Destined To Find You #muslim-romance

♡ Chapter 9

Aftab was impressed with Zayna's innocence and purity of the soul. He felt Noorie was really lucky and blessed to have such a wonderful person as a best friend. At first, he had a bit of reservation knowing her because her dressing style was not like a Muslim girl. He is not an extremist. He does not mind jeans as far as its worn in a decent way. He has completely liberal views, but he prefers women to be dressed in traditional wear. He thanked himself that he had not judge her on account of her dress and extreme frankness. A wise men once said, 'Never judge a book by its cover.' It's really true. Talking to Zayna gave him quite an insight to this saying otherwise, he had seen girls who had discarded off their modesty and shyness and he feels quite sorry to see the way society had went flip flop.

Aftab's gaze then rested on Noorie as they quietly sipped their drinks. Her embarrassment over Zayna's chatter was clearly evident on her face. He wished he could be more expressive with her and tell her that it is really fine. He is not going to judge them, in fact he was more than happy to know about her name. He always had believed that she had forgotten about him. But, now he knows that she too has remembered him, even if it was a faint memory, but he was not completely out of her mind. That brought happiness and relief in his heart. Although, he knew that her rememberance of him has nothing to do with his rememberance of her and that he has quite a lot in his plate to deal with before making a proposal to her.

"It's time for rehersals to start Zayna, let's make a move now," Noorie spoke in an urgent manner as her eyes collided with the time on her wrist watch and in that very moment, the galaxy that was built in Aftab's imagination where Noorie and Aftab were together, as each got lost in time, fell apart as the thought bubbles got broken as Noorie's voice made way into his ears.

"Yeah, Right,"Zayna said as she waved to the waiter for the bill.

"Looks like, your friend was coming from a far place. He couldn't make it by now."Zayna commented looking at Aftab. But, before Aftab could reply her, the waiter came with the bill and handed it to Aftab.

"We are suppose to pay it,"Noorie said at once trying to pick the bill from the table but at once Aftab put his hand on it and said, "Please allow me," and he hand in his pocket to take out his wallet.

"Please no, it's suppose to be from me,"Noorie replied as she gave a look at the waiter for handing the bill to Aftab. The waiter stood dumbstruck, not knowing what he did wrong to deserve that look from her.

Aftab noticed and he came for his rescue saying,"It's really okay, it's not his fault when we are sharing the table."

Noorie did understood that but she just had to let out her frustrations that she had been holding for past half an hour and the waiter's action only heightened it and she couldn't stop herself. She was thanking her self control for not exploding over what's happening to her on this un-fateful day, as she thought it to be.

Aftab took out the bill amount and was pacing it with the bill to handover to the confused waiter, who was still not over the shock of Noorie's reaction when the subject of his thought looked pleadingly at her friend to come to a rescue.

Zayna shrugged her shoulder not knowing what to say but she tried anyway, "Please Aftab, it's our treat, let us pay today and you can treat us next time."

Whoa, so much for the help! Noorie thought in her boiling frustration.

"Why not I pay now and the two of you can pay the next time we meet?," Aftab said as he handed the bill amount to the waiter and he quickly made an escape from the scene.

Noorie just had it. Between the two of them, they are discussing it all as if her opinion does not matter or maybe she is not present there at all. She first looked at her friend with shock and then at Aftab with a haughty look which clearly indicated that there will be 'No Next Time'. He has done enough favors on her and now he is also paying the bill, she cannot imagine to be troubled with getting anything more from him. She had nothing to say. She lowered her lashes and quietly stared at the table in a visibly annoyed mood.