10. NICE SHIRT

"Your visit is like summer air,

When I find you standing right there,"

__

She smiled when he ordered for them the same dish. It was quiet in the restaurant only with two tables filled. One with youngsters, who were loud. But, their table was far away from them, so it was a plus point for silence to surround them. And on another table sat an old couple. The old woman was adorned in blue floral dress, and blue accessories, her spine curved because of her old age and weight of life. Her husband wore the same blue shade's three piece suit with a beautiful bow standing proud in the middle of the collar.

They were chatting with a blissful silence surrounding them. Zohra was fascinated seeing that old couple still in love.

She noticed their interaction with a small smile playing on her lips. The old man's wrinkled hands shook as they exchanged gifts to each other. She saw woman blushing, as she took out her favorite book from the gift box.

"Awe." she murmured totally ignoring Waqas, whose eyes never left her face.

"What are you looking at?" He asked taking a sip of water from his glass.

"That old couple." she answered pointing at them with her chin.

"They are adorable" he remarked looking at them watching them interact silently.

"You tell me. What do you like?" Turning to him, she focused her whole attention to him. Making him stir in his place.

"I like anything and I don't like anything." answering, he thanked the waiter as he served them their dishes. Waqas saw the waiter passing a neatly folded napkin to her. His insides burned seeing someone hitting on her. But, the next minute his eyes lit amusement in it. When he saw her wiping her mouth with same napkin and crumbling it to the point, where it formed a ball.

"Mhhmm, that's not my answer. Tell me which books you like. As I know that you have read a lot of books like me. Because, we are quiet the readers. What do you say, should we make a readers community? That would be wonderful, right?" She rambled filling her own plate with butter chicken and naan.

"Hnmm, that's totally right. And I like every book and I don't like any book. Because, I like the way it held so much power to describes secret which people hide till their death. But this is the same thing which I don't like, as they easily tell people about characters, which relates us." he answered and took his bite. His head nodding at the words he said.

Narrowing his eyes he continued to eat as she acknowledged his words with a nod.

"You are totally correct. I agree. But there is something I don't understand, but still I understand".

Her accessory clanked with plates as they talked. He nodded for her to continue as his mouth was full.

"When Authors write, who do they describe: themselves, the characters or the readers? But, characters cannot be the characters because in every book the main character is a Writer slash Author. Because they went through it before they wrote it." she finished wiping her mouth with napkin and dropped her tissue beside her plate.

"Shukra-Alhamdulillah." murmuring a quiet prayer she drank the water while seeing the old couple celebrate their anniversary with staff of restaurant surrounding them.

Waqas narrowed his eyes on her words. Her every word settling in the dip of his stomach creating a havoc.

"Is everything fine?" He asked seeing her lost while watching them celebrates.

"Yes".

She said without looking at him. But, her eyes met with him when she turned to blink her eyes in assurance only to be met with worry on his face. Her gaze softened and she patted his fist kept on table with assurance.

She calmed him. But he saw a hurricane brewing in her eyes.

"You want to meet them?" he diverted the topic as it suffocated him.

"Yeah, but we don't have any gifts." she reasoned making him stand and walk to the counter. He talked with the cashier and she smiled him a flirty smile. Seeing this, her insides flared with jealousy.

She neared them to hear the cashier say "Nice shirt".

"Oh, how much pleasure it will be to choke her with the same 'nice shirt'" she murmured but it was too low for them to be heard. He skillfully ignored the cashier and took the donut box in his hand with two copies of 'And The Mountains Echoed'.

Pressing her palm on his forearm she asked "They sell books too, here?"

"Yeah, they have a bookstore on the third floor."

"When we come here next time. We are going on third floor." she demanded making him nod his head at her words.

They turned but before turning she passed the cashier a glare full of first and last warning, making her step back from the counter. Waqas saw this but stayed quiet. She was angry on him too. As he said nothing to her.

They walked towards the couple and wished them.

"Thank you sweetheart." chirped the old woman with a caress on Zohra's head.

"Yes, thank you very much gentleman it means a lot to us." the old man showed gratitude by standing up and taking him in a hug.

Waqas was taken aback by the hug, he didn't expect that.

"No worries, you both deserve it." Zohra answered for him, as he froze there. Zohra made mental note to annoy him, by reminding this.

Departing themselves with a good-bye they made their way towards the car.

A scowl took a place on her gentle features as she sat on the passenger seat.

"What happened?" He asked noticing her sour mood.

"Nice shirt." she mimicked the cashier making him sigh.

"If I answered her would you do the same thing?" he asked with his gentle tone.

"I would have strangled you, if you even answered her on this." she screeched turning to him.

"There, there. You didn't want me to answer and you are still not happy because I didn't answer. Tell me what I should have done." he asked as amusement shone in his eyes and his voice didn't even sound a bit of regret.

"You could have said stop hitting on me. I have a beautiful wife, who cares for me." she mimicked his gruff voice.

A throaty chuckle escaped from his mouth making her pin him with a fierce glare. But, his throaty voice did something in her stomach in a very pleasing manner.

"Sorry. I will do that next time." he apologized turning on the engine.

"Hah, as if I will let someone talk to you, that too alone." crossing her hands on her chest, she murmured loud enough for him to hear making him shake his head.