Aida was in a bad mood, when she came down for breakfast the next morning. She couldn’t decide who had angered her more, Haashir or Rameen. She was angry with both of them but she was angrier with herself. She should’ve known this was coming and she should have taken some steps to prevent it but she was thankful that Haashir had sided with her on one thing: sending Rameen to Texas was a good idea. She could do well with the changed environment, outing and enjoyment with her cousins there. While Rameen had been throwing a tantrum in front of Haashir, Aida had called her agent and arranged her ticket and visa. Rameen was supposed to leave tomorrow and Aida wanted her to spend some time with Haashir, Maheen and Assad with whom she had become really close.
She was playing with the cereal in her bowl when she looked up and saw Haashir enter the breakfast room, greeting anyone. He looked differently today, dressed in a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. His hair was wet from a bath and combed back and the smell of his spicy cologne tickled her nostrils. His features were set in a grim mold, thanks to her. His laughter and happiness had vanished from his face and Aida wondered why. She was attracted to him. She hadn’t been able to take that night out of her mind, the night they had both lost control and done something that never should have happened. Still thinking about it made her blood boil and her breath constricted. Looking at Haashir caused her heart to skip a beat and she hated that feeling. Putting her spoon down, she took a sip of water and stood up.
“Where are you going Aida?” Haashir asked, breaking his conversation with Maheen and looking at her questioningly.
“I have to go to the office for some work. I will be back in a few hours.” She said.
“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Haashir said and stood up.
“Sure.” She said and waited for him to get up. Aida and Haashir was walking towards the car when realized she had left her cell phone inside.
“Wait, I left my cell phone on the lounge table. Let me get it.”
“You wait here, I’ll get it.” Haashir said and went back inside. Aida waited by the car and then started walking towards the front gate, enjoying the fresh air that made her light-headed and relaxed. She was standing near the gate, looking at the beautiful red rose when she glimpsed a shadow behind her. She turned around but nobody was there. Ignoring it, she turned around back to the rose when the shadow grew larger. Her eyes turned wide with shock and she turned around hastily but all she saw were the trees behind her. Clearly terrified, she ran back towards the entrance, looking behind her but nobody was there. She was looking behind her that’s why she didn’t see Haashir come out and collapsed with him.
“What happened?” He asked her.
“There is somebody down there. I just saw something, a shadow… it grew but I could see nobody behind me.”
“Let me see who was there.” Haashir said and walked with her, holding her hand. They searched the area but nobody was there. That seemed to relieve Aida but then she had seen someone, a shadow, someone was really there.
“There’s nobody here Aida. I guess your mind was playing tricks on you.” He said and took her back to the car.
“Maybe.” She said and opened the passenger door. Sliding inside, she belted herself and waited for Haashir to drive the car.
The drive towards the F-8 sector was quiet as there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Haashir did not know how to approach the topic that he wanted to and he knew he had to do this for the sake of their friendship and clear the air between them. It had been a week since it had happened and Aida had been avoiding him. He couldn’t take the ignorance any longer and he wanted the Aida back, the one whose guard he had lowered. He had liked her, although likeness was a small word for what he felt for her.
