A Pride & Prejudice and Little Women retelling
Farrah Hussain spent a lifetime hating Salman Bashir. At least that's what she liked to believe. When one fateful summer Salman changes his bad boy ways and comes back a new man, Farrah can't stop the l...
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The smell of fried food was the first thing that hit Farrah Hussein. Next were the bright colours of the pleather cubicles. She looked around the dimly lit room, eyes searching for a familiar face. The place was beyond crowded that evening, like it was always. The once-famous kebab house now turned into a hip burger joint was always a popular spot in their city, hence why Malika had chosen it to celebrate Farrah's new job.
She greeted her friend and sat down in the empty seat besides her. Minutes later, Salman slid into the sofa in front, panting slightly from running to make it in time. "There you are!" Malika cried, seeing him. "I was just about to call you."
"Told you I'd be here in five minutes, kid." Then he looked at Farrah and smiled. They had barely spoken since their fight at the Ahmads', she wasn't sure where they stood currently. For a moment, Farrah almost asked it out loud. She reeled the question back from the tip of her tongue. He had obviously let it go and slid it under the mattress with all their other issues, and she wasn't going to be the one to ruin the moment. So she simply smiled back.
The evening was spent on greasy burgers, spicy fries and ice-cold coca colas. The three friends chatted and laughed like they used to once upon a time. Nostalgia bloomed in Farrah's chest. She cast her fiancé a curious look.
"Do you remember when we used to come here after school?" she queried tilting her head to a side, eyes searching his face.
Salman nodded. "With Yasmine Aunty and Layla."
Surprise flickered in her eyes. "You do?" she repeated with disbelief.
"Of course." He chuckled. "Yasmine Aunty would bring us here every Thursday after school."
She met his eyes for a brief second. "You used to sneak out with Fardin half the time," she said, even after the years passed, her tone turned slightly accusing. "You would excuse yourself to go to the toilet and disappear."
Salman grinned at her. "Now I can't believe you remember that."
"I couldn't forget it even when I tried to." A wry smile stretched her lips. "You know, this was one of the only times we got together without your friends. So it was heartbreaking for little Farrah when you left."
Her confession seemed to flicker a foreign emotion in Salman's face. She was such a private person usually. For a moment, even Farrah was surprised she had shared this so easily. But then again, the years of carrying those emotions in her heart was starting to feel too much.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked, staring at her with curiosity.
"Would it have mattered if I had?"
Her question was met with silence, but the look in his eyes told her more than enough.
Farrah let out deep breath to let out the heaviness forming in her heart. She tried to force that smile on her face again. "Our meetings here were some of the rare occurrences when you would actually speak to me."
