Incandescence

Chapter 30

I watched as Asad drove away before turning towards the mall and walking inside. After the cold weather outside, the warmth inside the mall was a welcome change. I adjusted my shawl around me and walked disinterestedly towards the shops. There were brands like Chanel, ALDO, Apple, Garage and Guess. I stepped inside the Guess store, checking out the clothes in there. A glimpse at the men's collection made me want to buy something for Anis but the vibration of my cell phone drew my attention. I rummaged through my bag for my cell phone and then pressed the green button with the phone icon to attend the call.

"Where are you, Alisha?" Hashim asked, after greetings were exchanged.

"I'm inside the Guess store, where are you?" I asked, looking outside through the glass door. He wasn't visible.

"I'm in front of ALDO's." he replied. I checked my hair in the mirror once and then opened the door and stepped outside. Hashim was standing in front of ALDO's, wearing a brown leather jacket and black jeans. His hair was styled into spikes with gel and he had his sunglasses in his left hand. He looked like a model out of GQ magazine. At that very moment, he turned around and waved at me. I finished the call on the phone and walked towards him. All around, people were turning to look at me and I knew that the burnt side of my face was somehow showing. I quickly pulled a fistful of my hair to the front and hid my face.

Hashim met me in the centre. There was genuine contrition and sadness in his eyes as he saw me.

"How are you, Alisha?" he asked as we exchanged greetings.

"I'm good. How are you, Hashim?" I asked cordially. His intelligent eyes bore into mine but I looked away.

"I'm good too. Shall we go?" he asked me. I nodded. Eating out at Toronto meant that we had to choose a restaurant that served Hilal food, which was difficult to find sometimes. There were limited Indian and Pakistani restaurants in town. Together, we exited the mall and came towards his car. His black Maserati was parked near the entrance of the mall, gleaming in the watery Toronto sun. He took out the keys from the back pocket of his pants and unlocked the car through the remote. I walked towards the passenger seat and opened the door. Hashim walked towards the driving seat and slipped inside. He was so different from Anis, I just realized that. Was I now comparing him to Anis? What was wrong with me? I quickly closed the passenger door as I slipped inside and tried to shake my head to clear the thought that had just entered there.

I didn't want to compare him to Anis. Anis was way better than anymore that I'd ever known, including Hashim.

"Alisha, is there anything specific you want to eat?" he asked. I shook my head. So unlike Anis, who always knew what I wanted. Anis never asked me what I wanted to eat, he just took me there. I liked that very much.

"Alright. Then, we'll go to this place that serves amazing Pakistani food. You'll love it." Hashim said enthusiastically.

"I definitely will." I responded with feigned excitement. He sent me a sideways smile as he drove. He was so different than Anis that I was getting irritated. I didn't want to stay in his company, I just wanted to get back to Anis.

I missed him.

He was angry with me for what happened in the morning. Somehow, I was to blame for that. I shouldn't have been that harsh with him when he'd only wanted to take me for outing. I think I should buy him a reconciliation gift.

"So, Alisha, what do you do back in Pakistan? Working somewhere or free?" Hashim questioned me.

"Ever heard about DesignSoft Technologies?" I asked, facing him. He changed the gear on the car and then glanced towards me.