Save Me.

The Truth

I wanted to avoid meeting him yet I am the one who asked for his number from my confused friend, called him up at one o’clock in the morning after overthinking for the whole day. I was the one who woke him up from his sleep yet he was calm and I was rambling nonstop. He guided me through the plan which I was trying hard to communicate like a child trying to tell about their problem to their mother who understands them without a beat.

I walked in the café a little late. May be it was because I had just spent 23 mins in my car contemplating if I wanted to back out or should I actually go in. He was sitting at the corner on a table for two looking outside the window at the bustling road. As I went near him he turned his head towards my direction and with an expressionless face kept looking at me till I got myself seated in the chair opposite to him. This was very intimidating, looking around to avoid his soul searching gaze I tried to calm my heart beat down.

“You know I am not going to hurt you. Not until you give me a reason to do so.”

My heart skipped.

“I have been waiting here patiently for you for past 25 mins or so to get out of your car and come inside. At one point I wanted to come outside and hurl you in cause it was you who had called me and yet you are the one who made me wait here for so long.”

I could feel my ears burn with his revelation that he has seen my mental break down in the car. How embarrassing, I should just apologize for wasting his time and go home.

“I-

“If you are going to apologize then don’t. I want to listen to why you went out of your way to meet a total stranger?”

I stay stiff for 2-3 second but asoon slump back in my chair and get the CD out of my purse and put it in front of him on his side of the table.

“I have had kept things given to me by other people for calming my nerves down for a very long time.

I sigh before leaning forward on the table, looking at him straight in the eyes and continued

“I hoarded them because they gave me sense of comfort or it was my mind that made me think that these things which are given to me are gives me a sense of security. These things gave me hope that one day the person who has given me those items will come to my rescue and I don’t want to believe in that anymore. So to start over with my life I would like to give back this CD of your which you very graciously had given to me the other day.

He looks at me with a tilt of his head. Lips pursed together but his eyes speak volumes. Having depth which makes me want to look away or I might drown in them. He leans forward putting his arm on the table which me makes me recline back in my seat.

“I don’t know what background stories you hold but let me tell you one thing Miss Zareen. You are a coming out to me as a weak person. Trying to change your past mistakes won’t make you future any better. Owning up to the mistakes or the situations you have gone through will help you out.”

He slides the CD to my direction and calls the waiter and without even asking from me orders for both of us. There is something about this man that’s pulling me towards him, to know what he hides inside him. I recall the event in the hospital years back when salar had told me how I was one of the strongest people he knew but today this total stranger is calling me a weak person.

We ate our food in silence and on top off that Ahad didn’t even let me pay for my part. Once outside he asked me to follow his car. I was scared to go with a complete stranger yet my curiosity got the better out of me and I followed him. After driving for a while he stopped in front of a graveyard. I looked through my window questionably at Ahad who was now coming out of his car and towards me. He signaled me to come out but I didn’t want to. He sighed and opened my door and after unbuckling my seat belt hurled me out by pulling my wrist. I pulled back my wrist and looked at him with anger and accusation of how the hell he manhandled me. Without answering me he started moving inside. The stupid side of me hurriedly closed the door after getting my car keys and phone and ran after the idiot stranger trying to keep with his pace.

He was now standing in front of a grave I tried to remember his full name which I guess was Ahad Salman but the name written on the tombstone seemed nothing similar to this. Who was this person? My curiosity was short-lived when he started talking.

“Salar must have told you about his tuition teacher who committed suicide all those years back? This is her grave”

I was taken aback by his sudden revelation. How did he know about this? I haven’t even told anything about what were shared between us with Inaya. He looked at me with anger evident in his eyes at which my body stiffened and my mind started telling me to evacuate the area as soon as possible. His eyes soften at my frighten state and he moved back a little from my bubble.

“My intention wasn’t to frighten you. You must be thinking how I came to know what conversation you guys had share? Well Salar told me.”

I tilt my head at his revelation in confusion as to how close are they?

“I went to London last year by that time he had married Rosie. I have always kept myself so didn’t forced him to tell his parents about his secret married life. But one day when he and Rosie had a big fight and he was came over to my apartment he started telling me about how he had left a girl behind in Karachi who was probably waiting for him. He told me everything you guys had shared even the battles you had won. I am not going to say sorry as it was I who got more intrigued as urged him to carry on. The things I heard made me question why he left you and went for a complete different girl who he only knew for two months. I then understood that the love he had for his tuition teacher was somewhere in his mind when he saw you broken on the hospital bed and as he wanted you to live and not to give up on your life therefore confessed his feeling to you. May be he had feelings but only on the surface level of a crush nothing major. But with by the time he had met Rosie, he knew that you will live regardless of his broken promise and the trauma of losing a beloved had subdued in his mind and hence it was easy for him to look behind the past and accept Rosie in his life.”

All this time when Salar came back I was trying to pent up my emotions and avoid any kind of confrontation thinking that I don’t have to do such a thing as he is insignificant in my life. I think about all letters I had burned of his yesterday in my kitchen. I smile internally at how even when he said he wasn’t pitying me he in actually confessed his fake love cause somewhere in his heart he did pitied me. I look at Ahad and see his tilted head looking at the sky.
“Well that is pathetic” I say with a strained smile.
“We should get going before you know it’s late and I don’t want to take any more of a time.”
I tell him while getting up. He keeps looking up silently but now his gaze is on my face. There is an awkward silence between us but gets quickly broken when he stands abruptly and without any word starts moving out towards the gate and I timidly follow behind.

Before getting in the car he stops me

“Keep this CD with you. You will not be holding this as a comfort but just enjoyment from now onwards cause I know now that you know all the truth and have accepted the past, I hope?” he raises his one eyebrow at me questionably at which I give him a genuine smile and nod he continue speaking “As for why I am helping you? Well I don’t know but one thing is for sure I don’t petty you and second I hate people who try to avoid their problems.”

I glare at him at which he smirks and shoves the CD in my hand and goes back to his car. I get in my car and attempt to reverse back my car which resulted in me almost hitting another person’s car when.  I look to my right to see Ahad waiting in his car silently watching me at which I gave him a constipated smile to which I receive a full blown laugh from his side. I choose that moment as my cue and without looking back made my way towards my house listening to Ahad’s voice being played in my car. This time when I am going back home for the first time Salars name doesn’t create a sinking feeling in my heart but instead it feels like an old chapter has just finished and a new one is soon going to start.

Hi Guys,

A Little update for you'll.