Internship was a great opportunity to headstart my career, the possibility of the firm offering me a job depends on my capabilities. At least I got selected in the best firm in the country, that's more than any student can ask for.
Clutching the file of my ideas to my chest, I enter into the office of my ideal, I can't believe I'm looking at the legend himself. Dark eyes, chiseled jawline and tousled hair, he looks way more handsome than in pictures. Salar shah is a brand of its own.
"Good morning Ms. Inaya" his bold, deep voice surrounds the room. I'm getting anxious, shivering Infront of him, who won't be nervous before there ideal and senior.
Sensing my state he offers me to take a seat and continues with his work related queries "I went through your ideas and I must say It's commendable" joy blooms all over me, it's rumoured that impressing Salar Shah is like trying to straighten a dog's tail.
"Thank you so much Sir" I exclaim, basking in all the happiness.
"And I would formally like to offer you to work with us after your graduation"
I sense as if I'm going to faint right here, this is too much to handle. Firstly, my ideal praised me and secondly, I'm offered to work in the best company without any experience.
"But sir I don't have any experience"
"Shah properties prioritizes talent and you have that" simply he put forward their rules. Before we can proceed with our work, the door swings open revealing an extremely cute, chubby boy running towards us while laughing loudly "Baba"
The cold face of Salar Shah swoons instantly upon seeing this little boy. With a wide smile he runs and scoops him in his arms "ji baba ki jaan" Salar kisses his cheeks and plays with him.
Then a gorgeous lady enters the office "there you are naughty boy" she chastises them with a playful glare "you have made him so stubborn Salar, when I refused then he rushed to your room"
Salar chuckles and pecks her forehead "mia anima you know I'm never busy for you both"
I succumb to adoration after looking at such a beautiful family, it seems as if they are teleported from a book.
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, I'm Tanzeela shah" Salar's wife introduces herself "I'm Inaya Hassan the new intern"
"Mia Anima check that file, her work is commendable" Tanzeela grabs the file and flips through the pages with knowledge of grasping everything.
"I must say Inaya your work is literally perfection"
I can die in Peace now, hearing so much praises from my ideals is everything I asked for.
"Hopefully she'd be joining us after her graduation" Salar exclaims still playing with his child.
After sharing a fruitful conversation with them, I leave their firm all overjoyed and ecstatic.
The only thing that my life lacks is a fictional love story, a man like Salar shah however to find a man like Salar you need to be gorgeous like Tanzeela and I'm not it.
Anyways my happiness shouldn't be jinxed by these thoughts it's my day and I'll enjoy it to the fullest.
As I walk down the bustling street, the excitement radiates from everything I see. I twirl around unable to contain my joy, I continue laughing like I've achieved a milestone. Suddenly I trip over a crack in the sidewalk and I'm just about to hit the ground, a strong arm wraps around my waist, pulling me back upright.
"Careful hazel" of course out of all people I had to meet him.
I turn my head and find myself staring into the mischievous eyes of Ayan Ansari. His smirk is as infuriating as ever, his mono-lid light brown eyes shine brightly, his straight but slightly wavy hair covering his forehead. He flashes me his signature boxy smile and removes his hand from my waist.
Again he'll begin annoying me with his lame flirting skills.
"Ayan what are you doing here?" I ask brushing off his hands.
"Just happened to be at right place at the right time" he replies with a wink "you were just dancing around hazel, what happened? You look so happy. Did someone finally tell you that you're the most beautiful girl in this world"
I agree he can be sweet sometimes but still he's a playboy.
"Actually" I reply ignoring his flirtation "I just got an offer from my dream company"
I don't know why I am informing him everything maybe because I can't keep this joy all to myself, I want to shout it to the world.
His eyes wides with genuine excitement "congratulations hazel I'm proud of you" he's still annoying but his reaction is worth recording "how about we celebrate?"
Why would I celebrate with him? I barely know him and how he can be so full of life about every moment. He is the male version of Maha, I so wish to be like them.
"No I'm not celebrating with someone who might end up having a chance on me" I say, trying to stop his efforts.
"This way or that I'll end up having a chance on you hazel" he smirks "but c'mon don't be such a bored soul, let's have some fun and I promise I won't flirt with you"
I sigh, knowing it is futile to argue with him and maybe the idea didn't sound so bad "fine. But just because you won't flirt"
His eyes light up "I just know the perfect place"
He leads me through a maze of streets until we reach an area filled with vibrant colors and cheerful sounds. My eyes widenes as I see a massive indoor bounce house park, complete with trampolines, obstacle courses, and giant inflatable slides.
