YA' ABURNEE

Chapter 15

"Oh no!" I call out to Umair. "My sandal." I reach down to check. And yeah, the inevitable outcome of storing my favourite sandal more than a year. Its expired and my sandal's belt is torn apart. Now I'd have to hop like a cangaru till the shoe store.

"What happened?" Umair halts. His hands full of bags. We are out shopping groceries for Ramadan. Three days till our first Ramadan together and one more day till our anniversary.

I put the bags in my hand to my side and took the wasted sandal of the pair in my hand, for a closer inspection.

"I need to buy a new one now." Finding no way of temporarily fixing it, I tell him.

"Okay, then wear mine till we reach the store." He stepped out of his shoes immediately.

"What do you think of me Umair?" I slide his shoes back to him. "Am I a princess or what? Never setting my foot the ground?" I let his disapproving look slide and continue my proud-woman-task.

Of course. It was a brave task to leave the sandal or the option of wearing a sandal, only to risk walking on the heftsoon spittle tinted and sewerage water adorned Dhaka streets.

It was not likely I'll step on one of these because the store is just a few steps from here on.

I step out of both my scandals and throw them on a nearby trashcan. Proudly standing on my bare feet, I say, "See? I'm alive."

Umair knew he better stay quite. He slipped on his shoes again. But the disappointing look on his face is not gone.

I can do nothing about this. I know he likes to take care of me. But he needs to acknowledge the fact too that I'm not a twelve year old.

Just outside the shoe store, I was trying hard to not step on muddy front of its. While balancing on one foot to jump the other directly on the store's granite floor, a female figure pulled the door open.

While stepping out blindly, she unbalanced my position and made me step on the mud in the process.

"What the hell?" I couldn't stop the frustrated shout. "Are you blind?"

The woman pulled her black tinted shades up to her hairline. A scowl apparently showing its presence between the artistically plucked brows of hers.

"Are you blind?" A fake tone sips from her voice. "Couldn't you watch before you walk."

Her eyes roam from my head to toe. A mocking smile taking its place on her red tinted lips. "You look like someone who belongs to the dirt."

"I'm sure as hell you suck at judgments." I mimic her way of trailing eyes from head to toe. "You just proved me right, you can't properly see through those shades of yours. Are those tinted with fake pride? I'm sure those are." I retort.

"Ha." She snorts. "Wha-" She stops in her track. Whatever she was staring to say, dies in her mouth.

"Umair?" She calls out to the man on my side. He's equally shocked.

Do they know each other?

"Is that you?" She continues. The bag in her hand drops to her side. Umair stiffened. His knuckles tightly grip on the handles of the bags.

She screeches a fake happy tone. "Oh my god! Its you!" She throws her hands around his neck.

"Look at you. You look smashing. I wish you had looked this good when I was dating you!" The fake of a pout rounds her lips.

Umair looks rigid than ever. His face is turning into an unreadable one.

"Afreen." He deadpans. Pushing her off slightly.

I'm trying heart and soul to not jump into any conclusion.

They might only be acquaintances. I should just refrain from overthinking till Umair gives an explanation-I coax myself.

"What happened, babe?" Her fake pout makes me want to punch her in the face. "We are meeting after so long! You didn't tell me you had one heck of a transformation?" She smirks.

"Listen, Afreen. First of all, your name stinks in my tongue. And how the heck can you expect I'll be giddy about meeting you after all you did to me was misuse and manipulation? Second of all, think twice before coming near me. I might be against hitting a woman. But I would not think twice before snapping your neck into two." He states seriously.

"Don't just assume I'm that same naive guileless fat Umair who used to think such a plastic like you were the most beautiful woman." He spats. 

Afreen visibly gasps. Her manicured hand covering her mouth. I could detect lucid tears on her waterline.

Without a second word, she scurried back to wherever she came from.

"Umair?" I touch his forearm. It was slightly flickering with anger. "Are you okay?"

"Get the Hades away from me." He bursts suddenly, gaining glances from the passers by. "Go buy whatever you want." He jerks away, towards the parking lot.

I stood there, blankly looking at nothing. I was at lose of what I should feel. Bewildered, instead of buying a sandal I follow him.

He was already settled inside. Still fuming. I quietly entered and closed the door.

The drive to home was eerily quite. I was feeling like stranger with him all over again, after almost a year.

His car went inside the driveway. I took out as much bags as I could. Leaving the rest for him to carry I went for the lift.

Akber Chacha came running to help me. I smiled weakly and muttered a "I'm fine" to him. Giving me a worried look, he went back to his duty.

I did not wait for Umair. I went up, unlocked the door and carefully placed the groceries on the table.

I went in the washroom nearby. Washed my foot clean and slipped on a new pair of sandals before grabbing my car keys and purse.

Closing the door behind me, I went to the lift doors and went downwards again.

When I clicked the automatic switch, my car door unlocked. Umair was still struggling with the groceries.

He eyed me, "Where are you going?" Still scowling.

I thought against shouting before replying to him. Akber Chacha does not need to rethink of the gentle manly thought he has of Umair.

I kept my voice as low as it could only be heard by Umair. "I would never take shits from someone who's ready to share his bed but not his life."

Before Umair could realise, I start my ignition and drive out the main gate.

Please vote, comment and share if you like the story so far.