Love at first sight.

MR.OVERCONFIDENT

You believe in love?
What is love to you?
A feeling?
A person?
A thing?
A moment?
Something close to you?
A dream?
A fantasy?
Or what?
Love is basically an emotion of truth.
A thought of trust.
A feeling of being safe.
A sense of being protected.
You never feel dependent when it comes to true love.
It gives you the energy to grow on your own.
It protects you from the toxicity of the cruel world.
It serves you in the best forms to make you feel stronger.
It makes you believe in your own self.
And it just grows.
No matter what.
It just grows.
.....
Everybody starts clapping. Girls were cheering him.
'Wow! What a piece of art!' One of the girls came forward and complimented him.
'Haha yes?! Thankyouu' Atif replied while enjoying the other compliments.
The girl was wearing a red sleeveless saari. Inaya felt something in her emotions. Something like jealousy.
The girl came a little more closer to Atif and asked while looking into his eyes. "Have you ever fell in love?" She was smiling.
Atif, with all his attention,noticed her head to toe. Stood up. Came more closer to her, hold her hands and replied while looking into her eyes. "Yes, now.. right now I'm falling in love with you".
The girl's smile was becoming wider and wider.
Inaya was hating the scene. She had no idea why. But she was.
Atif looked into the girl's eyes a little longer and then laughed, stepped back, and said.
'Ofcource not yaar! I mean.. how can a person like me can fall in love? I mean.. I truly enjoy the idea of love but honestly.. I'm too practical for all these things. Otherwise I agree that love is a pure form of beauty.
'You mean pain?' Inaya found herself saying this.
Everybody turned towards her.
'Pain? Where's that idea came from?' he asked softly.
Probably it was inaya's fantacies. Or he actually used to talk to Inaya with some extra respect.
'That's the truth. The other name of love is suffering. Inaya continued.
He stood up from the corner of the table where he was sitting and gossiping with everyone else. And came infront of her taking slow steps.
"Hmm.. did somebody ditched you?" He was asking very softly and in a very causual tone.
"Ditched me? Who? What do you mean?" Inaya back fired him with a bundle of more questions.
"Umm your boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend maybe?" He replied. With a very casual and friendly tone. As if it was nothing something extraordinary.
"Boyfriend? My boyfriend? Astaghfurullah. " Inaya's expressions were tightened now.
"Ahmm.. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to make you angry" he hesitated a little.
"No its fine." Inaya scold herself in her mind. 'What was the need of being over dramatic there?!' Inaya asked herself.
'Well.. you're young, stylish, you've got a pretty face, you look mature too. I thought you must have a boyfriend..' Atif explained.
"No I don't have any." Inaya summed up.
"Are you single?" Atif with a little excitement fired his next question to her.
She didn't said a word but raised her eyebrows.
"No.. I mean. Anyways forget it." Atif smiled at her. A friendly smile. And turned back to his female audience.
Inaya was staring at him. He was so into himself. So rough. So down to earth. Nobody could say that he's basically from Germany. He was just so mixed with the people here. 'Or maybe with the girls only'. Inaya thought.
She was feeling a little uncomfortable with literally every girl who was coming close to him.
She thought if she could interact with him a little more? She had almost successfully grabbed his attention. He came to her. Talked to her. And what she did? She acted rude. Super rude infront of him! She shouldn't have done this. What an act of stupidity she had done. She regreted it.
Inaya beta? Let's go? Its getting late.
Abba was calling her from the exit area of the hall.
'Sure abba! Just comming!' Inaya replied.
She gave a last glance to where Atif was sitting. He was still there. Sitting roughly. Blazer was not on this time. Sleeves of his black plain shirt were rolled up now. Mann.. he was such a nice sight for her eyes. She never got this much impressed by someone in the very first meeting. Maybe it was her dream that was doing the wonders. But she was helpless. She felt herself helpless. She couldn't stop admiring this stranger who was sitting right infront of her. Totally unaware that a girl in black maxi is staring at him with such adimiration. And all of a sudden he looked towards Inaya's direction. There eyes met. Inaya felt butterflies in her stomach. She managed to smile. He smiled back and waved his hand in her direction as a good bye gesture. She waved back and turned with a happy heart. As if her heart was waiting for him to look at her. She sat in the car and slept the whole way back to home. Long drives always made her sleepy.
The whole night Inaya was thinking about him. Those eyes, those lips, hair, hands, teeth, voice. His whole damn being. How can someone be that gorgeous??
Was he really that handsome? For like everyone? Or did Inaya got special eyes to notice him like that. As it is said, "Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder."
The next day came. Inaya prayed Fajar and came out of her room. Everything was super fresh. Including Inaya too. And it was something wierd. She couldn't slept the previous night and still she was super fresh.
She couldn't wait for the evening. It was poetry day today. Inaya was about to wear a saari for it.
Everything was perfect. The dress. The preprations. But Inaya was getting nervous while getting ready.
'Will Atif like me wearing this saari?' Inaya thought at one moment.
'Astaghfurullah.. why am I thinking such stuff??' Inaya thought the other moment.
