Our Paths That Crossed

4:

- Romessa -
Fixing my clothes and hair, I walked into the living room, where the whole family sat, like they were waiting for some movie to start. I could see how happy everyone is with this marriage.. and it's only because I'm going to be stuck with a guy who's been rejected by every other girl or used by them. I know what I need to do, I need to stall enough time for me to come up with a plan. Should I run away? But I don't know anywhere here, and Mama's place is kinda far, plus I have to take my siblings on our belongings with us too. I would come up with a plan, I needed to buy myself time first.

"Romessa, your Nikka with Danish is next week," Baba announced. I froze mid way in my thoughts. Next week, already, why so soon. I didn't reply to him, instead I'm staring at my hands, trying to keep myself together. "And today you will go shopping with your phupo and zoha," Baba continued. I need to stall time. Just then, the idea clicked.

"okay Baba". Everyone was stunned to hear me. Even Baba was a bit taken away, but he made himself normal, "Good, good. Now Romessa go get ready you will be leaving in 10 minutes". "Okay," I replied back, and with that, I left the living room, I had bought myself some time, but I had to do something quickly.

-At the mall -
We had been at the mall to look for wedding outfits, I hated everything I was looking at. I wanted mama to be here not them, and I never planned on getting married, ever, I hate marriages so much it just makes a person carry an unwanted burden, makes people give up and sacrifice things for the sake of keeping the relationship going.

It's been 3 hours now, and I'm sure both women must be really pissed with me rejecting everything I see or everything they were showing me... either everything is ugly or we're at all the cheap and ugly shops, there was nothing good enough, and some were too expensive.

I was hungry now, and the smell of whatever that is smells so good.. I look around to find the source of the amazing aroma. "OMG GOLGAPPA, CAN WE GO GET SOME?!" I'm practically jumping up and down now, golgappa are my actual most favorite thing ever. I had them a few times when I was in Pakistan, I had always loved them. Without waiting for the other two women who probably thought I was a mad woman right now, I was running up to the golgappa stall, rushing past people, when I bumped into someone. I didn't get a proper look because I was too excited for golgappa. I apologized and continued walking towards the stall.

- Shehryar -
This is so annoying, I'm staring at Zaid, my cousin, who's running to the golgappa stall.  This man has a degree, has a small beard and everything, but still acts like a child. "Hurry up, Shehryar bhai!" This is embarrassing, Zaid is 20 years old, and now everyone in the mall is looking at us, we were here to get Zaid something for work, but knowing Zaid and his lige for Golgappa, he wouldn't leave without them.

"Zaid, the golgappa stall isn't going anywhere. You can chill." Zaid stopped momentarily, turning to give me a look, Shit. "Sheryar bhai? Did you just call it golgappa when you know it's panipuri." Not this argument again, grwoung up, this was one argument we always had. "Zaid it is clearly golgappa and not panipuri", "No bhai, I completely disagree, it's panipuri not golgappa" we were going to have this argument for a while, but this way, Zaid had stopped runing for a bit as he argued back with me. Zaid ran ahead, grabbing a plate and sitting down.

Just as I was about to reach Zaid, someone bumped into me, as I was turning around, there was a girl that passed me, she quickly apologized as she was passing me, she looked like she was in a hurry to be some where. Then I realized where she was running for the golgappa stand. She had gotten a plate and had sat across from where Zaid was sitting. I noticed the girl is different, she doesn't look like she's from here, she had a different accent as she was apologizing me and the way she's dressed is different too, she's wearing a dark purple kurta with black embroidery, but she's wearing black cargo pants with them, she had a black hijab on and to complete her look she's wearing runners.

I approached the table that Zaid and the girl were on. I noticed these two were talking? No more like arguing, actually. "It's golgappa, not panipuri idiot." That's the girl, calling Zaid an idiot, I don't disagree with her, but i couldn't say anything. "No, it's panipuri, Sheryar bhai. Be honest here it's panipuri, right? Right?" Zaid looked at me, winking. Did he expect me to lie. As both him and the girl are both looking at me now, "Zaid we had this debate before, and I told you it's golgappa
" I answered truthfully, the girl was smiling now and pointing at Zaid now "ha, even your bhai agrees", "way to go Sheryar bhai, you just embarrassed me in front of this girl." The girl was enjoying this so much. She was smiling, and that's when I noticed she had a dimple on her right cheek and her light brown eyes twinkling. If I wasn't lying, I would say she looks really cute. The girl looked at me, then at Zaid, " Oh no," the girl said as she started to look around the mall. "What's wrong?" Zaid asked before I could. "I'm trying to look for my phupo and cousin. They were behind me before I ran over here." She answered worried, but I wasn't listening to her speaking I was listening to her voice, it was a soft voice and her speaking style and accent, it was clear she wasn't from here. Randomly,  she stood up, "I see them there," the girl pointed at a direction. She waved to Zaid and said, "Enjoy your golgappa," she smiled and said before running off to where she was pointing. I sat down where the girl was previously sitting. "Bhai, we can go now," he asked after finishing the plate. "Sure, let's go, khala will be waiting for us."

9.34 in the night, I finished praying Isha, when suddenly the thought of the girl came into my mind. She was pretty and looked so happy while eating those golgappa, like she didn't have a care in the world, and her dimple that made her smile ten times better, making her look breathtaking. I didn't realize I was smiling like an idiot until Zaid had come in,"What's my bro smiling at? Is there something on the ground?" he tilted his head to look at me first and then looked at the floor, "I don't see anything." Yep, that's Zaid pissing and annoying me. I slapped the back of his head before asking him. "Zaid, do you need something?". Zaid took a step back and gasped,"Oh, I forgot to tell you why I was here, Mama's calling you for dinner," saying that he left the room.

I live with my khala and cousin. I used to live in Germany, up until last year when my ammi had died, it was sad living there with all the memories of her, so I decided to stay in Pakistan for a while, i didn't think I was going to stay here for a few months but now I've been here for a year. I had to leave my best friend in charge of my company in Germany. I decided to open another branch here. Since I'm not sure when I'll be going back. Everything in life was going set for me now.

I put my prayer mat away and went downstairs for dinner. I went into the dining hall where khala and Zaid were sitting on the table waiting for me. "Khala, why didn't you eat, Zaid and I had food while we were out. You should have eaten." "You know my habit beta, I can't eat alone." Ammi and Khadija khala always had this habit of not eating alone. "Zaid, I told you not to spoil your dinner. We should have just brought the golgappa home." "First of all, bhai, it's panipuri, and it's fun to eat out, especially panipuri." Khala was laughing at Zaid and my conversation. "Zaid beta, I have to agree with Sheryar, it is golgappa." "Mama, you too. Why is everyone calling it gol gappa even the girl at the mall?" When Zaid said that, it had gotten khala's attention, "what girl?" She asked, curious. "We had bumped into this girl in the mall, Zaid and her had an argument about whether it is golgappa or panipurri."

Khala started laughing again. "You should just agree with her then. Everyone is calling it golgappa."
It was nice seeing khala laughing. She didn't laugh often, and her smile was often forced, like she was just trying to pretend to be happy in front of us. I had an idea that she was struggling after her husband had died, so I had moved to Pakistan, I convinced her and Zaid to move into my house which had more room and it would keep khala busy. I had given Zaid a job in my office, so we would go and come back together, and for me, that helped me grow closer to Zaid.

Looking at Zaid and Khala, i was grateful that everything in my life was going well. I'm here with my family and I'm working in my company. What could ruin my peace.
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A/n: if only he knew... finally Shehryar is here. What did you think of the chapter? Take care ♡