Meher •completed•

7.

Meher and Hooriya were sitting in the garden on the patio table with their cups of tea.

The cool mountain breeze made Meher shudder.

"Are you planning to fall sick before exams ?" Hooriya asked narrowing her eyes at Meher.
"Here wrap this around yourself." She said passing Meher her black woollen Kashmiri shawl.

"Thank you." Meher smiled softly.

"Mama and Mami are coming tomorrow along with Kulsum Khala and Arham's bijaan (maternal grandmother ) so I doubt the house will be peaceful enough for you to study in, there is a library close by you could join and go there to study, you'll get your additional books there as well and a lot of company to study there too." Hooriya suggested.
"Arham and I can alternate between dropping and picking you up."

"As you say Hooriya baaji, I hope he doesn't min-."

The sound of the heavy metal gates opening interrupted their conversation and a familiar black Audi rolled into the drive way.

The driver's side of the door opened and a man clad in a fitted black T-shirt and blue denims stepped out. He removed his sunglasses and threw them inside the car again.

"Hooriya." He said with a smile and walked towards the two.

"Yusuf Assalam Walekum, kaise ho?" (How are you Yusuf ?) she said with a smile.

"Shukar hai, at least today you remembered to greet me." He said playfully rolling his eyes.

Meher looked at the man keenly. He was a site for sore eyes. His hair were pushed back in a quiff and his perfectly trimmed beard only enhanced his sharp jawline. His brown eyes looked like pools of amber as the sun light highlighted them, his sharp nose giving him an edger look. This man was beautiful.

His eyes shifted to Meher's who quickly cast her eyes down to avoid being caught staring at the stranger.

"Toh aap hain the new Mrs Butt." He said with his infamous smile.
(So you are the new Mrs Butt.)

Meher felt heat rush to her cheeks as the man, Yusuf,  kept looked at her and spoke to her addressing her by her new identity.

"Mera naam Yusuf hai." He said extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Arham's best friend." (My name is Yusuf.)

Meher looked up through her lashes and slowly shook his hands, his warm hands enveloping her own.

"Meh..Meher." She said softly.

"I know." He smiled at her. "You are prettier than I thought you would be." He smirked and released her hand.

Meher quickly retracted her hand and wrapped them around herself. Her eyes lifted from the ground once again, this time to see past Yusuf, she saw Arham standing by the car, in same clothes he had worn yesterday, looking in their direction.

His eyes caught her's for a second before he turned around and entered the mansion.

Arham's hostile behaviour did not go unnoticed by Hooriya. She turned to Yusuf and flashed him a smile.
"I'm sure you are here to have breakfast, tumhare hospital me toh nahi puchta hoga tumhe." (No body would even bother to ask you for food at your hospital.)