It felt amazing to be pampered. And to be loved almost by everyone. Mashal has grown up in that kind of environment where whatever she did was praised and admired. She was truly loved, even in school and College. She was the ideal example of goody two shoes, she did have her moments of rebelling, a lot actually and being mischievous. But she was a good girl in all senses.
She has always listened to her parents, respected them and they loved her back like she was their whole world. This is why Mashal never knew what it feels to be not liked. At all.
And to experience that feeling for the first time in life was such a heartbreaking moment. It made her feel so damn vulnerable. She couldn't fathom why would anyone ever not like her. What did she ever do to that guy? Mashal wondered with a frown as she stood in front of the mirror at The Berries' restroom.
"It's your fault, we shouldn't be here at all, I didn't even get selected in the interview, yet. What was the need for celebrating?" Mashal whined to Meher.
Meher stared at her with uncertainty, "aapi, it's okay. Let's get back home, please. Mama and Papa are almost on the way."
"I swear, Meher. You get so unreasonable and bratty with your needs. We shouldn't have come here in the first place. I wouldn't have had to listen to all those awful words from that jerk. It's all your fault." Mashal snapped, being totally annoyed.
Their parents had gone to visit an old friend, while Meher was annoyingly persistent that they visit The Berries in their absence and just take out some smoothies. She was reluctant at first and her intuition said something definitely was going to go wrong. But boy, did her sister listen? Sure breaking rules and rebelling was fun, but at what cost?
"Appi, let's get back, please. I don't want mama and papa to know about this incident, he'll take my phone and PlayStation," her sister pleaded with her.
Mashal rolled her eyes at the hypocrisy. Whose plan was it to visit this place again?
"I'm not sure, papa will notice my change in mood automatically. He just does. I can't lie to him." She replied adamantly.
"You're being ridiculous," Meher groaned.
"Watch it, I'm your elder sister." She told her off and clutched her purse tightly, controlling her tears. Mashal hated to cry. Particularly in public places.
She felt frustrated at the fact that exactly when the mishap happened the music has stopped playing for a brief minute and exactly at that time she heard his insulting words crystal and clear.
They were in a hurry to order the smoothies quickly and get out of here. As their parents had no idea about this little rendezvous, Mashal was scared. Enough said.
They were almost done with grabbing their orders and running back home, but in nervousness, she tripped on her heels and poured her whole mango smoothie on some girl, who began to scream at her.
"I'm really and truly sorry, I'll- I'll get you some tissues," quickly she walked towards a waiter and grabbed the tissues he gave her and for a brief minute the music stopped playing. As she turned around, she came in eye contact with a guy, who passed her a flirty smile, and spoke with another guy, whilst still maintaining eye contact with her, "But both are hot nevertheless, I should probably find out if she's single. Do you think she'll agree if I ask her out?"
Mashal had no idea who the other one was, but her gut feeling said one of both was her. She honestly didn't know how to feel about that line before an oddly familiar voice interrupted her chain of thoughts.
It was her neighbour. His back was facing her but she can just tell it was him. Her blood rushed to her cheeks, feeling suddenly angry.
"No, look at her and look at you." Murat chuckled dryly, "you can do much better. She looks boring," Hearing each of his words felt like a stab in her soul. She didn't know why it hurt so bad, the other guy looked pretty shocked. And that's when Murat turned around to look at her and winced slightly.
The freaking nerve of him!
"You're such an insensitive jerk. I hope you know that" she gritted her teeth angrily and walked away from there without listening to his reply.
And felt so cool about the fact that she has told him off on his face without caring he could be her potential future boss.
She wondered if he'd even hire her after whatever has happened?
No, she's not sure if she was willing to join that stupid company anymore. Let the job be damned. Her self respect was very important for her.
"Let's go home, that smoothie girl must be waiting for her tissues since forever," Meher shook her shoulders, she turned to glare at her sister before nodding her head.
"I feel very bad, I should have watched where I was going," she mumbled to herself as they walked out. Their drinks remained long forgotten.
"Aapi, we wasted a lot of time. Come on, let's get back home quickly," Meher was starting to feel scared with every ticking second.
"Drama queen! It was you who wanted to come here. I'm totally blaming you if we get caught," Smacking her sister's shoulders, she started her Activa.
Meher is someone who would stubbornly act upon impulse but later regret it within seconds. She gets too demanding and frustrating at times. Mashal can't help but feel like punching her sister sometimes. Today was one of those days.
"I hate him so much, M."
"The feelings seem to be mutual to me," Meher replied as they were on their way back home. It made her angrier if anything.
Why the heck does he not like her anyway? He doesn't even know her.
Luckily for them, The Berries was only a fifteen minutes drive. If you add the traffic it takes a maximum of twenty minutes.
"Am I really boring looking?" Her voice was almost like a whisper, she began to feel insecure about everything about her. It took a severe toll on her. To be called boring by your crush was an awful feeling. She didn't even figure out her crush on him in the first place which made it all the more frustrating. She hated how much power a stranger's opinion had on her.
And she knew him only for a week. It was annoying.
Meher heard her sister's inaudible words and a frown appeared on her face, "you're gorgeous, aapi. Stop thinking otherwise. That guy is simply delusional and blind. You're not boring, you look super classy and stylish. I envy how you can pull off all sorts of looks. Don't bother about his words. Ignore him. He isn't worth it. We won't even meet him again, right?"
Yes. Her sister can be very supportive and loving sometimes. Sometimes only.
"Yeah, right." Mashal scoffed at the last line, "that jerk is our neighbour, so I'm pretty sure we will be meeting him again and again. But thanks, M. I appreciate it." She smiled as they finally reached home.
