Adams, that rascal, why the hell Racheal agreed to go out with this womanizer. He has a wife, he should have brought her, right? Oh, yeah, he is going through a divorce. Bloody two timer.
'I think they are dating?' I hear a voice and nearly jump spilling my drink. I turn my head and find Annie standing there, she is one of my colleague, we have hardly interacted and so I wonder why she is gossiping with me. But I didn't like it when she said Racheal and Adams are dating. Racheal can't be the other woman because of whom Adam's marriage has hit the rocks, surely not. Racheal is such a beautiful soul; she will never date a married man.
'Did I startled you? I am sorry' Annie says
'It's okay' I say taking out a hanky from my pocket and wipe the drink off my palm. I freeze when I find Annie's body touch mine. I look at her and she winks at me, a naughty glint in her eyes. I gulped and turned around, it's better to leave. As I am about to leave she held my arm.
'Shall we dance?' she suggests. I shake my head but Annie didn't seem to take "No" for an answer. She literally drags me to the dance floor.
I feel hesitant for placing my hand on her waist, so she grabbed my hand and placed it on her waist. I shiver. She looks at me smiling as she wraps her arms around my neck.
'You are so handsome yet you don't have any girlfriends, that's hard to believe' Annie says taking a step closer. The way she is looking at me I am fearing the worse. Should I lie that I have a girlfriend, that way at least Annie might leave me but then I don't want Racheal to misunderstand me so I shake my head sideways.
Annie smiles, 'I always had a crush on you...'she goes on and I am surprised. Someone really has a crush on me, it is a really good ego boost. She trails her index finger from my temple, she caresses my jaw with her palm, as per Elham's advice I have kept a stubble, she says women really dig men with stubbles.
Annie giggles, I guess either she is too drunk or she feels ticklish because of my stubble. Nevertheless, I avert my gaze from her, looking at her is making me uncomfortable.
It's then I find Racheal and Adams dancing together little away from me. I am not liking her being in other man's arm, the way Adam is looking at her...that leech. He tightly wrapped his arm around her waist, who holds a woman like that? One should be gentle, right? It pained me a lot to look at her dancing with Adams but I couldn't move my gaze from her, I love her so much. Soon enough she looks at me too, accidently of course. But to my surprise she doesn't look away. Even though we stand few distance away dancing with different people our gaze is fixed on each other. I look at her longingly, hoping my eyes convey what my lips couldn't.
I felt Annie's palm on my cheek, she turns my head to make me look at her. I gulp noticing her gaze fall on my lips, she closes her eyes and leans in.
I begin to panic. No...no...no, I can't her kiss me, I am saving my first kiss for Racheal. Before she could place her lips on mine I take a step back. Annie looks at me surprised.
'I am getting a call' I lie, taking my phone out. Annie looks at me disappointed. Before going away from there I see Racheal looking at me. From her expression, she looked relieved. I wonder if its figment of my imagination or if she is really relieved, why will she be?
Fifteen minutes later after my escape from Annie I decided to leave, I glanced at my watch, its 11.55 and I need to go home as Mamma must be waiting for me. As I make my way towards the entrance I heard someone sobbing behind the bushes. I shouldn't get involved but then it's a girl crying. I peeped and find Racheal, she has her face covered with her palms. I felt my heart hurt seeing her crying. I notice her hair is messed up and her dress disheveled. I am concerned now. I hurry towards her.
'Racheal' I say softly. She turns around startled; but then she is relieved when she realizes it's me. Her eyes red and lips dry, her mascara also smudged.
'Juwaid...' she says and quickly walks towards me. She wraps her arms around my neck and begins to cry again. I bring my arms around her and gently caresses her back. I didn't want to stop her and let her cry, she will feel better.
Sometime later she stopped, 'Please take me home, Juwaid' she says sniffling. I nod. I remove my coat and makes her wear it. It is hurting me to see her like this and I am also angered thinking that Adams must have done this, but I am helpless. He is my boss there is nothing I can do with him but at least I can be with Racheal.
