Pasoori

Chapter 24

"Who are you?", the lady asked. Her voice was meek and low, she sounded weak. "I'm Faris soltani, I came to save my...well... friend", he sounded weird to himself. His relationship status with Serina was weird and well, did she even think they were friends? He didn't know. "Who's your friend?", the lady now looked at him with full attention, and a certain look had taken over her eyes. As if she had recognised him. "Why should I tell you that?", Faris needed to keep his stance up, trusting somebody in this hell hole would be the biggest mistake of his life. "Ah, don't worry son, I feel like I have an inkling as to whom your friend might be", a slight smile creaked up on her lips. "Yeah? Who is my friend then?", he challenged. "Serina.", the lady replied with a smirk. This caught Faris off guard and he took a few steps back.

"Who are you?", he was hesitant, ofcourse he was, after all this woman had identified him in the span of seconds. "You really want to know who I am?", she asked.. and he nodded. "Yes, i want to know about the lady who knows about me and Serina and why. Does she know about the circumstances?" He questioned. "My name, is Nazish" her reply was slow, low and very inaudible. But Faris still go the gist of it. "Nazish?", he questioned. He raked his brains for some kind of recognition, for some kind of familiarity with the name. "I.. I don't know who you are", he replied in all honesty. The woman chuckled and sat up straight. "Don't worry, I know who you are, and that's all that matters", her eyes wrinkled from the sides... she looked old, but at the same time youthful. As if youthful for an old woman. "It does matter, everything that concerns me or Serina matters", he was still standing before her, but this stance had weakened. His defensive mode was nearly switched off. "Oooh, seems like you have a liking towards the girl", she stated mischievously. Faris couldn't help but ponder on her words. "It's nothing like that", he rejected the notion in an instance.

"I am merely her protector, trusted by her parents and I believe that I need to fulfil my duty to her deceased parents", he lied. If she caught his lie, than surely it is someone who knows deeper than this and is in closer relation to Serina.. but if not.. well then, she's bluff.

"Oh so are you the son of Asad?", she said the name very ordinarily. Like she had close acquaintances with him. "Indeed I am... how do you know though?", he asked. Genuinely curious this time. A smile creeped up onto the lady's face. She shook her head and closed her eyes, as if something sweet had happened. "I hope your family is well" she whispered, and closed her eyes. "They are.. thanks To the almighty, but how do you know them?", the lady remained silent, with her eyes shut, not answering. Her expressions were like she had remembered a fond memory. "I have past affiliations with your family", she reasoned after a long pause. This surprised him, at the same time it didn't. How did a woman locked up in a room in a brothel, have close contact with his family? To the point she knew his name, Serina's name, and more so, his father's name. "What do you mean? Could you be more specific?", Faris grew agitated. He always got agitated on the littlest of things, and everybody who knew him, knew this about him. "Don't sweat yourself over me. I've been a bystander in the events of your life. I know of you and your family, but that doesn't mean that your family and you know me", she replied, easing the atmosphere. Her short replies had ended as she gave some sort of explanation. "Ah, so you know Serina's mother then? And she told you about us?", Faris blurted out the first thought that came to his mind. How else could this woman know so much? "You could say so", her smile dropped and she had a meaningful look on her face. "What kind of relation? And how close were you?", he was wary of her to say the least. She was confusing. "Would sister be counted as close?", the lady opened her eyes to Faris' very shocked face.

"Excuse me?", he took a step forward and sat down. "Are you Serina's aunt?", his voice had become softer. "Yes, I am", the revelation hit Faris like a truck. Ofcourse this lady was Serina's aunt. In fact she had even mention something along the lines before. How could he have not remembered. Faris mentally smacked himself on the forehead for his temporary ignorance. "Oh, well, I'm sorry for not recognising you earlier. It was my stupidity.", a respectful look had graced his features and he looked down as he spoke to the lady. "No, it's not your fault at all. I wouldn't expect you to know me", she waved her hand, dismissing the insignificant mistake the young man had done infront of her. "But, sincerely, could I ask if you wouldn't mind?",, he replied. "Yes go on.", ..... "what are you doing here?", Faris asked hesitating.