"Alhamdulillah. We are here. Mama and Papa haven't reached yet. Thank God." Meher jumped and ran to unlock their main door excitedly.
Mashal turned around to close the gate after parking her Activa, but her breath hitched seeing the person in front of her.
It was him again. Goddamit.
"We should talk" Came his toneless demand.
"What the freaking hell? Look at that attitude. I'm not interested in talking with you, mister." She felt absolutely furious about how that almost six feet giant was ordering her around. She had to tilt her head and glare at him. Gosh, so tall!
"Look, about the boring comment, I'm sorry. But this is something else," he had the audacity to sound annoyed. Mashal clenched her fist as she marched out of her porch and observed his handsome face. His sharp jawline and those deep black eyes. Gosh. She needs to stop fangirling this jerk.
Her neck began to pain as she continued to glare up at him.
"There's nothing else we should talk about. Jerk." Murat frowned at her words.
"I can't believe your audacity. You act as though you were the most confident person in the world during the interview and ultimately had to take your father's help in securing the job. What were you thinking? Are the other candidates looking like a fool to you?" He snapped at her rudely, all his pent up frustration coming out suddenly.
She blinked, taken aback.
"What are you talking about?"
"Drop that innocent act. I know girls like you, acting all smart and innocent. But you're actually not. I'm not falling for this crap." His words were filled with venom.
"I don't know what the hell is this all about. I don't care honestly. I'm leaving," clutching her purse tightly, she turned on her heels to walk out of there but he clasped her hands and made her face him forcibly. Her breath hitched at his actions.
She eyed her hands which he tightly held in his. It was so cold. Just like him.
"Did you think using my father to ask for a job will do you any good?" He bent down a little and whispered those words coldly near her ears.
"Leave.Me." she gritted her teeth, trying to pull away. And he left almost instantly when he realised he has crossed the line.
"You don't have a place in my company, tell that to your dad. His power can buy many things but not me." Murat chuckled dryly.
Mashal shook her head with rage-filled eyes. Luckily for him, they were standing in the middle of their street, otherwise, she'd have pulled out something and thrown it at him. She could use her purse but it was more valuable.
He was seriously getting on her nerves.
"Who the hell are you to give me a job anyway? I'm not taking up that job in the first place. I value my self-respect, thank you very much," she rolled her eyes and shot him another nasty glare.
He looked down at her with the same annoyed look. Her chocolate brown eyes held so much hatred in them. Their one on one went on for a moment before a car sped past them with high speed.
Mashal froze at the sudden interruption. The car was this close to hitting them before Murat's reflex worked promptly as he grabbed her along with him and saved them both from a fatal accident. Her breathing became uneven as she realised how close she was to this annoying and handsome stranger.
And to think she has escaped death in a seconds gap made her eyes well up with tears.
"Are you okay?" His hands still held her shoulders, almost protectively.
"I think," she whispered, still in shock. But the care in his voice was very much surprising for her. Her heart, felt like it would fall out of her ribcage with the way it was rapidly beating.
Murat groaned from inside as he held this woman in his arms, so protectively like this. Her rosemary scent was beginning to intoxicate his mind. She looked so tiny in front of his huge figure and he just wanted to protect her from everything.
What the hell was wrong with him?
An unknown rage filled him as he eyed that car which was crashed on the wall. It was that bloody driver's fault. To drive like a maniac on a dead end of a street was pathetically stupid. It could have killed them.
"Stay here," he separated his hold from her, Mashal nodded her head. Still in shock. She couldn't believe they would have died if not for Murat's instant move. She owed him her life.
Suddenly he was not as cold anymore. His voice was filled with warmth and care. It was like he was bipolar.
"Are you freaking blind? I'm calling the police, you could have killed us." Murat yelled at the driver, whose head was bleeding due to hitting the steering wheel.
"Or maybe an ambulance," Mashal muttered, trying to understand the gravity of the driver's state. He looked like he'd pass out any moment.
"Don't involve the police, he looks drunk." Mashal couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy's family. They would be waiting for their son/husband to come back home safely and here he was, wasting away his life with drinking and rash driving.
Murat turned to stare at her. The hatred in her chocolate brown eyes was replaced with empathy now. He felt amazed at the concern she was showing to someone who has almost killed them.
"You should go back home, it's getting late. I'll handle it." He grunted whilst picking out his phone and called the emergency number.
She nodded her head and turned around to walk inside, her feet felt like snails suddenly. She walked too slow.
"T-thanks for saving me back then." She stopped abruptly and thanked him for his kind gesture, otherwise, she won't be able to sleep the whole night.
That's the least she could say to someone who has saved her life.
"Don't mention it," Murat replied as he finished informing the accident to the emergency. They promised to be here soon with an ambulance.
"And about the job, I was honestly going to say no after whatever happened at The Berries. I don't know why my father got involved unnecessarily." She had to add that line. It was somewhat polite this time.
Mashal was going to have some serious conversation with her father after he returns.
"Look, I know whatever I said back there was uncalled for. You are not boring looking. Sorry if I made you feel like that. It wasn't even my intention. I didn't know you'd hear that, I was under some other stress." Murat admitted honestly and she stared at him with slight disbelief.
"So you don't think I'm boring looking?" She asked with a straight face and he couldn't tell if she was actually serious.
"No, you aren't." He replied, understanding she was very much serious.
"I know right? I thought you were blind for a while. I look awesome, anyway I forgive you." Flipping her long silky hair, Mashal walked back into her porch and closed the gate. This time a small smile was playing on her lips.
Murat chuckled at her antics and watched her disappearing figure until she locked the main door.
But he was glad to have noticed something though, she was so different from her. And there was nothing similar about them.