Save Me.

The Stranger

I was being watched like a hawk in my house by my parents, in office by Inaya and outside by either Asad, his wife Sara or Zaroon whenever we hanged around to check any change in my behavior whether I am loosing myself again or not. They didn’t know that I have stopped pursuing after a man who was already someone else’s and wanted nothing to do with him even though it was hurting my soul from within.To show everyone that his existence and betrayal did no damage to me.

I even went to the Sikandar house several times to help auntie and Inaya for the preparation of the wedding. The only time I had seen Salar after his arrival entry was at the Nikkah where he stood in the corner with his wife stuck on his arm looking at his sister signing of herself to Zaroon on the Nikkah nama. The Nikkah was beautiful and everything was surreal. Not even once did Inaya cry. Instead it was Zaroon who was wiping off his tears during signing the Nikkah Nama and that sight for the first time in the past few days cracked me up. I laughed hysterically at him in front of everyone where soon I was joined by others as well. The day time Nikkah was followed by a night shendi event at a big club near the beach. After changing outfits we performed our choreography’s in front of everyone which was led by me. I enjoyed myself to the fullest. Danced like a maniac where I was later joined in by Inaya herself, ate almost everything on the menu and sang songs till I lost my voice.

I was now sitting at the beach all alone. Looking at the sea listening to the noise the waves were making over the faint sound of the music being still played behind me in the club. I slipped here to get a breather when everyone was busy having fun inside. I contemplated going back inside but the calmness in this moment was restricting me from moving an inch. I kept seated for next 10 minute or so when I heard someone clearing their throat from above. I looked up and saw a guy standing next to me and was looking down at me. I had seen him a couple of times around the event but never got to know his name or how he was related to Inaya in general. I raised my eyebrow at him at which he gestured if he can sit next to me. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I allowed him to sit. Against my better judgment he sat next to me with at least one foot distance and unlike me he lay back down and kept looking at the sky. We stayed their together for next 20 or more minutes when were brought out of our daze by the high Asad calling us from behind.

“Zareen! What are you doing here?do you have any idea how worried we were when we noticed you were nowhere around. Allah I was thinking about so many scenarios” Asad asked me with accusatory glance.

Before I could answer him back the guy sleeping next to me got up and dusted his back from the sand and said.

“Zaroon she is fine. She must have gotten overwhelmed back there and came out here for a breather. I found her here so I stayed to accompany her in any case” the guy I don’t know about anything said in a calm tone to zaroon making me think how did they knew each other?

“Ahad yaar sorry I just saw you. If you were here then I am fine but I would have seriously slapped her for making us worry about her this time” Asad said in a much calm tone then before.

“Hey! That’s so wrong. Am I a baby? Or a fragile doll who can’t take care of herself? It’s me who should seriously need to beat you guys up once and for all.”

I answered back and after bumping my shoulder with Asad purposefully went back inside the club leaving the stranger and my so called friend outside all alone.I was stopped in my tracks by Rosie at the entrance. She was scowling at me in a weird way and I gave her a “what the hell do you want now bitch” stare.

“Who are you? Why the hell everyone is looking after you so much and no one gives a damn about how I am doing here".

Not bothering to answer her back I tried to side step to get inside again. This time she grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back hard. I looked at him with an annoyed expression and removed her hand forcefully and pushed her a little back but the bitch was not having it at all and wanted to fight me for no apparent reason. This time before she could launch her attack on me I side stepped again and Rosie almost face planted on the floor, tripping on her own feet. I rolled my eyes at her and looked back at front to see none other than Salar now standing in front of me. I straightened my back, not showing any emotions and asked him to get a side from my hands gesture to which he complied and went forward to help his whining wife of the floor. I momentarily stood there but moved forward and never once looked back.

Once I went back in and got bombarded with lots of scolding’s and literal beating from Inaya it was time for all of us to depart back to our house. My parents had left earlier and the question of who will drop me was brought up when strangely the only person who raised his voice was the stranger himself “AHAD”.

“She lives on my way to home. I’ll drop her if it’s fine by her.”

Everyone sighed a relief and started saying thank you to him not bothering to ask me whether I wanted to go with him or not. I said goodbyes to everyone while completely ignoring the Rosie bitch and her so called husband’s existence.

I walked behind Ahad to his car where when he opened the passenger door for me to sit I went ahead to open the back seat door and placed myself in  the back seat of his luxurious car. He looked at me from the window I could see from my peripheral eyes that his lips tugged a little upwards and shack his head in amusement.

The drive back home was smooth as at 3 in the morning as no traffic was found on the road. I was brought out of my thoughts when Abida Parween’s “yar ko humne jaan baja dekha” started playing in the car. I looked at Ahad and he was looking straight ahead. The melodic and spiritual voice of Abida Parween made me relax further more in the seat but I was brought out my daze again when I heard the stranger humming with an equally amazing soul serenading voice. I tried to ignore the urge to ask him to sing a little bit louder but I couldn’t deal with the thought of rejection and therefore kept silent. The corner of my street where I live came into my view and I dreaded the thought of how I will leave without listening to half of the song sung by him. When he parked his car in front of my building and my shoulders slumped down.

I reached towards the door handle and opened my mouth to say thank you when a CD was pushed in front of me.

“It has all of my favorite songs which calm me whenever I am stressed. I think this might help you out when you need to find yourself back to your happy place.”

I take the CD from his hand and thank him. My tone dripping with gratitude and nothing less. I entered the building and looked back that he was still waiting for me to get inside. I waved at him one last time and kept going. That morning I pulled out my laptop from my cupboard and after inserting the CD in the CD player started listening to the surreal music and got startled when one of the Abida Parween songs started being played in the stranger’s voice. I closed my eyes and welcomed a good relaxing sleep after being deprived for so long.

A little update for you guys!