"You brought me to a trampoline park?" I ask in disbelief
"Trust me I swear if you don't enjoy I'll never show you my face" now this is quite a claim, if I didn't enjoy then pervert, annoying Ayan will be out of my life.
As we venture deeper into the bounce house park, I canât help but be amazed by the sheer scale and variety of the attractions. There are countless sections, each filled with unique challenges and fun activities.
"Alright, Hazel, ready to tackle the obstacle course?" Ayan challenges, pointing to an inflatable labyrinth that twists and turns, complete with tunnels, walls to climb, and slides to navigate. "I'm born ready Ayan" I reply, determination lighting up my hazel eyes.
We start the course together racing through the tunnels on all four. I laugh at Ayan's foot get stuck on a inflatable wall, causing him to faceplant dramatically. "You're losing Mr playboy" I hardly say between my laughter.
We climb up inflatable ladders, our hands and feet slipping comically on the soft surfaces. Reaching the top of a particularly tall slide, Ayan looks down at me. "You're finally falling with me hazel"
"Shut up! You said no flirting idiot"
We slide down together, shrieking with laughter as we hit the bottom and bounce off onto a mat. Without pausing, we continue to the next section, which features a series of bouncing pillars we have to dodge while crossing.
Ayan's athletic is perfect as he leaps from pillar to pillar while I find myself repeatedly knocked off.
"You're like a kid" he lies down holding his stomach after looking at me struggling.
"Let's see who wins the next round"
The next area features a giant pool filled with soft, cushy pillows. We jump in, sinking into the pillows with a satisfying whoosh. Ayan immediately starts a playful pillow fight, tossing the soft cushions at me, and I retaliate with equal vigor.
"This is for flirting with me everytime you get" I declare, hurling a pillow on his face.
Ayan catches it mid-air and lunges at me, knocking me back into the pillows. We tumble together, laughing uncontrollably. This might be childish but being myself publicly without any restrictions is actually enjoyable.
"Okay okay! I lost" Ayan says, holding up his hands in surrender.
"True" I agree, still giggling.
"Well I lost myself to you the day I saw you" I winks and I throw a pillow in his direction "Tum nahi sudhroge"
(You'll never behave)
We crawl out of the pillow pool and make our way to a section with trampolines. Ayan immediately starts bouncing high, attempting flips and spins. I join in, my laughter blending with the sounds of the park.
"Check this out!" Ayan calls, attempting a backflip. He lands it perfectly, beaming with pride. "Not bad," I admit, before attempting my own flip, which ends in a slightly less graceful landing.
"You're really bad at it" Ayan laughs and offers me a hand to help.
We bounce together for a while, enjoying the carefree fun. Next, we discover a giant inflatable slide.
Ayan tilts his hand daring me to race him to the top, I scoff accepting and we scramble up the slippery surface "this is so slippery!" I yell
"Of course that's why it's challenging dumbo" he screams in response.
Reaching the top, we take a moment to catch our breath, the view of the park stretching out below us. Ayan turns to me, his expression softening.
"So having fun?" He asks
"I hate to admit but more than I thought" I have to agree this day turned out to be really enjoyable for me.
"Ready to slide down?" Flashing his boxy smile he holds out his hand
I take it, and together we launch ourselves down the massive slide, the wind whipping through our hair as we whoosh down to the bottom, landing in a heap of laughter and tangled limbs.
As the evening draws on, we find ourselves in a quieter corner of the park, sitting on a soft, inflatable mat and watching other people enjoy the attractions. The twinkling lights above cast a magical glow over the scene.
"Thanks for today Ayan" I say softly "you were not even the last person I expected to be celebrating with" I admit it
"Always expect the unexpected Hazel" he winks
"So how many girlfriends have you brought here?" I ask instantly regretting it as it's a personal question.
"None only you" he laughs while running a hand through his hair.
"What about your internship?" I ask
"Yeah I got selected in a law firm and assisted a lawyer with his case turns out he won after using my points" he responds. Picturing Ayan as a criminal lawyer is quite difficult due to his personality, he seems all sunshine person.
"You and criminal lawyer sounds a great mixture"
"That's what they say expect the unexpected Hazel"
"Letâs do this again sometime," he says, his eyes meeting mine. "Maybe," I reply, squeezing his hand before letting go. "If you behave."
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TRAMPOLINE PARK
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With that, we walk out into the evening, side by side. Reaching my hostel he takes his leave before saying "ok if not my partner then would you be my friend?"
