"It has been very entertaining watching you", Abdullah said with a cocky grin !
Behzad glared at him over lemon malt he was drinking. "And why is that?"
"Well, it was impressive watching you flirt with all the girls you encounter especially the girl who bullied her and then throwing shade just because she was talking to me! Epic!"
"Shut up!"
"I guess you missed the memo that said, she doesn't like to share friends! Definitely not with her bullies." Abdullah said with a wicked grin.
"Oh, and you knew this? How long have you known her, hein?" Behzad snapped.
"Not much! Par she is an open book Behzad! You can see it in her face when she is not liking something. Also, with her picking and dropping me these days, we talk a lot during the car rides. So, I can bet I know a lot. Also don't act surprised just because she has found a friend in me when you have been the one ignoring her."
"Ignoring her? We live in the same house! She is the one who ignores my existence according to her convenience! I saw her last when we went for the shopping, uske bad say I haven't seen her. "
"Because she thinks you abandoned her again after all that Maneeha thing, and you didn't apologize or explain it. You do it Behzad. You don't apologize, you just avoid the person, until they get over your bullshit!"
"Phir say shuru maat ho jaaa"
"No, come on. Tell me did you tell her why you left Pakistan? Or did you apologize to her for not being there when her mother died. Or for your Maneeha fuck up? That bish burned her leg and Mehr had this ugly bruise that Mehr is so conscious about that she'd avoid the topic. Aur app kya kartay hain? Sorry Maneeha? Wow. Which is the first and last time we heard you say sorry to anyone?" he said sarcastically.
Behzad sighed loudly! " I'm not doing this here, okay! Abhi Mustufa aur Umer anay walay hain and I don't you to discuss her infront of them!"
"If this hasn't occurred to you, tu let me tell you, Mustufa and I are now her friends too! Everyone has accepted her in this boy gang! So, we are going to talk about her, you like it or not!"
"You, bring her up! BESTIE my ass! Moo na kholna unke samnay!"
"What the hell! Wanna bet? Let's do it! Mustufa aur Umer ayen gay . I won't say a word. I won't even bring a topic that would lead to her. They'd do it. If you win the bet ...."
Abdullah was cut off by the Mustufa who had just strolled in. " What up minions!" He said as he placed his car keys and the wallet on the table.
"Umar kidhar hai?" Behzad asked.
"Gari park kar rahaa hai. Abbay say gari mang k laya hai ajj. Usi ko sahi tarhan lagany ki khohsih kar raha hai parking me." Mustufa commented as he gestured the waiter to take order from him.
Few minutes into their boy talk that include cars, cigarettes and ways to settle out of Pakistan permanently Umer goes, "Yaa app apni Bestie ko bhi bula lete, Abdullah! Mujhe unsay milnay ka bara he ishteyaq hai." And Abdullah had this audacity to smile at him that Behzad wanted to wipe from his face.
"Haan yaar , usko bhi lay ataa! I really owe it to her for making Dadi agree and all...." Mustufa said agreeing in unison.
"Piyareee bhai, apki Dadi ko mainay manaya tha. How's Dadi and Bhabhi hein?" Behzad said hoping to change the subject but Mustufa wasn't talking hints.
"Balke chalo , ghar he chaltay hain ! We'll play Tekken ! Ajj Thursday hai tu kya hua.... Ajj he gaming night kar lete hain...." Mustufa suggested as he looked at Abdullah.
Behzad wanted to slam his fist and shout, "MAIN GHAR MAIN REHTA HOON. MUJHE SAY POCHO , ABDULLAH KO KYUN DEKH RAHAY HO HAIN!"
" Kisi aur din kar lain gay..... I don't think she is going to be free. She is working on a collection for this designer..." Abdullah commented and Behzad looked at him appalled. She really did tell him alot. She had been very busy working in the garage that she had turned into her 'workshop'. Behzad hadn't seen her for 2 weeks because she was busy. Thats's was what he liked to believe! Too much for 'talking to her'.
He would have thought that she was ignoring him if Alaa, hadn't complained about Mehr skipping the meals and not coming out of that 'wretched shed' . Umer and Mustufa were too adamant and not ready to hear no!
