1o years Ago:
Lahore, Pakistan
For the next few weeks Ahil and Saba spent most of the breaks in library for the team project. Though Saba wasn't a genius or something but her never ending hard work surely made her stand out. Many of the classmates were shocked to see their names together as a paired team. Partially because they thought Saba was probably using the guy for her own good but more on the fact that Ahil wasn't someone who would team up with a girl. So many girls have asked him in the past before as well, yet he had always declined their offers. But now the tables had started to turn eventually.
God knows what happened to Saba these days. She wasn't someone who confided in people easily but there she was trusting a guy with her personal details whom she got to know about just recently. On various days they used to eat lunch together where they would talk about anything else except the academics. Both of them were so much similar in many of their beliefs, likes and dislike. Saba was well aware of Ahil's nature, she knew that she had to put in much more effort than him in order to break the ice between them. Her efforts didn't go in vain, after all Ahil was seen smiling most of times these days on campus because he got to be friends with one of the most cheerful girl of his class.
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"Waisay aik baat toh batao?" Saba asked him. They were sitting on the stairs of the science block that evening. Project evaluation was just around the corner so they had to stay extra hours for it.
"Hmm" Ahil hummed as he shifted his eyes from the laptop to her.
"When I asked you to team up for the project, why did you agree? As far as I know you, you have never made groups out of your circle. Toh phir tum ny mana kiyoun nhi kia mujhe?" (Why didn't you refuse me?) Saba asked as if she wanted to say all of this for some time.
"Aise he" He spoke, resuming his work again.
"Ahil, I'm serious, batao" (tell) Saba insisted.
Ahil looked Saba in her eyes and now faced her directly. He took some seconds before he could speak.
"In ankhoun ki waja sy mein mana nhi kar paya"he said while maintaining the eye contact.
"Kia matlab?" Saba countered in confusion.
"Jab uss din tum subah school jaldi aye thi aur samajh rahi thi keh koi tumhari ankhein dekh kar pehchan nahi sakay ga keh pori raat roti raho ho, tum ghalat thi, tumhari ankhein sab bol deti hain, toh bas that's why you seemed different to me" Ahil explained.
"Oh toh tars khaya hai tum ny mujh par?" (Oh so you pitied me?) She exclaimed.
"Nahi aisa mein ny kab kaha hai?" Ahil clarified.
"You meant the same thing, huh" Saba gave him an eye roll.
"Also when I sat beside you that day during the quiz, you pointed out my mistake.... people don't often do that, unko lagta hai mein kabhi ghalati nahi kar sakta toh woh zaida ghor bhi nahi karte aur bas copy paste kar lete hain.... laikin tum ny margin of error rakha.... mujhe tumhari yeh baat pasand aye bas tabhi mein ny zaida socha nahi aur tumhein haan keh dia tha" he justified his stance in the most clear way possible.
"Uff.... Aik minus sign he tha toh tha Ahil" she smiled mockingly.
"Hmm..... aik minus sign he tha Saba" he mimicked her.
"Taubah....Bohat complicated insan ho tum" she leaned on the stair case on which they sat. Ahil too followed her lead and did the same. Both started to stare at the sky above them accompanied by a peaceful silence.
(Saba and Ahil on the stair case)
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Few Days Later:
Saba and Shiza lived in the same society so she arrived at Shiza's place just in time. It was an 'end of school' party so over fifty people were invited at her house. It took Saba a whole day to makeup Ahil's mind for the party (because he never attends one). Songs, dances, games, munching and laughing all was on peak. Almost everyone was there except Ahil who was no where to be seen. Saba kept calling him multiple of times but he never picked any of her calls.
"Kis ko call kar rahi ho?" Shiza asked Saba at the kitchen counter.
"Pochny wali kia baat hai?....Ahil ko kar rahi hogi yakeenan" Sameer, one of the classmates, spoke bluntly.
"Mind your own business Sameer" Saba stated firmly.
"Damn.... Possessive girlfriend I see" Rameesha who was standing beside Sameer claimed.
"It's not like that-" Saba wanted to shut each one of them off but she couldn't. It was 1 vs 50. How many mouths she would have shut anyway? There's always at least one who is still on the lose.
"Saba please.... Accept it man.... We all know you both have a thing going on" Sameer chose to speak again this time.
"No.... We are-" Saba was interrupted.
"Just friends?" Rameesha mocked and the next moment the whole room was filled with laughters. Saba was feeling claustrophobic.
"Guys please-" she tried again but all in vain.
"Oh wait wait.... Maybe she is right you guys.... Maybe they aren't dating.... I can sense some 'friends with benefits' kinda thing here" Rameesha scorned as she took a sip from her glass.