I stopped my car in front of the gate of her apartment. Racheal leans back against the seat and takes a deep breath. She turns her head towards me and smiles, she seems drunk too.
'Thanks...'she says and I smile awkwardly.
She sits up straight 'You are such a sweetheart' she says placing her palm on my face. She smiles dreamily and leans in. Her gaze on my lips. I feel giddy eyeing her lips approaching mine.
Racheal closes her eyes as our faces are now inches apart. Her lips are tempting, but this isn't the right time. I lean back, Racheal opens her eyes.
'You...you...should go' I say looking away for few seconds and then look back at her. She blinks back innocently at me. The way she is looking at me it is getting hard for me to control the temptation. But I need to be strong...Self-control, Juwaid, self-control. She smiles and places her palm on my cheek
'Good night...' she says
'Good night' I reply, Racheal then leans in and kissed my cheek. I smile as she turns and climbs down. My heart flutter as she throws a flying kiss at me. I guess she is too drunk to comprehend what she is doing? Or she is just grateful that I comforted her and this is her way to express her gratitude.
Nevertheless, I feel lighter.
*
Next day is Sunday; I have decided to spend the entire day with my Mamma. Because of my hectic work I am not able to spend time with Mamma, and my Mamma is also busy with her tailoring business. I can easily see how stressed she is because of it. Many times, I have asked her to wrap up her business and sit at home and relax. But she insists on continuing her business
'It's just one building away...also what will I do sitting at home alone; I will get bored...best you marry give me grandkids then I will play with them whole day and retire...'
She knows well when she starts talking about marriage and grandkids I stop arguing. Honestly thinking about marriage makes me feel uncomfortable.
But being 31yrs old now, my Mamma like an ideal Indian mother has started slightly pressuring me for marriage. But unlike Elham I have it better, she is a 31yr old unmarried Indian woman, her parents have now started to panic. I always have so much fun teasing her as she shows me photos of men her parents had selected, sample pieces.
'Mamma' I whisper sitting down next to her. She is still asleep. It's only 7am, I woke up early to surprise her. I caress her hair, slowly she opens her eyes and is surprised to see me wide awake.
'Beta, you woke up, so early?' she says, she then sits up 'I will go make you coffee...'she says removing her blanket and is about to climb down when I held her hand.
'Mamma, I have made coffee.' I say brightly. The surprised look on my mother's face is priceless. I held my mother's hand and led her towards the dining table, I pull a chair for her and forwards her a mug filled with hot streaming coffee and few biscuits. My mother looks at me with pride.
After we had coffee I helped Mamma prepare breakfast and we mother-son duo sat happily eating breakfast. Every other day I am always in rush and am not able to even spare two seconds having food with her, yet my mother doesn't complain. I feel guilty but at the same time I feel lucky to have such understanding and caring mother.
After breakfast, we sat together, my mother is sitting on the sofa reading her novel while I lay resting my head on her lap watching a football match on television. Just then my phone rings, my mother looks at me and then glances at my phone, which is placed on the table in front of the sofa.
'Rachel?' My mother says. I spring up, sitting up straight. My mother adjusts her glasses and picks up my phone. She squints reading Racheal's name flashing on my phone screen. I know I am going to be bombarded with queries by my mother, honestly I am not ready talking about Racheal to my mother, in fact I don't want to talk to anyone on this topic. Racheal and I are doomed relationship.
The ring eventually stops, my mother looks at me, silently asking me to answer her unsaid question.
'Racheal Miller, my colleague' I answer. My mother then smiles
'Is she pretty?' my mother says winking at me, I look away feeling embarrassed, my cheeks red. My mother then asks for more details and I eventually spill the beans, and I also added that Racheal and I have no future.
My mother held my arms and smiles 'If your love is true then surely there is a future.' She says calmly
'But if it's not?' I ask curiously.
My mom smiles and places her palm on my cheek 'If Racheal isn't your true love then you will find someone soon, someone who you will love in true sense'
'But then how will I know if I truly love someone?' I add.
'You will know...its matter of hearts, they are very complicated' my mother finishes.
