HIS FAMILIAR STRANGER

Overwhelmed

I looked up. The fact that she was staring at me was enough to boost my ego tenfold. It's nothing to boast about anyway but then now that Reem was doing it, I could just tell all those GQ models to go home. She looked away hastily. She thought I didn't notice any of it. Just then the air hostess came in with the towels. She was completely ruining my momentum so I dismissed her and I asked her to get me one later maybe. I just wanted her to leave so I could bask in my self glory.
I was brimming with these thoughts when Reem asked me to tell the hostess not to get her a meal because she planned on going to sleep. I asked her if she was okay, worried. But she said she was fine and proved it by wearing off her shoes and pulling her legs up on the seat, sitting like a true desi. I wasn't even judging her. Had it been that I wasn't so cautious about my style statement I would have done it too. She is ticking all the right boxes like a boss and I'm helplessly in danger.

She slept within 5 minutes of curling up. I'll let you in on a secret my readers. Reem will never know this but I put off the light above me so i could just look at her. I know, HARAAM! But... I just couldn't resist it. But honestly I had NO wrong intentions. I looked at her without any rhyme or reason. Have you ever been to an art museum and looked at all the paintings and sculptures but there is this one piece that takes you captive? You seem to be drowning in it. Like it's pulling you. It's not attraction. It's not temptation either. You're just defenceless against the onslaught of the captivating piece before you. It was such for me. I couldn't make head and tail out of all the different things that came tumbling one after the other since I went up to this girl and said hi. I'm not a romantic person so to speak. Hopeless romanticism is better left to the art majors and movie goers. I know I sound very biased and even irrational saying this. But I wasn't subject to such situation nor did I have the time to give such things a thought which had probably made me too coarse for a romantic. But this girl. She's making me rethink everything I have ever believed in or stood by.

I figured if I sat by looking at Reem for even another second, the angel sitting on my left shoulder would do a facepalm in utter frustration. Astaghfirullah.
So I asked the hostess who came back with a towel to get a blanket. Sleep is always the better option. I was all set for a trip to dreamland when I noticed Reem curling up even further, evidently feeling cold from the chilled air around. I flared up the blanket and shared it with her. Cautiously I covered her up so I don't make any skin contact for my own morality's sake. I took the other half on me which was just enough cozy to put me to sleep immediately. I was woken up within 20 minutes of sleep, feeling cold and shivering. Reem had conveniently taken all of the blanket to herself leaving me to get a class II pneumonia. I tried not to look at her again and trying to keep my sleepiness unbroke, I pressed the hostess call button because I couldn't see any one and asked her to get another blanket to which she chuckled and remarked, "Ma'am seems to have taken away your blanket. Does she always do that?"

I was confused as to why she would say such a thing. I simply smiled and said no so she left and brought back another blanket. This time I slept without any more interruption.
When I woke up I took a few seconds to realize I was still on the flight. Guess it was a good sleep. I stretched myself to come to my senses and then looked at Reem. She had this look on her face which probably was telling me to go to hell. I gave her one of my killer smirks to which she rolled her eyes.

When she told me about it, I was clueless about having slept on her shoulder all this while. And I just couldn't contain it. I was in peals of laughter. I have no idea why I was laughing. Although I tell you it was payback for me, I mean Reem did steal my blanket right.
After cooling my laughter, I apologized to her for the inconvenience caused.
She dismissed my apology.
The passenger announcements began.

Reem then did something that left me horrified and with a probable broken limb. She held my wrist tighter than an iron chain. She doesn't look like she has much physical strength, I tell you, but then it would be wrong to judge her by her physique because she did leave me nursing my wrist for a while.

I gave her my in-flight complimentary bottle of water to drink so she cools down a bit. She looked flushed with anxiety. She looked away through the window while the aircraft came to a huffing halt. I tried to get a glimpse of the outer view too so I leaned in and Reem just in time turned towards me which brought us inches away from each other. Reem wasn't expecting me to be so close and her face flushed up. For a brief moment that our eyes met it felt inexplicable. She turned away immediately saving me from an embarrassing and ill phrased apology. I looked away too. My chest was in a flutter and I could feel adrenaline pumping through every vein. This was definitely Shaitaan trying to trick me into doing something I'd regret. The rest of the time we waited to file out of the aircraft was spent in silence from both sides. We were both too embarrassed for our own good.

I offered to help Reem with her luggage again so I could be busy with anything but the thoughts that were invading my mind with which I didn't know what to do. After getting off the aircraft we had to stand in a long queue which irked Reem a lot. Understandable as it was after such a long journey. I didn't even know where she was travelling from. I asked her trivia questions about her whereabouts to keep her entertained. She soon got disinterested but I got to know quite a few new things about her, such as, she was indeed a Literature student studying in Qatar University and was returning from Giza where she had a seminar to attend and present a paper at the University of Cairo. Impressive?! Now I know why she was reading the wood out of that book. I also got to know that she was reading Shakespeare's book of sonnets. And that she hates to stand in a queue is now an established fact.

When we were done with our immigration, I asked Reem to give me her phone. She had forgotten about that deal. I called Tahir and asked about the car I had asked him to send to pick me up. He teased me about random things on the call and I did not want Reem to see me being thus embarrassed so I gave curt replies to which Tahir had more things to say because he understood I had company which made my replies so civil. I ended the call hastily. Good thing he was waiting for me himself to pick me up at the gate. He does love me, thus proved. But now he is going to taste my wrath for teasing me like that.

It was time to part ways from Reem and I didn't want to. Its not strange though. I didn't feel like leaving her here. I wanted to take her with me. I wanted to take her home. Like a kid at a toy store having played all day hates to leave the toys behind, I felt forlorn. I asked her if she was going home alone to which she replied that her father would be picking her up. I instantly had a billion dollar idea. I asked Reem to introduce me to her father. I mean it was rash and risky I know I mean it cant be fun to be beaten up by a girls father at an airport while looking this good and with so many women watching and also being the head of a construction firm. But I was prepared for anything just to be near Reem for a while longer. So I took the risk and hoped earnestly that her father would turn out an agreeable man and so he was. He talked in firm but amiable tones and also invited me to dinner. I could not believe my good fortune but kept a straight face and took leave happy beyond limits for having given my business card to Reem and now gaining the acquaintance of Reems father along with an invite.

Now as for you my readers can you read my thoughts? Can you see through my intentions? I was being a little selfish. A lot actually. I gave my business card to Reem in hopes of one day hearing from her. I was trying to leave a piece of me behind so she does not forget about me. I wanted her to have a little opening to always find her way to me. And as for speaking to her father, I found it weird myself that I wanted to harbour good relationship with a girls father. I mean what was that? I legitimately have forgotten my ways around women and I now probably look like a fool in front of Reem.