"Bhai text karo apni , Bestie ko ! Pocho unsay k woh free hain? Free hain tu jake pick karloo unhain. We'll wait. Wese bhi she likes Warran's a lot!" Mustufa said impatiently.
"Sabr!", Abdullah replied.
Mehr-un-Nisa didn't know why she replied, "Jeee!" when Bestie had asked her if she was free. She wasn't free at all, she had lots of stuff to do. Would she have said 'Yes', if Behzad had asked her. No! She would have refused him, even if she was free. Because that was how life was going to be now. She was trying to move on and find someone worthy to love and be friends with.
Someone like Bestie, who wasn't a simp. Her feelings for bestie were as platonic as they could get. But that didn't mean she didn't appreciate the man of culture he was. Yes, she'd prefer a guy like him ! Who wasn't a simp like Behzad, who simped for and played the gallant hero to all the girls except her.
I said yes, because I of the sapphire necklace I made! Itna khobsurattt ! Uff, is baat par thori se break tu banti hai ! She told herself as she left her workshop and marched inside to change into something presentable. Bestie had told her that he'd pick her up in 20 minutes and then they'd go to Warran's for the dinner. 20 minutes were enough, she just had to shower the and then change!
Behzad stared at his watch impatiently! Why were they talking an eternity! Abdullah had texted him that he had picked her then where the hell were they?
"Bhai koi bachi he set karwa do?" Umer said.
"Mujhe maat dekho, I am a married man! Yeh tu Behzad ka kaam hai...", Mustufa responded as he flexed his ring finger.
"Jee abhi kara deta hoon....."He responded!
"They are here", Mustufa responded as he saw Mehr and Abdullah enter.
Umer looked around and then gave a low wolf whistle. "This is Abdullah ki bestie?" He asked as he eyed Mehr-un-Nisa wearing a black suit with that maroon shawl draped around her shoulders.
"Haan! Tu tumhain kya laga?", Mustufa asked .
"Well, you guys made her sound like the tomboy or the behan jee types. Somebody who plays ball with you and gets all dirty! Or the one with the glasses bigger than their faces. Not the graceful hottie who is just walked in!"
If Behzad had thought he was angry with his friend a minute ago, then he was furious now.
"I know right! Behzad lives in a heaven! Hoor k sath rehta hai, and he still complains like a brat!"
"Meri setting karwa do! Please! She's a 10, man! !!" Umer begged and Behzad wanted nothing more than to smack that face of his!
"Stay away from her, Umer!" Mustufa commented in his tone so low that it was a near growl. It shocked the air out of Behzad.
"What?"
"Don't! She's off limit! She's not someone to be dallied with! And even if you try you aren't going to achieve something. But that doesn't mean that you are allowed to make a move on her."
Umer arched a brow at him. "You are married. Behzad ko koi masla nai. Tu phir what is the problem?"
"You!" Mustufa replied. Behzad just sat there looking confused as he was. All the dialogues that were supposed to be his were delivered by Mustufa. Yeh kya chal raha hai boss!
Umer chuckled. "I don't think so. I find it interesting how you've spent a large portion of your life hitting on womenâ"
"It's different! She is like a sister to me and Abdullah! So, knock it off"
"Whatever. But you spent a large portion of the life hitting on women who were somebody's sister...."
"Kiski behan ki baat ho rahi hai....", Abdullah asked as he pulled out a chair for Mehr.
"Behzad ki!" Umer replied from the other side of the table, and everyone laughed.
One thing Mehr had learned being in the boy gang was to never ever participate in the conversations, which started or ended on "Baji!" Because that was a forbidden territory. Some days she didn't like how the 'baji' jokes went but she didn't object! It was the boy gang and being part of the boy gang meant that she had to tolerate all the "Oye kya bachi hai", and " Apki Baji" shit! Actually, it was more of her choice to tolerate that. In her mind it was giving them their space. To some it was wrong, but to her she it was acceptance.
