Stairway to Heaven

12. Honesty

"It's. Not. True." Mateen repeated his words, inching forward on the table. His eyes glued to Hajra, who was looking back at him wide-eyed, with a look of shock and disbelief. Just as she'd averted her gaze; Mateen twisted in his chair towards left. His both arms resting on the table, in front of him; as he watched Alishba with cocked brows.

"Your curiosity satisfied, yet? Or do you want to hear every little grisly detail of someone else's life, that has nothing to do with you, whatsoever?" His tone was sharp, laced with the slightest hint of annoyance; as he gawked at her with a look of discontentment. The unexpected attack had caused Alishba's face to turn a bright shade of crimson, while she gaped at him at a loss of words. However, Mateen's verbal assault was far from over.

"Don't you get embarrassed? Pushing yourself forcefully into someone's life, even though, clearly your presence is unwelcome?" Until now, Hajra's eyes were fixated to her hands in her lap, in shock; but after hearing this, unintentionally, her eyes lifted to gape at him, stunned. His gaze was still fixated to Alishba; who was by now, near tears.

"Mateen, enough Man—" Ammar tried saying by putting a hand on Mateen's arm and nudging him out of his delirium. He had been squirming uncomfortably in his seat since Mateen had first said those words looking directly at Hajra, but was by now near death from the awkwardness hanging in the tense atmosphere. It was quite literally piercing through everyone sitting there, who were beseeching Ammar with pleading eyes to stop Mateen.

"How pathetic. Please get a life and don't ever come to me again, holding expectations that I will quench your thirst for gossip—" Mateen ended in a bored tone and without sparing anyone another glance, got up and left.

"What a prick—" The icy silence was broken by Samara, who sat beside Alishbah and rubbed her shoulders in consolation.

Ammar sat silently in his place for a long moment, rubbing his temple in defeat; before getting up with an exhausted sigh and following after Mateen.

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Hajra had shortly afterwards left the table, without Aymen. She didn't wait to hear everyone's standpoint on Mateen's actions. Somehow, more than half of them were still siding with Mateen's stance. According to them, Alishba had it coming for always being nosy every time and Mateen was right to shut her down. The rest were of the argument that he could've politely turned her down, instead of making a show out of her, in front of everyone.

Unlike them all, Hajra didn't care about his sentiments at all. All she could think about was that time on stairs, 2 years ago; when she had pushed him away. And she didn't realise it until now, but that was maybe the last time she had directly experienced Mateen's wrath.

Hajra hadn't thought much of it, until this moment. She had naturally assumed that Mateen was just waiting for the right moment, to attack again. She was always on her toes, ready for a surprise attack. But never once had the thought crossed her mind that her words from that time, might've had even the slightest effect on him. And how could she have? When he had never stopped bullying her the whole year, despite her apparent display of anger.

So then—what in the world—?

"Don't you get embarrassed? Pushing yourself forcefully into someone's life, even though clearly your presence is unwanted?"

Hajra's eyes were glued to her notes, while she thought hard to sort out this puzzle. And in the midst of it all, she'd missed the sound of his footsteps approaching.