Kahani Hamari Fasana Hamara

Chapter 5

                      Mariya Raha Ayub

I settled into my seat in the last row of the theater. There were only five people present in the entire space. I wondered how much it had cost Faraj. I doubted it was much for him; after all, he was a well-known businessman, not just in Arab but in many countries.

Kainat and Shams were seated in the first row, while Ayesha Appi, Faraj's only sister, was sitting with her husband a few rows behind them. They also had a beautiful daughter with whom I had enjoyed playing yesterday. She was at home.

I chose the last row because Kainat had suggested sitting beside her, but I didn't want to be a third wheel. Sehar couldn't join us as she had something important to attend to and looked quite disappointed about it.

Kainat had shared so much about her family with me that it felt as if I was part of it. However, I was unaware of the engagement. The moment Sehar introduced herself, Faraj had left the kitchen, though Sehar exchanged a few words with me.

The movie started, and I turned my head toward the door, which had opened slightly. Faraj walked in and settled into the seat beside me.

Despite the vast space of 300 seats, he chose to sit next to me, barely acknowledging my presence.

"Ayesha appi said you don't have time for a movie like this," I said quietly, my eyes fixed on the screen.

His scent was an intoxicating blend of warm spices and rich notes. I briefly closed my eyes to breathe him in.

No, that was wrong. Why was he leaning in?

I crossed my legs, leaning to the right side of my seat. "Do you have a problem with me being here?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.

"Don't you have work to do? Why are you here?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the screen.

"Aap ke liye," he murmured darkly.

I frowned, bewildered. "No," I said, letting out a choked laugh.

I turned my head, He was on a call. Oh God, I felt so dumb. Just like that, I decided not to speak to him at all.

My eyes were fixed on the movie screen as Laila refused to go with Qais.

"Jaa ab nahi aata, ab tu hi dhund mujhe."

Tears streamed down my face, and I kept wiping them away. Faraj noticed me crying again, and I felt so embarrassed. When I glanced at him, his eyes remained on the screen.

"You're too beautiful for tears, Faeria," his voice was husky but gentle.

It took me a moment to process what he was saying. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my face heat up. I tried to stay composed, but I couldn't ignore how my hands suddenly felt clammy and my posture stiffened. I glanced away, wiping my tears with my hand. He offered me his handkerchief, though his shoulder seemed tense. He tilted his head, giving me a weird look.

"Oh, umm... thanks, It's my choice if I cry or not." I said, taking his handkerchief, "Laila shouldn't have done that. You see, Qais was always calm and laughing," I added dramatically, wiping away my tears

I tried to sound normal, but my heart was still racing. We both redirected our focus to the screen.

"Being completely consumed by something as stupid as love is total nonsense," he said. I tilted my head, studying him.

"I know that every hero who claims they don't believe in love ends up falling hard, and you're trying to be one of them," I said, shaking my head and laughing.

Hafiz song was playing softly in the background.

"So you're telling me that I'm a hero?" he said, amused. I turned my head to meet his grey eyes, which now looked darker.

"Itni zyda khush fehmi sahi nhi," I said. I swore I saw a hint of a smile even in the darkness, but it quickly vanished as he looked away.

"Let me guess, you don't think love is nonsense?" he said. Not looking at me, I shifted my attention back to the movie screen.

"So, your fiancée Sehar-you don't love her?" I ignored his question and asked a different one.

"Why are you interested?"

"I could ask you the same: why are you interested in knowing my opinion on love?"

"You never answered my question," he said. I glanced over and noticed him loosening his tie.

"You didn't answer mine,"

For the rest of the movie, neither of us said anything. Something was really off with me. I usually didn't engage this much with a new person, yet here I was, responding to ordinary questions with sarcasm and stubbornness.

He was definitely accustomed to women being utterly captivated by him. I couldn't blame them; he was too charming, and his eyes were mesmerizing.

No, no.

The ending left me speechless. I felt as though I had become Qais Bhatt myself. I was rooted to my seat as the lights came on and everyone else stood up.

"Laila aapke liye koi qais nhi aa rha" Faraj said mockingly, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips as he held out his hand. A sudden, spine-tingling shiver coursed through me.

I stared at his extended hand, bewildered. What the heck? I noticed that everyone had left from the far side of the theater, leaving just the two of us.

"Aur tumhare liye bhi koi laila nhi aa rhi" I shot back, rising from my seat and striding toward the exit.

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