by Sara Naveed
When Zarish looked at him from the corner of her eye, she saw him looking at her intently. She blushed.
‘I can smell something heavenly. What’s for dinner?’ Muraad asked.
‘I have made tacos. Want to eat?’
‘Let’s all eat together,’ Muraad declared.
Ahmar put a plate full of tacos and salad on the table.
‘My son is a great cook,’ Muraad said proudly.
‘Yes, he is. The tacos are delicious,’ Zarish said, looking into Ahmar’s eyes. He raised his head to look at her. She looked down at her plate, smiling.
‘How will you go home, Zarish?’ Muraad asked.
‘I have my car,’ she answered.
‘Don’t you think it’s late for you to go home alone?’
‘I will be fine, Sir.’
‘I think it’s too late for you to go alone. Ahmar, I want you to take your car and follow her till she safely reaches her house.’
Ahmar nodded, looking at Zarish.
‘I don’t want to trouble Sir Ahmar. He’s not well, and I don’t think he should drive,’ she interjected.
Muraad and Ahmar exchanged a glance.
‘I will be fine,’ she said.
After bidding Muraad goodbye, she walked towards the main door. Ahmar followed her.
‘Thanks for the delicious meal. The tacos were amazing.’
‘My pleasure. I wish I could drop you home,’ he said.
‘It’s okay. I can drive myself. You need to take care of yourself.’
‘I will,’ he said and folded his arms.
‘When will I see you again?’ she asked.
‘At the university, of course.’
‘Yeah, but when?’
‘Soon.’
‘I’ll wait.’
‘Take care, and inform me when you reach home. All right?’ he ordered.
‘Will do. I will text you or would an email be better?’ she asked teasingly.
‘Anything you like, Miss Zarish.’ He chuckled softly.
When she returned home, her family members were sitting at the dining table.
‘Hey everyone,’ Zarish said.
‘Welcome home. Come and have dinner with us,’ Zia said.
‘Dad, I’m full. I had dinner with friends. You guys carry on. I’m going to bed.’
‘It’s too early to go to bed, Zarish,’ Zahaan interrupted.
‘I’m tired. See you guys tomorrow!’ She rushed upstairs.
Zia and Zarina exchanged a quick glance.
‘She’s always with her friends, isn’t she?’ Zahaan said, stuffing his mouth with spaghetti.
‘She loves socializing, and yes there is a limit to everything. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing,’ Zarina responded.
‘It’s not about good or bad, Mom. She is always avoiding her family and hanging out with her so-called friends.’
‘This is the only time she has. Let her enjoy. Let her live her life, son,’ Zia said. ‘Her life will take a 360-degree turn after she gets married.’
‘Should we talk to Haroon’s parents?’ Zarina inquired.
‘Looks like we have to now,’ he said.
Ahmar was watching a baseball match on the flat screen when a message popped up on his cell phone. It was from Zarish.
I have reached home safely. Take care of yourself.
Ahmar could not hide his smile. He replied instantly:
I will be fine. Don’t worry about me. Have a good night. ☺
Muraad, seated beside him, saw the smile on his son’s face.
‘Ahem.’ Muraad cleared his throat to catch his son’s attention. Ahmar turned to look at his father.
‘I really, really like this girl,’ Muraad said.
‘Which girl?’ Ahmar asked, flipping through TV channels.
‘You know who I am talking about. Don’t act innocent.’ Muraad turned towards him.
Ahmar looked at him and then lowered his gaze.
‘What is cooking between the two of you?’ Muraad asked teasingly.
‘Dad! Are you kidding me?’ Though Ahmar tried to sound surprised in front of his father, he knew deep down that it was not really a surprise for him. He had started liking Zarish and in spite of trying hard to stay away from her, he had failed. It was not easy to ignore her.
‘Don’t act innocent in front of me. I am your father and you cannot fool me.’
Ahmar’s lips stretched into a shy smile.
