Meher •completed•

24.

Arham drove Meher to one of the most posh restaurants in Lahore. It was Hooriya's favourite.

The elite atmosphere and rich dresses and suits of other dinners had intimidated Meher, she no longer associated herself with luxury.

A waiter dressed in all black greeted the two as they took seat at a table in the corner of the fine dining place.

"Good evening Sir, ma'am. I'll be waiting you tonight, my name is Yousuf Zahir." He said.

The name of the waiter made Meher's ear twitch and a soft laughter escaped her lips.

The confused waiter looked between the couple, the lady whose soft chuckle had turned into a full blown laughter and the man who looked amusingly at his wife with a small smile playing on his lips as well.

"Mr Yousuf." Arham said making Meher laugh even harder, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched her belly. A few curious eyes of the dinners watched the happy couple amusingly.

"Could you give us a few minutes, my wife clearly needs it." He said shaking his head in mirth.

"Sure sir, I'm leaving the menu card behind." He said before taking a quick exit.

"Meher." Arham said trying to stop her from laughing. But Meher kept laughing non stop.

"Meher stop already." He said in a hushed voice. "Meher stop." He said placing his hand over hers trying to get her attention.

Meher's laughter reduced. Her face had turned red due to laughing. She looked at Arham and pursued her lips to prevent herself from laughing further.

"When.. when he said.. hi..his name was Yusuf.. I.. I couldn't ." She said trying to catch her breath. "Imagine 'the' Dr. Yusuf Choudary's face on his, asking your for your order." Meher said.

"Please Yusuf would have a heart attack if you call him a waiter, he is in love with his doctorate and his hospital and his patients." Arham replied letting out a chuckle.

"You don't tell him, because I won't." Meher said.

"My lips are sealed Ma'am." Arham replied.

The waiter who watched the weird lady's fit of laughter coming to an end decided to join the couple.

"Sir, ma'am have you decided on the order ?" He said interrupting the two.

"Order ?" Arham said cluelessly. The waiter pointed at the menu lying by their overlapped hands on the table.

"Oh." Arham said noticing the menu and his hand which had covered Meher's. The two instantly withdrew their hands and picked up the menu cards.

Scanning the menu for barely a few seconds Arham order the sous chicken in plum sauce for himself.

Meher had scanned the menu a couple of times and scrunched her nose seeing the price on the right end of the card.

"Have you decided Meher ?" Arham asked her looking at her make faces at the booklet.

"No, nothing seems to call me." She replied.

"Call you ?" Arham looked at her with confusion.

"Yes, it's so-."

"Do you want me to order for you ?"he offered and Meher took the offer with an enthusiastic nod.

"A platter of Afghani kebabs please." He said handing over the menu to the waiter who nodded and left the two.

"So how was your first day at office ?" Arham asked her initiating the conversation.

"It had a few bumps but I liked it." She said with a smile. "I met these amazing set of twins, both of them design clothes - Zara and Eira, I never knew twins with identical faces could have such contrasting personalities."

"Have you settled in ?" He asked her.

"Yes, Zara said we need to hurry up, the deadline is in a fortnight and apparently some devil won't approve the designs, I saw the design board, all the rejected designs they were so beautiful." She said. "But this man won't approve." She huffed.

"You do realise right, the man, the devil your friend is talking about is me ?" He said cocking his eyebrow.

"Y..you ?"

"Yes." She said giving her smouldering look.

"Haha.. I was just kidding Zara never mentioned a devil, I -."

"Well I've been called worse, don't worry not firing your twin duo." He said with a smirk.

The two surprising engaged in a pleasant conversation over dinner and neither felt that the awkward or awareness that this had been their first real conversation.

•••

Hooriya picked up her phone, a dozen messages were waiting for her.

The first few belonged to Meher.

'Hey baaji, I hope you are doing well, call me when you have time, I really miss you.'

'Also today was my first day at work, I never knew Arham was such a big deal, he has an entire tower with at least a thousand people working for him.'

'I met these set of twins Zara and Eira, I guess they are my other two friends outside family.'

'Safe to say I have four friends now haha. I'm heading home now, have to inform Yusuf or he is going to eat my ear. Bye. I love you.'

A broad smile etched on Hoor's face, Meher was coming out of her shell, just one day and she already had made friends. Hoor knew her choice had been right, Meher was the one for her husband.

The next two messages were from Yusuf.

'How are you doing Hoor ? Let me know if you need anything, anything at all. Don't feel alone, you have me hoorie.'

'Meher misses you everyday, if possible please reply to her once. Arham does too, he doesn't say it but I know he does and you do too.'

The next set of messages were from her mom.

'Hooriya where are you my love ?'

'You haven't called us in weeks, Arham isn't picking up my calls either.'

'Your dad and I are worried my love.'

'I would call Safa but I know she won't like it, I don't want to call bhaijaan and cause a rift between your mammu and momani jaan.'

'Call me soon mera baccha. Allah hafiz.'

The last set of messages were something Hooriya had to read twice to make sure it was true.
The messages were from Arham.

'Don't make phupho do your dirty bidding. If you have to say something do it on your own.'

'Phupho has called me twice, if you have something to say do it yourself, don't involve your mom into this hoor.'

'This is the last time I'm warning you Hooriya, I'm not going to tolerate this behaviour. Don't involve my parent and don't involve yours.'

Hooriya slumped back into the sofa, she closed her phone and placed it next to her on the table.

Of course she was hurting, more emotionally that physically but she was done, done crying and blaming god or the time or her stars. She didn't want to cry anymore, she didn't know if she had it in her cry anymore, she was ready for whatever was to come. Ready for her future, however long or short it was.

AN: is it too soon for an update ?
Let's set you guys a goal, 175 on this short chapter for the next long one ;p