'Will he look at me the same way he was looking at me yesterday?' Inaya thought one moment.
'Ahaan. Who really cares about him.' She thought the other moment..
It took her an hour more today to get ready. As usual amma was shouting. Abba was waiting in the driving seat. But today.. Inaya couldn't keep calm her nerves down. Her heart was racing. She almost ran towards the car. Amma and Inaya sat into the car and they reached the banquet.
The hall was very well decorated. Today's theme was red and whilte. She was looking beautiful indeed but her eyes were restless in search of him. But he was nowhere. Instead of him, her eyes caught her friend Eishaal.
'Heyy Inayaa.'
'Hi Eishaal:)'
'Look at youu Mashaallah !! You're looking pretty!!'
'Well.. having this compliment from the prettiest bride is an honor in itself;)!'
'Umm. Are you waiting for someone?'
'N..no. why?'
'Your eyes are in search for someone'
'Shutup Eishaaaaal.'
Inaya laughed while giving this polite shutup call to Eishaal.
Eishaal laughed too. 'By the way, he's looking super cute in shalwar kameez today;)!' Eishaal teased Inaya.
Eishaal went on stage then. Inaya stood there for a while and then chose to sit down on the nearby couch.
The couches were arranged on the floor. White couches with red cushions on them, following the event theme.
She was sitting, looking here and there and all of a sudden she heard a voice. His voice.
'Looking for me?' Atif asked in a cheerful mood.
'Hah! You wish!' Inaya replied while rolling her eyes.
'You're looking beautiful.' Atif complimented.
'Is it your duty to flirt with everyone?' Inaya chuckled.
'No, only with girls.' Atif shrugged with innocence.
'Okay.. so, is it your duty to flirt with every girl?' She emphasized.
'No, only the pretty ones.' He responded with even more innocence in his deep dark brown eyes.
''Huh! You're such a flirt!" Inaya said.
'Umm, Yea. Part time flirt.' He winged.
'Astaghfurullah' Inaya murmured.
He laughed a little.
'What now?' Inaya asked.
'You're saying Astaghfurullah on my deeds while you yourself are wearing a sleeveless saari, no duppatta on your head and you're talking to a na-mehram at this very moment.' Atif said it all to her in a flow.
'See.. I know I'm not a perfect Muslim but I know I'm trying hard to be one. And God knows that.' Inaya explained.
'Everybody sins differently Inaya. Just because you're having different ways of sinning doesn't give you the authority to judge others.' Atif explained. This time in a very serious but polite tone.
She looked in his eyes. As if she was trying hard to understand him. That's all what she wanted to do in that particular moment. To know him. To know how he thinks. To figure out his way of analyzing things.
But after a while, Inaya thought to bring back that cheerful mood. So she asked with a playful smile on her face.
'So, you're admitting that flirting is a sin?' She raised her right side eyebrow while asking it to him.
'Talking to you is a sin too Inaya. But we're doing it. Because it is common and acceptable in our society. Just like flirting is. But saying that these things are not sins would be a wrong thing. Because we all know they are. And the truth can't be changed Inaya.'
Atif was in mood to express himself infront of her. Why? Even he had no answer of it. He never tried to open his thoughts infront of anyone. But Inaya.. there was something different in her.
(A moment of silence took place in between both of them).
Inaya was continuously staring at him. He had no idea why she was staring. Maybe she was tring to understand him.. or maybe she was getting bored with his philosophies. Atif after a while, decided to broke the silence.
'I couldn't sleep well last night' he informed her.
'Ahaan? Why not?' She asked.
'Don't know.. I was thinking about you'
He said.
'About me? What??' Inaya, with some excitement asked him.
He came a little closer to her. Eyes fixed on her eyes.
'You really wanna know what I was thinking about you?' He asked softly to her. In a low voice.
She didn't utter a word but simply nodded while looking directly into his eyes.
He touched her nose with the tip of his index fingure..
'I was thinking.. your nose is so round and tiny.' He smiled a playful smile and went back on his couch.
'My.. nose.. is.. what????' Inaya asked in astonishment. Clearly, she wasn't expecting this answer from him.
He looked at her with a naughty smile. And stood up.
'Tiny and round??' She repeated with some soft anger in her tone. And looked at Atif.
Atif, still smiling. Raised her eyebrows and shrugged. And turned to meet his friends.
Inaya, abba and amma came back home late at night. The dinner was super tasty. And the drive back to home was too long. Inaya slept the whole way. That's what she always used to do. Long drives always made her sleepy.
The next morning she woke up. Eishaal was calling her. It was a video call. She picked it up.
'Good morning Eishaal' Inaya said.
'Inayaa?? Its 2:00pm. You're still sleeping??' Eishaal asked.
'Well.. not now. I'm up now. And the proof is, I'm talking to you!' Inaya roughly provided the facts to Eishaal.
'Yaar I'm too stressed.' Eishaal informed her.
'Yeaa.. I can see that. How many chocolates have you digested already??' Inaya taunted her, looking at the chocolate box infront of Eishaal.
