It was another evening in London. The weather was very cold. She looked at the time on her cell phone. She still had an hour left at work.
'Uffff' She mentally screamed. She just wanted to go home, eat dinner and lay down in her comfy bed.
After her shift ended, she left her workplace in no seconds. She was walking hurriedly on the footpath when she heard a few footsteps right behind her.
"Itni jaldi kis bat ki hy" Someone said loudly from behind.
(Why are you in a hurry?)
She stopped at her place. Was she hallucinating? She knew this voice.
She could recognize it
How could she forget it. She had been hearing this voice continuously around her for the last few months.
She heard him again.
"I want to eat pasta. Can you guide me about the famous eateries here?" It was gently said by the man.
Maliha shivered for a second.
Her breathing stopped for a moment.
It couldn't be true.
She wasn't day dreaming.
She could still feel him standing behind her. She was feeling his presence, his cologne. She turned her face to her right shoulder to have a look behind her.
There, he was.
"Aslamo alaikum" He greeted her with a beautiful smile.
She was surprised to see him there. Why was he there? What was he doing in London?
"Burak" She whispered his name.
He was same as he was few months ago.
Handsome as always.
He was dressed in a black jeans with white turtleneck sweater, clad in a long black overcoat, his hands were in the pockets of his overcoat.
His hair was falling on his forehead like a teenager.
"How are you Maliha?" He asked gently.
"What are you doing here?" She asked dumbfounded.
"I have asked, how are you?" He repeated his question.
"And I have asked what are you doing here?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Is this a way to welcome here" He joked looking into her black orbs.
"Cut the crap. Why are you here?"
"Who asked the question first? Me or you" He shook his head.
She saw him with disbelief. He was acting like a child.
"I am fine. Now tell me what are you doing here?" She literally wanted to choke him at the moment.
"Just doing an evening walk. The weather is so cold here. I didn't like it" He told her unhappily.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN LONDON?" She screamed lightly.
"I just came here to visit. What else it could be" He smiled.
"Okay. In the whole world for you only London was left to visit" She asked him unhappily.
"I always wanted to visit London" He nodded.
"What are you doing at this place precisely? The city isn't small for us to meet randomly. It isn't a coincidence" She raised another question.
"Of course, it can not be a coincidence. It's a big city not a small town. I have asked Lubna aunty about your workplace. I just wanted to say hello to my cousin" He wasn't serious at all.
It was like, he wasn't being himself.
He was different.
More different than the time she was leaving Lahore.
"You have already met mama?" She was shocked to hear that. What was he up to?
"Yes, I met her this morning. I came here yesterday. Must say it's a beautiful city"
"Why you met her?" She asked a dumb question.
"What kind a question is this?" He didn't get what she wanted to say.
"You aren't related to her" She explained herself.
"Maliha! I know her from my childhood. I may not be related to her anymore but she is still my Auntie and, she was very happy to see me!"
"I can't believe you"
"I can't believe at myself" He muttered to himself.
"I am not getting you Burak! We aren't friends. Why you are here to meet me?"
"You are my cousin"
"Oh please!" She couldn't handle it anymore.
"Why are you so mad at me to come here" He chuckled.
"I am not mad. Have a good evening. Enjoy your trip. Allah Hafiz" She walked ahead on her way.
"You didn't tell about the eatries here. I want to eat pasta" He said loudly from behind.
"Use google" She screamed without stopping.
"Koi ese bhi karta hy mehman ke sath. Main ny to pura Lahora dikhaya tha" He complained.
(Is it a way to treat your guest. I gave you a whole tour of Lahore)
"Not interested" She screamed and took a turn into a short street.
He didn't come behind her.
'Silly' He murmured and released a light chuckle.
...
She was upset after meeting Burak. She didn't go home directly. She stayed in a park to refresh her mind.
She couldn't believe he was in her city.
'Did he come for me'
'Does he also think about me'
She entered the house with sadness in her heart, she couldn't understand the reason. Lubna told her excitedly about Burak's visit.
"Burak came to meet me. I couldn't believe my eyes. He is so grown up. I couldn't recognize him. I thought who could come to see me from Pakistan. We have no one there"
"Let me sit mama" She said throwing her coat and bag in the lounge carelessly.
Lubna cleaned the mess she created and kept telling her about Burak's visit.
"I am so happy that he remembered me. When I said that to him, he said how could I forget you auntie you were part of my childhood. He is such a gentleman" Lubna really liked the boy she met after ages.
Gentleman, she laughed in her mind.
"When did he came?" She asked her normally and sat next to her on the sofa.
"In the morning, he took your address from me. Did he came to see you?" She asked.
"Yes he came" She replied thinking about his unexpected visit.
"I asked him to come daily till he is here"
"When is he leaving?"
"After two weeks"
"Why did he came?"
"Due to some office work"
Maliha started laughing this time. His office had no links in London. Why did he lie about it?
"Mama can you stop discussing him and give me food please" She begged her to close her Burak nama.
"One thing I didn't tell you" Lubna said getting up from the sofa.
"What?" She asked with disinterest.
"He is very handsome. He was cute in childhood but he is grown up into a very handsome man" Lubna smiled thinking about the gone days.
'Han handsome to bohat hy kambakhat' She accepted wholeheartedly.
(Yes he is very handsome)
But why did he came?
.........................................................
Maliha never thought he would come to London?
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