Finding Love

Chapter 20

Lost in deep thought, Kabir strode through the portico, and into the massive Shah Mansion, his strides huge, and countenance troubled. He wasn't able to wrap his mind around so many things. The fact that Qizar was, coincidentally, in the same town as them, and was out for a walk in the very same garden as Aaqib and him. And then Shahid.

A sudden question, a worried countenance, and a hand on his shoulder, broke Kabir from his reverie of painful thoughts. Looking up, he met Saif's deep chocolate orbs, staring at him, eyebrows furrowed. Kabir took one look at his brother, before whipping his head back up, to meet those brown eyes again. Saif was dressed, shabbily, in one word. Which was absurd! Saif Abdullah was the kind to check his appearance in the mirror a million times before stepping out of the guards of his room. But this man before him, was nowhere close to well-groomed in his appearance. Shirt untucked, sleeves rolled up, and, what was that....? Slippers on his feet! Rubber slippers! Kabir was taken aback by this sudden sway in his brother's .... He couldn't even find a word to describe this!

"Saif, everything alright?" Kabir couldn't somehow digest that this man who stood before him, who was more careful and particular about his dressing that he himself was, was roaming around like a junkie now!

"I should be asking you that Kabir. Is everything alright?" Saif's voice was stern. Kabir noticed how he wasn't his jovial self, but didn't dwell on that thought for long. Saif's question caught him off guard, and that's when a major realisation struck him. He froze for a few moments, staring hard at Saif, before a sudden smile broke onto his troubled features.

"Yes Saif, everything is perfectly fine. I was just thinking about that realty venture we were partnering with the Bokharis for. Aaqib said that even the Shah Group would join the contract. And coincidentally, we met Qizar during the walk in the garden. And –"

"Qizar?"

"I mean, Mr. Ali. We met him in the garden-"

"Wait. Since when did you start addressing people by their first names, Kabir?"

"Exactly since when you decided to walk around the town in such clothes," Kabir almost spat out the words, as he rolled his eyes at Saif's completely un-charming attire. And even before Saif could present an argument in his defence, Kabir resumed talking. "You do realise that Noorie won't be appreciative of .... Such clothes on you, right...?"

"Shut up Beerah. Don't even –" suddenly Saif stopped, mid-sentence. After ages, he had addressed Kabir as 'Beerah.' He wasn't even sure of how that distance had grown between the two. But in that sudden spur of the moment, he realised one thing. It was all in his head. He knew in that moment, that there was still some hope. Everything else fazed off his mind in that moment. He stared at Kabir for one long moment, as the latter threw his head back, his laughter flooding through the room.

"Don't even? Don't even what?" Kabir hardly managed to squeak in between his bouts of crazy laughter.

"Beerah?" Saif, very cautiously addressed Kabir by the name which he had refrained from using for the last seven years. He didn't know what to expect from Kabir at the use of the very familiar, but now foreign name. Kabir, who was trying desperately, to control his laughter, looked up to meet Saif's startled eyes, a broad smile adorning his usually grim features. Eyebrows raised, he waited for Saif to continue. And Saif kept staring at him.

"Go on, Saif! You're staring too intently, just, at the wrong person. I'm Kabir, not Noorie!"

And that was enough to break Saif's attention off his chain of peculiar thoughts.

"Shut up. Please! What this new thing that you've caught on to. Noorie, Noorie, Noorie! And to answer your query, Kabir, look around. You're standing in my room. Obviously, at this hour, you will find me in such clothes!"