Zainab's POV

After rolling the iron on the bottom of my new pale yellow long shirt, I placed it back on the stand in a vertical position and held the shirt in my freed hand. While jogging towards the wardrobe, my eyes laid an abrupt glance on the wall clock; it was eleven in the night. I sighed when I cursed myself for not going to sleep already as puffy eyes on a job interview might become a big turn-off for the ones conducting it. But that wasn't the only thing I was worried about. My biggest concern was that asshole Shakir; what if he again came in front of me like before?

Tomorrow would be the first day I would be leaving for outside since the day I came to Shaiq's place. It would be almost one month and I wasn't stepping outside the house because of the two factors; first, because Aunt had banned me from going to University and even for my previous job as I was heartbroken due to Daniyal's death and second, exactly after fifteen days, my second last semester also ended so miraculously, I got an opportunity to stay at home as I got a month break from the university.

That was the reason I didn't know where Shakir was; whether he was alive or dead. I just hoped for the later one though. The fact that he never tried to approach or call me was enough to decipher that he was afraid of getting caught up since he must have got to know that I had shifted to Shaiq's house. This thing also became clear that he just relished making me feel vulnerable when I was alone and he didn't want to take some kind of revenge on me or my brother as he used to claim.

I shook my head to get his thoughts away from my mind. Tomorrow was going to be my big day and I was making my mind anxious by thinking about that filthy man. I opened the wardrobe and hung my pressed shirt on one of its hems. Just when I was about to walk away after closing the almirah, the front door got opened with a cracked sound revealing Shaiq. By the look of his swollen eyes and disheveled hair, I guessed he was tired.

But tired of what?

Me?

How much I wanted to prove myself wrong, it was true. His eyes which were showing ecstatic, bright, and loving emotions a while ago with his family, became dull and stone-like hard when he was with me. He was the previous Shaiq for everyone but me. I just couldn't understand why that minor decision taken by me five years ago, made him so bitter with me. He laid a momentarily glance at me before making his way towards the couch which I think he got to love so much since he arrived back; without saying a word. He took out his phone and with the other one, he started to run his fingers in his sleek black hair. I wondered what world he got in this phone that he never seemed to take his eyes off it.

Suddenly I remembered something; my terrific promise to myself that I would suggest him to take his bed back. But now thinking about this, my lips began to quiver. I was cent percent sure that I would get a cold glance with a five or sixth worded long arrogant sentence as an answer just like I was getting for the past week. I couldn't believe someday I needed to think so much just to start a conversation with this idiot- who now was no longer an idiot. But there was no wrong in trying. Right? At least by doing this, I wouldn't feel guilty like I had been feeling for depriving him of his bed.

I took a few steps ahead and stood near to where he was. I cleared my throat to get his attention, "Shaiq?"

"Speak," a small reply came from his side but his eyes were still fixed on his phone screen.

Wow! This guy surely would be counting words before speaking anything.

I still remembered what happened in the evening when I came to the room to wake him up. He gave me a grim look by his bright black orbs because perhaps I woke him from his beauty sleep and maybe also because I made his important files fall. Though he didn't utter a single word. When I told him his mother was asking for him, he just hummed in the response but what more embarrassing was when I dared to ask him the reason for his sleep at this time since he never slept like this.

An amused smirk arose on his lips as he turned towards me and folded his arms on his chest, "why did you ask?"

I could never understand his timely smirks which most of the time came when I ask something about him.

Man, this was outrageously humiliating to get a question back; a question which itself was so vague.

"Because I thought you might be sick or something like this. Is everything okay?" I again asked, this time while maintaining a smile.

"Stop doing this because it doesn't suit you."

That was his reply and he walked out of the room leaving me confused about that what he actually meant by this. It took me yet another minute to understand that he was still on the same point; that I sent him away because I didn't care for him and most of his answers just revolved around there.

I was sure, I would once again get the more or less same reply from him and I was still perplexed as to how to make him understand that I never meant it that way he had been and was still thinking.

"What is it?"

I came out of my thoughts when Shaiq's voice reached my ears. He was now looking at me with full attention. When he noticed my stare at him, he shrugged his eyebrows in question.

"I was... I wanted to say that you can sleep on the bed."

The narrowed eyes I got from him made me shuddered as to what other meaning he might take from it.

"I mean, I will sleep on the couch. You can use the bed, " I completed with a nervous smile.

"And what made you say that?" He asked while wavering his hands in the air.

"Because Shaiq," I licked my lips in apprehension as his poker face was disturbing the hell out of me, "I know you get back problems while sleeping on a couch. Moreover, it's your room so why should you be uneasy in your place?"

The smirk that crossed his face as soon as I said it made my eyes to go widened in uncertainness. Now I was sure he always smirked whenever I said something related to my natural care for him. Otherwise, in front of me, he never brought out any other expression.

