Fizah

خوف|Khauf

"Jeeta toh har koi hai lekin zindagi har kisi ke paas nahi hoti."

Zahid and Fizah reached the office before the clients could come but the place was quiet, now well given the fact it was way past working hours. Fizah sulked her way in and was all ready to pounce at the boss for not letting her spend time with the little girl. He really did tease her for that while they were coming. She, for a moment, regretted working in Adnan enterprises but then she couldn't be any more grateful. She at least had a job to pay for her necessities.

The man on the other hand, swiveled on his chair like a boy of five got to sit in it for the first time ever. For lord's sake, it was his chair and she told him exactly the same thing for about eighth time if she counted it right.

"Sir, when are they coming?" She asked impatiently, she had also promised Hamza to tutor him. He would bury her six feet under if she didn't turn up. He casually looked up and saw her get on edge.

"In few minutes, Arham texted me a minute ago." Fizah shook her hand and casted her eyes on the buildings outside through the glass walls, the city had the beauty of its own. It was as though Karachi was a piece of outer space with the lights that shimmered from the buildings. The city was glowing. A smile of awe ghosted her lips- the lady was proud to say that it was her hometown where she was born and grown up.

"The view is spectacular from here." She said to him, Only she knew how she contained her body from squealing like a three year old. He scratched his stubble with his index finger as he got up to keep her company.

Fizah and Zahid stood next to each other living and taking in the essence of the city and lost in their little world they had trapped themselves in. The world that had no space for any other. Just them and their guarding walls- up and high.

"What do you like about the city?" He asked the first thing he could think of. The most random question but that had her smile.

"I like everything about Karachi. It's my hometown." She said and pulled the dupatta closer to her hairline.

"You?"

He ran his tongue over his lower lip and wetted it before he answered her, "Many things which I wouldn't share."

It made her groan, it's nothing like she asked him to share, "Haramzaada." She mumbled and her eyes rolled to the other side and her hands rested on the glass wall.

"Hey, take your hands off!" He bellowed startlingly at her. She valued him for a second before she glued her hands on the glass. To her surprise, it was not so Fizah like- she would do exactly what others asked her to do but with him, she just felt the want to irritate the daylights out of him. He passed her a don't you dare annoy me look.

"I don't annoy you sir." Fizah pressed on the word sir with an artificial sugar coated smile before she retired back to the conference table.

"And I'm not self destructive." He commented jokingly but that didn't settle well with Fizah, she noticeably and uncomfortably shifted in her seat before wrapping her dupatta around her torso.

"Relax, I was just joking." He faked a chuckle. His eyebrows knitted together as he carefully read her suddenly displeased face. Fizah tried her best to relax, telling herself that the office was not her parents' apartment and she was not self destructive. 

"Allah created no one self destructive,  don't lose it, Izah." She mumbled in her throat. A sharp pain tightened the ribs over her heart. Why was she reminded of it so suddenly? It couldn't be another episode of panic attack. Pursing her lips, she took deep breaths in order to even out her ragged breath. She coughed uncontrollably.