YA' ABURNEE

Chapter 2

Author's note: The added song up above is not connected to the story. But it really is close to my heart. The fact that its a fan made video; mixing Weekend's Blinding lights and a remake of a famous Bangla song. The pain on both, its uncanny.  Idkwhy these two went reAlly well here! Those who doesn't understand the language, its a bangla song and you can always Google a good translation yk😉. Happy reading 💙

His eyes. Cold black eyes held something else. It was not lifeless as usual. The whirlwind within it made me uneasy.

Its been hours since that incident. I am sitting in the canteen of my office and I should be eating my lunch in peace by now. But my stupid mind keeps replaying flashback.

I did a mistake. I should've never started that conversation. I should've put the money in his room quietly and let this matter go.

I would rather go irritate a cat and get scratched than take his money.

And I am scared of cats.

And about the scowl he had when I said those words was historic. Actually all of his scowling is historic. He can scowl at a dern tree.

Day before yesterday he was scowling at me because I was licking my bowl clean after I had maggie for snacks.

Didn't he know it is a customary obligation, to lick your noodles bowl clean here in Bangladesh?

Probably not, but it is to me.

I don't know what made him impossible to believe that I can not take money from the same man who is denying me any kind of emotional support.

If we do not have anything between us, it should be kept that way. Until I get a way out of this whole mess.

"Hey." I looked up to see who it was. Shahed, my colleague. "Can I sit?" He said.

"Yeah. Sure!" I motioned to the empty chair opposite me.

"So how was your day?" 

"Its just started, Shahed. You can say half day if you might."

"Okay then how was your half day?" 

I laughed a bit. "It was fine, I guess?" I don't know who I was answering. Shahed or my pectoral self?

"And yours?" I asked out of manners.

"Same, dude." He sighed, leaning at the back of the chair. "The Ali-nagar client is bothering me to hell."

(Ali-nagar is name of a place, not here in Bangladesh necessarily. I made this name. But here this type of names for places is usual.)

"What happened? Didn't boss tell you to sanction their loan?"

"He did but their pledge doesn't match their real properties." He took another gulp of his water as he now rests his hands on the table. 

"Now? What would you do?" This client were one of our old clients and I knew we couldn't deny them immediately. 

"I don't know. I told boss already, I can not deal with them anymore. If a mishap happens he will blame me, right?" He motioned his right hand forward, to nothing. It was his way of discussing. 

"Hm Hm. Right." I nodded. Taking a bite of my food. I was thanking Almighty Allah for sending him here. His client related discussions were keeping my minds off of that incident. And now I can eat my food without zoning out every now and then.

"Now he have to intervene." He said, leaning back again.

"Of course. They are some VIP clients. We can not mess with them suddenly."

"VIP?" Shahed snorts. "I bet they went bankrupt. And I wish they had. Remember last time how that man insulted me. Allah has now punished him."

I laughed at his way of venting. I know I shouldn't laugh at someone going penniless. But those were some rude richs.

"Maheen?" I froze in my place. I did not memorize his voice. We rarely talk even to remember let alone memorize his voice. Then why did I know the moment I heard someone call for me, it was Umair. 

I looked behind. There he was. Standing in his white shirt and black slacks. Sleeves folded till a few inches under his elbow. Hands shoved in pant pockets. 

"Can I have a word, alone?" He said eyeing Shahed who was now busy looking between us. For some good reasons he didn't know who Shahed was and so didn't Shahed. Shahed- no actually, no one in the office knew I was married. And they had no reason to know. I kept coversations formal in here.

"Um-I guess I should go now." Shahed said getting up. "We'll catch up later." 

"Yeah. Bye." Giving him a nervous smile I looked at now sat down Umair. He sat on the chair Shahed was minutes ago.

"I wanted to ask you something." He said.

"Yeah?" I had to suppress all my wish to tell him he could've asked me over phone, or hell he could've just texted me, or even better wait till I get back.

"This morning, when you said you wouldn't take my money-"

"Um, not yours," I  stopped him mid sentence, "Anyone else's too for a matter of fact."

"Yeah, that. Why though?" 

I couldn't help but laugh. A small frown appeared on his face as he eyed me laughing. 

"What do you mean why though?" I was still laughing. "Its a common sense. Would you take my money?" 

"What?" Confusion gathered on his face with the former frown.

"Yes. Would you?" 

"No!" He replied with his head tilted upwards.  

"Then why would I take yours?" I shook my head with my shoulders lifted up. I wanted to give him some sense. "If you can be a man of pride then why can't I be the woman of my pride?"  

He stared back at my eyes. I could say words were processing in his mind. But he never said anything else. I guess he was out of words. And he better be. When it come to my ideals, I won't do any compromise no matter what anyone else says. 

"And about the money I left on your bedside table, if you don't need it then you can give it to someone who needs it. I won't take that back." 

"I'm not quite understanding why?" In exasperation he threw his hands in the air while his elbows rest on the table. "Its just a couple thousand taka. Why can't you take it?" 

"That's what I'm asking you. Its just a couple thousand taka. Why can't you forget your male ego for once and take it? Because one thing I know for sure is I am not letting you spend for me when I can spend for my own." I was getting frustrated by now.

"So you'd stick to that?"

"I would." 

"Then there's no point of wasting my words here."

"There isn't." 

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