Mehr was really enjoying her time. She was glad that she had said yes, when Bestie had asked him if she was up for dinner. All of them boys were discussing their childhood days and Mehr was lost listening to them. Mehr noticed Behzad who was looking at her, as if she had scratched his Audi with a key! Deciding to ignore him, she focused her energies on Umer who had been constantly flirting with her. A small laugh escaped before she could help it.
"Umer, baaz ajao", Mustufa ordered . Mehr was really loving the protectiveness that came from Mustufa and she offered him one of her sweetest smiles.
Mehr stayed silent as she sipped her coke and watched her friends! Technically they weren't her friends, they were Behzad's! But they had adopted Mehr like their own! It was funny how they had started invited her in their boy things. From eating Pakoray with Behzad, bestie and Mustufa in her car barish main sham ko, to the fixing a cute date for Mustufa and his girl, their friendship had developed a lot! Only in a period of 4 months time! Looking at the men seated infront of them, Mehr felt as if she had known them from ages. To the new beginning she didn't know she'd have.
After dinner, they all planned to watch the movie " Jurassic World : Dominion" and Mehr agreed because BESTIE convinced her. She waited patiently as Mustufa went to call his wife to ask her for the movie while Bestie and Umer went to clear the bill, leaving her with Behzad.
"Don't you need to go home, Mehr-un-Nisa" Behzad asked. His eyes firmly on hers.
"Do I?" She asked.
"Its 10:30!" He said. It was the tone that did it. Mehr wasn't used to him being bossy and condescending! Who was he to tell her that she needed to be home? All of the good humor went out the window.
"Tu?" She said firmly as she made herself more comfortable!
"Mehr-un-Nisa!" He said her name again and it was nearly a growl.
She turned her head and looked at him. "Kya masla hai Behzad? If you have a problem tu chalay jao ghar! Bestie says movie dekhnay ja rahay hain. Iske bad! So, I am staying here"
A steam of curse was his immediate response! "What about Ala? Being alone at home and worrying about you?" He asked.
Abdullah came sauntering back over with a huge grin on his face. "Told you! I won!" He said as he settled in his chair.
"Kya jeetay ho bestie?" Mehr asked.
"Kuch nai! Par jeeta hoon. Bestie chai khatam karlo tu chaltay hain! 11 bajay wala show hai." He told her.
"Tickets book kar leen?" Mehr asked .
"Haan who Mustufa kar lay ga!" Abdullah replied.
"Main nai ja raha movie dekhnay." Behzad said as he stood up from his chair, grabbing his wallet and the car keys.
"Ghar ja rahay ho?" Abdullah asked.
"Haan! Kuch logon ki tarhan nai hoon main! Mujhe khayal hai k Alaa ghar par akeli hain!" He said and left.
"Khayal? Sach bolo na! Maneeha ki call arahi hai!" She called out and Abdullah gave her a grin.
Mehr decided that she wasn't going to waste her time, fretting over him! She was having a good time and she was going to have that. She deserved it. Behzad could just go home, or to hell! She didn't care.
Okay, she did care but she had decided that her friendship was bigger than this and him! It takes a lot to love someone and hold on to them despite their bullshit and a lot a lot a lot to let them go! And Mehr was letting him go, because that was how it was meant to be! She couldn't be hurting herself over and over again because he was so toxic to her with his inconsistency!
She was right! Maneeha had been calling him and he had been ignoring her! Like his friends had predicted he had lost interest in her only two weeks later. Driving aimlessly, he thought about what his friends had said about Mehr! And about Mehr, who he thought was busy watching movie.
Behzad stared at his watch. It was 2 already! He better should head home! He had been cruising around for 2 hours wasting petrol! Her Bestie would have probably dropped her home by now like she had told him.
Behzad stepped outside his car, cold wind hitting in his face gave him the reality check. When had his life become, this fucked up! He wondered. He didn't know what he wanted from life right now. What was the deal? Why did he have a problem if she ignored him? He did it all the time. Why could he not just let her be! He knew his friends were only pals to her. Then why did it bother him so much ! Behzad was lost in his thought when he noticed that the lights of the garage were on which were followed by the loud crashing sounds.