‘Hey . . . there you go. Now tell me what is going on between you and her?’ he asked, patting him on his shoulder.
‘I don’t know, Dad.’ He folded his arms. ‘There’s nothing more than friendship. I guess she’s better off as my student.’
‘Why are you saying that?’
Ahmar shrugged.
‘I don’t believe it’s just friendship. She seems to be very fond of you.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ahmar asked.
‘The way she barged into my office and asked about you; the worried expression on her face. I mean, no one else has really taken that sort of interest in you. At least not in front of me. And then how she looked at you at the dining table. A student would never look at her professor like that unless she has feelings for him. Do you understand what I am trying to say? She really likes you.’ Muraad took a deep breath.
‘Are you sleepy?’ Ahmar said, trying to change the subject.
‘Won’t you say anything about this?’
‘I really don’t know how to respond, Dad,’ he said nervously.
‘Do you feel the same for her?’
‘I am not sure of her feelings.’ Ahmar sighed.
‘Are you dumb? This girl is madly in love with you. Her eyes say everything.’
‘But . . .’ Ahmar’s voice trailed off.
‘What do you feel about her?’
Ahmar looked into his father’s eyes.
‘Son, I am asking you something.’
Ahmar remained quiet and lowered his gaze.
‘I think there can’t be a better girl for you. She loves you selflessly,’ Muraad said finally.
‘And why do you say that?’
‘I have seen how she looks at you. Your mother used to look at me like that.’
Ahmar nodded.
‘Give yourself some time and think about it.’
‘It is difficult, Dad. Nobody is going to accept our relationship. She’s my student and everybody knows that.’
‘That means you’ve already thought this through. Haven’t you?’
Ahmar remained quiet. His father knew how he felt.
Zarish thought of Ahmar as she undressed in front of the mirror. She reminisced about the moments she spent with him that afternoon. She remembered how she ran into his arms and how he held her firmly. The memory seemed so fresh, so real, like it was happening all over again.
‘Do you really hate me, Miss Zarish?’ he had asked her.
She remembered how he looked at her; his eyes full of love.
Her body shivered when she remembered his blazing stare. Standing half-naked in front of the mirror, she observed herself closely.
She hugged herself firmly and shut her eyes so that she could feel him around. It was dark in her room; only a dim light glowed in the corner. When she opened her eyes, she found him standing behind her. She knew she was hallucinating. He looked at her reflection admiringly. She lowered her gaze and smiled. He untied her hair and let it hang loose over her neck and shoulders. He then moved it to one side and brought his lips closer to her nape. She felt a chill run down her spine as he pressed his lips against her neck and slowly put his arms around her waist.
Zarish turned around to face him. She looked at him with love and his eyes returned the stare with equal passion.
Her breath was becoming uneven now. She couldn’t hold herself any longer and hugged him tightly.
‘I don’t want to let you go. Not now. Not ever. I love you, Ahmar.’
It was around 5 a.m. when she slowly opened her
eyes and checked the time on her bedside clock. Zarish wrapped the quilt tightly around her body. She felt a sudden chill and realized that her limbs were stiff and ached badly.
She noticed that she was still almost naked and had slept like that. She pulled the quilt closer to her body. She felt queasy, and her head throbbed with pain. Though it was not very cold, she shivered.
‘Damn,’ she whispered to herself.
Still wrapped in the quilt, she slowly put one leg on the floor.
She felt unsteady, but held on to the bedside table. She picked up her clothes from the floor and quickly put them on.
Later, she joined Zahaan and her mother at the dining table for breakfast.
‘How are you, beta?’ Zarina asked her.
‘I think I have a fever,’ she answered in a nonchalant way.
Zarina placed her hand on her forehead to check her body temperature.
‘You’re quite warm. Do you want me to call the doctor?’
‘I don’t think I need to see him. I’ll be fine.’
‘You’d better call the doctor, Mom. Don’t listen to her,’ Zahaan said, eating his toast.
‘No. I’m fine. Don’t worry,’ Zarish told him.
