Love for Rent

x Deal x

This is just a deal. I kept reminding myself as I waited in the car for Jaan, who talked to his friend outside the restaurant. He told me to stay inside until he passed me the signal to come to them, but he kept talking, and my worries started getting out of hand. My heart started beating so fast. This was not a good sign. Why did I even agree to this? This was absolutely absurd. Faking a marriage for a month with someone who I didn't know. Yes, I saw him in the restaurant because he was Jaan's friend, but that's about it. Apart from his obvious good looks and a dimpled smile that made women around him get all shy and giggly was all I had managed to notice from a distance. The only time we spoke was when one of the servers asked me to take his table. I placed his plate, thanked him, and started walking away until he stopped me and asked me where Jaan was, and I told him I'd call him for you. That was three months ago.

What was taking Jaan so long? He knew I had to go home to my aunt. She had a doctor's appointment early in the morning tomorrow. I looked in their direction again, but it was hard to see their expression from afar with the rain. That's it. I couldn't wait any longer. I unlocked the door and went towards them. Shahzaib nodded his head towards me when he noticed me coming, and Jaan quickly came running towards me to offer me his umbrella.

'I told you to stay inside,' He told me as he covered my head.

'I am fine. I have to leave,' I said in between my chattering teeth.

'We will have to leave in a week,' Shahzaib said straightforwardly without wasting time as soon as we reached him and he looked directly into my eyes.

'You said it would be at the end of the month' I glared at Jaan since he pitched me a different story.

'Can you commit or not? I don't have time to waste' Shahzaib cut in before Jaan could reply.

'What about my job...Jaan? You said it would be at the end of the month' I kept staring at Jaan.

'What difference does it make either you're in, or you're out. I need an answer' His voice got desperate and angry, and I finally turned to look at him. He was a rich and spoiled guy, but I didn't know he was selfish until now. Jaan kept talking about him as if he was a great guy, but I was right. I knew people like him all too well. He thought he'd use his money to make me do anything, but he was wrong.

'You father just died, and all you care about is your damn money,' I shouted at him.

'Who the fuck are you' He was about to come near me when Jaan stepped in between us and pushed him away from me.

'I am fine working for you, Jaan, I don't need this' I moved away from the umbrella to leave when Jaan walked around me to stop me from going.

'Seher think about it. You need this as much as him. Both of you put your egos aside. Seher thinks about Afza Aunty, no matter how long you work for me at the restaurant, you won't be able to save that much on time for her, and Shahzaib, you will lose everything your father left for you. I care about you both, so listen to me and get on with it.' Jaan gazed at both of them with exhausting eyes. Jaan was his friend, but he was mine too. He offered me a job when all the doors turned closed on me.

'Will you really give a part in your next movie?' I asked Shahzaib to make sure he remembers the whole deal. Money and a movie in exchange for one month of marriage, then a divorce.

'Yes,' He hesitated for a bit but finally nodded.

'Only if you follow through without giving me any sort of trouble. One month you will do as I say and go by my words,' He added and stepped towards me, bringing me inside his umbrella. I never saw him from so close before. He was so tall and so muscular. Why did he go for direction when he could have been an actor?

'When we return from Islamabad and get divorced, I will sign you for my next movie.' He said to me.

'You promise?' I blinked.

'A deal is a deal' He extended his hand to me. I lightly placed my hand in his, and he secured his hand tightly around mine. He looked relieved when I shifted my eyes from our hands to his face.

'I am sorry about what I said about your father' I apologized to him. Sometimes I said and felt things I didn't mean. I didn't know what it felt like losing a parent, but I knew he was hurt when I saw his eyes. I didn't understand why I could look away from him. This was surreal. I said yes to be his legally wedded fake wife for a month.

'When are you getting married?' Jaan said in between, and I pulled my hand from him to turn to look at him.

'Tomorrow,' Shahzaib replied quickly.

'Tomorrow?' I asked. This was too soon.

'Yes, tomorrow.' He nodded at me like his words were set in stone. Before I could talk to him, his phone rang, and he started talking to someone. He said he would be there soon and ended the call.

'I have to go, see you tomorrow...I'll text you the time and place and the things to bring' He sounded like a businessman like this was normal for him. He didn't feel bothered or at unease with any of this. Perhaps rich people looked at the world through a different lens. Maybe from his perspective, this was just a small thing, for me, this was about to change everything.

'Is this all normal to you?' I couldn't help but ask when he took my phone to send him a text.

'I have never had normal' He passed my phone and left, leaving me with his umbrella. I gazed at Jaan, who was looking at me with a strange expression. He was unsure about everything, too, and he made this clear to me at the very beginning when he told me about Shahzaib, but now it was real.

A story was about to be written. Even though it was a deal, it was still a marriage. Jaan dropped me home, and the entire time he kept telling me how great of a Shahzaib was, he said he was a private and shy guy, closed off at first, but he was nothing like I thought he was. Jaan was wrong; Shahzaib was a privileged man. He was a man of influence. If I didn't require money so urgently, I wouldn't have even agreed to meet him, but I was out of time.

Jaan offered to help me, but he was also struggling financially afterfalling in love with a girl outside of his caste, and his family disowned him.He was now running his show without any support from his family, but he told meShahzaib was helping him, and in return, he was doing the same for him. Hefound me for him.

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