"Hell yeah.... She's using him for her project and in return he's probably fuc-" just when Sameer was about to finish his sentence, someone kicked him from behind, such that Sameer fell on the floor on his face. That someone was none other than Ahil. Rameesha screamed, some others hooted and laughed.
Sameer got up in the next few minutes and rushed towards Ahil to grab him but was intruded by Uzair and other class mates.
"Sameer tu ny baat ghalat ki thi" Uzair said as he pushed Sameer away from Ahil's proximity.
Few more minutes into the argument, Uzair suggested Ahil to take Saba along with him and leave. Ahil searched for Saba in the room full of people. He found her frozen, breathing heavily in one corner. He instantly grabbed her hand and got themselves out of the house. Ahil sat on the passenger seat while Saba was on the back and Uzair on the driver's.
"Uzair stop the car.... I can't breathe" Saba exclaimed.
"Abhi?.... Tumhara ghar anay he wala hai Saba" Uzair conveyed.
"Uzair I said stop the car!" Saba shouted this time.
"Rok do gari Uzair" Ahil asserted too.
Uzair stopped the car and the very second Saba was out on the road, with Ahil following her from behind. She started to run. Ahil did too.
"Saba!.... Wait" Ahil shouted from behind but she didn't stop.
After 2 more minutes she stopped near a mart and put her hand on her knees. Ahil approached her and said:
"Tum theek ho?" he was dead worried.
Saba kept crying in silence. Streams of tears kept rolling down her eyes. Ahil was losing it. He didn't know what to do.
"Log meri baat ka yakeen kiyoun nahi karte Ahil?.... Jiska dil chahta hai mere baare mein assumptions kar leta hai.... Ghar mein bhi kisi cousin keh sath baat kar loun toh aglay din tohmat lag jati hai....After such a long time I made one good friend at school.... Yeh bhi inko bardasht nahi hai" Saba finally said it all. She looked at him with wet eyes and water dripping from her crimson nose. The family context that she was referring to was from the day when her Phopo (aunt) called her out on flirting with her son, Saba's first cousin Daniyal who had falsely accused her of being romantically involved with him just to take revenge for his rejected proposal. Because of this, Saba had been disturbed for days and cried whole night just to appear at school at 7:30 am.
"I trust you Saba" He assured.
"Shayad tum bhi baki sab ki tarah he sochte ho aur abhi mujh sy jhoot bol rahay ho" she cried.
"Baki log bhar mein jayein.... Mein tumhein janta hun issi liyey tum par yakeen karta hun.... Woh log tumhein jab jante he nahi toh tum par yakeen kaisay karein gy?" Ahil countered.
Saba shook her head in pain.
"Idher dekho meri taraf Saba" he spoke in a low tone, gently picking up her shoulders with his hands so that she could directly look him in his eyes.
"Why do you even care about what people say?.... You yourself know what you are like.... Kiya itni assurity kaafi nahi hai?.... If you can face yourself in the mirror everyday then you can face any other human being on this planet" he was trying his best to calm her down.
"Rona band karo ab please" He continued.
"Wait, I'll be right back" he told her as he made his way towards the mart near by. Saba sat on the round bench in front of the shop. After sometime Ahil came back with a pack of tissues, disposable water bottle and a pouch of MnMs.
"Yeh lo" he handed her the tissues and the water bottle.
Saba wiped her nose and the tears, took a sip or two from the bottle and rested them aside.
"Ab tumhara reward" Ahil now offering her the MnMs that he brought for her.
"Tum wakai pagal ho.... Pehli dafa mujhe ronay par encouragement mili hai.... Ab toh mein roz roya karoun gi" Saba forced a smile on her face.
"Umhm.... Ronay par nahi laya mein.... Tumhare chup hone par laya houn.... Aur ainda na kehna aise baat.... Tum woh wahid dost ho meri jisy mein rote hoye kia udas bhi nahi dekh sakta" he said.
"Woh kiyoun?" she asked.
"Tum achi nahi lagti rote hoye" He said jokingly. Then he added:
"Mazaak kar raha houn.... Tum roti ho toh aisa lagta hai qiyamat anay wali hai.... Dil doobny lagta hai" Ahil confronted.
"Mat kia karo meri fikar Ahil" Saba said while she looked down at her hands.
"Ab toh it's too late Miss Saba Lodhi" he placed the pack of MnMs right in between her palms which made her smiled.
When she cooled down completely, Uzair and Ahil dropped her home. The party was a total game changer for both Saba and Ahil.