It's All In The Mind √

Chapter Ten

Ummid Miya sat staring at Shaahid. While the later gulped down toasts one after the other.

" Listen. Salman bhai visited my dhaba just twice or thrice, over the four long years he stayed in Fareedpur, before Allah called him up for tea. " , Ummid said.

" How good did he look? " , Shaahid asked with bread in mouth.

" Even more handsome than you. "

" I am not handsome. I'm a dark badlooking human. " , Shaahid grinned.

" Yeah. I'm handsome. The same me whom my wife mistook for the caterer instead of the groom on our Nikah.
You ain't. " , Ummid miya heaved a huge sigh.

" Your wife has always got eye problems. You know that well. " , Shaahid licked off the butter from his fingers.

" I would have bought this, only if I didn't have mirrors at home.

Anyways, Salman bhai was terribly handsome. Always turned a few heads to him when he walked. And was soft spoken as well.
Quite reserved too. Unlike you, who can even talk to a wall for a week.
Girls like that kind. Not yours. "

Shaahid twisted his lips. Ummid miya was on a spree of insulting him again today.

" By the way, do you remember the money you are getting soon? " , he tried to divert him.

" I remember, but won't be very optimistic before I actually get it. " , Ummid blinked.

" Good that people are reasoning with me these days. Instead of blindly trusting me. "

" I don't distrust you. But money matters are not my thing. Otherwise I would have been the manager of Oberoy Grand by now. But look at my dhaba, it couldn't be extended even a slice for the last ten years. Thanks to freeloaders (like you). " , he gulped back the last part.

" Instead of putting the whole blame on me, why don't you accept that you spend have of your earnings for your wife's gifts to keep her happy, and the rest half for your Malikganj-waali girlfriend to help her abort pregnancy once in a month?! "
Shaahid got up and winked.

Ummid miya was so stunned, it seemed he had got epileptic fits.

Shaahid walked out of the dhaba.

___

" Where is Azaad? "
Shaahid asked one of his friends.
" He told me yesterday that he would talk to me regarding someone today, in details. Why is he nowhere to be seen? "

" Sir, he is running high fevers since yesterday. Don't know when he'll make it. "

Shaahid sadly walked into the chamber of the heavy principal, who was engrossed in phone watching something. While doing so, his eyes looked quite lusty. And he licked his lips often.

Shaahid sighed within.
The uglier a person looked, the more was he deviated to nasty deeds.

" You summoned me sir, I guess. "

" Oh yes, Shaahid miya, sit down. "

" It's Hussain. "

" Whatever. "

" Okay, Adnan Akhtar Sir ."

The principal now looked up, frowning.

" It's Adnan Sami. Not Akhtar. "

" Whatever. " , Shaahid watched the ceiling.

" Do you know you can be fired for misbehaving? "

" No, I won't be. Because you're generous. "

Silence for sometime. He was watching Shaahid carefully, shrinking his eyes.