I am seriously confused as to what my mother has said, I don't love Racheal? From past three years, what I felt for Racheal is what? And my mother says, I will just know when I fall truly in love. If I truly loved Racheal than this thought shouldn't have come in my mind, right? I am not able to concrete on the match, my mind replaying my mother's words. I look at her, she is peacefully reading her novel, "Romancing the duke". Seriously, Mamma reads all these useless romantic novels and gets these weird ideas. After what Dad did with us, I had stopped believing in love and I expected more than me, Mamma would have stopped believing in them. But she didn't, in fact she blames herself for Dad doing what he did. I hate it when Mamma blames herself.
That night, Mamma is in the kitchen preparing dinner and taking this chance I quickly texted Racheal
Sorry, was busy
I didn't get reply for next fifteen minutes, so I decided to go in the kitchen and help Mamma. We talk and work together. Mamma talks about my childhood and how I and Elham used to have fun getting into trouble, it was mostly Elham getting into trouble and I used to be her second hand. She talks about how much fun we had in India, I must agree being in India is great and being surrounded with relatives and close family friend, one never feels lonely. We ate dinner together and my mother confessed that today was the best day, she kissed my forehead and bid me good night. I feel happy and content to have made this day special for Mamma.
I change into my night clothes and climb on my bed, as I am arranging the duvet I heard my phone buzz. Reflexively I smile on seeing Racheal's message
"Will talk tomorrow, lunch time"
I wonder what she had to talk to me?
Next day I sit alone in the corner of the cafeteria, my lunch box placed before me, untouched. I wait for her glancing at my watch. I feel my stomach rumble and I am unable to wait any longer and start to open my tiffin. I felt her soft hand on my shoulder, I look up. She is standing next to me, she looked tired.
I smile at her, she smiles sadly. I wonder if she is upset because I didn't pick up her call but then Racheal is mature enough to not get upset over such trivial thing.
'Sit' I say shifting little giving her space to sit, she nods and sits. I forward her my tiffin but she shakes her head sticking out her palm. I nod and retract my tiffin. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by forcing her to have some food.
'I wanted to thank you for Saturday night...' she begins
'Racheal, I am always there for you' I say softly. She looks at me surprised like she didn't know someone could say such kind words to her.
'Juwaid, if you are free let's meet up sometime in the evening. We can watch a movie together' she suggests.
I think for a while before nodding, she smiles brightly
'Thanks' she says caressing my cheek, I smile back at her.
*
'How is this?' I say posing in an olive green slim fit formal shirt neatly tugged in my black formal trousers.
'Fold your sleeves' Elham suggests. I and Elham are on video call since last five minutes. After agreeing to go out with Racheal, the first thing I did was inform Elham. She had warned me to not mess up this time as this is the best chance to leave an impression on Racheal, it's a perfect opportunity to graduate from Friend zone to being something more. Since Racheal herself has asked me out is a positive sign.
'Fatto, aaj kiss karlena' Elham says.
I nod but I don't think it is good idea to kiss on the first date, if I could call this a date. I quickly comb my hair and gel it to keep it in place. I applied generous amount of cologne (Elham suggested me the brand, she says girls goes crazy with this and Racheal will not be an exception). I take my mother's leave; I have said her that I will be out with my friends. I don't want to get too overexcited and confess about Racheal even before anything happened between me and Racheal. For now, I am having my finger's crossed.
I ring doorbell to Racheal's apartment; I stand there patiently. Soon she opens the door, looking at her I am blown away.
She is dressed in black and white crop top which has a zip in the front. She matched it with black mini skirt reaching till her mid-thigh. She looked simple yet beautiful yet hot. She flips her hair and smiles at me
'How do I look?' she asks placing her hand on her hips. I take my time looking at her from top to bottom, my gaze resting on her face. More than her body, I find her face attractive.
'Beautiful' I compliment, she blushes. Her blushing gave me some confidence and I move my hand and held hers. I didn't break the eye contact (Elham's advice), Racheal looks at me surprised. I am amazed with my guts, but am mesmerized with her beauty more.