"Mohabbat vo hai, ki tum agar kahi par baithe hue ho, or kisi ke bare me soch rahe ho, to tum use feel kar pao ki haa vo mere saath hai. Ye mohabbat hoti hai," he said in his calm and soothing, yet deep voice.
(When you're somewhere, lost in that person's thoughts, you'll feel them close to you, as if they are present around you, that's love.)

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Tum ye soch paao, ki haa vo kisi pareshani me hai mera dil keh rha hai, ye mohabbat hoti hai."
(You'll feel it in your heart, that yeah, that person is tensed, or facing some problem. That's what love is.)

"Hmmm," I looked down at my lap.

Does that mean, I'm irrevocably and irresistibly in love with you?

Oh shit.

His voice brought me back to the world, "That's not love when the person starts complaining, you don't give me time, why aren't you talking, where are you busy, etc. First, tell me one thing you asshole-"

His cursing got me cracked up again.

"-if you can't understand the feelings and struggles of a person who is beating his ass up for his career, then how will that be considered as love?"

"Yeah, that's right. They start violating personal space and that's unhealthy for a relationship." I agreed.

Then he gave a few real-life examples, where the girl was supporting his man to go abroad for career purposes, and diligently waited once a week to talk with him, and have a catch up about life. Whereas if another typical clingy girl comes here, she'll say 'what if he forgot me after going abroad?', and doesn't trust his commitment towards her.

"She is insecure," I replied in an instant. "And insecurity doesn't come with a gender."

"Look, all I know is, a boy needs time to set-up everything."

"Yeah and girls don't cooperate because they are stupid, now what should I do?"

He was releasing all his frustration by ranting to me I guess. So I just let him talk and talk.

I'm a good listener afterall.

"Now if the person comes to my father, facing a financial situation and urgently needs some money, whom will the father talk about it in his kids?" he asked.

"The one who is financially independent?" I raised my eyebrow.

In brown families, generally, girls go for the housewife role and not a career. It depends on the mindset of the girl if she wants to do it or not. And sometimes her family doesn't allow her, having a patriarchal mindset.

So he was talking in general.
But I tried to answer in a feminist way as much as possible.
Because I want a career too.

But then again.
He was having some campaign against girls.
So yeah.

"If the father will discuss it with the girl she will just keep on crying. Crying is not a solution to anything. She'll be ranting to her...., what do we call boyfriend in Urdu?" his voice fades in the last sentence as if asking a person beside him.

"Khasam?" a different voice answered in the background.

"Mehboob?" I chuckled while suggesting the word but he didn't listen to me.

"So yeah, ranting up to her khasam-"

I cut him up in between, "Arey khasam husband hota hai bawle." (Khasam means husband idiot)

"Yeah, whatever. Now tell me."

"Yesss she is an idiot!! What it has to do with meee??" I huffed.

"All girls are idiots," he replied in a monotone.

"Achhhhaaa," I pressed the word getting offended. (ohhh reallyyy?)

"There's nothing like love. If you wanna love, then love your wife and pamper her. Sit back, relax, and avoid making fake promises in the name of love before marriage."

"Yep yep," I nodded with a tight smile.

"I mean, what is this promise that 'you won't look a girl apart from me'?"

I laughed. "Then go and grab the neck of those girls who do these stuff. Go and confront Aamir's wife. Why are you huffing over me?"

"Every girl does it. I'm not huffing over you. That's a good thing if you don't do it. But generally, every girl is like this."

Then value me you asshole.
I'm a rare breed.

"Then do one thing, open a YouTube channel, and post your inspirational videos on it. You'll be famous among boys. Everyone will love your videos." I said politely with sarcasm.

"Now tell me what did you understand after this discussion?"

I scoffed, "you're telling me things that I already know."

"You are aware but still you stress about it."

"I don't stress about it. Who told you?"

"I think so."

"That's your mis-conception, what can I do? If I would have been taking stress, I wouldn't be so chill, or idk doing what creepy/clingy stuff, or idk what would have happened to me." I rambled.

"You would have been finished," he said which made me laugh.

I'm a slim girl, and he meant weight loss resulting me in looking like a malnutrition girl.

"I wonder how do you look like now," he mumbled.

I take a deep breath, shaking my head.

"Hmmm?" his voice melts in my ear.

"I'm still the same.......apart from the fact that I got more beautiful than before." I flipped my hair with a smirk as if he can watch me.

"Achha" (oh, really?)
I could hear a smirk in his voice with a low chuckle.

"Haa" (yes) I said with a big grin.

"I'm also the same....apart from the fact got smarter than before," he copied my line but I didn't mind, because I was busy recalling his pics I saw a few weeks back. He has definitely got more breathtaking than before.

I stalked his ID a few weeks back when Jannah sent me those screenshots *skull emoji*

Or maybe I'm blind in love.

"Okay, I'm going home," he spoke after a few seconds.

"Ohkay."

"Yeah. Take care. Khuda hafiz. Remember me in your prayers."

'Yeah. Khuda hafiz."

.
.
.

************

It was weird.
Him...
..calling me
..texting me

It felt like I'm back to those three months, but with a matured version of ourselves, minding our personal space simultaneously.

Everything was so unexpected but familiar.
Or maybe I just couldn't digest it.

But I tried my best to keep in control, with zero expectations. I questioned him and cleared all my doubts, which included his cousin one too.

It was one of the warm afternoons, we were on our terraces as usual, talking about here and there.