'Oh come'on Inaya. You know I eat a lot in tension. Today is my baraat. And I can't keep calm!!' Eishaal innocently explained.
'Eishaal. Stop eating those chocolates please. Or else Altaf bhai would be recieving a whole fat buffalo tonight as his bride in place of you.' Inaya warned Eishaal.
Eishaal, who was picking up the next bar of chocolate, hesitated a little. But took it anyway.
'Huh! Whatever!' Inaya rolled her eyes and took a deep breathe.
'Bytheway.. what you were talking about with him? Yesterday?' Eishaal with some interest leaned down towards the camera.
'Me? What? With whom?' Although Inaya loved to get teased by his name from Eishaal. But she still chose to pretend as if she didn't get anything.
'Oh stop pretending Inaya. You know what I'm talking about.' Eishaal raised her eyebrows towards her.
'Umm. Today's your wedding Eishaal. I think you should only focus on Altaf bhai at this very moment. No?' Inaya with a smile on her face gave Eishaal a reminder.
'Oho!! Possessive!!' Eishaal cheerfully teased Inaya.
'Can you please stop being Geet from Jab We Met??' Inaya asked.
'Yea yea.. I should stop being Geet and you have the leniency to be Simran from DDLJ?? By the way.. your Raj was looking super handsome yesterday!!;)' Eishaal said.
'Eishaal!!!! Inaya shouted and laughed.
'Okay, okay.. you can peacefully blush now. I'm having my parlour appointment. See you tonight.. byee.' Eishaal said.
'Look gorgeous tonight. Byee.' Inaya said the goodbye notes and declined the call.
She stood up from her bed. Came infront of the mirror. Looked at herself head to toe. Came a little more closer and touched the tip of her nose with the tip of her index fingure.
'Round and tiny..' she murmured in a low voice. She was still looking into the mirror when her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen.
A message from some unknown number.
She opened it.
'It isn't that round but it is tiny for sure.😛'
She read it. A smile appeared on her face. She saved the number with the name. "MR.OVERCONFIDENT".
She was still staring at the her phone when her room door knocked. She turned off her phone. Put it on the side table. And asked a little loudly. 'Who's there?' There was no answer. She went to open the door. She opened it to see who knocked it. But no one was there. She was turning back but suddenly her eyes caught a big red rose bouquet. Which was placed nicely on the room entrance foot mat.
She bend down to pick it up. The rosses were fresh and wet. Looked like as if someone just brought them from the market a few seconds ago..
She hold the bouquet and came inside the room. She closed the door of the room and sat on her bed. There was a chit in that bouquet. The chit was small but there was something written on it.
She took the chit and read it.
"A Beautiful Rose bouquet for a beautiful girl."
-Farhan.
The smile of her face faded up immediately after reading the chit.
'Farhan!! I wish you were never born!!' She murmured. Tears flew down from her eyes. Her throat was aching. She tore the chit into two pieces and then four and then many. And trew the bouquet into the dustbin.
Her hands were shivering. The colour of her eyes turned into pinkish. As hot burning tears were falling down from her eyes. She was trying hard not to cry but her tears weren't supporting her.
She was sitting still when she heard her phone's ringing tone. She turned and looked at the phone screen.
"MR.CONFIDENT" calling....
She stared at the phone screen for a few moments. And then picked up the call.
She didn't utter a single word..
Few seconds spent in this silence.
And then a voice came from the other side.
"Hello?"
.....(silence from her side)....
"Umm.. hello? Inaya?" He said.
She had no stamina to say anything. But somehow managed to respond.
"H..hello?" She said.
"Hello Inaya can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can."
"Okay.. how're you?"
She wanted to tell the truth but chose to lie.
"I'm good, you?"
"I'm good too:) did you recieve my message?" He asked.
"Message?" She interrogate.
"Yea.. that tiny nose one?" He explained.
"Oh..yeaa. yea I got that." Inaya informed.
"No.. actually you didn't respond to it so I thought maybe.. You didn't mind that? Did you?" He asked in care.
"No Atif I didn't mind that." Inaya responded. Took a deep breathe.
"Okayy.." Atif said. As if waiting for Inaya to initiate the talk this time.
"A..Atif listen." Inaya said.
"Yes?" He replied politely.
She wanted to explain. She could've asked for this favor from Atif. But she chose to stay quiet instead. Maybe it was too early to ask for any favour from him. He was still a stranger after all.
"N..no, nothing." She replied.
"You sure?" He asked.
"Yea." She said.
"Umm. Okay.. good then. Acha listen.. I've to go to the gym rightnow. So, see you tonight?" Atif said.
"Sure Atif, takecare." She said.
"Takecare Inaya..byee." he said.
Inaya declined the call. Put her phone on the side table. Looked at those dustbin rosses. Took a deep breathe. And closed her eyes..
She went to sleep immediately. It was her way of fighting with her life problems. She slept. How long? She had no idea. But deep down, somewhere in her subconscious mind, she knew, she didn't want to wake up.

-End of part 2.❤
-A story by AmnaAlvi🕊