Qurban

•12• Semblance of peace / سکون کی جھلک

Altamash never knew that there would come a time he would receive any gift from Zainab. The woman was off the charts for him. A mirage. A broken dream, an unfulfilled wish. She still was. A broken wish and a shattered dream. Too close but still out of reach. He could see her, hear her but could not touch her. Could not feel her. It was torture. Plummeting his heart like the hammer that previously fell just inches behind her. Crushing his soul like he was a squishy toy. But it was the best kind of torture. It was poison but he was addicted. He wouldn't mind the venom spreading in his veins, rooting in his heart if it meant he would have her. Even just for a little while.

It was pathetic how intensely infatuated he was with her. But he couldn't help it.

He was a moth to her flame.

And she always pulled him in her magic. He was a blind man when it came to her. Logic ceased to exist when she was near. World seemed too desolate when he wasn't around her. She was an enigma and he was her servant. Drawn to her charm.

She pulled him in her magic again when she forwarded that box of silly cookies to him. They smelled divine but it wasn't the baked delight that stunned him. It was the gesture. She made those especially for him.

Him!

He didn't know what to feel. Part of him wanted to pinch himself hard to believe it wasn't a dream. It wasn't something his mind had conjured up because of his growing infatuation. But when she looked into his eyes, her innocent warm brown orbs staring into his own with an awaited expression, he knew he was a goner. She was real. The moment between them was real. And he wasn't sure how to grasp it.

"Thank you so much again."

His eyes finally registered to his surroundings and he noticed she was already out of reach from him. A big fat distance separating them. She was slipping away from him fingers and he didn't even notice it. He wanted to curse at the irony of situation. She was so near and he couldn't grab her. She turned and he felt his feet move, ready to stop her. To have her for him just for a little more while. He was a jerk for wanting to use her kindness as a tool to spend moments with her but he was desperate and as always when she was near, logic ceased to exist.

His hand shot up as if to grab her, but instantly his eyes hardened as she too stopped in front him and both of them faced the other man, only a feet or two of distance separating them. A heavy bob of weight settled in his heart as he eyed the other man who bored an overly polite smile on his face.

"Basit?"

The woman between them spoke and Basit, the marble eyed man, grinned at her. His lips splitting into a large grin covering lower half of his face making the weight pressed on Altamash's heart to grow heavier.

"I thought I pay a visit." The man causally drawled like he was taking an evening stroll in the park. His eyes shone with a mirth Altamash hated with all his guts. The marble eyed man, a couple inches shorter than him finally noticed him. Recognition ran past his eyes and Altamash felt nice to know he remembered him from the day he was reading too much into Zainab's politeness.

"What are you doing here?"

Bilal or Bakir, whatever his name was asked Zainab while squaring his shoulders as if to come across as an intimidating guy. Altamash wanted to scoff at his pathetic attempts but didn't do anything of that sorts and just observed Zainab as she stole a glance back at him.

"He's taking care of the renovations here. He works closely with my cousin."

Her voice was ever soft as she answered the idiot's question. The man nodded and said

"Were you heading home? I can drop you."

No. Altamash wanted her to say. The man was shady. Altamash just knew with how much he was grinning. His eyes didn't hold a mirth of a gentleman. He didn't want her to be in any vicinity of him. He wished in his heart over and over again for her to disagree otherwise he would do something scandalous.