What was that?

Amuse?

Mock?

Fun?

But that was not the first time he was hearing me getting worried for him and also he never made fun of this before as well then what happened to him now?

"And I told you earlier as well Zainab that don't do things like this because it doesn't go well with you," he announced while settling his pillow on the head of the couch.

"Huh?" That was abrupt because I really didn't get what he meant.

"I am fine as it is. You don't have to worry because it will remain just between you and me," his voice got a little low as he bent towards the table in front and grabbed the tv remote, and half laid on the couch.

"Do you think I am faking?" I half yelled at him.

"I never said it," he calmly replied while browsing through the channels.

I glared at him before rushing towards him and stood in front of him, in a way to block the tv from him. It worked as he now looked at me with some irksome expression.

"But you meant that, Shaiq. How...How can you even think like that?" I waved my both hands in the air in frustration.

He didn't say anything instead broke off his stare from me and started examining the damned remote he was tugging in his hand.

Yet again he ignored my question.

"Woah.." I laughed slightly in sarcasm as I shook my head while gazing at him.

"You know me since twenty-five years, Shaiq, twenty-five! I used to be your best friend. You used to say I know you more than yourself and you know me more than myself. So do you think the Zainab who is your childhood friend would fake her worry for you? She would use you for her own gain? Is that what you extract from our years-long friendship? Huh?" I shout at the top of my lungs.

I took long breaths to calm myself down. I never thought I would end up yelling at me. With my little finger, I wiped the corners of my eyes which got wet due to the dense emotions I felt a while ago.

Shaiq sighed before looking back at me- more appropriately frowning at me. His lips pursed up in a thin line as the grip of his hand on the remote increased. I flinched at the sudden banging as he threw the remote harshly on the crystal table. He got up and came near me. Just an inch away from where I was, he stood while tugging both hands in his sweatpants pockets.

"I wanted to ask the same thing from you as well but..." He paused and wavered his index finger in front of my eyes, " but no, now I won't. Let's just get straight to it because I don't want to argue with you every day. That five years were enough for me to forget you; to overcome a selfish and heartless friend like you. There is nothing left between us now except that you are my deceased Aunt's daughter. Even you ended another relation as well because you didn't want to get called my wife. You humiliated my affection, my care, and my love for you so now I just can't look at you in the same light as before."

This was legit the first time post coming back, he had talked to me this much but sadly it wasn't something, I was expecting to hear. Tears started to fill in my eyes but I held them since I didn't want to burst out in front of him. He has just forgotten me. He just overcame me. I was just his Aunt's daughter for him and nothing else. How could he say something like this? He thought I am selfish and heartless. I felt like a huge weight might fell on my heart. Did he indirectly mean that he no longer considered me his friend? How could he even think like this?

I saw as he calmly went back to the couch and sat on it, grabbed the remote again, and started searching through the channels. When he found the thing he wanted to watch which was a cricket match as I could hear the commentary even though my back was toward the tv; he threw the remote on the table again.

"Have you gone nuts? Did..did you get brain surgery in America? Right? Isn't it, Shaiq?" I gestured my index finger towards his head as a forlorn tear made its way from my eye.

He diverted his stare from the tv to me and raised his brow in confusion.

"But no..." I laughed a bit and scratched my nose in haste and strode towards his direction and sat beside him, "you are kidding, aren't you? Now it's enough of your stupid prank, Shaiq. Stop playing with me, you idiot," I mumbled as I hit his arm with my hand.

He smiled back and placed his hand on mine which was resting on his arm. And  I couldn't negate the fact that suddenly I felt adrenaline rush throughout me which set my body on fire. He bent towards my face and with his other hand, he tugged the loose strands of my hair behind my ear. And when his fingers brushed against my temple and upper cheek, an unusual coldness seeped through every pore of mine.

His eyes were digging deeply into mine as he leaned more closer to me, "no I am not. Not at all! Because I want to experience the joy which one gets by being selfish and just thinking about yourself."

With the same smile, he went back to his initial position; maintaining a distance from me. Today was the first time, I saw a different person in him. A rude, arrogant, full of himself, careless, and on top of all heartless guy who was opposed to the one who used to be my best friend.

"You are not doing good by misunderstanding me because I was never selfish," I mumbled in a low voice.

Shaiq opened his mouth and was about to say something when the door knocked. Before I could do something, he went towards it and opened it. I lifted my head a little to find it was Nofil on the other side.

"Oh hi, Bhai!" She wavered her hand in front of Shaiq's face.

"What are you doing here at this hour of the night?" Shaiq asked her.

"Ahh, I came here to...wait, what's with you two?" She questioned back in confusion while looking at both of us.

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Assalam o Alaikum peeps!

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