Stranger on Flight

Chapter 10✔

A month later after that texting episode

It was a usual boring Sunday. There wasn't much to do except ironing her outfits for Monday, writing out emails and just doing the chores she didn't want to do on Saturday. Her mother had gone to grocery shopping with her father, and she was home alone with the maid and Billu, her cat. Since she was home alone, she had instructed the maid to go "Bibi jee aur Baray Sahab ghar par nai hain(No one is at home)" to all the people who came at the door. Zoya really hated attending her mother's friends. Actually, there weren't many 'friends' to begin with and she was sure the ladies shouldn't be referred as friends for they were far away from it. But they were all her mother had. Long story short, she hated attending them because whenever they saw her face they'd go "Beta shadi kab karo ge"( Beta, when are you getting married) and Zoya would just sit at stare at the wall. The room then echoed with silence. Silence which Zoya hated.

The TV longue was bursting with the sunlight from the window, illuminating every corner as Zoya sat in the middle of the sofa staring at the LCD re-watching Bridget Jones Diary.
"Ahhh Mark why would you be rude to Bridge !" Zoya thought out loud with grimace. She loved Mark adored him so much that she wanted one for herself. But she hated it when he said "I didn't. It must be my Mom" to her "Thank you for inviting me."

Funny how the rude snobbish Mark Darcy reminded her of the Stuck-up Suits. Not that she needed a reminder since he hadn't left her thoughts or inbox! Yes, she had sorta become friends with him over the texts after helping him with the Meena situation.

Only if Mark was real and Muslim(duhhh), she would have married him. The guy wore Christmas Sweaters his mother got him. She had this fetish for the bad boys who were scared of there Moms. And well Mark Darcy might not be a baddie, but he was this perfect gentlemen who was a successful lawyer. Another reason why Mark reminded her of Irtaza. Zoya wanted him. Not Irtaza! Mark Darcy. All the sweaters he didn't like, she'd be happy to borrow. Just the thought made her heart giddy with excitement. Her love for sweater and winter clothes was out of the world.

"You beautiful thing," she said lovingly as she jumped in front of the screen. "Mark, meri jaan....I do believe in soulmates aur "—she leaned forward toward the screen stretching her arms to the width of LCD—"Teri nazroon nay dil ka kiyaa yeh hasarrr asarrr yeh huaaa" ( I AM NOT TRANSLATING IT . IT'S A SONG Lyric)

"Do you always try to woo the characters on the TV or is it a special occasion?"

Zoya whirled around at the sound of a deep male voice. Good damn it. She recognized that voice but didn't believe it was him until she saw him standing in the doorway. It was Irtaza Haider Awan, looking as sinfully handsome in the dress pants and a cotton shirt, as annoying he was. Which is A LOT! Was that a beard? He grew a beard? Uff, Zalim !!!! Its hides your strong jaw structure. Not saying I dont like it. But umm he should keep a beard when he in 40ish. Before that stick to the stubble pleaseeeeeee.....

Wait a minute! What the hell is he doing here ? And how the hell did he get in? Her heart was ready to burst out of her ribcage.

She placed her hand on her heart as she waited for it to settle down. Finally finding her voice, she decided to voice the question.
"What the fu-" She caught herself just in time. She wouldn't let this man reduce her to cursing out loud and going broke so that her swear jar can get fuller. No matter how often she cursed him in her head, she wasn't going to voice it out.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she took a step away from the screen and hesitantly walked towards her shoes. God, she wasn't even wearing her shoes. Forget shoes, where the fudge was her dupatta. Feeling somewhat similar to Babu Bhaiya who had lost his dhoti infront of a lady , she looked around for her discarded dupatta.

"Wa-Alikum Assalam ! Main bilkul thek. App thek hain? ( I am good. How are you doing?)" He replied making her feel remorseful about her poor manners.
" I am sorry. Assalam-Alikum... MashAllah....Shukar Alhumdulilah. I mean , what are you really doing here?" She said trying to rephrase her question to sound more polite but failing miserably.