"So your family still doesn't know you smoke?" I asked

"Nope."

"Will they beat you up if they found out lol?" I chuckled.

"Not really. But they'll say it may come as a flaw/problem while going through proposals. You know at the time of marriage."

"Proposals? Aren't you shipped with your cousin?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah, my cousins do that sometimes as a joke. My parents also like her. But no official thing has been made yet. And I'll say NO if they brought it up sometime."

"Ohh. Good" I thanked almighty internally.
At least he will stand up for himself now, as compared to before.

At night, his texts like 'hmmm', used to pop up on my screen. At first, I didn't use to respond to his text because I was confused, like wtf should I reply? What did he mean by that?
It took me a while to understand that his hmmm means hello lmao. It's a signal that yea he can talk, he is free now.

His sudden sweetness and approach were scaring me away.

Like what does he want now?

Or did he realize that there's a hope between us and trying to mend things?

This twist in our situation was leading me into overthinking again.

Was I wrong about his feelings and his move on?
Does he still feels for me and was just trying to show a cold shoulder? But melted in the end lol.

Couldn't resist me hah!

Maybe there's a scope between us? A hope left?

Last night he asked for my pictures out of nowhere.

'Come on telegram,' his SMS popped up as I was chatting with Jaylene.

'😕 why?' I texted back.

'I want to see you. Send your pics'

Is he serious?
I sat up straight and texted Jaylene about what just happened.

'He's an idiot,' was all she said, to which I replied, 'I know right'.

The giggling teenager emerged inside me as I quickly went through my gallery, selecting the best and most recent ones, and whatever he missed past these months.

'this one's cute' his text came up making my cheeks red.
It was a pic on the day of Lina's bachelor's party which I couldn't attend.
I was wearing a long-sleeved white sweater, cupping my cheek with my left hand and pouting sadly, with a few flicks on my face as the hair was open.

'Did you got married?' his next text got my attention.
It was the pic mum took of me after I got ready for Lina's wedding day.

'Noo, it's my friend's wedding pic lol,' I replied.

'You look different in this one.'

'I know right? All goldy goldy stuff. Never done that before.'

'All pics are nice. But I liked the one in the white sweater the most. All simple and cute'

'Thankyou❤'
I tried to hide my smile at his compliments but in vain. It's a good thing he can't see me right now.

He went off from telegram and texted through SMS again.

What's him with switching apps?
I will discover this mystery too.

'What about you?' I texted back.

'What about me?'

'your pics 😕'

'I don't want to send my pics'

'Why? That's cheating'

'Because you'll fall in love with me ;) '

His audacity!!!!

'It's nothing like that. And I pray that you don't fall in love with me now, as you've seen my pics.'

He didn't replied after that.

Asshole!

.
.
.

************

'Yo cousin! Terrace?' I texted Zoe while roaming around on the terrace.

'5 mins' she replied.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the hot pink sky with a few lingering rays, that the sun left behind after drowning down behind the buildings.

"What's up?" Zoe's voice rings in my ear, making me turn around and face her.

"The sky is pretty today," I mumbled.

"Yeah."

After 2-3 minutes of our regular talks, she asked me, "How's him?"

"He is....fine. Weird I would say," I mumbled.

My gaze was on our moving feet, as we were roaming around the terrace.

"Tell me something new," she said.

I chuckled at her reply.

"He wants to meet me." I stopped in my tracks, facing her.

"Wasn't he the one who didn't came when you invited?" she raised her eyebrow.

I nodded.

"And now he is asking you out?"

I nodded again.

"Ditch him like he did you last time." She said in a heartbeat.

I laughed, "Well. Not a bad idea tho."

"When?"

"Idk. He asked in this week. Probably on 9th December. He has a wedding here in Delhi, so he may come with his family."

"I see. So, what's your plan?"

"I will need you"

"To help in meeting him?" Her eyebrow raised.

I nodded with my sweetest smile, "Please. My sweetheart," taking her hand in between mine.

"I thought you were ditching him," she eyed me.

"Cmon" I laughed, which made her smile.

"Okay. Don't lose your first kiss tho."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not gonna kiss him, especially on our first meeting. It would be awkward."

"Who said you'll kiss him? What if he made a move?"

I stopped in my tracks. She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think he will do anything that will make me uncomfortable." I muttered.

"The question is, will you be uncomfortable with his close proximity?"

I shrugged and said, "I don't know. I've never met a boy before like this. Hanging out stuff."

"Hmm let's see."

"You'll become the third wheel. Why don't you ask your bunny to come too? It would be a double date."

"Oh please. It won't be a date for me."

"Mmmhhmm?" I eyed her.

"And I'm not calling him," she said crossing her arms.

"Yeah sure. And then two hours later, 'Zoe be like: yaarrrr, I'm missing him. Shall I give him a ring?' " I mimicked her.

"Oh shutup," she laughed embarrassingly.

"Just ask him already. You'll get a company and I'll get to meet him too."

"It's been two days he hasn't texted me."

"Is there a rule written that he'll only text first?"

"By texting I mean responding to my text."

"Which was 'achha' I suppose?"

"A text is a text," she put her hands on her waist tilting her head slightly.

"He must be busy bro!"

She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll ask him. But if he ignored me again, I won't spare you."

"If he had ignored you he wouldn't have given explanation for being busy last time."

"Why are you becoming his lawyer!! Are you on my side or his??" she huffed.

"I stand by justice," I raise my palm.

She rolled her eyes making me chuckle.

.
.

************