LET ME HATE YOU

The Party

"Here you are, Asmaira. I have been looking for you," Hania said as she walked into Kabir's room.

It had been more than ten days since Asmaira stopped going to the office. Ten days of silence from Amaan, as if he never entered the room in her presence. He wouldn't return until after she had fallen asleep, and the faint scent of his cologne in the morning was the only sign that he had already dressed and left for the office.

What surprised her was the lack of questions about his absence during meals. Apparently, he had informed everyone beforehand, which spared her the discomfort of falling under Salar's intense scrutiny.

"Do you need help with something?" Asmaira asked.

With Hania and Ishaal completely occupied with the Gala's arrangements, Asmaira spent her entire day with Kabir, feeling her opinion on the party was irrelevant. She was grateful that Mehwish was turning a blind eye to her time with Kabir. She planned to attend the party for a short time out of courtesy and then return to Kabir. Therefore, she was surprised when Hania came looking for her.

Hania opened her mouth to speak but then closed it as if something had just occurred to her. "Your dress has been delivered, and the driver is waiting for you."

"Okay, but why is he waiting for me?" Asmaira was confused.

"To take you to the Salon, of course," Hania huffed, pulling her off the couch.

"B-But Kabir—"

"Kabir is too young for Galas," she said, playfully pinching his cheek, which earned a giggle before she turned back to Asmaira. "And Ma strictly said not to disturb his routine. But you don't get that exception. Now, let's go. You need to get dressed and then come back," she urged Asmaira.

"But, why do I have to go out?" Asmaira's eyes met Amber's, who simply smiled in acknowledgment, a silent promise to look after Kabir in her absence.

"Oh, my sweet soul, I know you want to dress up for Amaan, but Ishaal said it's a surprise for him. You can't get ready here. Now, go."

Surprisingly, Asmaira didn't feel a hint of offense in Hania's words, even though the idea that she wanted to dress up for Amaan was far from the truth. If anything, she had adjusted to her stay in his room by treating him like a mere roommate.

Hania dragged the reluctant Asmaira. "Are you and Ishaal coming with me?"

"No, we have to make sure everything is perfect here," Hania replied. Asmaira immediately questioned, "Then why am I the only one going to the salon and not getting ready here?"

Rolling her eyes at Asmaira's stubbornness, Hania explained, "One, we have been attending these Galas for years, and two, unlike you, we both are skilled at doing our own makeup and hair. And three, you are not going alone; Mehwish has used that artist for years and, at my request, made an appointment for you. Now, do you have any more questions?"

Giving up on resisting the spirited Hania, Asmaira did as she was told.

Amaan felt as though fate had a personal vendetta against him, and the party seemed like its perfect opportunity to mock him. If he were the Amaan of a few months ago, he would have locked himself in the penthouse, drowning his sorrows in whiskey and memories of Raina. But here he was, forced to meet people who would gladly grovel to gain his favor.

Moving away from the soft chatter and the live jazz music inside the mansion's ballroom, he walked toward the darkest corner of the lawn where no one would find him. Lighting a cigarette, his brow furrowed with the sheer effort it took to put on a tuxedo and join the Gala without Raina.

The extravagant event enveloping the Hashmi Mansion no longer fascinated him as it once did. Raina's excitement about the event, what she would wear, and how they would dress up together used to rub off on him, and he always looked forward to it. But now, the same event had been added to the list of haunting memories that he couldn't seem to escape.