Love for Rent

x Party x

I am here. I read Shahzaib's message saying that he'd arrived. I quickly grabbed my purse and did a final take in front of the mirror, taking a last look at myself. I spent the last few minutes fidgeting, mostly getting myself annoyed for no reason. No matter how expensive I tried to look, I just didn't. No matter how much I tried, in terms of finance and social status, Shahzaib was always ahead of me. The thought bothered me slightly. It must have been for him to be a middle-class man or if I was upper class, but then I guess we wouldn't have met each other. Our financial status brought us together, and there was no denying that. I approached him for money, and he came to me to add a tag to his marital status for his own gains.

I took a deep breath and pushed aside these thoughts. For now, I knew there would be a time when these ideas would enter my mind again, and I would be scared. Yes, I would be scared, but tonight I would not be scared. I adjusted my blouse since it was a little loose, so I fixed it with a safety pin. Before heading out, I called Suraiya Aunty to find out when she would come to be with Ma. She said she was almost there. I texted Shahzaib to wait in the car, and I would come in a few minutes. I gave Ma her medicine and plugged in a foot massager for her.

'I will be fine, go ahead, Suraiya will be here' She touched my shoulders when I took a glass from her after taking her medicine.

'Okay, call me if there is anything... I will be back soon,' I told her and headed out.

'You look very nice' I heard her yell in a hurry as if she had forgotten something important. I laughed as I closed the door behind me after saying thank you. As I turned around to head outside, I saw Suraiya Aunty coming up the stairs. I stopped midway since someone was accompanying her to help her walk up the stairs. I didn't realize that she had gotten this weaker in the last few weeks.

'Suraiya Aunty,' I acknowledged her and held her other arm, and the man next to her nodded at me with a smile. I smiled back, waiting for Suraiya Aunty to speak.

'Seher, oh you look, beautiful darling, where are you going?' She embraced me in her arms.

'Engagement party,' I told her as we parted and glanced at the man next to her, who shifted to the side to let me help Suraiya Aunty walk to my home.

'This is Waqas, he is a doctor...my friend's son. I was actually bringing him so you two could meet,' She said comfortably, and suddenly I turned and looked at Waqas as he was already staring at me. I dropped my gaze, feeling uncomfortable. I should have asked Ma to speak to Suraiya Aunty sooner. I didn't say anything and took her inside to Ma while Waqas quickly stepped inside to say hello to Ma before excusing to head back since he had to go back to the clinic for some work. I was already getting late.

'I have to go,' I finally said when my phone started buzzing, and I saw Shahzaib calling. I managed to leave eventually, but just as I reached outside my house before I could Shahzaib's car, I heard Waqas calling my name, and I stopped to see what he had to say.

'You dropped this on the stairs' He passed me my bracelet, which might have dropped.

'Oh, thank you, I have to go bye' I smiled and turned to leave.

'Seher' He approached me again, stopping in front of me.

'I'll drop you if you don't mind,' He offered.

'Sorry, I mean if that's okay...it's a busy time, so you might not get a car around here' He spoke further before I could even decline.

'She already has a ride,' I heard the only voice that mattered to me nowadays. I looked past Waqas and saw Shahzaib outside his car parked near us, watching us, no, glaring at Waqas. Waqas looked at him and then back at me to explain as I owed him an explanation. I didn't. We didn't even know each other.