"Keep dreaming Ansari" I giggle and walk upward my hostel room, I'm doubtful that these maybe his tricks to play with me as well but I'm not one of those who are attracted to him, he's just not my type.
I flinch as I open the door, Ayra is perching on the sofa while gripping a broom in her hands and Hoorain takes the floor as her seat.
Is mother Ayra in her form tonight? Which one of us has screwed up? Reading my expressions she says "take a seat next to her"
And I do, I suppose now we're all waiting for Maha and then Ayra will completely be in her mother form.
As I leave the fashion designing firm after another long day at my internship, I feel a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Balancing my internship with my new project has been challenging, but I thrive on the hustle.
The setting sun casts a warm glow over the streets, and I hum a little tune, my steps light and carefree as I head back to my hostel. However, I get the uneasy feeling that someone is following me.
My pulse quickens, and I reach into my bag, wrapping my fingers around the pepper spray I always carry. Without hesitation, I turn around and unleash a cloud of mist at my followerâs face.
"Argh! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Rayan groans in pain.
"It isn't my fault and what are you doing here?" I totally freeze, Rayan will bury me here somewhere after calling me crazy at every mud.
He stumbles back rubbing his eyes furiously, it wasn't truly my fault I was just being defensive "why the hell did you spray at me?"
"Then did you expect me to dance and welcome you if you were an intruder" I laugh at my own joke clearly making him annoyed
"It's for safety" I mumble thinking it might help but of course Rayan thinks opposite from us normal people.
"Someday you'll kill me and still have a legitimate reason for it" he groans, blinking rapidly.
I hand him a tissue, I'm not guilty IÂ was just defensive and what if it actually was a stalker. He snatches the tissue from my hand, still glaring at me "you're literally crazy"
"I'm crazily awesome" I retort flashing him a grin "and why are you here on the road to my hostel? Don't you have better things than to follow me?" I ask with playful voice.
He finally stops rubbing his eyes and looks at me, his expression softening slightly. "I wasnât following you. I was going to my car. Itâs parked near your hostel."
"Makes sense Rhino"
He rolls his eyes at this nickname, I know it annoys him and him being annoyed gives me a joy.
"Maha" he hesitantly utters my name transforming my bravado into something greater "you still need my help in that project?"
Finally, is he going to agree with my proposal? Maybe he went home and guilt etched his guts and the sudden realization that he should've helped a beautiful, young lady struck his brainless skull and he decided to help me.
"Yes!" I exclaim and he covers his ear due to my loud voice but guess what I don't care "oh my god are you agreeing with me? If you are then I've decided such perfect athletic gears for you and lucky that you have a nice face-" Maha express begins without any stop but is resisted by Rhino.
"Chup ho jao!" He squints his eyes and rubs his temple "crazy woman now I'll speak and you'll listen" this time I nod in agreement as the words that his mouth will uncage can or cannot be beneficial for me.
"Date me"
Did he just propose me after shutting me up? My senses are blown away currently, I can't bring myself to fathom his proposal "what?" I yell in disbelief
"Don't get me wrong, not a real one but a fake one"
He thinks me of someone who'll do anything just for fun and adventure however that is technically true but I can't legit date someone.
"No! Now youâre the insane one here."
"Itâs not real," he rushes to explain. "My parents are pressuring me to date someone else. I need you to fake date me so they get off my back. Because you're the only one who isn't interested in me and you're crazy, not my type so"
I burst into laughter. "Oh my god, Rayan! Thatâs hilarious compliment! But seriously, Iâm not fake dating anyone."
Rayan sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Well, you owe me two dares, and Iâm even offering to help with your project." My eyes glitter with hope, but I quickly regain my composure.
"Iâm not dating anyone, Rayan. Fake or otherwise."
Rayan looks frustrated. "Come on, Maha. Itâs just an act. You get your project done, I get my parents off my back. Itâs a win-win."
I shake my head, resolute. "Sorry, Rayan. Canât do it."
In my eagerness to walk away, I accidentally step on his foot. "Oops! Sorry!"
Rayan winces and looks at me with dangerous eyes "GO. Right now"
"But rhi-"
"GO!"
Rayan Khan surely think that I'm planning slow murder for him but it was accidental, I did mean to hurt him in any way.
As I walk up the stairs to my room, I canât help but feel a twinge of regret. But I push it aside. Fake dating Rayan? Thatâs a recipe for disaster, and I have enough on my plate already.
