chapter 9

Chapter 9MishalHonestly, I was not anticipating this; Nigar aunty calling me in the morning and asking me for a favor. I would have done anything for her, given the love and respect I had for the woman. I’d never said her no for anything. But at that moment, I felt like saying her no for the first time in my life when she asked me to take her son, Daniyal—Daniel—to some printing shop. I wanted to give her other options instead of asking me to do the favor. I wanted to tell her that he should hire an Uber or wait until their car returned home. Being the good girl I was, I could not say her no. Even if it required me to take her son out on a drive. Duh. ‘What’s wrong?’ Amma asked when she saw the morose expression on my face. We both were sitting in the lounge, watching some morning show on TV. ‘Who was on the call?’‘It was Nigar aunty; she asked me for a favor.’Amma creased her brows. ‘What favor? Does she want me to make something for her?’‘No, Amma. I wish she would have asked for that favor.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Stop beating about the bush. Tell me what she asked for?’ ‘Amma, she asked me to take her son to some printing shop in the market.’‘Hain?’ Amma was confused. I nodded. ‘Her car is not at home, and her son has some urgent work.’‘Oh.’ ‘So, I said her yes.’‘Chalo koi baat nahin. Take him. That way, you can spend some time with him or clarify some things with him.’ ‘Amma, what should I clarify with him exactly? Should I tell him that he got kicked out of his stepfamily’s house a few years ago because of me?’ I asked, serious.‘He got kicked out because of Fariya, not you. You had nothing to do with what happened to him.’ I shook my head fervently. ‘No, Amma. Had I not given a false statement against him, he could have stayed here.’ ‘Acha na, just forget about it. Go out with him. Spend some together.’‘I don’t have any interest in spending time with him. I’m just helping him out because of Nigar aunty, and you should know that.’ I stood on my feet and walked outside, grabbing the car keys. I pulled the car out of my garage and parked it right across Nigar aunty’s gate, waiting for him to come out. How would he know I was waiting for him in the car outside? Irritated, I got out of the car, and before I could press the doorbell, he opened the gate and appeared right in front of me, wearing a mask. ‘Hi,’ he said, breathless. ‘Hi,’ I said back in a flat tone. ‘Are we good to go, mate?’ He raised a brow at me. I could not help but notice the cap he had put on that day. He did look good in a polo t-shirt and a pair of denim, and a cap. I nodded and then got back into my car. He followed me and took the passenger seat. As I put the seatbelt on and started the engine, I saw him staring at me out of the corner of my eye. ‘What?’ I asked. ‘Uh, nothing,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Let’s go.’I pulled the car onto the main road and headed towards the main market, down to the printing shop where he wanted to go. ‘So, uh, do ya know where we’re supposed to go?’ he asked as I kept my eyes on the road, my hands firm on the steering wheel. I nodded and did not utter anything. ‘Good on ya.’During the rest of the journey, he did not ask me anything else, sneither had he bothered to initiate a conversation with me. Was my behavior too cold in front of him? Was I really rude towards him? Of course not, I reflected. I was helping him out. It should have been enough for him to understand I had nothing to do with him or the events of the previous night. I killed the engine once we reached the printing shop. ‘Are we at the right spot?’ he asked, turning towards me. ‘Yes. This is the printing shop where you can get your work done.’ I gestured towards the shop with a hand. ‘Cheers.’ He looked at the shop ahead from the windshield and then looked back at me. ‘I’ll be right back.’I nodded. I watched him as he quickly got out of the car and headed toward the shop. As I waited for him to return, I tapped lightly on the steering wheel and looked at the car stereo. I just realized I did not get enough time to fix the car’s stereo system. Rayaan always complained about it because he missed listening to music while I picked him up or dropped him off at school. I made a mental note to visit the mechanic someday and get it fixed. After a few minutes, I saw Daniel departing from the shop and making his way toward my car. I adjusted myself on the seat and started the engine. He got back inside with a file in his hands. ‘Thanks, mate.’‘You’re… you’re welcome,’ I said with a stammer. ‘Are we headin’ back home now?’ he asked, taking off the mask from his face. Why? Did he want to go somewhere else now? Even if he wanted to, I would never take him. Never. In case he asked me for another favor, my mind started to make up some excuse so I could refuse him straightaway. ‘Yes, we are. Why?’ I asked, keeping my eyes on the road and ears on him. I forced myself not to look at him and become awestruck by his adorable face. ‘I was wonderin’ if I could take ya out for a cuppa?’ ‘What?’ I scowled. Was he trying to ask me out? Had I become his next target after Anna?He snickered. ‘Don’t be so surprised. I was just tryin’ to return the favor. Mum asked me to.’I smiled nervously. ‘Oh, right. No, thank you. I’m not interested.’‘No wuckers.’I glared at him. ‘What does that mean?’