After surviving (almost) my first marriage proposal, I sat numbly through a client meeting before pleading sick.
Ghauri, my weirdo boss, grunted his permission for me to leave, and I escaped the office in my tiny Suzuki Alto.
I narrowly avoided two accidents because of my preoccupied mind; had to face a lot women-driver shaming from random people.
"Gaari nahi chalana aati, toh ghar pay rakho na! Rotian he banalo! Yehi aurat ka kaam hay."
(If you don't know how to drive the car, then keep it at home. You better stick to what women are good at, Making Roti (bread)"
Sometimes I just hated my city's people. They had a zero tolerance policy towards female drivers.
Reaching home was an ordeal that I passed with difficulty.
I turned off the ignition and sat staring outside the windshield, not actually seeing anything. Before long, the scene before me started to make sense.
I was staring at a really hot guy standing in front of my place. Mistakenly of course; but I was OGLING him. Now that I realized what I had been staring at, I reddened and looked away.
Who is he? And why is he at my place?
Then I spotted my older brother Ali talking to Hot Stuff. They were grinning together as they spoke. Ali lifted a fist to Hot-err-the New Guy, and he bumped it with his own.
I gathered my purse, and stalked out off my car. My eyes purposely avoiding Hot Guy's back, which was facing me.
Before I reached my brother, I saw something white streak across my path causing me to yelp like a wounded kitten.
It was a chicken.
An honest to god chicken just crossed my path!
Nay, the chicken was thrown across my path by Devil Spawn himself, who was leering at me from our shared ledge wall.
I'm sorry to say that I lost my cool.
I yelled my head off, trying to dislodge the persistent chicken from my leg. It was clucking like crazy, and making pecking motions. I kind of have a minor bird phobia, ever since our old parrot nipped my finger when I was eight. Needless to say, I went crazy with the screaming and jumping.
"Aligedditoffooffmeeee" I yelled at my brother who was...laughing. He was holding his stomach and laughing at my torment. That rat!
Suddenly strong arms held me back from harm, one quick swoop had him clutching the chicken from hell, which squawked in rebellion.
A deep voice asked me "You okay Mina?"
I turned my head to find myself face to face with Hotness.
And for the second time today, I couldn't speak a word.
Ali finally collected his brotherly pride, "Hey dude, hands off the sister"
Hotness quickly removed his hand, and turned towards The Spawn (who was in the middle of hysterical laughter)
"Not funny Salman! You scared the lady!" I was glad for the telling off The Spawn was receiving, but the chicken was still glaring at me.
"Please get the animal away from me. NOW!" I squeaked.
He strode towards Spawn and deposited the angry chicken in his arms.
"Sorry, Shehzer Bhai (brother), My chicken just...slipped." Spawn grinned evilly at me, causing my brother to hoot with some more laughter.
I couldn't stop my heart from pounding, partly because of the cursed chicken, and partly because of his name.
Shehzer was here? In Pakistan? It's been years...
Hotness turned to smile sheepishly at me, his soft brown eyes the only familiar thing about him. "I see that I still have to save you from stuff huh?"
Well, knock me over with a chicken feather. I am officially surprised. Again.