Alone

Arriving

I'm on my way to the airport in Pakistan. I am to meet Amira and Hina and then I am staying with them. There is about an hour left for our flight so I decide to choose a movie. I relax in my chair and put on my earbuds. A voice in my ear makes me jump in surprise.

"Sorry to have scared you miss, would you like a drink?" the airhostess asks me in a monotone.

"Just water please." I say. As she pours the water I watch the contents of alcohol in the drink cans slosh around. I don't know how people find that appealing.

"Here you are." she hands me the glass and a package of peanuts then moves onto the next person. I settle my earbuds in again and continue the movie.

*****

Getting off the airplane is hectic, it takes all of me to actually get off of the plane and then I get lost three times. It's been so long since I've been here.

Finally with my passport set up and my luggage beside me I set off towards the waiting area. I sit down and the cool backs of the metal seats sinks into me. I shiver but continue to sit down as I wait.

I keep checking to see if I have forgotten anything even though I know I haven't. Finally I start to read a magazine when I am aware of someone sitting beside me crunching.

I look up at the person beside me. ZARYAB?!

I realize I yelled the last part.

"Hey Aleena..." he says and takes another potato chip crunching it in his mouth.

See we hadn't really gotten everything sorted out. We never had another talk and went all happy go lucky with each other and this was supposed to be alone time for me and Allah so I could sort stuff out. Obviously he had other plans. I turn away from him, disgusted. I still haven't forgiven him even though I know I should.

He picks up his phone and dials a number.

"Hello, cab service?" He says and I snatch his phone away. I hang up and he looks at me confused.

"Amira and Hina will be here any minute!" I say and he scoffs. We wait.

We watch the window as the day starts to turn to night. Sometime I fall asleep, because when I wake up I'm in a hotel. I'm a deep sleeper.

"Zaryab?" I say and he laughs from the couch in the hotel room.

"You finally awaken." he says. I get up groggily.

"What happened?"

"You fell asleep so I finally called a cab and brought us here. It's 5am right now, go back to sleep, we can leave at 10!"

"You should have left us there, Hina and Amira are waiting I bet!" I brush out my hair and go to pray. After praying I grab my luggage and leave ignoring his words. He follows me.

I get a cab back to the airport and I sit in the little metal seats waiting. He sits down beside me. A couple minutes later he gets up and leaves. Soon he comes back and drops a sandwich on my lap.

"I don't want the food you have touched." I say. Immediately I wince at my rudeness.

"I didn't touch it, I touched the wrapper and you need food." he replies. I have to admit, my stomach is growling. I open it slowly and look at it. An egg sandwich. My favourite.

I eat it slowly but scowl the whole time. I can tell he is smirking even though I haven't looked at him.

When I finish my sandwich I drop the wrapper on the ground. He picks it up and throws it in the trash.