Incandescence

Chapter 31

We sat outside the Market Mall, waiting for Asad to pick me up. Hashim was looking at me, as if he was meeting me for the first time.

"So, this is it?" he asked as I glanced at the parking lot once again and turned towards him.

"Yes!" I nodded and gave him a slight smile.

"I'm going back to Pakistan tomorrow, Alisha."

"Have a safe flight." I said and turned to look towards the parking lot again. I froze. This is impossible. I could recognize that car anywhere and I knew that was Anis. I parked the car in an empty slot right beside ours. I sat, frozen in the seat. I knew I was in deep shit.

"Shit." I breathed out. Hashim turned to look towards where I was watching and a satisfied smile settled on his face.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I chanted as I picked up my clutch and got out of the car quickly. Hashim called me from behind but I ignored him and walked towards Anis who was going inside the mall.

"Anis!" I called to him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"What are you doing..." his sentence was unfinished as he watched Hashim behind me and his eyes narrowed. He quickly walked over towards me and looked in my eyes, searching.

"Were you with him?" he asked, pointing towards Hashim. The dangerous glitter in Anis's eyes scared me. Shakily, I nodded my head.

"Why, Alisha?" his voice was really quiet as he asked me. I knew what this meant. This was the silence before the storm and I didn't know whether I had it in me to survive the storm or not.

"Anis...I..." I hesitated. What should I tell him? How should I answer his question? I didn't know the answer myself. He pressed the remote control of the car in his hand.

"Alisha! Get in the car." He said, his voice dangerously polite.

"What are you going to do, Anis?" I asked.

"Alisha! I said get in the car." This time there was a forceful tinge to his voice. I hesitated once and then did as he asked. I turned in the passenger seat and watched as Anis said something to Hashim, who had a smug look on his face. One second Anis was talking and the next second his fist swung around and came in contact with Hashim's cheek. Hashim's face swung sideways and he touched his cheeks to check whether he was bleeding or not. Anis said something to him and then came towards the car.

He slammed the car door hard and reversed the car almost rashly. He didn't say a word as we left the parking lot.

"Anis!" I called his name.

"Alisha! I don't want to talk to you right now." He said and put the car into gear. All through the drive back to his office, he was quiet. I could feel him fuming and his anger evident in the way his hands clutched the steering wheel.

Never before had I seen Anis's anger like this. He always had a cool and laid back behavior but not today. What made him angry that I hadn't gone with Asad to the outing or that I was with Hashim? I wasn't sure but I knew that I didn't know how to cool him down. He skidded in front of the hotel entrance and got outside. I quickly unbuckled the seat belt and opened the door as the valet took his car keys from him and opened the driver door to park the car in the parking lot. I followed Anis through the lobby towards the elevator. We rode the elevator together, not talking to each other but he watched me occasionally.

As the elevator doors opened at his office floor, I followed him outside and then inside his office.

"Alisha, just tell me one thing." Anis said as I walked towards my table. I turned around and faced him.