Do You Trust Me?

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Amaan

What the hell! What were you thinking? I conceptually scold myself. I was about to kiss her! In the middle of a random street. What has gotten into me? I'm shocked at my own behaviour. How could I do that to her, my sweet and innocent Laylah. How could I disrespect her like that. What will she think of me?

I'm so overwhelmed with my behaviour that I'm actually not paying attention and just following Laylah using my peripheral vision. "Get your shit together Amaan, this place isn't safe for her. You can't even guard your own hormones; how will you protect her!" I mumble to myself and gather myself mentally.

"Laylah, Bachay (Laylah, child)" I hear someone call out her name. I look up to see an elderly man in his 50-60s. I wasn't the tallest guy around, against my 5'11 frame he was at least a head taller than me. I didn't realise we had entered the restaurant. "Salam Alaikum, Khan Baba" She said as she walked up to him. He placed a hand on her head and replied with "Walekumsalam". His accent sounded like he was Pashtoon, a Pathan from either Pakistan or Afghanistan. "Have you been well, you haven't been for a good couple of days" He asked her in Urdu.

"I've been busy with uni work, Baba this is Amaan." She replies back in Urdu, her eyes not leaving the old man in front of us. "Sala Laikum" I say shaking his hand. "Walekum salam, mashallah, you seem like a strong boy." Baba says, gripping my hand firmly. "I'll get you some food." He says and walks off towards a door at the back of the takeaway.

"Come, this way." Laylah says walking towards some stairs. I follow her up an old wooden staircase. "You ever been to a Peshawari restaurant in Pakistan?" She asks me over her shoulder. "Erm, no, I've not been to eithern a Peshawari restaurant or to Pakistan." I say truthfully. All my friends had visited Pakistan and they apparently loved it there. I just have never had the chance. Dad, well he never was interested in me, never mind taking me to Pakistan, so that was never an option.

As we reach the top, the setting of the restaurant was completed different to a normal restaurant. This one didn't have any tables or chairs. Instead the floor was lined with floor cushions that were laid out in the outlines of tables and chairs. At the back there were some red curtains for privacy, I assume for families, lined with the exact same settings with floor cushions. I followed Laylah's suit by taking my shoes off and sitting opposite her on one of the floor cushions.

"Erm, I" I stutter, not knowing what to say to her. I felt like a perverted creep. "What's wrong?" She asks looking at me weirdly. "Before, out on the street, I didn't mean to, you know." I say trying not to sound nervous. "I don't understand, if you mean when you hugged me when I was about to fall on you, then its okay, it wasn't your fault." She says, picking up a tissues and throwing it at me as she giggles. What just happened? Did I just imagine the whole thing back there, I stare at her trying to see if she was lying, but for the life of me I couldn't?

"You know ever since, erm, I got back home, this is one place that makes me forget about what happened to me." I look up at her. Her face devoid of any emotions, as she looks around the place, smiling . She was opening up to me and telling me about herself. I looked at her attentively, with admiration.

"Khan Baba's son, Zarkhan Lala, was my driver the day that... erm, I realised I wasn't the only one to suffer because of what had happened, but because of me it had happened. One day Khan Baba came to visit me at home, I didn't know how to face him. It was because of me that he had lost his son." She continued. Tears rolling down her cheek. I lifted my hand to wipe it away but didn't trust myself touching her so instead I folded my arms on my chest.

"Laylah, it wasn't your fault, he was there at the wrong time." I say assuring her. "Baba came to tell me the same thing you said. He said he was proud of his son because until his last breath Lala didn't allow any of those animals to touch me." She said, a sob leaving her throat. I couldn't see her like this, hurting, in pain. I wanted to tell her to stop, but she needs to let it out.