Retrouvailles

In B/W 5 (v)

Karachi

11:12 PM

They crossed another speed breaker and just like the last two, this too made her very much aware of the distressed human sitting a couple of inches from her whose knuckles clutched the steering a little too tight. She had thought she would enjoy the long ride back home since it would be late and the roads a little less congested but now she was tensed of so many things one of them at this moment of the vehicle's speed and the guy behind the wheels.

Fakhir had not lost it, definitely not. He was keeping a check on the speed and kept slowing the speed after he came back to his senses from a small lapse to some other world, he knew he was giving Annie every reason to doubt him at this moment but he just wanted to reach home.

She had not said anything since they left the venue and he was thankful because he didn't want to talk, he didn't even know what was happening... he needed some time to figure it out, he needed some time to face his feelings.

"Haan Amma, bas pahuch hi rahe hain... aap so jayein." He heard Annie and he knew he had again been lost in his thoughts.

Without saying anything else her gaze turned back to the window but her lips were moving as if she was murmuring something as if she was praying and he felt guilty for putting her through everything he had promised himself he would not.

FLASHBACK

He was seeing her after a long time, they had ended on a good note that they would remain friends but he had ended it from his side, first the contact was muted, then archived and finally deleted from everywhere but the truth was he was avoiding her, trying to forget her by not seeing her and his heart didn't know that it would just take a glimpse to let it all crash back into his life.

And he didn't want any of it, he had collected himself after so many efforts, he had worked so hard on Annie and his relationship, they were of course still two strangers but now she didn't flinch from his presence and he knew no matter how trivial it would be but even a HELLO Amna, how are you would perhaps be his destruction at this moment and it was better he kept his distance.

His mood had changed and he knew nothing was hidden from Annie, he also knew what was going on in her mind but she would never understand this feeling...maybe someday in future he might have the right words but at this moment she would not get him, she would question him why it hurt him to see Amna if he had moved on and then his speechlessness would hurt her. He was sure of it.

And so he had not acknowledged her presence but waited for Amna and the guy to move past them and then got up and extended his hand to her, "Ghar Chalein?"

The confusion that had passed on Annie's face was nothing compared to the disappointment that had followed later in her eyes, he knew because he stole a glimpse of her while walking towards the parking still holding her hand.

End of flashback

Through the passing darkness lit by occasional beams of lights they assumed she was going through the sudden events again and again, and one thing stood out among everything that happened. He had held onto her just like the first time, just like the first time Amna had left him and she had let him hold onto her because just like the first time she didn't know what she felt about it.

For the whole five minutes or so till they said their Salams to his friend's family and he located their car he didn't let go of her hand and through the forced smiles on her lips, she had felt clammy with this sudden need he had of her. But she was not the old Annie, the girl who had believed the emotional support and the physical advances that followed was how she needed to comfort him and it had led her and him into bigger problems.