Chapter 53

184 4 1
                                    

Eshaan Ghafoor

I watched her go. Everyone went inside when Suzan came running from inside. "Did Adira leave already?" She was panting. My mom replied to her. "Yes, she just left." Suzan sighed. "She gave me her phone to charge it. I forgot to give her back."

Afsana was here. "It's okay. Tomorrow I'll take it with me." We all agreed. "I'll call Maliha Aunty, just to inform her that her phone is with us." She dialled aunty's number.

Few minutes later, Maira came back. "Yeah, she was worried that she might have lost it."

We all laughed the way she said it. Then slowly slowly everyone went to their room after some late night snacks. Everyone was happy that everything went well for us. Family was good, their way of marriage was satisfactory.

The girls decided to play some games. I was forced to be the judge of every game. Pain of being the only brother.

At first they played the call of a song. Now they were bored. "Let's play truth and dare." Maira suggested.

Afsana pulled me with them. "The more players, the more fun." After a lot of searching they brought a glass bottle of coca cola (empty). After a lot of arguments. We did rock paper and scissors, and Maira won.

She spun the bottle and landed over Afsana. "Truth or dare" she smirked. Afsana had a very funny expression. "Truth."

"Tell us, who did fall in love first? You or Aman Bhai?" Maira started with a simple question.

"Me. But I didn't say anything to him." Afsana said boldly. "Now my turn!" Afsana spun the bottle. And it landed over Suzan. "Suzan, Truth or dare?"

"Truth" others let out a disappointed sound. "What?"
"We thought you'd choose to dare first." Maira said. Suzan shook her head. "Not at first. I'm playing safe. You guys aren't very innocent." They smiled.

"Okay. So your question is….when did you start seeing Eshaan Bhai as a man?" My eyes widened. Suzan was just staring at Afsana.
"Afsana I didn't expect this question from you." She left her mouth open. "Hey!!! Don't change the question!!" Maira jumped into it.

Suzan looked at me, I looked away.

A man…..did she see me as a man? I didn't see her as a woman. She was always my sister.

I realised, I never saw Adira as someone I would call my sister. I never list her under that category. She was someone I liked to fight, even my mood would ruin after that. I enjoyed it when she threw comebacks.

I knew my sister's favourite drink. And I also knew Adira's favourite food. And shockingly, I always had Adira's favourite drink.
I still remember the first time I saw her. Maira showed me her. Adira was in high school and she was quite popular. Every junior knew who Adira Muntahina was. I used to pick up Maira from high school. And everyday I saw her coming out of the school and walking away before me. I saw her rejecting boys harshly. I saw her, sitting alone.

But one time we met eyes, I didn't blink and so she didn't either. Then Maira came into view and we dropped our eye contact. That was the last time I saw her in high school.

And in college, I again met her in person when she threw her project away. Then it was kind of my fault, I accidentally stepped on it. But I apologised but she wanted me to go away.
Well, the project was damaged at the last moment. Since then we have had a negative vibe between us.
I watched her every move, when she came to the cafeteria or when she had a conversation with other guys.
Now I feel the same pain inside my heart. I never liked her talking or smiling at other men.
I beat the hell out of Adrian for touching her, trying to kiss her. I didn't like when she insulted my sister, but I did feel bad after being rude to her.

I have lots of problems with her. She's beautiful, I want to hide her so the dirty light never falls over her. She's very sensitive, she acts tough but she's soft inside.
I care about her presence, I care about her safety, I care about her happiness.

"Wise, honest and loyal, I always look for this quality in a man. I found it in him. Since then." Maira clapped.

They played a few more rounds and lastly the bottle stopped on me. They jumped like mad people.

"Finally!!!! I was waiting for this moment like years " my drama queen sisters. Suzan just chuckled. "Ask"
"Truth or dare?" I was about to say when Maira requested, "Bhai please take a dare, I know you have courage to complete any challenge."

And I took a dare. "I have one." Maira spoke up first. Afsana also joined. "I have too." Those two started arguing.

"What I don't have, but the girl you like has, for which you can't see me as your woman?" Everyone's head turned toward Suzan. She was sitting there calm but serious. Her gaze didn't move on me.

"What are you saying Suzan?" Afsana said but she wasn't sure. Maira just kept looking at her and me.

"Bhai…has someone he likes?" That was What Maira could say. She was shocked.

"I think so.." Suzan looked down and showed them a sad smile.

Suzan lifted her gaze and looked into my eyes. "Tell me…she might be very beautiful…or she's very sweet–" The Suzan who's talking right now, I couldn't recognise her. She looked hurt.

"It wasn't a dare. I'm not constrained to answer that." I said coldly and raised up before walking away from there.

________________________________

I arranged all my clothes which my wife previously made a mess. I putl back all those books, and I sat down on my chair, sighed. I didn't expect this from Suzan.

In a very distressed heart, I opened my laptop. I just opened Facebook and stared at it blankly. After a while, I decided to do something I have never done in my life. It was to look up to someone.

I typed 'Adira Muntahina ' in the search bar.

There were many results but she was a mutual friend so her profile was on the top.

She had a beautiful profile picture. That's all, she didn't post anything else. I found her Instagram ID in basic information, and decided to give it a try. She did post a few pictures, somewhere she would be there and somewhere her side profile, and I found one picture of her smiling.

"Why do I like her?" I repeated that question. I leaned back and let out a deep breath. "I don't know. My heart, my mind surrounded her. The feeling of attention and desire for her, I never got it for another woman. I used to avoid women, but in her case I couldn't. The more I argue with her, the more I adore her." I raised my hands and covered my face and rubbed it.

"But every time I take a step toward her, she takes five steps back." I looked at Adira's picture on my screen.

_____________________________________________________

Unspoken Love Where stories live. Discover now