"He is such a gentle man, Noorie," Zayna said in a happy tone, grabbing Noorie's arms, as soon as they were out Aftab's sight.

For once, Noorie felt as if he is following her again. She turned her head to look back but only to find that she had been wrong. She should have felt relieved but her face was expressionless.

She didn't knew how to react to what Zayna's non-stop chatter about him. Everything happened so unexpectedly and the stress she had gone through worrying over Zayna's reaction over the truth that she had hidden from her, didn't allowed her to be herself and to make things more hard for her, the glances that Aftab sent towards her were no less uncomfortable. And to add to the list of her badluck, now her friend knows about him and Noorie has no idea how to tell her what she has done. It might not be a big deal for Zayna to understand what, how and why things happened with her and Aftab, but the fact that she kept her in the dark throughout, was a matter of concern.

"Hmmm," was all she uttered as her mind contemplated over how her reaction on knowing the truth.

Will Zayna judge her?, her mind wondered and she panicked as the thought couldn't be ruled out. She looked at her friend as they kept walking towards Zayna's car at parking lot as she kept talking about how guys these days are so ill-mannered, but Aftab seemed decent.

Decent? Noorie thought him to be so once as well but he sort of ruined that image by not keeping his words and following her, knowing too well she was ignoring him at the gift shop. Why?m she almost cried inside. Life, finally was going smoothly until he turned up...

Noorie felt as if she had been on a ride. She wondered why had he followed her. Or, if he was being truthful about his friend meeting him there. She doubted it. They were together for almost forty five minutes but, no one turned up. Or, maybe the guy was really stuck in a bad traffic jam, Noorie tried to believe it but couldn't. Her mind was reeling with confusion and to the shock of meeting him at the gift shop and then him re-appearing at the same cafe. It was too much for a coincidence in a single day.

And Now, everything felt like a chaos. A chaos that is threatening her friendship with Zayna, she thought sadly.

"Why you are making that face? Don't you think he is decent?," Zayna asked curiously as she finally turned to look at her friend while unlocking her car.

Noorie felt as if she was caught in the act. She quickly control the route of her thoughts and replied as she sat on the car ,"I don't know him much, but from what I know about him, you might be..." Her voice was cut off as she uttered 'right' because of the blaring horn of another car blocking their way, the driver it seems was intending to park it beside Zayna's car.

It was past noon. A rush hour. The driver of the car almost bumped his car with Zayna's in the process of parking it. He didn't even waited for Zayna to take off as she turned her car in the direction of moving out of the parking space. Other cars , behind it kept horning and within seconds everything became messy with people shouting but, the driver didn't seemed to be bothered at all.

Zayna was irritated and she peeped out of the window and called out for the driver. "Can't you see I'm trying to get out of here?," She said loudly so that she can be heard.

The man on the driver seat peeped put of the window to say something, but Noorie noticed that as soon as he saw Zayna, he lifted his eyebrows mockingly and there was a lazy smile on his face. She didn't understood why. Looking at Zayna's pale expression Noorie realized that they knew each other. If anything, then Zayna looked more angrier than before. Almost outraged, as the man, inspite of all the angry voices managed to park his car beside Zayna's and then as Zayna tried to ignore him and head out of the chaotic place, he rushed behind her car and grabbing hold of the window by her side, looked down and smiled at her mischievously.

The way Zayna's eyes blazed with anger, Noorie was sure she was to witness a storm. God bless the man, whoever he is and whatever he had done to arouse anger in her friend. Zayna is cool, but when she is angry, she blasts.

"Zayna, what's wrong? Who is he?," Noorie had asked as she saw him running after their car.

Between gritted teeths and looking at him sharply, Zayna uttered, "Sohail Khan."

"Hawwww," Noorie exclaimed, but her reaction was overlooked as Sohail khan leaned more and said, 'So glad, you still remember me." There was mockery in his tone. The passer by witness the scene causing much embarrassment for Zayna. Sohail Khan didn't cared about the rude words that were being hurled at him for stopping the car mid-way and creating a jam.

"I even remember that dog who bit me while I was young," Zayna replied sarcastically.

