When I Met Him

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟓

"WHAT? WHEN? HOW?" Komal's reaction is exactly what I expected. "You left ashfaque and you didn't even tell me, and about Shaad too, were you trying to hide it from me? what were you waiting for? Christmas?" okay, it's her angry mode activated stage I better play safe here.
"Well, you see, I was dealing with so much and you were dealing with your boyfriend issues as well, so I thought I'll manage to sort things out on my own and once everything sets, I'll let you know..." I try to give reasons for it, or maybe excuses, but she knows me by each and every nerve of mine, so excuses didn't work on her. 
"Thats an excuse, isn't it? Are you okay? You left someone for whom you were ready to die for. You did this to be with Shaad? please be honest with me you know I won't judge." She is out of her mind or what?
"No OfCourse not, what in the world made you think that way, I left him because I know what I deserve and I don't deserve to cry every single day, people like me who have always been alone comes in a relationship, chooses a partner to be happy with them. If the purpose of me being with him is alone distorted, then I don't want him. My peace of mind is more important than anything or anyone. About Shaad, as I told you, it's true he affects me a lot in every single way possible, but I can't say if its love or not I need more time and maybe with time he will change, his efforts will be gone too." honestly said by me.
"You love him, don't you?" the question caught me off guard.
"Did I say everything in French that you didn't understand?" 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. "It's in your eyes Muskan, the way you at him, you don't look at anyone like that, it's all in your eyes." I don't have any answer to this one.

THE NEXT DAY:

It's a laboratory workday today. I've informed Afrid to go home, I'll be late today. Afrid and Shaad too knows each other they were in the same school. I haven't told Afrid about my breakup, I think I should let him know as soon as possible. Tomorrow when we go home together.... yeah, that time I'll tell him all about it. A notification pop in,

ASHFAQUE: Where you at?

ME: What do you want?

ASHFAQUE: I asked you a question.

ME: You have no right to ask me anything now. Still, if you want an answer from me, first answer my question.

ASHFAQUE: Wanted to meet you, casually. As a friend. 

ME: I don't have time for your stupid games or any 'casual' meetings. Goodbye.

He is a psychopath, but I am worse. I know his each and every card play but still I need to be careful. There are my board exams starting hardly in two months. I need to focus on that. I don't have much of any issues it's just that I am extremely weak in inorganic chemistry. 
I have my chemistry practical today and it's always fun. But my best part of the day starts the moment I enter my classes.

I am running to class I am late today; teacher might have arrived too. I got a text message,

SHAAD: Where are you? your place is missing you and someone else too.

Oh! I know that '𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦' is him. My lips turn into a curve, but I didn't reply, let him think I won't be coming today. He'll be surprised to see me then.

As I enter the class, his eyes get fixated to mine and mine with his. I smile looking at him, I know he was waiting for me. Just to see his reaction I move in a different direction than my place, away from Shaad. I turn to a place away from him making him think I'll be sitting there; all this is happening without breaking the eye contact between him us. Just when I sit on that bench, away from him, he narrows his eyes, stands up and starts walking to where I am sitting and, in the next moment, he comes and sit with me. 
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸? Everyone is looking at us but all I can focus on is, how close he is to me. I can smell him. He is wearing a kurta as it was Friday today and what I am smelling is his attar, its sweet, but not too sweet, a perfect punch of woody & floral fragrance.  He is looking at me with a grin on his face. It's like 'what you do I can do better' type of reaction on in face.

"What are you doing? why did you come here?" I try to hide my shyness, but my voice didn't support me.
"You tell me, why did you come here?" someone please cure this man's habit of asking question over a question.
"I came here because this place is near to the whiteboard, and I wanted to focus on today's lecture it's my weakness" lied successfully.  "Now tell me, why you came here?" I asked. 
"I came here because this place is near you, and I want to focus on you, you are my weakness." he says in a low voice only I can hear.

I AM FLUSHED WITH RED RIGHT NOW. I can feel it. I can feel the heat on my cheeks as he says this. Is he for real? Damn Muskan, you thought you will irritate him by changing the place for today, but he is an expert at turning the tables. He tilts his head to focus on my face more clearly as he says,
"Where are your words now hmm? I've never seen that cleaver mouth of yours being shut even for a while before, have you fall short of words or are you too shy to say anything Huh Muskan?"

Both. Both of his sayings are true I am short of words right now and yes, I am too shy to even look at him. My name from his mouth sounds like a symphony to my ears. I am not looking at him, yet I know he is staring at me, and he isn't hiding it. Not from me, not from anyone.