one touch of nature
makes
the whole world
kin
~
"So, are these lens or is it your natural eye colour?"
Armaan questioned Muntaha out of the blue. The guys who were discussing something related to the weather of Swat and the girls who were listening to Hajra's comments on the recent celebrity wedding stopped and stared at Armaan dumbfounded.
"What?! I was just curious." Armaan said throwing his hands in the air.
Muntaha laughed loudly. It was one of those besakhta hassi she couldn't control. Her laugh was contagious as everyone smiled looking at her and some shook their head at Armaan's stupidity.
"It is my natural eye colour. Who would bother with lens?" Muntaha replied with a hint of smile on her face.
"Well, our Khan Sahab does." Armaan said cheekily, pointing at Faris.
Muntaha looked up and into his stormy grey eyes.
'Oh, I thought they were natural.' Muntaha thought with a little disappointment.
'But why am I disappointed?' She thought surprised at her own disappointment.
"Only contact lenses, that too sometimes because I don't like my reading glasses." Faris explained after he noticed a flash of disappointment in Muntaha's eyes.
"And I am not wearing them now." He added, glaring at Armaan.
Armaan just raised his hands in surrender. He was amused at the way Faris explained himself to Muntaha as he usually didn't care about what others think about him and he never-like never ever- explains himself unless its his father or mother with the infamous 'Khan' glare on the other end.
'Uff! Yeh mohabbat kya kya karwati hai.' Armaan thought with a chuckle.
(Oh! Love makes people do such strange things.)
Muntaha just smiled a little thinking his eyes are actually so beautiful and not because of lenses.
They continued their hike and got mesmerised by the serene beauty surrounding them.
●~●
"Mai thak gayi hu." Muntaha said out loud.
They had completed 6-miles and that was the max Muntaha's body could take. Muntaha was not one of those stick thin girls. She had her share of carbs and she had always been a chubby kid. She had minute to no physical activity and this hike was taking a toll on her.
The other group members turned to look at her and Faris noticed her flushed cheeks and frowning lips.
"Umm.. I think it is not necessary for the whole group to reach together to win. It will be decided by the first person who reaches there. So, you can rest here for a while and then continue the hike." Armaan proposed the idea.
"But it's not safe for a girl to be alone in these woods." Hammad stated the obvious.
"One of us can stay with her here." Armaan said.
"Faris can stay here. I would have stayed with you but I have a bet going on and I have to reach back first." Armaan said first looking at Faris and then Muntaha.
"Okay." Muntaha said in a low voice. She didn't care who stayed and who left as long as she could rest.
Faris looked at Armaan and then just nodded. He could understand that Armaan was trying to play cupid, but he also didn't trust anyone else to keep Muntaha safe. This girl would be his doom, he thought.
"Take care." Hadiya said and gave Muntaha some snacks and a water bottle from her snack bag. Muntaha sat down on a huge stone and drank some water.
Armaan explained the way to Faris and then they continued their hike.
After getting her breath back, Muntaha paid attention to the guy sitting infront of her with a phone in his hand. After the realisation hit her that she was alone with Faris-a guy who mysteriously made her heart beat faster- she started feeling awkward. She didn't know should she start a conversation or stay silent. But the silence was getting awkward now as she became concious about it.
"Umm..how long has it been?" Muntaha asked.
Faris looked up from his phone at Muntaha, a little startled as he was immersed in replying to some official mails from the company.
"Half an hour. You good now?" Faris asked with a little annoyed tone as he wanted to reach back as soon as possible.
Muntaha didn't like the tone he was using and her temper rose a bit.
'Samjhta kya hai khud ko. Aya bara shehzada, hmph!'
(What does he think of himself. Some prince he is, hmph!)
"Yeah." Muntaha replied in the same tone. Faris was a bit surprised by the change in her tone.
'Armaan se tou ese pyaar se baat krti hai, maine konsa iska chooza mara hai.' Faris thought grumpily. He once-when they were kids-killed Aiman's chick and till date she curses him for that. Girls and their emotional-selves.
(She talks to Armaan so sweetly, and treats me as if I had killed her pet.)
"Chalain?" Faris asked in lighter tone as he didn't want to scare the girl away.