How could Mehr be back and working! Movie tu saray do ghantay ki hai. Chor? Ho sakta hai! Mehngai jo itni kar de hai shehbaz sharif nay! But it can be a cat too! So unlike Mehr to leave the garage unlocked!
Deciding to go and check, he walked toward the garage. Mehr would be lucky if her stuff wasn't gone. She should have listened to him when he was telling her to go home. He couldn't wait to tell her "Jab daddy kuch bol rahay hotay hain tu baat sun lete hain".
Behzad changed his mind the minute he set foot inside the garage. All the boxes containing stones and beads were lying on the ground! The expensive stones scattered everywhere. The garage was in utter chaos. Gold and silver wires were bend and her tools messed up! He noticed something in the burner that she used to melt silver.
Behzad bent down and picked up the blue stone. It definitely didn't look like a a cat's doing! This was bad! Really bad! Behzad noticed the destruction and then wondered how Mehr was going to deal with it. Her project! Her exhibition! Cursing, Behzad looked for something that he could use to pull the metal out from that oven thingy that was on.
"YOU!" Mehr shouted and he turned to find Mehr and Abdullah standing in the doorway, looking pale and shocked. Behzad swore.
"It's a mess... I know...." He said as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Behzad watched Mehr as she looked around the chaos for something! Beads and stoned rolled around as she rushed from one shelf to the other. Until she turned to him with fury!
"HOW COULD YOU!" She said, her eyes were shining glistening like those stones.
"Why do you hate me so much!" She wobbled as she shoved him and then punched him!
"Bestie! Usay choro, Bestie!" Abdullah said as he intervened and held her to stop Mehr from punching him.
"Wait a minute?", He began only to have her struggle in arms of Abdullah who refused to let her go.
"Bestie! Shhhh!" Abdullah said as he held hers arms and stopped suddenly realizing that Abdullah was there noticing her meltdown. Looking at Abdullah Mehr broke.
"Bestie, I have an exhibition in two weeks. This was my dream! I....."
"Shshh," he said patting her on her head which would have been funny if not the given circumstances, because Abdullah had to slightly stand on his toes to do that.
"How can he be so low?" She asked.
"Just because I didn't listen to him...HE...." She sobbed pulling herself out from her best friend's arm that was holding her by her shoulders for the support!
Behzad didn't know what hurt him more. Seeing her in the arms of his best friend, or her thinking that he had been the one behind this vandalism.
"Believe whatever the hell you want...." He began and watched her shudder.
"LEAVE!", She shouted.
"Yeh kon hota......", Behzad began.
"Bestie, please... Bolo issay jaae yahan say..." She wobbled.
"Yeh kya bole ..." Behzad began.
" Bestie ask him to leave! I don't want to look at him ever again! He's so toxic! Haar kisi ki help karay ga par meray kaam kharab karay ga. What did I ever do to deserve this?", She said as she wiped her tears and got out of the embrace, she didn't know she was in until now.
"Mehr-un-Nisa...I didn't do this. Why would I?" Behzad's voice softened, this time.
"Because you wanted me home! Because you didn't like that I was hanging out with your FRIENDS!" She told him without looking at him.
"Really? I introduced them to you." He told her.
"And you regret that." She told him without looking at him.
It was true. He regretted introducing them to her! Because she got attached to them more. Because, well... Because he hated sharing her. Even with his friends! He didn't know it until now.
"Mehr-un-Nisa. Meri baat suno! I just got here a few minutes ago. I..."
"OH really! Just leave!" She said as she held her hand up.
Mehr tried to think. But her head was filled with fury.
Behzad watched her as she accessed the damage. He swallowed at the casual dismissal. It stung! He realized. Karma was really a bitch! He remembered the day, Mehr had apologized to Maneeha looking so broken. This was how she would have felt! Actually no, she made him feel like more shit! She didn't trust him. She thought he had done this.
"I'll call the police." He said as he left the shed.
Mehr eyed the broken necklace that she had just completed. It was ruined completely! Her own nippers had been used to destroy it. The sapphires lied on the ground, scattered!
"Bestie", Abdullah said as he picked up her sketchbook that contained the stunning sketches of that necklace she had made.
