9. RED TINT

"And when I thought to hold your hands,

Black hands pulled me into its barren lands,"

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A giddy smile made onto its way as she walked on the pathway, clutching tightly her files. Cloth of hijab bouncing, as her dress swaying with her every happy step. Her steps halted seeing the wide board staring back at her with wide and heavy letters.

Clutching the door knob tightly in her fists, she pushed opened the door with a grin plastered onto her face. The receptionist looked up from her desk passing her a welcoming smile. Who wouldn't smile seeing an enchanting smile plastered on her face, with eyes twinkling like stars in a dark night? Only if anyone knew.

"Umm, hi. I am Zohra, I am here to meet Waqas." she said holding onto tightly the edges of the white marble desk.

She read her name on the badge pinned on her white shirt. Laiba.

"You are here, at the right time. He is free, fifth floor to the right." she directed her, typing something on the screen in front of her.

"Thank you, Laiba!" she beamed at her before fleeing away at her destination.

Her steps were quiet but filled with anticipation and giddiness and with a happy heart jumping in her ribcage.

She fastened her steps to her destination and pulled the blurred looking glass door only to be visited by the sight of her husband.

His sleeves were rolled till his elbow and a round circle glass was on the bridge of his nose, as he read the report file again and again. To say she was lost in her day dreams by his sight, was a lie, because she was enchanted by the way her husband looks. Her chest puffed with pride seeing him working hard for their future.

"Surprise!" she sang with a wide smile plastered on her face.

His lips moved upwards, making his white teeth shine like a pearl.

"What a surprise!" He exclaimed closing his file and making his way to her. Gathering her files in his arms, he dragged her to the couch kept in his office.

"How did you know about my office?" He asked with a surprise tone, pulling his glasses off of his face.

"Some research doesn't hurt. Did I disturb you?" She answered with a question, loosening up a bit.

"Never." he answered. Atmosphere changed when she remembered something, and silence fell upon them like a waterfall, pushing them deep inside, by which they felt utterly uncomfortable.

"You know about my case." she didn't ask, she said because she knew her father very well.

Surprise and shock morphed onto his face for a second before he masked it with softness and intertwined their hands.

"You are going to be okay." He assured her.

If he thought he was saying the truth, then he himself was wrong because somewhere in his mind a part screamed 'she cannot be okay'. Shaking his thoughts away, he tried to assure her. But one look at her face and he knew he cannot lie to her.

"You know I have always dreamt of having a normal life. Alas, it is still a dream. I pray to Allah to grant me a normal life but I don't know what's going. Sometimes I think this are my trials or I am been punished for my sins." rubbing her arms she went into a place where her thoughts existed, where she was fighting a battle. A battle for years.

"And what if I tell you, we will work hard together to achieve that dream of yours. You just need to have a trust on Allah. Put your Tawaqqul in Him and you will be guided." he blinked in assurance. His tone comforting soothing her goose bumps, which rose because of her inner turmoil.

She glanced at him with unsureness filled in her eyes. No matter how much she tries to overcome her emotions, her eyes betray her.

"It’s already past twelve want to grab something for lunch?" he changed the topic glancing at the wall clock hanging on the opposite wall, from where they were seating.

On the cue, her stomach grumbled making a tint of red spread on her high cheek bones.

"Let's feed your hungry stomach." saying he dragged her out of his office.

They were going towards the lift when they saw his personal assistant running towards them.

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at them, with wide mischievous grin covering his face.

"Ummhmm, going on a date" his voice rang in their ears.

Zohra laughed softly at his teasing tone, which irritated Waqas to core.

"One more word out of your mouth and I'll make sure to lock you here for the next morning" Waqas grumbled, threatening him, hissing at his teasing tone.

"Com’on loosens up a bit, we both know your hard heart has softened after meeting her." he teased him again mentally preparing himself for his wrath.

Hues of red covered Waqas's neck and ear tips. Seeing this, a gasp escaped from Mirhan's mouth. His eyes popped out wide and he covered his face with his free palm.

