Incandescence

Chapter 23

A knocking on my door, early the next morning, jarred me awake. I looked around at the unfamiliar room, trying to remember how I had come here and then the events of the last forty-eight hours came back to me. I wasn't in Pakistan anymore in fact I was in Canada, Toronto to be specific. The knock sounded on my door yet again so; lazily I got out of the bed and unlocked the door. Anis stood there, his usual grin back on his face and holding a tray in his hands. How sweet! He had made me breakfast.

"Good morning, princess!" He greeted me and entered the room. I retreated back to the bed and closed my eyes. "Wakey, Wakey! It's a beautiful day outside."

"You mean frigid?" I mumbled from beneath the comforter.

"Frigid is nice!" He commented as he poured some tea for me and offered the cup for me.

"Perhaps, for you! I hate cold. Why did you have to come to Canada?" I asked, whining like a twelve-year-old girl who had just entered puberty.

"Because my work is here in Canada, sweetheart." He said. Sweetheart? First he called me princess now I was his sweetheart. He definitely had a way with words, no doubt. I took the comforter off my face and looked at him with only one eye open.

"I'm not your sweetheart." I said hotly. He just laughed at me and then pulled the comforter out of my reach.

"Get up, sleepy head. We are going out." He said, offering me the cup of tea.

"It's too early to go out. Let me sleep." I said and tried to get back my comforter but he was quicker. He took it away before I could reach for it.

"I will get you for this, Anis!" I said as I admitted defeat and sat up in bed.

"Anytime!" He grinned as he gave me the cup of tea which I graciously accepted. I took a sip and set it back on its saucer. The tea was crummy which made me wonder from where he learned to make such tea. I tried to gulp down the sip that I'd taken while trying to keep a straight face as Anis was scrutinizing my face closely. I finally gulped down the tea and then gave him a small smile.

Setting down the cup on the bedside table, I stood up from the bed.

"I better hit the shower." I said, trying not to comment on the tea that he'd made for me. Even though it was lousy but he had at least tried and that counted a lot. I quickly went into the washroom to take a shower.

Half an hour later, wrapped in a towel, I stood in the washroom. I was in a dilemma of what to wear. The only clothes I had were Anis's sweats and t-shirt that I'd worn to sleep and my own clothes that were crinkled and not ready for wear. I was still pondering on that when he knocked on the door.

"Alisha!"

I smiled. I'd started to like the way he called my name. He always prolonged the end making it sound lazy but sexy.

"Yeah?" I walked near the washroom door.

"I got some clothes for you. Open the door." He said. As I was scantily clad, I opened the door a notch and looked at him.

"Where did you find them from?" I asked, looking at the clothes with suspicion.

"They are Maira's clothes I found in the back of my cupboard. She stayed here for a month last year and I think she forgot them here. Wear them and then we can go to the mall and get you new ones."

"Are you sure they are Maira's clothes?" I asked as I took them from him. My voice was thick with suspicion. Maybe these clothes weren't Maira's but his girlfriend's as this apartment belonged to him. The trouser was shorter than the normal ones I wore but it reached below my calves making look like I was wearing a caprice. The shirt reached my thighs, making it stylish. I quickly brushed my hair and let the out-of-shower curls lose. Satisfied with my appearance, I unlocked the washroom door and stepped out.