"How could he? Why?" She asked as she held the sapphires in her hand looking broken!
" I know its messed up" , Abdullah began but she cut him off.
"Oh, this isn't the time to defend your friend Bestie! If you owe him loyalty than you are free to go too! Just go to hell and take him with you!" She shouted.
"Woh kabhi bhi aisa nai karay ga Mehr! You are wrong! He is fucked up with issues but aisa kabhi nai karay ga. Not to you, atleast." Abdullah told him.
"Woh aisa he karay ga! Woh humesha aisa he karta hai! He is always trying to hurt me! Mainay kya kiya hai Bestie? Why? I have always been a good friend to him. He always succeeds in it. Jayen app yahan say! Please." She told him as she gave him the cold look.
"You are repeating the same mistake he made few days back! He was wrong then to ask you to apologize! You are wrong now, to accuse him of this!" Abdullah said.
"Mujhe nai suna! Meri he galti hai! Jao yahan say bestie! I want to be alone." She told him and he left! Gosh! Why do people leave when you ask them to leave you alone! Why don't they stay and listen to your shit! Why don't they wipe your tears?
Anger and frustration didn't let him be. Behzad was roaming in the lawn. It was nearly 4 and soon the sun was going to rise, and everyone was going to be up. She had no right to accuse him. She had no right to make him feel responsible for all that mess! The look she had given him, made him feel guilty as if he had actually done that. With his hands in his pockets, he looked at the garage which still had the lights on.
She really thought he'd done that to her. That he would do that to her. Her? Hell, he wouldn't do that to anyone. That stupid meaningless destruction was not his kind of toxicity. Main kyun apni raat zaya karoon !Jae bahr main! He thought as she marched towards the house and then turned back cursing himself! Why did he care if she was a crying mess right now? It was not his problem! She had insulted him and accused him.
When Behzad opened the door of the shed again, the chaos that he had left her in, was the same. Sitting
in the middle of that was her! Her head in squeezed between her knees as she wept like a baby.
He felt the panic at being confronted with tears.
Without saying a word, he went beside her and sat down on the floor. Gosh it was cold, he hoped that she didn't get sick! Slipping arms around her, he waited for her to tell him to go to hell. Thankfully she didn't. She stiffened but he'd expected worse.
"What are you doing here, jao naa yahan say!" She whimpered.
"Pretend I am not here." He whispered.
"Pretend? You are never there when I need you. I needed a friend when I lost Amma. I needed a friend when my husband instead of helping me recover from the grieve of losing a parent was bullying me. I needed a friend when I came out from the toxic marriage and was restarting my life. You weren't there. I had to suffer all that alone. And then suffer the pain of losing a friend too..." She sobbed.
"Why are you here now?" She asked sobbing.
"Why?" She sobbed.
He stroked her hair. Mehr wanted to crawl into his lap and cry for hours! Her hard work was gone! Woosh!
"I lost everything! I worked so hard for it.", She told him.
"You can do it again! I know you can! You have got the sketches and all that it takes to be amazing" He told her.
"Nai ho pae ga......." She bellowed.
"Ho jae ga..." He whispered back.
"I....Only two weeks are left...." She said with a sniff.
"I believe in you, tiger!" He said as he drew her against his chest.
Hearing him say those words was such a surprise. After losing Mamo she didn't expect anyone to say those words. The words meant the world to her. He didn't know how good it felt. She was broken and had lost hope. But with him sitting there in the middle of chaos and telling he that he believed in her, it felt better. Sometimes, somethings that aren't even miraculously possible to achieve, you accomplish because of this certain someone who told you they believed in you.
"I am not crying!" She said with a sniff as she turned her face into his shirt that smelled so like him! Gosh, how stupid! It was his shirt; it was supposed to smell like him.
"No, you aren't." He said as he extended his arms and took her into an embrace. Mehr leaned despite the protest from her inside that it wasn't right. She placed her head on his shoulder as he held her close to his chest.
