Imperfect Perfections

[17] Shock and Jealousy

Fahim's POV

The building looked wide and huge at once glance. For once, I wanted to impress her. Show her the meaning of the luxury of what I had. Show her I'm worthy of this infatuation. I wanted to cherish her with beautiful memories. 

After all, inevitably, she had come for me. Nobody might admit it, but both I and Harith knew. And so did she.

The taxi let us out, near the gates itself. Huge metal clanging gates with double security cabins with a duo each. They reached through the side gate and asked for our IDs and reservation.

"Fahim from the Khairan. Booked forty rooms"

The excitement on her face said she was impressed. Exactly like I had wanted her to be.

"Please..come", one of the securities in a blue uniform, who looked young and tall, guided us. His eyes were blinking for her direction; a quality I resented. However, like a cheerful sparrow, she smiled back thereby destroying my envy.

"These are the rooms. For any queries, feel free to call me. I'm Hassan by the way"

He put forward a hand, which had been for her but was taken forth by Harith. Meeting his gaze, I was glad and relieved. He had comprehended the situation just like I had.

"What a flirt!", he barked, falling upon the smooth bed. "Comfy!", he then swam like a man in the ocean.

She laughed and smacked his forehead. I took her bags to which she relented without a glance and jumped upon the bed. Seeing her free-spirited with Harith showed me how much she had changed. the shy, naive girl who hadn't spoken to any boy but me, had changed so much. 

"What are we eating?! I want sausage.....", Harith giggled, playing with her shawl. She pulled it and tied his arms and chuckled,

"Yeah, why don't somebody feed him?"

Harith pushed her away and began to tickle her, much to her surprise as she fell backward and hit her head. The pain of her neck shot again and she laid back, groaning.

"Oh, sorry!", he screamed in guilt and turned back. 

His fingers lifted her head, which no longer carried the bandage, and placed it softly on a pillow. It was beautiful watching him tend to her; but somewhere inside, watching him do it instead of me, envied and that began all the danger.

Between him and her.

And between me and her.

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"So what do you guys want tonight? It's going to be from the Supervising Cafe here, known for the best homemade dishes"

She burped at the sound of it, though muffled one, which made him laugh out loud,

"Hey! Throughout the journey too, I never heard you burp!"

"Shut up!", she shyly looked up at me, making my lips curve into a tiny smile. But I suppressed it again,

"Come on, say, what you want...Cafe closes at nine."

He looked up from unpacking his bags,

"Stupid early birds!"

She laughed and threw a pillow at him.

"I need anything special! Like meat?....yah...my tummy here...is... I'm craving meat....", he looked at her, if she approved it. She nodded,

"Meat, it is. But for dessert, ice cream?", her eyes glistened, making me aware she loved it.

He nodded again, and they looked at me like their menu had come hand-in-hand.

I coughed sightly and noted it down.

"Shall we come along? Where are you going, by the way?", he put on a sweater.

"Downstairs', I marked.

He smiled, "Then let's go together!", he picked up a red scarf and gave it to her. She had changed before I had walked in, though in the room with him, or at the bathroom; it surprised me or rather made me curious as hell. But no boy asked, so I didn't too.

She was in a sash red churidar, with the red scar wrapped around her neckline, and those red earrings and red bangles. I had never seen her dress up before. At school, she arrived in uniform with minimized decorations as possible, but today, she looked like a dressed-up hijabi girl, and for a minute, I was stunned by her beauty.

"Fami, you are-

"Looking amazing?"

Harith teased, making her grin shyly.

"Looking okay", my voice faltered and I swirled to move back.

I didn't look at her. Maybe, she must have felt sad but I didn't know why but that tease had made me change my mind.

Of course, why I'm envying him with her?

He is my best friend.

She is my lover.

He accompanied her, with the intention to help her out.

Yeah? 

What's the big deal?

Fahim, what the f**k is wrong with you?

The moments these questions encircle my brain, we had reached downstairs. 

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"Room number?"

"456 and 457...and 458"

But he corrected me. 

"No! Only two rooms-456 and ..", she completed "457"

I was shocked! Staring at the two of them, I asked,

"We are staying in three different rooms.."

He nodded, making a straight face,

"Of course we are! But you are leaving.."

I shook my head, "No!"

"You wanna stay?"

I nodded, regardless of their grins. Harith slapped my back like he had won a trophy or something, and winked at Fami, who was grinning widely now. This telepathy and mind-connections they shared was driving me nuts, but it was useless. They two showed no bit of unhappiness, except for my breaking heart which was questioning me like a culprit, third-wheeling on them.

"We thought, then we can stay in one room. We three. Its been a while, hasn't it been?"

He cleared his throat,

"Let's play through the night, disco! Yeah?", he smiled widely at Fami who agreed without another thought. Her laughter, her excitement, her glistening eyes arrived again; and I didn't know why nothing I said, made it come.

"Umm...but we have to go there by noon"

"So what?", he put out a tongue.

"Good sleep is required."

Harith mimicked me, bored.

I sighed and marked for three rooms itself, or otherwise, the impatient waiter would have kicked us out right then.

"Seriously?"

I pushed the room cards to their hands. "That's how it was booked. A room for one"

"Boring!!", he remarked, in a smirk and held her hand. For a moment, my heart lurched and I felt like slapping him. I hoped, somewhere, she would push away his hand. But like there was nothing wrong with it, and my thoughts were weird; she held it strongly and they walked, hand-in-hand towards the stairs, down to the cafeteria. 

I held my breath softly. It was turning ragged.

"He has been that close?!"

"What the heck is-"

"You not coming?", he turned around, still holding hands. Her eyes met mine and waited, brightly. 

I nodded, and trudged behind at a close pace, feeling restless.

In a period of what felt like a hour, we reached the main counter.

Where the real danger awaited me.

The moment where I realized nothing was possible.

Me and her.

Together.

Nothing.

"2 chicken rice noodles please..", I marked, watching the two of them at the corner of an eye, smiling and laughing. She was ecstatic by his jokes, pinching him, blaming and even smacking him.They were.....close. And has turned out to be. Ofcourse, I had been absent after the station incident but does that mean, she would go search for another man in her life?

Thoughts were good and ridiculous. 

"Sir? The cash..."

I looked up, coming back to my sense, and took out a few rupees, paying him. As he was collecting the change, he met my gaze and looked at the table they sat.

"They are with you, sir?"

I nodded and took the receipt. 

"Umm...she too?"

Confused by the concern, I nodded,

"Why so? Know her?"

He gasped,

"Of course. Our dear bachcha, she is."

The informality was astonishing, but more was the shining laughter the counter-man gave.

"Bachcha?"

He smiled,

"The very own. Our very own. The daughter of Sahib Kareem Patani. It's she, Famisha"

My shock showed the man, I hadn't known.

"Oh Fahim Sahib, I thought you knew. I work for Kareem Sahib and my eyes and heart will not deny her identity. Who doesn't know her? Who doesn't know what she did? Who doesn't know her story?'

"Story?"

And there came, the unanticipated underlying knowledge, from the most unexpected man ever.