 18 years had been painful for me without your presence.

"I missed you both a lot!"

Don't know what made that come out of my mouth, but I didn't want to stay silent anymore.

Wasn't the silence of these 18 years enough?

He abruptly looked towards me with amazement.

Then he slowly came forward while staring straight in my eyes. He was expressionless but his gaze was deathly, gradually making me feel numb from inside. He didn't even dare to lower his piercing gaze which seemed like never ending!

My heart started to beat faster and faster .

I decided to lower my gaze as he was still a non-mehram for me.

I tried to take few steps back as his strong heavenly fragrance started to enter my nose.

"Relax!" He had already sensed my discomfort so he stopped in his tracks.

"So, what made you miss me?" He folded his arms around his chest while his eyes sparkled with cunningness.

His evil smirk made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

What was his problem?

"I mean, in all these eighteen years, there was no contact between us. I always used to wonder if you even remembered that sweet friendship of ours?" I answered with much hesitation while my gaze was still glued to the floor.

There was complete silence.

I could feel his sharp gaze falling on me once again.

What was he doing?

Was he examining me?

Was he scrutinizing me?

Or judging me?

He was acting so strangely!

"Hmmm.... Of course I didn't forget anything. "

He smirked while tapping his fingers on his chin as he watched my hands which were trembling wildly with nervousness.

Was he enjoying all of this?

But I wasn't sharing jokes over here !

"You are really wet Shahveer! I think you should go and change before you catch flu!" I tried to divert his freaking attention.

"Ahan?.... Really?" He teased .

"Well, I don't think so!" He smiled cunningly.

And just when he said that, he started sneezing.

Serves you right, dear!

"Oh, poor soul! Bless you!" I whispered, faking innocence.

He looked back at me wondering how could someone's prediction be so timely and accurate?

Thank God his phone started to ring.

"God these assh*les are not going to leave me alone at all!" He mumbled under his breath.

He was swearing! In front of a girl?

Talk about ethics?? Did he know any?

He came closer, leaving just few inches between us and whispered sarcastically,

"Will meet you downstairs for the dinner, my long lost friend !"

He smirked for one last time.

I gulped.

I might be wrong, but it seemed more like a taunt to me!

He winked cunningly while finally leaving the room.

I was shocked!

This seemed to be an extremely bold act for me. I wasn't habitual of talking to boys. But I wasn't expecting such manners from a gentleman like Shahveer.

But, was he really a gentleman now?

Was it just a misunderstanding or he was really behaving awkwardly?

Why did his sharp, deathly, freaky gaze made me feel cringe?

My worried thoughts were finally interrupted by a polite knock on the door.
There stood a small boy dressed very neatly. He was one of the servants working in this mansion.

"Ma'am, the dinner is ready, everyone is waiting for you downstairs."

How I wish I could tell him that my hunger had already faded away.
I nodded, to which the small boy smiled while leaving.

"Listen" I stopped him

"I'm Hoor. Call me hoor api okay? Ma'am doesn't sound good!" I scrunched my nose while softly caressing his neatly combed hair.

"Okay api! By the way I am Aman!" The boy smiled while shaking hands with me.

I smiled and followed Aman as he showed me the way towards the dining room, trying my best to forget those disturbing, unapologetic and cunning smirks and gazes of someone, who was unfortunately so dear to my heart!