Mehr told herself that she was weakened by shock and grief! First, she had allowed Bestie to embrace her, and now him! But the difference was that she wanted to stay in his arms forever. With Bestie, she hadn't felt that. What was wrong with her! She had never allowed any male acquaintance to touch her before! They why were she suddenly allowing herself to have these kinds of liberties?
Mehr told herself that she was just devastated and lost! Emotional! And it was okay to be hugged when one is emotional! She had no one to hug her right now! He was there and he was holding her. So, she relaxed against him and cried. Cried for the love she never had. Cried for the mom she lost at early age. Cried for the father who had abandoned her. Cried for the failed toxic marriage. Cried for the hard work that was gone. Cried! She cried wholeheartedly! When she was finished, she was done. And she felt a lot better! A LOT BETTER!
Mehr sat cushioned against him, with dried tears and swollen eyes! She felt secure. She wasn't going to question it. And with that came the sense of shame! She had been ass*o** to him, but he had come back and held her. He cared!
"I am really sorry, Behzad!" She said softly! Hadn't she apologized already? If she was apologizing because she had chosen her bestie over him, then he was ready to listen. The rest of it didn't matter to him. Only that part and asking Bestie to ask him to leave had gotten to his heart. He was proud of the bigger person he was. He was here, holding her in his arms, reassuring him when she had clearly made her choice and told him to go. He wanted to point that out. Wanted to ask that where was her Bestie when she needed him.
"It's okay, tiger!" He said.
Another nickname! She thought!
"No, I am really sorry! I didn't mean a word I said earlier. I know you'd..." She said looking into his eyes! And then she was lost. His eyes!
"I can't think" She, told him. And he smiled! That dazzling smile of his and she was gone!
He was so close! So close! His lips only an inch away from hers! Too close to ignore! Not too far to taste! It was only going to take a moment to lean and kiss him! How long had it been since she had been kissed? What did it matter, if she leaned forward and touched her mouth with his? Mehr was curious! Really curious!
Behzad wanted to taste her warmness and sweetness! He had known her so long! Soft! She was so soft against him! His stomach knotted. He wanted so much more with her! Not just a stolen kiss. And she deserved more! She deserved more than to be kissed in the garage that was a mess! He wasn't going to sit there and take advantage of her when she was most vulnerable!
"You make me want to be better", He told her as his fingers tugged her hair behind her ear!
Mehr looked at him! He was always mysterious yet bold! His hands were cold on her cheek for a millisecond as he put that strand behind her ear. Cold but not rough! How many times had she wondered what it would feel like to have those hands on her! She had always closed her minds before the answers could corrupt her! But her dreams! Her dreams were something she wasn't able to escape! Behzad Haider was dangerous because he was Behzad Haider who had always attracted and confused her since they had been children!
"You are better, Behzad! Always have been!" She told him.
It was her words that broke the trance! That brought him back to the reality! Better? He was better? What was she smoking? How the hell was he better! He never was! Never will be! If he was good, he would have let her go! Not holding her like he wanted to ravish her! Gosh, did she even know what he was thinking right now! Better, his ass! He wasn't better. Like Abdullah had told him, he was fucked up!
Untangling himself from her, he stood up!
"I am sorry Mehr! The police are going to be here soon! Maybe from the entrance ka CCTV camera we'd know who was behind this." He told her as he dashed out the garage leaving a very confused Mehr behind!
Mehr sat on the cold floor and wondered what the funk was wrong with him. He was the sweetest one second and the other he wasn't! What was his deal! She wanted to know. And she was going to get her answers this time! Enough was enough!
Assalam-Alikum
The picture above is crappy but umm , I just wanted you to know what the pendant looked like and what happens when someone funks up your JEWELRY studio.
Faslay from Coke Studio is perfect!! I cryy!!! QB and Jaffer Zaidi ufffff â¥â¥â¥â¥ ESPECIALLY WHEN QB GOES " Yaad hai mujhe teri haar adaaa ... Muskaratain teriiii" Ufff ufff ufff !!!
Lots of love
Alyna â¥â¥â¥ (Also , I dont like how my friends are simping these days ! Zindagi main kabhi they didn't do project time par and now they are busy with the project subha sham because of this girl !!! UFFFF !!!! )