Fizah

ملاقات|Mulaqat

"Hasna aata hai mujhe
Mujhse ghum ki baat nahi hoti
Meri baaton mein mazaak hota hai
Par meri har baat mazaak nahi hoti."

He was late. Zahid was unusually late. He walked out of the gym and rushed into his room to get ready. The night was very long for his liking and he had to drown himself in the unholy drink to stop himself from taking an action that he might end up regretting.

He grabbed a towel from the ottoman and pressed it against his face to dry the sweat, his chest heaved up and down as he kept abusing his lungs and his throat burned. He knew he had gone a bit too much earlier the night. His muscles throbbed begging to rest, there was no single second in the night when he had rested his body against the bed. He was busy wallowing in his past. He wouldn't let himself live until he got what he wanted.

He threw out a pair of his signature black suit and a grey button up shirt before his heels pivoted to the bathroom. The hot shower was a blessing in the hour of torture, it immediately relaxed his muscles and he let out a breath of relief. His eyes sought refuge under the thick blanket of his black locks.

After fifteen or more minutes, he came out ruffling his hair with a towel. He stared at his ghostly appearance in front of the mirror that mirrored nothing but emptiness. He couldn't have seen any other emotion knowing his heart was empty and shallow. His face resembled much like him. The man, the cause of his destruction. He retreated from the mirror, he didn't want to be reminded of him. He dressed and stormed out of his room without giving a second glance.

He fished out his phone and went through few emails while climbing down the flight of stairs when his eyes caught someone sit in the sofa. He squinted in confusion as he approached.

"You?" He asked. The other person got up and they bro-hugged. The world knew him for being one of the few people Zahid loved or even spared a glance at.

"Surprised?" Ehan chuckled, bringing back his hand to himself and shoved it in his pocket. Zahid shook his head and went to the dining table to get his coffee. "Coffee peeyega?" He asked, raising the mug to his head level. Ehan without wasting a time replied, "Chai hai toh bol. Maine nahi peeni teri yeh karwi coffee." Ehan scrunched his face in disgust.

"Karwi toh chai bhi hoti hai woh kyun peeta hai fir?" Zahid rolled his eyes at the man in front of him.

"Insaano wali coffee peeleta hon bhai agar hai toh de otherwise I'm good." He shrugged and sat picking a slice of bread from the basket. He snatched the paper from Zahid's hand and opened to read whatever interested him.

"Thanks." He took the coffee from the cook and brought it to his lips. The first drink in the morning rejuvenated the exhausted cells in his body. The tardiness wore off and Ehan closed his eyes in ecstasy. A smile ghosted Zahid's lips as he thought to pull his leg.

"Abhi toh janab chai mangrahe the ab dekhein kaise peerahe hain."

"I'm drinking a coffee that a man with sanity drinks, you see with milk and sugar." Ehan commented back and drank in silence, not bothering to answer any of Zahid's nonsense.

"I'm going to my office, join me?" Ehan looked above the paper when he realised the question was shot at him.

"I'm going to go to my apartment, get freshened up. I'll see you after that. Your office is my favourite hang out place." He mocked as he got up to put the mug in the sink. Zahid nodded and walked off to his office.

He walked into the building with his attitude held high, nodding curtly at his employees' greets. His hands were still in his pockets while his eyes were hooded with the big rims of the black shade he wore. The place turned quiet given he liked not to be around loudness. It annoyed the crap out of him. He took off his shades.