"Jee." Muntaha tucked the tendrils of hair that escaped her braid and started collecting the things she took out.
(Shall we leave?)
(Yeah.)
●~●
"Armaan, we are supposed to go this way." Faisal stopped Armaan who was marching ahead.
"Nai tou. The map says we are supposed to turn... What? But I thought its left." Armaan said worriedly.
"Lets go this way." Hammad said taking the right path.
"But I told Faris to take a left from here." Armaan said wiping the sweat of his forhead by the hem of his T-shirt and showing off his toned stomach and midriff. Amna was used to his brother's shamelessness but Hadiya's cheeks burned red.
"They would see the sign. Now come on. I don't want to lose." Hammad said and they started to hike again.
●~●
"Where are we?" Muntaha finally asked as they have been wandering for quite a while and the sun was starting to set.
"I think...uh-I think we are lost." Faris said with an unsure voice.
"Wow! What a great discovery." Muntaha said in a sarcastic tone. Faris just glared at her but didn't say anything since he didn't want to argue at the moment. They were lost and night was descending upon them.
Muntaha took her cellphone out to call Hadiya but there was no service.
"There are no signals." Muntaha said frustratedly.
"No shit, Sherlock." Faris mumbled. Muntaha was getting angry and worried by the passing moments.
"I think we should keep walking. Kahin na kahin to pohanch jayain ge." Faris said, rubbing a finger over his eyebrow.
(Atleast, we'd reach somewhere.)
His hand movement made Muntaha notice the perfectly arched shape of his eyebrows. He didn't have a bush of eyebrows but they weren't feminine either. And Muntaha knew they were naturally like that and he wouldn't really have plucked them by his outburst about the lens comment. She didn't mind men plucking their brows but natural beauty is always more appealing.
Faris, oblivious to Muntaha's stare, looked around them trying to locate a pathway.
"Let's go this way." Faris said pointing in the west direction.
"Huh?" Muntaha came out of her daze and aaked dumbfounded.
Faris just shook his head at her careless antics and said, "Chalo."
(Let's go.)
Faris walked ahead of Muntaha in the declining pathway. The sound of Azaan started resonating in the beautiful mountains indicating its maghrib. Usually, Azaan made a peaceful feeling wash over Faris but today it increased his worry. He didn't know where he was-he hated not being in control of situations- and on top of that he had a girl with him who he had to take care of. He was taught to respect women and now he had the responsibilty of a woman's protection on his shoulders.
He turned a little and looked over her. She was covering her head properly with her dupatta, looking angelic with the drowning sun shining in her eyes.
Muntaha was thankful she had changed into a light pink kurta with some embroidery near the border and around the hem of the bell-sleeves with a pair of thick white leggings and white dupatta when they finally reached swat and Hadiya spilled some coke on her because people around here-the residents-were quite conservative. But she was mentally kicking herself for not bringing a shawl along as Hadiya advised her to since it was getting really cold and Muntaha was just wearing a warmer underneath the kurta.
Muntaha looked up, sensing a gaze on her. She knew Faris was getting really worried as the frown he was supporting and the worry lines on his forhead gave it away.
"Hopefully there are some people down there who can help us get back to our tour-site." Faris said, more to himself, and Muntaha just gave him an unsure nod since she didn't have much energy left in her. Their 8-mile hike turned into a many-mile hike, they were out of food and water and to top all of that, she needed to pee.
'What a great timing you have, dear bladder.' Muntaha thought sarcastically.
"You okay?" Faris asked noticing her frown.
"Um...yeah. You?" Muntaha also asked -since she was feeling bad for him-to which he just nodded. He gave her the maximum portion of the measely snacks they had in the name of food and most of the water was also consumed by her.
'Shouldn't have had that much water.' She thought.
When they reached the end of the declining pathway, they started walking on a dirt pathway. Faris noticed a smoke line coming most probably from a fire and he hoped that they'd find some people who could help them.
"Hey! Looks like there are some people." Muntaha said. Hopefully, they have a clean bathroom she could use.
"Yeah. C'mon."
And they both started walking towards their doom.
Author's Note
Point out mistakes if you notice them. And be ready for a surprise in the next chapter. *wink wink*
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