Ittefaq Say (MeeraSim FF)

5 - Chai

She felt the words slipping between her finger tips and knew she needed to take the attention off herself.  'Aap Islamabad mei kya karaha they?' Her voice fiending inquisitiveness. ( What were you doing in Islamabad?)

The savouray food had finnished and he took a spoon of the halwa- slightly clumpy from not being fresh anymore.

He had mentoned that was going to Hyderabad. By passion with which he reminised about the place, it seemed to be his home.

'Kaam.' He replied, focusing more on the food then details of his travels. ( Work.)

She really didnt care as she asked, but just didnt want to be on the recieving end of the interrogation. 'Kausa kaam?' ( What sort of work?)

They were both feeling slightly more energised after filling their tummies, which in turn fuelled their imaginations. Their abilities to weave stories only strengthend- it almost seemed like a game.

Any silences were filled by the hum of the train and the vibrations beneath her feet.

Murtasim knew that she had been lying through her teeth since the moment he entered this cart. So he thought he could have some fun too. 'Main photographer hou.' He answered with a knowing grin plastered on his face, amusing himself with the idea. ( I'm a photographer.)

That wasent an answer that she had expected. She had thought to be business man or some white collar job, solely assuming by his business attire.

She tried to fill in the blanks, 'Shaadion pe tasveer kehnchtay hou?'  Somehow the conversation led back to weddings- despite her efforts to avoid a particular one. ( Are you a wedding photographer?)

'Nahi, animal photogrpaher.' He elaborated as his spoon clinked against to copper of the bowl. He took a another spoonful, savouring the buttery sweetness- only sweeter in her company. 'Wild animals zyada tar.' ( No, an animal photgrapher. Mostly wild animals.)

She smiled at the notion before realising he was serious. Well, he was the first one she had ever encountered. It also gave context to his earlier statements by recommending that she visits Hyderabad zoo. 'Matlab jaanvar aapko pasand hai,' she pieced together. ( Meaning that you like animals.)

Yet he had been suggesting for her to visit the zoo- Perhaps he had been talking from personal experiance then, Meerab reasoned.

'Haan.' There was no shyness about it, he was fully in charector. 'Nature ki tasveer bhe kehnchta hou. Islamabad aur shimaal kay elaaqay bohat khoobsurat hai. Wahan say aaraha hou.' His mouth still half full of food, now slightly plump from the spicy rice and sheen from the buttery dessert. ( Yes. I take pictures of nature too. Islamabad and the northern regions are very beautiful. That's where i'm returning from.)

He elaborted fully that time, invoking images in Meerab's mind of him wandering through the mountains of the north, camera in hand. It was almost sweet and seemed apt for his idealist self.

She eyed him suspiciously and then took a spoon of the halwa bowl in his hand as he moved it closer for her after every spoonful he took, as a way to pace himself. It was good food. He was a foodie.

'Pehli baar aik professional photogrpaher say mil rahee hou.' She announced with a little pride- even though she didn't believe him for one second. ( I'm meeting a profession photographer for the first time.)

They were a pair of fibbers, masking an alternative reality.

As if he could read her mind, Murtasim handed her bowl and reached forward to grasp his hard briefcase, pulling it up and undoing the clips. 'Really?' Murtasim asked rhetorically as he opened it to show her inside, which housed an expensive camera and a selection of film rolls.