You, Me & the Alter(cations) - Farmeed AU

3.

The remaining conversation was non-existent. Umeed was struggling to finish her tea, feeling the silence strike her into taking minimal action.

She was not someone who liked talking to strangers, but there was some level of comfort that should have been present. She had never thought she would be waiting for time to speed up so she could leave - she was just waiting for one thing.

"Ye lien." The waitress came and was about to hand the receipt file to Farjaad but Umeed brought her hand out, making the waitress pause for a moment before handing it to her. Umeed smiled and nodded, cue for the waitress to go away until called upon.

"Umeed, let me." He tried reaching out but she pulled it away, done with him and his behaviour.

"Aap ne already bohot ehsaan kar diya bula kar, please." She mumbled as she reached for her wallet inside her bag.

Farjaad clenched his jaw, his own patience being tested to an extreme today.

"Umeed mene aap ko bulaya hai, mera banta hai pay karna." He spoke patiently, seeing her pull her credit card out from the wallet and place it in the check holder. He sighed.

There were many things he could tolerate or be flexible in, letting someone else pay upon his invitation was not one of them. It was almost insulting. He was the one who called, it was his duty to pay. Yet the woman in front made it her mission to get him to pop a vein out of his head.

And she was a heavy advocate for the man paying, it was cute and there was a reassurance that was behind that gesture. But only in situations where she was actually interested in the man and he was a decent human being. Not an egotistical loon who could not see anything beyond himself.

Umeed could not fathom walking out the restaurant knowing he had that over her.

"Excuse me." He stood up and walked away without another word, leaving Umeed shaking her head. He took his phone but left his keys and his glasses. She assumed he went to the bathroom.

Maybe washing his face would wipe some of the attitude off of him.

She rolled her eyes and waited for moments, the waitress had just disappeared. She checked her phone for any messages, none.

Umeed didn't have the brightest social circle, just one friend and the rest being her work staff. And that one friend should be at work, so there was no one to contact.

Farjaad strolled back towards the table and Umeed looked away to avoid any explanation. He reached for his keys then glanced in her direction.

"Aap kisi ka wait kar rahi hain?" He asked her and she pressed her lips together.

"Waitress ka." Umeed responded sweetly, reaching for her purse and placing it in her lap.

She observed how the corner of his lip curved for only a second as he reached for his hair, his fingers running over it. Umeed noticed how his hair was actually brown, the sunlight showing the colour of his strands. He had nice voluminous hair, a bit like herself.

"Miss Umeed bill pay ho chuka hai." Farjaad spoke like he was incognizant of the cause, very casual and collected as he informed her.

"Kese?" Umeed stood up, her tone filled with bewilderment. She just wanted to get done with this one thing, how was this difficult?

"Aap mind na karein but I can't tolerate agar mere kehne par aap pay kartin. It's not how I work." He shrugged. "Anyway, ab agli dafa Rubina aunty ti taraf mulakaat hoti hai." He turned to walk but she pulled her credit card from the holder and took quick steps to walk past him and stand in front.