Beinteha

07. Infuriatingly Irresistable

The way dread sprawled its darkened wings across his face was truly a sight I watched with gruesome satisfaction.

As I walked out of the room, my lips curled maliciously hearing Azar wave the officer away with a grunt, refusing to seek any help from him or the authorities.

༻✺༺

It was a scintillating and balmy morning. The roar of the pacing vehicles was muted by the flaming thicket of neem trees crowding the intervening pathways. By the time I left the hospital, the sun, a warm, glowing orb, scorched high on the sky enveloping Lahore in its sweltering heat.

The JM headquarters were a few minutes away from the hospital. My car cruised down the main road shaded by the massive banyan trees, their outstretched branches offering some much needed shade from the unforgiving heat. Despite the darkened tint of my car, the coolness of the road was a welcomed distraction in the heat of this city. Surprisingly, the roads were clear, hardly any traffic to slow me down.

Once the car entered the premises of the JM company Headquarters, I was taken by surprise at the sleek, modern but extremely simplistic style of the entire complex; a stark contrast to the suburban Malik residence, the very ostentatious Lal Mahal. While I was no fan of ornate palace-like colonial mansions, the Lal Mahal with its unique mix of Mughal, Persian and British architecture, was a sight to behold. A house truly befitting a queen.

The thought sent me tumbling through a chaos of words and images. There was something magical about her, a hypnotic pull, a burning presence. She reminded me of the moon, blossoming in the night, wrapped in glorious silk wearing her moonlight smile like lingerie. She had a frustratingly ethereal face: dainty and delicate yet so fierce and cutting, it hurt. And although she treated her looks cavalierly, even the stars sighed in unison at her beauty.

Shaking the thought, I walked indoors and was greeted to the sight of a largely well-decorated but sophisticatedly simple space, perfectly in sync with the exteriors of the building. A beautiful arrangement of fresh yellow roses caught my eye and I strolled over casually inspecting the petals and details of the bouquet. I could smell them, fresh and profound.

"Can I help you with anything, sir?" The young receptionist who had been eyeing me with a curious glint asked softly.

"I would like to see Miss Malik."

"Appointment?"

"No. But I'm sure you can arrange something." I winked and the girl blushed profusely, falling right under the trap of my charms. "I wish to surprise her."

"Miss Malik doesn't entertain visitors on Monday mornings." The women seemed adamant, but I was persistent. My face broke into a lopsided grin as I leaned across the reception, pulling a rose out of the flower arrangement. There is little that a few flattering words and a well connected family couldn't get you. The woman's attention fell upon me, her eyes flickering with recognition and her wondrous smile sucking her into my world of carefully crafted words aimed to please.

I didn't have to wait long, before I was escorted to the top floor of the building, where another assistant waited to guide me towards the executive chambers.

Before I could enter, her voice greeted me, gentle and sharp-edged at the same time. "Did you drug my staff or hack my assistant's computer? How did you suddenly appear on the top of my appointment list on a Monday morning?"