‘Your dad and I are going to Karachi this weekend,’ her mother said.
‘Why?’ she asked, chewing her breakfast.
‘We’re going to meet your aunt as she’s not well. Your dad also has a business meeting in Karachi.’
‘When are you leaving?’
‘We’ll be leaving on Friday, day after tomorrow.’
‘That’s great. Zahaan and I will have the whole house to ourselves. Cool.’ She winked at her brother.
‘Will you be able to manage on your own?’ Zarina asked them.
‘Don’t worry about us.’ Zarish squeezed her mother’s hand.
‘Okay, honey. Do you need any medicine? I’m worried about your health.’
‘Mom, I said I’m fine,’ she reassured her and checked her cell phone. There were five missed calls: two from Saleha and three from Ahmar. Her inbox was flooded with messages. She choked on a piece of bread after reading Ahmar’s message.
‘What happened?’ Zarina asked.
‘Uh nothing,’ she replied. Her heart raced as she opened his message.
Are you at the university? I need to talk to you.
‘Damn. I’m late.’ She checked the time; it was 11.30 a.m.
‘What’s wrong?’ Zarina inquired.
‘I’m late for my class. I better leave,’ she said and rushed upstairs to get ready.
‘Skip your classes today. You are not well,’ Zarina called after her, but it was too late.
‘She never listens to anybody,’ Zahaan said, shaking his head.
‘Zahaan, make sure you look after her while we’re away,’ Zarina said.
‘She is not a kid, Mom. She doesn’t need any protection.’
‘For us she is. You’d better keep an eye on her. I don’t want her to stay out late with her friends.’
‘And what if she’s with Haroon?’ Zahaan raised a brow.
‘Not even with him.’
Zahaan nodded.
‘You can let her go out with Haroon,’ Zia said as he sat down at the dining table.
‘But Zia Sahib . . .’ Zarina protested.
‘It’s okay, Zarina.’ Zia cut her in the middle of the sentence. ‘You should learn to trust Haroon.’
‘What does he want to talk about? Damn . . . I am shivering. Why did he come to the university if he is still not properly healed from the accident? His arm is injured and he needs rest,’ Zarish thought.
Zarish wanted to tell him but he was acting immature and stubborn.
‘I feel like I am his teacher and he my naughty student. Naughty but handsome. Yes, I love him and he is mine,’ she thought.
She asked the chauffeur to drive her to the university. Ahmar dominated her thoughts on the way.
‘He had never sent a text message like this one earlier. Had he read my eyes? Does he know what I feel for him? Is this the result of what happened yesterday?’ Zarish thought and blushed at the memory of his embrace.
She wondered if Ahmar would be able to read her mind. She felt embarrassed to face him but resolved to keep a poker face.
Zarish decided to surprise Ahmar in his office so she did not reply to his messages.
Once at the university, Zarish walked swiftly towards Ahmar’s cabin but saw through the glass door that he was not at his seat. She asked a peon about Ahmar’s whereabouts who replied that he was delivering a lecture to a class and would be teaching her batch next.
She felt uncomfortable while entering Ahmar’s class that day. He was busy trying to attach his laptop to the projector when a group of concerned students crowded around him, asking about the accident. Ahmar assured the students that he had recovered from it. Some of the girls in the class, including Maha, Zoya and Fariha, had brought bouquets of flowers and get-well-soon cards for him. Ahmar accepted the gifts and thanked each of them.
Zarish felt pangs of both jealousy and guilt. The jealousy came from seeing him engage with the other girls and guilt because she had not thought of bringing him a gift or even a card on his safe return to the university.
‘What is the difference between me and the rest of them?’ Zarish thought. She had to exceed whatever they did; she would welcome him in a special way.
‘Thank you for the lovely flowers once again,’ Ahmar told the class from where he stood near the lectern.
The whole class cheered for their teacher. Ahmar’s eyes travelled around the class, noticed Zarish and smiled at her. Zarish smiled back at him.
