Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] Complete

8. Friends

There weren't many instances of Izaan Shoaib being agitated. He always had a way of staying calm and composed in every situation. His grandfather had stated time and again he was mature than his age and also more practical than he should've been. This was the reason the occasions of him offending someone were scarce.

Today was one of those rare moments.

He'd been holed up in his room all evening. Memoona didn't think much of it. His studies often compelled him to shut the whole world off and lose himself in his books. But she had no idea he didn't do any studying. His mind was constantly flashing the image of Safwa almost on the verge of tears. He had always seen her smiling or being jolly with her friends. Hurt was something he hadn't seen her showcasing and to know it was because of him, caused by him, this didn't sit well with him.

It was the dinner time when he came out of his room. Taking his seat next to Ibtihaj, Izaan was making his plate when Memoona called him.

"Izzu?"

"Yes, Amma?"

"Where are you lost? Study pressure again catching up to you hun?"

Izaan shook his head.

"I was just thinking. Nothing else."

Shoaib looked up from his plate. Izaan was now attentive towards the ongoing conversation which was about his Abba and the new book pal he'd made. Safwa Kirmani.

"Finding this kind of taste in poetry in this generation is hard. We had such a good chat about Faiz and needless to say I wasn't disappointed."

Kamran Ansari's literature enthusiast was coming onto the surface after a long time. He loved it when his student had different viewpoints about a single piece of literature, it added to the vast spectrum of this field according to him. Now, years after, living his retired life he was feeling the same zest.

"She must be a literature student herself."

Memoona put in. Kamran Ansari shook his head and looked in Izaan's direction.

"Where did you meet her, Izzu? Is she a class fellow of yours?"

Izaan shook his head.

"She isn't a medical student."

"Then?"

"Business."

A thoughtful look appeared on Memoona's face. It wasn't Izaan's nature to make friends going out of his league. All his life he had just two best friends. Izaan, Sarim and Hesham had met during a cricket match back in their teens. Their friendship had started that summer on the pitch and it had stayed the same ever since despite there being so many differences in the personalities and backgrounds.

"She's Sarim and Hesham's university fellow."

The thoughtful look had turned into a pleasant one. If Izaan didn't know his mother well, he'd overlook this but that was the thing. He knew her like the back of his hand.

"Such a lovely girl. She was so polite and the way she-"

"She's seeing Hesham."