• f a a r i s •
While Noor was in the bathroom, I engaged myself in conversations with other businessmen that somehow bored me to death. After that dance with her, all I could think was her. I waited, and waited, but when she didn't return even after half an hour,
I got anxious. I tried to call her but she didn't pick up so I went towards the bathroom. I asked a woman coming out if there was someone else inside but she said no. My anxiety heightened and I searched the whole hall for her.
When I couldn't find her, I went outside in the parking lot and looked around. I asked the valet if he has seen a woman dressed in blue dress and he said he watched her leave in a car. This alarmed me and I dialed her number again, not knowing if she was safe or not.
I might have called the police if she had not picked up my call on the fifth try.
"Noor! For God's sake, where are you?" I shouted at the phone.
"You don't need to worry about that. I am fine." Her icy cold voice responded.
"Noor? What are you saying? Where are you? I am worried sick." I said, barely controlling my anger.
"Faaris, just answer me in yes or no. And don't lie." She said, her voice trembling a little. My belly tightened in knots at the way she asked the question.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Did you have any feelings for me while I was engaged to Usama?" she asked
"I...." I became quiet all of sudden. Where did that come from? "Why are you..."
"Yes or no?" She asked firmly.
"Ah..." I struggled to find an answer and then answered hesitantly. "Yes."
"How could you not tell me this before?" Her voice was laced with displease.
"Noor, believe me. I never had any wrong intentions towards you. I never ever considered the possibility of us together until..."
"Until Usama died. Yes, Usama, the love of my life, died." Her words struck a cord of my heart and I winced. He was the love of her life but I didn't need to be reminded that.
"I know he was the love of your life and I never had any issue with it. Believe me Noor, I just thought---"
"You thought I'd fall for you now that he is not here." She blamed and didn't even let me clarify. "I don't even want to listen to your voice right now." She spat.
"Where are you? Who are you with?" I asked.
"You don't need to worry about that." She said and cut the call.
Distressed, I somehow drove back to my apartment and then sprawled on the couch limply. I don't know how Noor got to know about it but I was worried more about her whereabouts. I had already called a friend for a favour to trace her phone. I know it was a breach to her privacy but this city and its people couldn't be trusted. And no way in hell was I going to let anything bad happen to my wife.
"Fuck." I groaned under my breath. Everything was going perfect and somehow, the past resurfaced. Yes, I had feelings for Noor for quite some time but that didn't mean anything. I never even thought to act upon it, let alone try to come between Usama and her. My only mistake was I didn't admit those to Noor earlier, but to be honest, I never thought it would matter. But whoever's at fault, Noor and my relationship had hit a major dent and it would take a long time to reverse it.
•••••••••••
• n o o r •
"Do you need anything else?" Caroline asked as she handed me the cup of hot chocolate. I was cozied under her weighted blanket, lost in my thoughts.
"No." I smiled at her. "And thank you for picking me up and letting me stay here. I owe you."
"You owe me nothing, miss. We are friends and friends help each other. I don't know what transpired between Mr. Shah and you but you are always welcome here. Now let me shut the drapes so you could sleep." She said and left me alone in the room.
I didn't want to return home and see his face and the first person that came to my mind was Caroline. She immediately came for help at my call and picked me up.
It might seem like I was overreacting but Faaris had broken my trust yet again. If I had one clue Faaris was interested in me like that, I would have never agreed to marry him. It was a betrayal to Usama and to myself.
Yet, he hid it and let me think this was an arranged marriage and we were both compromising. He had multiple occasions to tell me but he chose to keep me blind. It might not made sense to someone else but it made sense to me. My trust was broken and it couldn't be mended anytime soon.
••••••••••
The next day, Caroline motivated me to leave the bed and go for work. I was hesitating as I didn't want to come across Faaris so I hit upon an alternative. I searched my clutch for the card that I got from that Owen Riggs last night.
After dressing up in an appropriate outfit from Caroline's closet, I called an Uber and went straight to the address mentioned on the card. I had to wait fifteen minutes in the lobby after which his secretary took me to his office.
"Miss. Noor, what do I owe this pleasure?" He raised his eyebrows on seeing me.
"I thought it would be better to get out of my comfort zone and work somewhere else." I said.
"Do you have your CV with you?" He asked.
"Yes." I handed over the paper to him. Thank God, I had printed one earlier.
"Hmm." He gave a quick look. "I can find some work for you here at our office. So when will you start?"
"Today?" I said hesitantly.
"Wow. You seem quite eager to work." He chuckled. "Actually there are some formalities first. I'll need your previous employer to make you a letter of recommendation. Can you get that?"
"Uh... Is that necessary?" I asked.
"Why? Is that an issue?" He asked.
"No. Not really. I'll do that." I said and then excused myself.
My next stop would be the place I was dreading the most. I didn't want to accidentally see Faaris because I know, my perseverance would stumble by seeing him. So I made sure to skip the elevator that he normally used. Thankfully, I managed to reach the office of the head of graphic designing without coming across Faaris.
"I didn't know you were leaving. Did you have any issue here?" Mr. Moby asked.
"No. I just want to work there. Can you do it? Can you make an LOR for me?" I asked.
"I can do that. I have a sample. I'll do some editing and then print it out." He said.
"Great."
I waited for half an hour while he did that and prepared my LOR. The whole time I prayed Faaris didn't come to know of my presence or he would try to talk to me about it. Once the letter was prepared, Mr. Moby handed it to me and I sighed in relief.
"One more thing, it needs to be signed by the CEO. Make sure you do that or it's of no use." He said and I groaned out loud.
The more I wanted to avoid him, the more I was being pushed towards him.
I was tempted to leave without getting it signed but then I realized, I'll need this LOR wherever I went to find a job. I couldn't just hide at Caroline's home forever. And why was I even hiding? I wasn't the one who was at wrong here. If anything, he should be the one worried to face me.
With this newly found determination, I made my way towards Faaris' office. The secretary let me go inside and when I reached in, the scene inside made my heart drop.
Faaris, the always well-dressed Faaris, was sitting on his desk in an unironed shirt and no coat. He was rubbing his forehead and the scene almost melted my heart.
No. That is exactly why I didn't want to face him.
"I need you to sign this." I said firmly and he whipped his head up.
"Noor," his eyes bulged out of the sockets and he began to stand.
"Don't." I said. "I just want you to sign my LOR so I can get out of here." I said and placed the letter in front of him.
His eyes looked swollen as they switched between the letter and my face. He then finally pulled out his pen and signed the letter in exasperation.
"Just come home and we will sort this out." He requested.
"That's exactly why I don't want to come home." I said and picked up my LOR.
Ignoring his pleading glances, I made my way out of his office and then back to the Uber to hand over this LOR to my new employer.
•°•°•°•°•