My Guilt and His Pleasure

My Mama likes You

How could I not realise that this place was Cafe Crunch? And screw Irtiza for coming an hour earlier. I mean, is he that lifeless? Though he won't ever recognise me in such outfit but I still had to get out. I was clueless yet grateful I had my back towards them. I texted him to cancel the meeting.

In the meanwhile, Haider came. "Lets go to somewhere else Zara." He looked irritated and disturbed. Without waiting for my answer, he took my hand and we moved out. When I put the final glance on haider, he was sitting on the corner table with his head dig in a book and shawl around his shoulders.. as always. He clearly didn't see the text.

I was thankful we escaped the restaurant but I was confused at how Haider reacted. And how he and Irtiza were connected.

"Everything okay?" I asked while I tried to read his grave expressions. He was silent for straight five minutes and that was undigestable for me. Also, he didn't answer my question.

"Haider.." No answer.

I gave up and looked straight at the road.

"There was some very unpleasant acquaintance I met at the restaurant. It ruined my mood.. sorry." He finally said. I thought it would be best not letting him know what I saw. But I wanted him to talk about it. I wanted to know. I had to know.

"Where would you want to go now?" He asked me.

Where would I go now? College? Too late. I had already refused the driver. To Aisha? Doesn't make sense at this hour right after college. To home? I had already told mama I'll be at Aisha's. Ugh.

"Zara?" He was waiting for my answer. When he understood that I had nowhere to go, he said calmly. "Would you like to go to my home?"

************
His lived with his mother. I was awestruck by the strikingly aesthetic decoration of his home. It was small but very cosy. As we entered the lounge, his mother came forward wearing a huge smile which faded as she looked at me.

"Mama.. this is Zara." He intoduced me with no further explanations and her smile came back. She came and hugged me like we were friends from ages. "Oh.. you're very pretty" she complimented me with warm eyes that looked same as Haider's. I liked her instantly.

What did she know about me? Had Haider already told her? I was confused.

Haider showed me the guestroom and told me to refresh myself untill lunch was ready. After some time, I was sitting on the bed clueless. I could easily hear them talk in the lounge. Though I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the words got my attention.

"Mama.. I met Irtiza today, in the restaurant." I heard Haider telling her. But i didn't hear her answer. And the sound of dishes stopped.

"He said father was looking for a match for him. And he was there for the meeting." Haider continued. Father? I didn't understand.

"Why did you ask him for the details Haider?" His mother sounded disturbed.

"He's my brother Mama." What? I springed up from the bed.

"I only asked him about dad and he answered these details." I was stuck on the brother part, and heard no further. How was this possible?

Irtiza was the only son, as far as I remember and ofcourse his mother was not this woman. What was going on?

I was pondering on these question when I heard the knock. Haider's mother called me for lunch.

She made delicious food and served very gracefully. When the three of us sat together, she looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Ah.. you both look so perfect together." And I felt myself choking on the bread. What's the irony? The son thinks of me as a bad girl and his mother wants me to marry him?

After lots of talk I finally asked them, "Where is your Dad, Haider?". And then an awkward silence filled the room.

"He lives with his well-deserved wife, not with us." Haider said sharply. And things made some sense.

His mother looked lost in her thoughts and sad.. All of a sudden. "I .. i am sorry Aunty." I rested my hand on her and she gave me a weak smile.

"It's okay darling! It makes sense. His family wanted him to marry a Syeda. So he did. But he should have not lied to me and marry me as well.. now he can't manage two families. I am sorry for him. But I loved him, I don't deserve being abondoned like this." She said with dry eyes but tearful voice. I felt like she still loved Uncle Ibrahim. She was not a syed. How could people hide such huge parts of their stories so finely?

"I hate this idea. You know Mama, I will never marry a syed inspite of being one. Like syeds abondon others, I will abondon them." Haider said with a unsual seriousness in his face.

I felt attacked. "I am a syed." I said with a trembling weak voice. Like I wanted to marry him. Like, he shouldn't abondon me.

And they both looked unbelievingly at me, from head to toe.