Incandescence

Chapter 14

Anis

I don't know what came over me. I just saw the guy and something inside me just snapped as I watched Alisha stiffen and glance towards the table on our left. The expression on the other guy's face made my blood curdle. I saw the look on Alisha's face and her was enough to clench my heart and wanted to smash the other guy's face. I wanted to wipe that sneer off him face until he was crying for mercy from and that was what I did until Shahmir and Armaan pulled me back. I wasn't going to spare his life for the way he treated Alisha. We'd tried so hard to bring her out to the restaurant and nobody was going to ruin dinner for her tonight. I wasn't going to let anyone do that. I knew what happened tonight was wrong but it was right for Alisha. If I hadn't taken a step for her, then nobody would take that step and she would feel that she was somehow flawed. Coming out of my thoughts, I watched her as she stood beside Sadaf, munching on a chocolate bar that they'd got from the store while I stood beside my car in the parking lot, smoking a Marlboro Light.

Shahmir stood beside me, watching his wife fondly while Armaan accompanied me smoking. The girls were engrossed into some conversation therefore, they were positively ignoring us. From their expressions, it seemed that they were talking about something gravely important because Alisha was shaking her head repeatedly and Sadaf was doing all the talking.

"Care to tell me what was that all about, Anis?" Shahmir asked me, his eyes searching. I had a feeling that he would ask me this question and here it was. Armaan took the last drag from his cigarette and then threw the smoldering bud aside, giving me his own attention.

"I apologize for what happened inside. I didn't know what was happening before I'd done it."

"I understand that Anis, but is there something that you're hiding from us? Something that we should know?" Shahmir asked with a searching look. I knew he was suspicious of me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"That's what I'm asking. Is there more to this than you're letting on?" He rephrased his question and asked me while looking directly in my eyes.

"There isn't anything that you should be worried about." I assured him and looked away. Was there something more than friendship between Alisha and me? I asked myself. I had never thought about her anyway other than a good friend.

"If you say so, Anis. I love her like a sister, you know that right? I don't want anything or anybody hurting her, now that she's been through so much. She needs us to help her cope through the aftermath of the accident. I believe you do understand what you're implying."

"Of course buddy. Don't worry; I will protect her with my life as well." I said and threw the butt of my cigarette away, stepping on it to turn it out.

"I hope you do, Anis."

Sadaf and Alisha walked over to us and joined the group.

"Shall we move?" Sadaf asked, glancing at the time on her cell phone.

"Yeah! Definitely. It's quite late already." Armaan said, looking at his wrist watch. "Buddy, can you drop me on your way home?" He asked Shahmir.

"Sure. No problem." Shahmir responded.

"I'll drop Alisha if she's fine with it." I offered, looking at her. I really wanted her to say yes because I needed to talk to her. I wanted to apologize to her about what had happened inside the restaurant. She looked sharply at me and then at Sadaf, definitely asking her if she should be going or not. I watched as Sadaf gave her a slight nod and a reassuring smile.

"Sure." Alisha said and moved towards the passenger seat of my car.

"Alisha please let me know when you reach home." Shahmir called out with brotherly concern.