THE CONTRACT MARRIAGE

18-A FRESH START

OMNISCIENT

"And who said they won?" The sound of a sonorous voice reverberated through the entire place, sending chills down some people's spine. Of course, that voice was like a nightmare to some while for others, it was like a dream come true, eliciting a torrent of excitement that turned out quite to be chaotic.

The person with the golden voice soon swaggered out from the cloud of mist that shrouded his figure. He was like a lion among wolves, rigid and indomitable. His red lips contorted into a faint smile that seemed harmless on the surface.

"T-T-T-The bad boy," Camila mumbled to herself and passed out on the spot. The intensity of his glow blinded not only her eyes but also her thoughts and senses, rendering her too weak to stay conscious.

Everyone's eyes were on him, the electrification that came with staring at such a person felt surreal. No one was willing to look away, afraid he might disappear. The cameras did no justice to his looks and his tyrannical aura. He majestically descended the stage. Without a word, the result announcer stepped far away from the podium and the tyrant took his place.

"Good morning everyone. Sorry, I had a bit of a tardy arrival. I'll admit it wasn't my intention to come at first but given the circumstances, I had to come visit," He paused when the people finally snapped out of their reverie at the sound of his voice. As expected, the place soon transformed from one filled with pin-drop silence to a football stadium.

"Pinch me again! I can't believe it's really him!"

"Ah! My husband!"

"The bad boy,"

"Maheer, marry me please,"

"Wake me up from this dream!"

The place erupted with shouts from hardcore female fans and even males who were crazy about cars like Jawad. Meanwhile, the icon's head was tilted as he centred his gaze on a certain someone. Sumaira's body was on fire due to the intensity of his gaze on her but she defiantly held his stare and maintained a calm and aloof expression.

The world seemed to have been blurred out, leaving only the two of them staring back at each other. When she imagined those set of eyes boring deep into her soul without a barrier, her knees weakened and she submerged into the beauty of nature. To say she was shocked to have seen someone she thought was a lazy bum emerge unscathed from the most horrifying driving scene in her life would be an understatement. Now that she ruminated about it, her driving skills were, indeed, child's play compared to his. If she were in that car when he was driving, she could've died from hypertension.

"I-Is he looking at me?" Camila, who was jolted awake by her fellow cheerleaders, stupidly smiled to herself. As soon as Sumaira heard that, she tore her gaze away from him and he did so too, with great difficulty. The attraction they felt was stronger than that of a magnet to a piece of metal.

"Thank you for all the love, Maheer's nation. Before I declare the true winner of the election today, I'd like to take care of a few matters first," He gestured for the principal to come over and she did so without wasting even another second.

In a few minutes, a projector was set up with the help of the ushers and he handed a black flash drive to the principal who connected it to the laptop and started playing the contents, one after the other.