"You've pushed me away from the start, and I let you. Kept your distance from me and I let you. Now when you've finally come to terms with your feelings, you're letting me go without a fight?!"
Muaaz, a talented yet struggling architect based in Lo...
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"Chalo, chalo, chalo!" I call out loud into my cupped hands, standing by the staircase for everybody to hear me. "Shopping ke liyea gaadi 5 minutes me nikal rahi hai!"
"Ready!" Mr. Angrez says, the first one to be stepping out of his room, in his old miney linen glory. "Where's everybody else?" He asks.
"Humari dulhan is taking her sweet time." I tell him. He nods at first, but frowns at someone looking over my shoulder.
"But, Farah is here." He says, taking her name in that sexy British accent, making the American in me envious. Far-ah. Adding the subtle moan to her name at the end. Ah.
I swallow. "I meant Fatty."
He snorts at my words. "What?"
"I mean, he is the one taking the longest time. You're here, Dada jaan is sitting in the couch, Farah is getting her bag of snacks ready. It's only Fatty still upstairs in his room. FATTY!"
"Aagya, aagya." He says rushing down the stairs. "God, baj! You're so loud, I could hear you all the way in my bathroom." Fatty huffs past me.
"Ayn shikar ke waqt pe paykhana kyun yaad aata phir?" I call out after him.
"What did you say?" Muaaz questions, looking like a lost child.
"Uff Mr. Angrez, you're too cute sometimes. Fatty, get the car started!" I yell, before giving my undivided attention to Muaaz. "Shikar is hunting, paykhaana is bathroom...?"
"Basically it means, when it's the time to hunt, the hunter needs to use the loo?"
"Urm," I press my lips together, stopping the stupid smile that was threatening to spill. And I knew he was doing the same. "I guess."
"Muaaz bete," Dada jaan cuts in, much to my rescue. Muaaz stands straighter, walking over to where Dada stood and takes his extended hand in his. "It's an idiom, that loosely means..." He explains as they make their way to the front door.
"Ab kaun der karre?" Farha says when I can't seem to take my eyes off the retrieving figures of the two men.
"Tum." I tell her.
"Cards rakhliyea, bache?" Abbu inquired standing at the top of the staircase.
"Ji!"
"His cards ain't going to work here." You guys probably know who 'his' reffered to.
"I know."
"Buy something for yourself and the kids too." Abbu says.
"Thank you, I love you!"
"Bus, yeich baaki tha. Kisi aur ki shopping ke naam pe apni karlo." Mumma remarks.
"Bestfriend ki shaadi hai, lelene do. Main nahi liya tha Wajih--" Everybody falls silent, as Abbu comes to an abrupt stop. Mumma stops mid step, Farha holds the packet of Bingo chips she might me stuffing in her backpack. Even Abbu stops on the step as he feels all eyes on him.