‘It’s Australian slang. Means no problem at all.’I rolled my eyes. ‘Whatever.’ ‘Okay, so tell me, serious, how do I pay back the favor? How can I help ya?’ He turned his side towards me, crossing his arms against his chest. Why had he become so clingy all of a sudden? Dude, I wasn’t going to reveal your secret to anyone. I wouldn’t tell anyone about your relationship with Anna. Why couldn’t you just trust me and let it go?Shutting my inner voice, I replied. ‘Daniel, you don’t have to return the favor. I helped you because Nigar aunty asked me to. That’s it.’‘That means you would not have helped me out if Mum didn’t ask ya to?‘Of course not. Why would I? I barely know you.’‘Hmm. Not bad, mate.’ He sat straight on the seat, looking out of the window. I ignored him and continued driving, hoping he wouldn’t say anything else now. It would be better if he stayed quiet. An awkward silence ensued. And then, he broke the silence. Of course, he could not help it. ‘Let’s play some music.’ He hit the radio button and tried to switch to some channel. Suddenly, I was enveloped in a feeling of embarrassment. ‘What’s wrong with the stereo? Doesn’t it play?’ He looked at me, confused. My face turned red with embarrassment. ‘Um, no, it stopped working the last night.’ I lied. ‘Holy, dooley? Really? He seemed surprised. Confused, I just nodded at him. ‘No worries, I can get it fixed for you.’‘What? How? Are you some mechanic?’ I asked and then realized perhaps I had gone too far. I should not have blurted that out. What if he became offended? He looked at me with a grin on his face. ‘Well, technically, I’m not, but I know a lot about cars and engines.’‘How?’ I asked. ‘Just pull the car over; I’ll let you know how.’‘What? Here?’ ‘Yep.’‘You know what? I think it’s a bad idea. We can get this checked later.’‘No, we’re goin’ to get it done right here, right now. Please, just pull the car over.’I could not believe I was even considering his request. In the next few seconds, I found myself pulling the car over on a service lane, making sure I did not block anyone’s way.He got out of the car instantly and asked me to step out as well. Surprisingly, I did as I was told and waited for him to fix my stereo with his magic hands. It took him several minutes to figure out the problem and work on it. I stood outside the car, crossing my arms across my chest, and waited for him to get done with it. Bystanders passed by, looking at me with curious eyes.Meanwhile, I got a call from Amma, and when she inquired about my whereabouts, I told her I was on the way. When the call ended, I peeked at Daniel through the car window and saw how he tried to fix the stereo with his bare hands deftly. Looking at him that way brought a smile to my face. I did know it wasn’t his job, and he would fail at it. But I was glad that he offered to help and tried his level best.‘Daniel, it’s okay if it doesn’t get fixed. I’ll take the car to a mechanic tomorrow. Let’s get back home; it’s getting late.’He did not reply and kept doing something with the fires. ‘Listen, I really appreciate your help and all, and I know you tried. Let’s not waste time and get back home.’‘It’s done.’ He announced as he looked at me, smacking his lips together.‘What? Really?’ I was surprised. ‘Yep. Get in and see it for yourself.’ He smiled. Still surprised, I got back into the driver's seat and turned on the radio. He was right. It did start working. I was amazed. ‘Wow. It really works. How did you do it?’ I looked at him in surprise. ‘My Dad’s a mechanic. He runs a car workshop back in Sydney. I got to learn all about cars and mechanics through him.’‘Oh, that’s nice.’He looked into my eyes. ‘I am happy to have helped you.’I stared back at him in awe, silent. ‘At least I got to return the favor.’ He winked at me and then snickered. I could not help but smile at him. After what he did that day for my car, it was impossible to stay angry at him. For a moment, it was easy for me to forget what bad he did the previous night and focus on the good that he did for me today.  DanielIt was the least I could do for Mishal, fixing her car stereo for one. I was pro at handling such minor car issues, thanks to Dad for that. When I was a kid, I used to look for my Dad in his workshop and stare at him for long hours. I used to watch him fix the cars and engines. Between watching him fix the car engines and studying his every move, I learned pretty much about the cars myself. With just one look at the car, I could figure out the underlying problem and tried my level best to fix the issue until I gave up. However, I hardly gave up. I was not the type to give up until I completely failed to apply all the methods I’d learned from my Dad and my own experience. Coming back to my trip with Mishal, I’d realized it wasn’t as dreadful as I thought it would be. In fact, it turned out completely opposite of being dreadful. It was uplifting and, at the same time, pleasant. Spending time with Mishal was refreshing in a different kind of a way. I did not offer her help because she helped me with the printouts. I helped her because I wanted her to see the good side of my personality. I wanted her to forget that poor impression of mine that I’d left on her earlier. I wanted her to see I wasn’t a bad person after all. I had no idea why I was trying to create a good impression on her. All I knew was I had to do this. Irrespective of whatever reason there was behind all of this. I did not want to go down and figure that out yet. I just wanted to spend more time around her. Perhaps it was the humility in her nature that attracted me the most. Despite everything she’d known about me, she was still so patient and down-to-earth towards me. Not all girls were like that. On our way back home, I hit the car stereo and turned to a channel that played English songs. To my luck, “Hey You” was on the air. ‘Oh, sweet.’ I commented, turning up the volume. She passed me an uncomfortable glance. I looked at her side. ‘Uh, this is one of my most favorite songs.’‘What song is it?’ she asked, creasing her brows. ‘It’s from Pink Floyd,’ I told her. ‘Oh, right.’ She nodded, keeping her eyes ahead on the road. ‘My favorite rock band of all times.’‘Okay, good for you, she said. ‘By the way, your car stereo works really fine now.’ I looked at her side and smiled. She stifled a laugh. ‘Just because you fixed it and your favorite song is on the radio?’ ‘Yep. Precisely,’ I grinned. She shook her head and didn’t answer me. We remained quiet for the rest of the journey, listening to the song. I could not even tell whether she liked the song. There was a blank expression on her face. Was she always this serious? By the time the song came to an end, we had reached home. She killed the engine right next to my gate. I heaved a sigh. ‘Well, that was one hell of a trip!’ She looked back at me, pressing her lips together. ‘Thank you for fixing this radio.’‘Well, I won’t accept simple thanks, mate.’She creased her brows lightly. ‘What does that mean?’‘Thank me in a better way.’‘Like how?’ ‘Like, anything, you decide.’She shrugged. ‘I can’t.’‘Think harder and tell me later what you decided.’ I removed the seat belt off my waist and opened the door to get out of the car. Without giving me a response, she got out of the car and walked toward her gate. ‘I’ll be waiting to hear what you decide,’ I told her as I pressed the doorbell of my house.She shook her head and then smiled before she walked inside. ***I headed inside, holding the printouts in my hand, and found Khalid and Hammad sitting in the lounge, watching a football match on the TV screen. On the other end, I saw Mum making something in the kitchen. Ignoring both father and son, I walked towards the kitchen and stood in the doorway. ‘Hey, you’re back?’ Mum asked as soon as she noticed me standing there and continued doing what she was doing. ‘What are ya cookin’? I leaned against the door, looking at her with concern. ‘I’m making chicken lasagna for the fam. Do you like it?’ I did not like how she was tiring herself out in the kitchen. Khalid wanted to prevent her from going out with me, but he didn’t stop her from working in the kitchen. ‘Does Khalid likes it?’ I cross-questioned her. She looked at me, a slight frown on her face. ‘Of course, he does. I mean, who doesn’t like lasagna?’I bit my lower lip. ‘Did he ask you to make lasagna for him?’ She turned towards me, leaving the work midway. ‘What are you implying, Daniyal?’I smacked my lips together and shook my head. ‘Nothin’.’In an attempt to change the subject, she asked. ‘Have you got your printouts?‘Yes, I have.’‘That’s good. Why don’t you go and freshen up yourself, and I can prepare the lasagna meanwhile?’‘Do ya need any help?’ I offered.She grinned. ‘Go, Daniyal.’Sighing, I did what she asked me to do. I went back into my room and put the printouts on the study table. My laptop was still on, so I quickly sat on the chair and typed an email to Kevin. I sent him the email attaching the scanned image of the hand-written questionnaire. I also notified him about the same by sending him a separate WhatsApp message. While doing that, I received a video call invitation from Anna on WhatsApp. I could not ignore her and make her think I was only after her because of sexual attraction. The truth was, I wasn’t after her only for that reason. I was attracted to her because I thought she was pretty, badass, and intelligent. I could not deny that we did have something between us. However, that chemistry only existed online. We had no chemistry in real life. My perception of her completely changed when I met her in person. I did not find myself becoming fascinated by any of the facets of her personality. She was so different than what I thought she would be. Sitting on my bed, I swiped my phone screen to accept the video call invitation and feigned a smile. ‘Hey, mate, how are ya goin’? I asked. ‘I’m great. Where are you lost? Are you ignoring me?’ she questioned abruptly, a little scowl on her face. ‘Uh, no, no, no. I’m not ignorin’ ya. I was just… busy with Mum and work.’‘I see. Hey, why don’t we meet again? Her face lit up. ‘Yep, sure, when?’She tossed her hair back from her shoulders. ‘Actually, I’m off to Karachi to attend a wedding, and I’ll be back in a few days.’‘No wuckers. We can meet when you come back.’‘Are you sure?’ she asked, a guarded expression on her face. ‘Yep.’ I nodded. ‘I’m sure.’‘Okay, well…’ She passed me a flirtatious look. ‘Wanna do something for fun?’ She started playing with her hair. I feigned a yawn because I knew what she was hinting at. ‘Anna, I’m kinda sleepy; let’s chat later?’‘Owww.’ She made a disappointed face. ‘You’re such a mood killer.’