"Oh my God!" He exclaimed jumping.

"What did you do to him? I can't believe my eyes!! He is blushing!" he exclaimed to Zohra which made bile of irritation rise in Waqas’s stomach.

"I will make sure the whole office knows this, by the evening." he yelled running of another colleague's desk to print the papers out.

Waqas mentally choked Mirhan because he can't do it in reality, not in front of her, especially. If earlier his face was red because of blushing; now it was red because of anger and rage. But deep down he knew, Mirhan will not harm him. But, he was mischievous and irritating worm.

Seeing his face, a soft but loud laughter erupted from her throat, which made her double over her knees. His face was a sight to see.

"I wish I had a mirror or a camera. Gosh! This sight is worth a shot." she wheezed doubling over her knees.

Elevator door opened with a ping sound. He grumbled swiftly stepping inside of the elevator with her following him with a wide grin and small wheezes she left out every now and then.

"Will you stop?" He murmured pressing the ground floor button.

"Yes." answering him, she went quiet for a minute. Just to end up laughing, again.

"I will make sure to record it next time." she chirped poking his arm with her index finger.

Listening to her, a sigh left from his mouth. But, his lips twitched upwards making him turn his head to another side, as if he is interested in the shining metal wall of the elevator.

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They sat inside the car as he drove to the nearby restaurant, which was fifteen minutes away, a drive. She gazed out of window and a small smile made its way onto her lips.

Her smiles were the reason of bile of concern rising in his guts. It was true, her smiles drives him crazy, but it is also true, that he is terrified from her smile. Because, this is not charming and enchanting, which give away every emotion of happiness. But, it is full of blank, when she blankly smiled, her eyes didn't twinkle. Emotions flew away from it and a blank sheet covered them, which betrayed no emotion.

"Zohra." he called keeping one eye on road and another on her. His fist turned white and knuckles popped out as he tightened his palm over the steering wheel.

"I never want to come out of this." she murmured loud enough for him to hear.

Déjà vú hit him like a truck. These things happened before and he remembers it very well.

"Why?" His hushed tone echoed in the small space around them.

"How do I explain you, where reality tires the life out of me, this thing keeps me alive." she reasoned out with a blank tone. Her facial expressions not wavering a bit. He continued to drive making a mental note to discuss it with his assistant.

"And if I tell you that you are living in a wrong world. What would you do?" He questioned as jumbled thoughts filled his brain making him shoo them away.

"I am not in a wrong a world. I am in a very right world. Where no one is my enemy, where no one treats me bad, where I don't need to care about tomorrow and live like this exist like an eternity."

Her answer made something churn painfully inside his chest. His mind and heart couldn't take it more, so he dropped the subject. He kept quiet until they reached the restaurant. Turning the engine off. He turned to her and rubbed her arms. He couldn't lift his tongue to let out even a single word.

He saw her eyes slowly coming alive. The blankness fading away. A heat explored on her arms and sensing it she turned sideways to see her one and only husband looking at her like nothing exist in the world other than her. Her cheeks tinted red with shyness as a spark of electricity boozed from his finger.

"Don't look at me like that." she murmured making him pull his hand back.

"Like what?" His hushed whisper fell heavy on the silence surrounding them.

Sliver of amusement shone in his eyes seeing her whole face red.

"Like, what Zohra?" The way her name rolled on his tongue made a shiver ran down on her spine in a pleasure way.

"I am hungry." she squeaked seeing him coming closer.

"That's not my answer, but let’s fill up your hungry stomach." saying this he was out of the car like a light.

"What did just happened?" A hushed squeal escaped from her mouth.

She rubbed away the baby hairs out of her face. And dusted the invisible dust from her dress. Seeing him leaning on the car outside waiting for her, her heart pulsated loud enough for her to keep her hand on her chest.

"You will be death of me." murmuring she went with him inside with arms linked.