There was warning glint in the man's eyes, Noorie noticed. She has never met the man, but knows a lot about him from her friend. He is not a nice person and Noorie does not want Zayna to mess with him. "Let's just go, Zayna," she requested.

Zayna looked helplessly at her friend. She cannot move as he firmly hold the gate of the car. If she try to drive away, he might get injured, if he didn't pull back.

Zayna gave Sohail an irritating glare as she asked, "What the hell do you want?"

Sohail was enjoying the state of helplessness he put her in. Though he looked at Noorie and said, "Sorry for the trouble Mam, but I have something important to discuss with your friend."

"Isn't it obvious to you that she is not interested in talking to you?," Noorie said boldly.

"But, she has no option," he replied flatly.

"Option or not, I'm not listening to your craps. Move right away orelse....," Her words were cut by his, as he mocked,"orelse, you will call daddy and complain about me?" His brown eyes were shining with a very challenging light in them.

Noorie notice that he was well-dressed man and looked as if he belongs from a good family, but his behavior is so unimpressive. He was every inch of the arrogant and Ill-mannered man, Zayna had told her.

"I can take care of myself unlike what you believe. Just get out of my way or I'm going to crush your car and your ego with one Big Bang," Zayna threatened as re-started her car.

The man literally laughed at her knowing too well she wouldn't do such a thing. "Okay...,"He uttered, finally giving in to the crowd that was beginning to surround them and added confidently,"Don't consider it over. We will meet again and you have to talk to me."

"In your dreams!", Zayna said haughtily.

Sohail smiled in the same mischievous way again as he pointed out,"So you plan to meet me in dreams."

Zayna never felt so agitated in her entire life. She had this niggling feeling to slap him and put all his chauvinism to an end, right in front of everyone. But, she was taught better manners than that so she just geared up her car again and without caring if he pulls back or not, she re-started her car and drove away from him in quite a speed.

From the rear view mirror, she saw him smiling at her still. "Certainly, he is the most annoying male on this earth," she finally cried out in irritation to Noorie and added as she let out a deep breath," You are so lucky you met someone like Aftab and not a creature like this one."

Noorie thoughtfully considered her words and inside her heart she knew that Zayna is right. Whatever reasons there might be for Aftab to follow her but, he never misbehaved with her or embarrassed her in front of Zayna by letting out the truth. No one is perfect in this world. He might have his flaws too but, certainly he is considerate, well-mannered and helpful towards others - even strangers. Noorie felt a deep sense of guilt for her rude behavior at the cafe and for judging him basing on the assumptions of her mind.

"You are right," She finally managed to accept it whole heartedly.

"I know," Zayna said as she turned to look at her friend, assessing wrongly that Noorie was talking about Sohail and said with anger, "I felt like slapping him for the way he embarrassed us out there. God's damn on him..."

"No, don't curse like this over such petty things," Noorie stopped her immediately, not trying to correct her by saying that she meant that for Aftab, not Sohail. Zayna seemed in no mood to forget the incident.

"Petty things? What he has done was bad and so embarrassing."

"I know, It was wrong but, still...."

"Still what?," Zayna words were of frustration. "He knows too well I hate even to look at him and he blocked me on the road to talk with me."

"Maybe..." Noorie hesitated saying as she fumbled with her mobile, not sure if she is thinking right. Zayna narrowed her gaze at her and asked, "Maybe what?"

"Uhmmm... Nothing, just a silly thought."

"I am in no mood to play guessing game so just tell me about it," Zayan said, trying to regain her cool.

"Later, not now. I don't think it's the right time to talk about it," Noorie replied trying not to raise the subject of Zayna's past experience with Sohail at the moment, when Zayna is already to heated up with his behavior.

"What's wrong with you?," Zayna words were a bit harsh. "When I asked you about Aftab, you said later. Now I'm asking you about what is on your mind, again you reply back saying later. Suddenly, you choose to keep things from me. Why???"

Noorie paled. She had no words to make Zayna understand her reasons but, she was sure of how Zayna's reaction will be once she comes to know that Noorie had kept her in the dark, all these months.

Her so loved and protected world was beginning to crumple.