‘I’m sorry, but I’m really tired, mate. Laters, kay?’I bid her goodbye by giving her an excuse and ended the video call. Since I could not blatantly ignore her, I decided to gradually start maintaining some distance with her so she wouldn’t think I was just another fucktard. Deep down, I knew I was one, but I couldn’t care less about it.  Sitting right there on my bed, my thoughts whirled back to Mishal and our trip that day. The things I had assumed of Anna, in the beginning, were becoming true for Mishal. She seemed smart, intelligent, and somewhat challenging. I liked the way she was around me. Unbothered. Unapologetic. I liked how she did not give me any special treatment and did not pay me much heed, unlike other girls. I smiled, remembering how she thought I couldn’t fix her car stereo. With her on my mind, I randomly started looking for her on social media. Since I knew her full name, I typed it on Instagram and searched for her account.Several accounts with the same name popped in front of me, making it difficult for me to decide which her account was. However, there was an account that seemed likely to be hers. The girl in the display photo of that account resembled a lot like Mishal. I tapped the display photo to get access to the account, and to my luck, it was her account because she had posted all her photos and videos on it. Had the account not been public, I would not have been able to know whether it was really her. I stalked her Instagram account and skimmed through each post. After stalking her extensively on social media, I found out she had a cooking YouTube channel where she taught her millions of subscribers how to cook by uploading new recipes every week. Her channel became popular so much so that she decided to start her online home-based food business, along with her Mum. Her YouTube channel was inspiring. What she was doing was inspiring. People were in awe of her recipes, and her home-based food business was thriving because there were rarely any negative reviews. I could not help but get inspired by all her work. Besides being pretty and intelligent, she was an entrepreneur. Behind those spectacles, there was a girl who was not afraid to dream bigger. She seemed extremely passionate about what she was doing and aspired to run a successful venture. Highly impressive! ‘Whoah.’ I whispered to myself. She was not an ordinary person. She was extraordinary. I thought career-oriented women only existed in Western countries. This girl had certainly changed my perception. Biting my lip in nervousness, I decided to leave her a note of appreciation. I opened her Instagram account again and tapped the Message button. Hey, mate. How are ya goin’? I just came across your work on social media, and I must say you’re doing an incredible job with your YouTube channel and home-based food business. I wanted to wish you all the best with your future endeavors. May you continue to inspire us. Cheers! Your friendly neighbor who fixed your car stereo, Daniel. I hit the send button and smiled. Meanwhile, Kevin had replied to my WhatsApp message with a thumbs-up emoticon. I sent him the same in response. As I did that, I received a notification from Instagram telling me that I had received a message from Mishal Khan. I did not know she was super active on social media. I opened the message to find this. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you? That’s it? Was that all she got to say to me? Instead of questioning myself, I realized it would be better if I asked her that question.  Daniel: Really? That’s all you got for me? Mishal: What do you mean?Daniel: I mean, I just sent you a note of appreciation comprising of (let me count) 60 words, and all I get is a three-word reply from you? That’s not fair. Mishal: What else do you expect me to say?Daniel: Do ya really wanna go down there? Mishal: Where?Daniel: Where I tell you what I expect you to say to me?Mishal: Yes, of course. Go ahead. I sighed. Was she really that naïve or only pretending to be naïve?  Daniel: Here’s the thing. You helped me get my work done by taking me out in your car. As a gesture of thanks, I offered to fix your car stereo, and I did. Don’t you think now it’s your turn to return the favor? Mishal: Please clarify. Fixing my car was a gesture of gratitude, or you returning the favor?Daniel: How does that matter? It’s the same thing.Mishal: If it was about returning the favor, then I believe we’re done. I helped you, and you helped me back. We’re equals. Daniel: So that means I don’t get anything in return for fixing your car stereo? :(Mishal: Haha. No, you don’t. Daniel: Good on ya, mate. There’s no good in this world. Mishal: Except for God ☺Daniel: Yep, too right!And just after that, she saw my message but did not reply. Grinning to myself, I put my phone on the nightstand and leaned on the headboard. It wasn’t easy to befriend her as I thought it would be. She seemed challenging, and that’s what I liked about her the most. It started to seem like she would give me a tough time, and I was prepared for that. The truth was that challenges never scared me. Attachments did. And as for my experience, attachments had always led me to heartbreaks. Neither I had intentions of becoming attached to someone, nor was I ready to face heartbreak. I had already been through so much despair.Â