I push open the door to our hostel room, ready to drop my bag and collapse onto my bed. Instead, Iâm greeted by a scene that makes me stop dead in my tracks. Inaya and Hoorain are sitting on the floor, looking like theyâve just been through an intense interrogation. Ayra stands in the middle of the room, wielding a broom like a weapon, her expression a mix of frustration and concern.
"Oh boy, who did the kaand now" I mutter under my breath as Inaya and Hoor pass me a death stare.
Ayra looks up, her eyes narrowing as she spots me. "Maha, thank goodness youâre here. We need to have a serious talk." I raise an eyebrow, dropping my bag on the nearest chair. "Whatâs going on?"
Ayra points the broom dramatically at Hoorain. "I found Hoor with the universityâs bad boy in his house the SADAQA MANSION!"
What? Itna bara scene hogaya aur Maha ko pata nahi? That's ridiculous.
But the thing that's more shocking is that hoorain did the kaand!
(Such big problem occured and Maha doesn't know about it!)
"I knew he had a thing for you, do you love him?" I interrogate dramatically earning Ayra's stare.
Hoorainâs cheeks turn bright red. "Itâs not what it looks like! My ankle was sprained, and he was just helping me. I don't even like him genuinely not as a friend nothing"
I try to stifle a laugh. "Sure, Hoor. The classic âsprained ankleâ excuse."
Ayra sighs and then turns her broom towards Inaya. "And you, Miss Cautious, were seen with Ayan the playboy in front of the hostel."
"I was?" Her eyes widenes in panic "we accidentally met and he took me to a trampoline park I swear, nothing else happened."
I flop onto my bed, still giggling at the chaos. "You know what, girls? Youâre going to love this one. Rayan asked me to fake date him."
The room goes silent for a beat before exploding into chaos.
"WHAT?!" Ayraâs eyes nearly pop out of her head, the broom clattering to the floor. "The football captain, Rayan? The grumpiest guy on campus?"
Inaya looks like sheâs about to faint. "Are you serious, Maha? You and Rayan? Thatâs... unexpected."
Hoorainâs mouth drops open. "Why would he ask you to fake date him?"
I grin, enjoying their reactions. "Apparently, his parents are trying to force him into a relationship, and he thinks this will get them off his back."
Ayra crosses her arms, tapping her foot. "And whatâs in it for you?"
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "He agreed to help me with my project in return. Plus, it could be fun, right?"
Ayra looks like sheâs about to burst. "Fun? Maha, youâre insane! Do you know what youâre getting yourself into? You're not doing it"
Inaya shakes her head, still looking stunned. "I disagree as well, Rayan Khan is so grumpy we don't know his real motives"
Hoorain giggles. "He calls her crazy every time he sees herâ
Ayraâs stern expression softens into a grin. "Exactly we girls don't support this"
I laugh, feeling a surge of affection for my friends. "Don't worry girls I remember our girl's code it's always sisters before misters"
Inaya finally cracks a smile. "Anyways you are crazy"
Hoorain nods enthusiastically. "Yeah honestly"
Ayra sighs dramatically. "Shut up! You were literally having a foot massage by that badboy"
Hoorain's face forms a pout and she joins her hands Infront of Ayra "mujhe maaf kardo Meri maa, I won't see him ever"
(Forgive me, I won't see him ever)
"but it sounds cool no? The badboy falls for this innocent girls, your kids will have your features and his danger damn what a deadly combination" I explain with sheer determination "let's get her work on our neice girls what say?"
"You're really shameless Maha" Hoorain throws a pillow at me and we all burst into laughter.
"Tumhare bachay ka Naam Hum villains kay upar rakhenge Gabbar sikandar. Mogambo sikandar sounds good too"
(We'll name your kids after famous villains, like Gabbar sikandar or mogambo sikandar)
Inaya comments and Hoorain obviously looks traumatized my imagining such names "aur tumhare bachay Jo Chichoray honge? Girls save your daughters her son will definitely play with them" Ayra taunts Hoorain and I can't help but manically laugh.
(And your kids will be pervert)
"Let's just say none of us is having normal kids" I utter holding my stomach.
Isn't it normal between us girls that we romanticize every interaction our best friend has with a boy? Being delusional we end up imagining their wedding and kids. Many people claim that girl friendship is toxic however I believe that if you find your real one's then it's the best form of friendship. Girls can die (I'm indicating Hoor and Inaya) and kill (of course our badass Ayra) for eachother, you just need to find your real ones.
We all burst into laughter again, the room filled with the kind of chaotic energy that only true friends can create. This is going to be one wild ride, but with these girls by my side, I know I can handle anything.
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Hey guys I hope y'all are doing fine and well â¤ï¸âð©¹
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