Suffocation ھوٹن (A Pakistani Romance)

Part 7

Omair grinned as Nina raised her eyebrows at him. They sat side by side at their table. It was the wedding of a colleague and Omair's business colleague and childhood best friend looked bored out of his mind as he kept checking his phone.

"He's waiting for her to call." She pointed out, the rosy hue on her cheeks a complete contrast to the darkness of the kohl in her eyes. Omair was having a hard time looking away from her.

"Oh yeah he is. He's whipped and it's only been a month."

She laughed softly, tossing her hair back. After days and days of begging, he had finally gotten her to wear the lemon yellow lengha. It was embroidered with silver thread and zari work. She looked iridescent and he could swear he saw stars in the darkness of her eyes.

"Stop looking at me." Nina spoke, taking a sip from the glass in front of her.

Omair cleared his throat. "I'm not looking at you."

She smiled despite herself. "Oh really?"

He nodded, pretending to check his phone. Truth be told, he still felt flustered noticing the amount of adoration he held for her.

Nina sighed. "Of course. It was silly of me to assume."

Omair's eyes shot to her form. She was staring ahead at the dulhan. She was laughing as the groom twirled her around. He was reminded of the day he had seen her as his bride. The mustard yellow dress she had worn. The way her hair had fell around her face. That cheap flower jewelry he had found so distasteful.

She smiled so widely that it physically hurt. Her dress was exactly the opposite of what his mother had suggested. A bright mustard with gold embellishments and she had refused to wear the jewelry that he had sent over.

He was livid. If he weren't already embarrassed of their age gap, it was the way her outfit made her look even more youthful.

Nina turned to him. "How do I look?"

He pretended not to hear, turning slightly away from her.

"Omair!" She tugged his arm. "C'mon, how do I look?"

One of his college friends chuckled slightly. "Yeah man, don't leave your bride hanging!"

He grit his teeth. "You look fine, Rubina. Same as always."

He could see the happiness melt off her face, feeling a tinge of guilt.

Some of her friends approached him, teasing Nina and when one of the reached forward to apply some haldi on him, he recoiled.

Nina looked awfully hurt, as did her friend but she plastered on a fake smile.

"I wish I could marry you again, Nina."

She stilled, turning to him with a shocked look.

He swallowed painfully, drinking out of his own glass to alleviate the hurt. But no matter how far they left behind their tumultuous past, they could never erase this gap between them.

///

He snaked an arm around her waist pulling her to him as she shrieked out in laughter. He pressed a few kisses against her cheek before spinning her around against him.

"You're in a good mood hmm?" He whispered, a little smirk on his face as he brought her closer so that she was pressed all up against him.

"So are you." She giggled as he took her lips in a kiss.

"God, Nina, I love seeing you like this." He kissed the corner of her mouth, taking her scent in.

"I made a friend!" She responded, slipping her hands into his hair.