Back Then

chapter 3

A walk on thin ice with enormous anticipation through the foggy footpaths of Los Angeles . It wasn't feeling any good to be in deep water . Having nothing to outweigh my weakness, I was traversing zebra lines .I felt like a sitting duck , grilled under emotional cage. Yet some anticipation from my inside were trying to bounce off the walls .Boarding from college, after almost giving up in the university finals , the path felt longer . It was an evening, the peachy orange and blurry touch of the setting sun was pulling my internal urge to get a coffee. I'm fan of coffee ever since I have tasted it .

There is a cafe near by . The usual place for all lovey dovey people and birds . A noticeable one in town square with grey painted brick walls , with some deep rooted abstracts and gabled roof . A wide open entrance with small shimmer lights . There's a soothing white light with yellow hue everywhere. Everytime I look I feel the lights are blinking their non existent eyes with a dynamic smile . Any moment if your call is unanswered and it's an evening , then just be here . This is my place.

I entered and proceeded to order a coffee. In front of the counter I saw this gentle looking tall man in an Oxford blue rugged jackets. He placed the order and turned towards the seating. What a charmer! a middle eastern aura with brown gleaming eyes. Jaws of ratio defined , couldn't help myself from gazing . Strong black wavy wet looking hair curtaining on his forhead . A princely man with warm toned square cut face and perfectly placed rosy lips . His brows could speak. The ancestral Arab like nose, little long and not so thin .Definitely an unforgettable face .This man might have landed straight from the Arabian nights ,he's so handsome. I was gazing at this guy shamelessly . Did I sip any coffee? I'm not sure . I was not into it.

Ofcourse a lot of things flashed through my head . His name ? Place ? . I don't know but his face was kind of unusual and striking that it took a while for me to get over . There's no hour without me searching for this guy wherever I went.

Few weeks later I attended a town fest. I rushed towards my favourite cafe as always and that was a Deja Vu moment!
The same guy with all his buddies having their sip. My peripheral vision were all on point . I felt the relish. There were a little talk between them. With my keenest sense , i just heard

" Ahad! This is your place . Get us something unique. "

And right then I heard him murmuring something angrily.

So he's Ahad! A unique piece of name.
Little metallic and likable voice . He's definitely an Arab , i guessed. That accent is so much heavy to pour out and It was pleasing me to try hard to get .

He stood from the place and trudged towards the counter. Something is tiring he looks fine and equally exhausted. He might be feeling blue. I was staring like a total airhead. I knew it was wierd but why shouldn't I? I wanted to get noticed so badly. He might have felt it weird he gave me a narrow frown. I tripped down from the romantic dimension to the null space of reality .

"Excuse me..."
He said in a low voice , with a voice from the tip of the mouth . Something that bothers him was getting ignited in his eyes which he was trying hard to bury as he was talking to me  .I could feel it from his tone.

"Did I just hinder" I asked trying to not get lost in his eyes . They were so flattering.

"No but...." He nodded and stood facing me for a moment, utterly confused as he might have seen me almost everywhere he goes. Rather he looked down in the mouth. How can I leave some broken person as such that he was trying to bring something up , I stood as if I'm giving him a chance. My mind just started creating its own reasoning theories as he stood like an artificial human , motionless . There's nothing wrong with asking  as it is just a human thing to make sure the other one is fine  , i began

" Are you okay ? You look tiresome".... I collected every crumbs of my courage and asked .

His instant reply shook me off.

"I haven't been feeling well . You are...??
I have been seeing you everywhere .....recently. You seem hurry everytime."

For a while I didn't know what to spill out. But what is more surprising is his sudden tendency to open the mouth , wasn't he inanimate a few seconds ago ?

I was searching for him only. It would be embarassing to say something like that especially while in such a casual moment.

"Yea this is my place , I grew up here ... Nothing like hurry ... May be that I'm late to college or hustling back home ."

I replied. A timid smile brightened his ill face.

" By the way.... I'm Ahad nice meeting you. I don't who you are ... But
It looks familiar " . He said in a moderate tone of approval.

"I'm sandy ..."

I ran away with my coffee. I was on the edge of the seat ! I never felt this much pressured under the mix of embarassment and excitement. Atleast I'm noticed. He doesn't look or tend like the ones sliding randomly into my Instagram dms. There is something catchy in anything he pick. And the accent, that's so much appealing.

Days passed . This guy was everywhere. So who is following who?
I believed it wasn't me however at any minute I see him , I couldn't choose a different road . Started with some hi ,later into little chitchats. Slowly the friendship canopied . Unless he hadn't mastered the art of keeping conversation going on without flirting , this could be nearly impossible. How did he even do that! Good looks and great rapport. My expectations went wrong . Casually one day he revealed ,

" My granny is coming from Pak . She cook's great ! You should taste some South East Asian mess. Bread and cookies everyday is illogical "

So he's Paakistani . I knew nothing about Pak culture. Perhaps , I ended up investigating everything involuntarily.

That was me melting into some expectations since my past haven't given me any . I wish this guarantee some endurance atleast . These feelings are so delicate to feel and imagine . The fourth dimension is ruling my heart. The pulsations and beats aren't the same from past. My destiny was playing with the deck of cards . Something nice has been pulled out. To a broken girl like me , it would be relieving to have a keeper. I'm already done imagining watching northern lights with him .

He had a shrunken circle . There's an Adriano , Reza & Liam . The same guys I have seen at cafe.

I tried to dig about his personality before falling head over heels for him and what did I get ?