Zehnaseeb ✓

t e n

[Enjoy!]

"Fifteen million dollar bid now y’abletabid twenty bid twenty?" The auctioneer challenges everybody right after raving the shitty painting.

Auction houses are boring, paintings are boring and Azaan who brought me here is boring.

Right before I can whisper in Azaan's ear that I'm never ever even by mistake going to go out with him, I hear his loud voice and startle out of my thoughts to look at him.

"Twenty-five million!"

My eyes go zero and the sudden silence of the room makes me self-conscious.

Azaan keeps his face tranquil as he gawks at the horrendous painting that looks like a kid took a brush and splashed some colours around the canvas. He looks confident about his decision and I start doubting mine; what on earth was I thinking of when saying yes to papa for him?

"Going once, going twi—"

"Thirty million!" Someone in the back shouts.

My eyes go rounder, if possible. I'm left speechless as there is more bidding after this. I thought I was dumb, these people are beyond me.

I give a once-over to the painting again, thinking that maybe I didn't catch it, but even after a second and third once-over the painting looks like trash. Literal trash. I, myself could paint that.

I cannot understand why anyone would ever want such a painting in their house when it's no big deal to pick up a palette and splash out colours of your choice.

"Azaan, let them. I'm quite talented, I'll make one for you." I whisper.

"Fifty million." He continues.

I'm out.

I want to bang my fist on the table and leave but there are many friends of Azaan in here. And many business competitors.

I know they think that Azaan wants that piece of bullshit and they are just provoking him to bid a bigger amount but I also know that Azaan isn't a fool, maybe he is planning on doing the same. But when he reaches a bigger amount such as Seventy million, I mentally hit my forehead.

What is wrong with him? What if his competitors don't bid after this?

And that's what happens, the auctioneer announces; "Going once, going twice, sold!"

My eyes are almost out of their sockets.

I can't believe that just happened. I look up at Azaan with a frown and he looks happy.

God, he's a psychopath.

The bidding closes and everyone goes out for a small break. Many people smile to Azaan and he receives a few pats on the back along with some thumb ups and praises.

"Azaan, what is this behaviour?" I say the dialogue he uses all the time for me. Though I've never done something this crazy.

Something's wrong with him. In the morning he kept staring at me on the breakfast table and when I asked him what was wrong, he shook his head and left for office.

And he does this often. He stops working and stares at me. And I'd be really lovey-dovey and would reciprocate if he had a smile on but most of the time he stares at me with his eyes pinned into my soul, as if planning how to murder me.

When he came back, today, after that frightening glare in the morning, he kissed my cheek and stuck to me all the while I cooked dinner.

I think he's bipolar. He has some sort of mental illness. Or maybe I can't understand his generation.