A Place Where Everyone Is Blind

5- Laiba

He came all the way from Faisalabad for a jacket?

"I'll get it straight away Mr Shah."

As I hurried away to get it, I almost shut the door on his face like an idiot. He walked inside, grabbed my arm lightly.

"What's with Mr Shah, call me Rayaan?" He joked softly with a hint of confusion on his face. 

"Sorry. Rayaan."

"You're Nadia's cousin?"

Why was he talking to me?

I shook my head in shame. I don't know why, but I felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being the daughter of a maid and a clerk. It didn't define me or what I was capable of and such stupid systems were to keep us all divided. So why did I still feel so ashamed?

"Have I offended you?" He asked, taking a few steps back away from me.

No wonder Nadia's parents approved of him. I could just tell he was fit for her.

"No."

He nodded slowly. I was being weird and awkward, he was just being normal and friendly and here I was ..

His arms moved, his biceps strained against his shirt as he lifted his hands to tie his hair back. I looked down again, shoved the feeling down. It would never ever happen. Ever. There was no point in allowing myself to feel.

"I'm not Nadia's cousin. My mother is her maid."

There it was.

That look I was waiting for.

I swallowed the lump down in my throat.

"And your name?"

"Laiba."

"Hm."

I couldn't read his expression. Like I said. Good poker face. I'd rather him say what he thought, but I didn't know if I was just overthinking, if my own insecurities were just playing with me.

He clicked his tongue a few times. Like he was biting back what he was trying to say. But then he spoke, and it was the last thing I expected him to say.

"Have you ever been to Faisalabad Laiba?"

I shook my head, he smiled the tiniest bit. So small. He looked so intimidating until he smiled.

"I'm an average girl from the pind." I mocked sarcastically. That's what they called me at that snobby university anyway. Pindu. It means villager. There was so much beauty in the villages of Punjab, I would scream it from the top of my lungs if I could. We had only moved to Lahore for my university, but if I had the choice, I would go back and stay there forever.

"Nothing wrong with the pind."

"I didn't say there was."

"Kya baat hai? Hai? Have I offended you?" He asked, genuinely concerned, I was surprised. I didn't know why he cared.

"No. You haven't... I'm.. just stressed."

"What's stressing you?"

"With all due respect, I don't know you, I don't really need to tell you anything and.. Nadia's parents will be home soon."

He moved past me to pick up his jacket from the rack. He shrugged it on and looked at the time on his watch.

"The pind is beautiful but there's a whole world outside it Laiba. If you want.. I can take you."

I looked at him in utter shock. The way he said it was so blasé, as if he wasn't literally said to marry Nadia. My face gave whatever I was thinking away.

"Friends can hang together you know." He joked. His chuckle was..

"And who said we were friends?"

"If I'm to marry Nadia, I should get to know her family right?"

My heart dropped to my stomach again. It had never dropped as much as it had these past few minutes. Why was this stranger having such an effect on me? Why was I disappointed? I didn't even know him.

"I suppose."

"Faisalabad is beautiful, I'm sure you'll love it."