Once the students had taken their seats, Ahmar greeted them.
‘Good afternoon everybody,’ he said.
Zarish was busy thinking how handsome he was. His arm was still in plaster and whenever Zarish’s eyes stole over it, her body cringed. Saleha poked her elbow slightly to tease her but Zarish ignored it. Her eyes were transfixed on Ahmar.
‘I am really sorry that my injury has taken a toll on the course. I promise that I will try to cover anything that has been missed out from the syllabus,’ he said.
The class returned to normality and Ahmar began his lecture on ‘projected cash flows’. He made the boring topic interesting enough so that the students understood it. He also conducted a short surprise quiz to assess their to-date performance.
Zarish suddenly realized that Haroon was missing.
‘Where’s Haroon?’ she turned back to Sherry and asked.
‘He’s your friend. You should know,’ Sherry retorted with a sarcastic grin.
Zarish made a face at him.
While attempting the quiz, Zarish was distracted and intermittently kept stealing glances at Ahmar. From the corner of her eye, she could understand that his eyes were fixed on her. Whenever she looked in his direction, he shifted his eyes abruptly in another direction.
After playing this game for a while, there was a singular moment when their eyes locked at the same time. She blushed and looked away. Ahmar did not shift his gaze. With his elbows on the lectern, he was leaning forward to rest his chin on his upturned palms. He stood in this position, staring at her.
This distracted Zarish and she could not focus on the quiz.
She quickly circled the answers that seemed the most appropriate. When she lifted her head from the test, she found that Ahmar was still staring at her in the same posture. She swallowed and looked down again. She fished out her cell phone from her handbag and typed a message for him.
Stop staring at me or I will fail this quiz.
Zarish sent the message and looked up at his face to try and read his reaction to the message. His cell phone buzzed in his trousers and he took it out.
Ahmar read her message and smiled. Zarish smiled too.
‘So, this is how he reacts when he reads my messages,’ she thought. He quickly typed a reply. The text message from Ahmar lit up her phone’s screen.
You’d better not fail in my quiz. Good luck.
P.S. Do not leave without meeting me. I need to talk to you.
With a surprised expression, Zarish raised her head to look at him. Finally, he was looking away, at the papers before him. This was the first time that he had said that he wanted to talk to her about something. It had usually been the other way around. She replied:
I’ll see you in your office after this session. Are you angry with me?
Ahmar did not respond to the question, which she thought meant that he was annoyed with her. A tense Zarish bit her lower lip.
Again, they shared quick glances and she was just about to read his expression when Fariha exclaimed that she’d finished the quiz.
Zarish also went up to surrender her answer sheet and took her time in placing the paper on the lectern. She was about to say something to Ahmar but Fariha interrupted.
‘Sir,’ Fariha said.
The interruption made Zarish flinch in irritation.
Ahmar looked up at Fariha.
‘May I have your phone number please?’ Fariha requested. ‘In case I have trouble with a question, I can consult you.’
Zarish overheard the exchange and it angered her. She turned to look at Ahmar, waiting to hear his response to Fariha’s request. Ahmar wanted to avoid responding in front of Zarish because he could understand that it would upset her, but he could not break the classroom norms.
‘Yes, sure. You can find my phone number on the back of your course,’ he replied, glancing sideways at Zarish, who returned a cold stare.
‘But Sir, I think that number is not valid,’ Fariha complained.
‘No, it is,’ he said abruptly, looking back at Fariha. ‘You can keep my card in case that phone number doesn’t work.’
Zarish stared at him with fuming eyes when he handed over his visiting card to Fariha.
‘Is it okay if I call or send you a text at any time?’ Fariha asked, hesitatingly.
‘Anytime?’ he asked with a brow raised in question and stole another sideways glance at Zarish. Zarish squinted her eyes at him with an expression of incredulity.
‘Yes,’ Fariha said.
‘Sure, but I will only reply when I am free,’ Ahmar responded.