Not That Interested

Chapter 16: The One Where I lie.

Ever since the dragon descended in our lair, it seemed everyone was desperate to escape the house. By noon, she had dismissed our house-maid of three years. By afternoon, she decreed that Ali wouldn't be welcome inside the house unless he got a haircut. A scowling Ali returned from his office, sporting a brand new haircut, surprisingly, he did look better with it. Then she told Dad to change his cologne, because it smelled like Leather, and she was allergic to leather.

I escaped to the roof as soon as I got the chance. Planning to text Shehzer, to bring Rania for our Paint Date. 

To my surprise, he was already on his cousin's roof. Working out. Holy Mother of Chocolate! the man was insane! who works out in summer? And who manages to look like a male model while doing it?

He didn't know that I could see him. His thin grey shirt clung to his sweaty body like second skin, making me forget my name for a little while. I think I may have made a sound, because he paused in the middle of push-up, to stare at me, lean biceps bulging.

Mouth.Dry.Must Swallow. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale

"Uhh...Hi!" I waved. He smiled brilliantly, making my heart flutter a little. Calm Down you useless organ!

Shehzer dusted off his hands as he strode towards the ledge separating our roof from theirs. "Hi yourself! Interrupting my work-outs now huh? Miss me that much?" He was still grinning cheekily.

I managed my signature snort, "As if! I just wanted to escape a semi-dangerous relative downstairs."

"Hmm, Keep telling yourself that. You and I both know what you came here for." Wow. Romance novels got that smoldering eyes bit so right, cause his eyes were totally...well...smoldering. I resisted the urge to run straight back downstairs. Attractive male species tended to do that to me.

"Uhh...ok. And what would that be?"

He raised his eyebrows, "Our brilliant conversations of course."

"Ha. Ha. Very cute."

"Yeah, you totally are." He tilted his head playfully.

The urge to escape was getting slowly too strong to resist. But Kulsoom Khala's face swam in front of my eyes. She would be so disappointed if she knew how chicken I was being. 

I steeled my squishy nerves. I could do this.

"I actually miss Rania. Desperately. Please please bring her upstairs! I have a new coloring book for her that I wanted us to do together." I wave said book under his nose. He looked disappointed for a nano-second, (Huh...what's up with that?) But then quickly went downstairs for Rania.

Rania threw herself into my arms directly from their ledge. I laughed as I twirled her frail body around, I had fun teaching er some cool art shades techniques. Meanwhile, Shehzer and I spoke about anything and everything.

"Do you think Allah takes personal interest in all of our lives?" I asked him, while Rania worked on a solo project.

His eyes widen at my question; "Yes. I think so. I have to think that way, otherwise I don't think I could ever survive through a single day. How devastating would that feeling be? knowing that nobody gave a shit about your life...Crazy."

I nodded my understanding. I liked this comfort with him. The fact that I could voice any random thought, and he would give me his full attention for it.

Rania fell asleep in my arms eventually, but we kept on talking. Our talk turned towards marriage, and our own traditional version of it. He was adamantly against blindly arranged marriages, which is pretty much the norm in our culture.

"How can you spend your life with someone you just met? have an intimate relationship with them, because Hey! you signed an important looking piece of paper! Bullshit. I think, people should get to know each other, before they commit to each other. Marriage isn't a gamble." His jaw hardened slightly at that. I knew he was thinking about his parents' marriage. He had briefly mentioned the divorce before, without giving me details.

"Oh, so you think people should marry for love?" I asked skeptically. "Do you think that kind of stuff exists outside of films and books?, isn't it better to simply go with the easiest choice: Your parents'?"

"I don't know about other people, but I'd certainly marry someone I kind of admire, not just from afar, but up close." He looks at me intensely, "And I'm sure that kind of Love is true. It's just not as pretty as they make it out to be."

I can't look away. His eyes are telling me so much. So much I don't want to hear. This is impossible! EMV is in Ninja-sensory mode; 'This boy is into you...Woah, and it took you 13 years to realize that. Tch.' 

He hasn't said anything yet, but I have this primal female instinct telling me exactly what he will be saying...How can he feel this way? About me?

He breathes, "Mina..."

I am reminded of this quote pinned up on my cork-board;

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." -Jess. C. Scott

I never thought I would get to experience this. I could feel it. The way he said it. My name. Like he relished each syllable. Like he could keep saying my name again and again, and never get tired of it.

EMV is screeching her disapproval; 'AREEB, YOU IDIOT. THINK OF AREEB!'

Areeb who? I almost ask her.

Shehzer leans towards me, his hand coming up to brush away an errant curl from my forehead; "Mina. Can I say something, without you freaking out on me?"

My skin is tingling from his brief touch. My heart is pounding so hard, I think it is planning to escape my body pretty soon.

"Please don't say it." I whisper. "Don't ruin this."

"I think I have to. I can't live with myself if I don't." His eyes are tortured now. "I like you. A Lot. In fact I think 'Like' is such a paltry word for what I feel about you. It's not sudden. It hasn't happened overnight. If you must know, I think it happened when I first saw you. I couldn't put a name to that feeling at that age. But now I think I can...."

"I can't..." I begin

"Yes! you can. I'm not asking much. Just a chance. Please. Give me a chance. I want to be with you completely. I am committed to the idea of this. Of US. Promise me that you'll think about it?"

There's nothing to think about! I want to scream at him. I am already promised to another man! but the words just won't escape my mouth. I seem to be incapable of hurting him in any way.

"I promise." I lied.

A/N:

I feel drained. seriously. this took a lot!

phew.

DO let me know your thoughts.