"Okay then, I will hire a maid tomorrow. Why don't you take some rest and I wash the dishes?" He said, getting up and taking the dishes. Isra watched him without any emotion and replied, "You cooked, let me do the dishes." She said, taking the dishes from him. "If you say so..."
"Good night then." He said, turning his back on her and went to his room without talking further about the matter which can induce indescribable pain on his fragile heart beating for her. "Hmm"
He went to his room, laying on his bed, watching the ceiling. Feeling the injury irrecoverable dying inside but all he could do was to smile with tear springing to his eyes without permission as he asked himself,
"Why are you still stuck upon something which happened five years ago...?"
The next day they pretend nothing happened and let things go with their flow. "Isra." He called her on their way to work.
"Hmm..?"
"Uh.. You didn't want to work, did you?" He began to say, "Yeah, so?"
"You didn't want it before because at home, it was quite uncomfor-" She cut him off, correcting him, "Unbearable."
"Right. Unbearable for you so... now we have shifted, you can live the way you want." He said, hoping to lighten her mood. She pinched the bridge of her nose at his failed attempt to beckon her with words. "I will when I consider myself a wife first." She told her rigidly. "I see... So this bond is that much of a burden for you." He spoke to himself with a sad laugh but she heard, "Don't you want it?"
They stopped and he smiled, turning to look at her, pounding why after knowing his heartbreak why she always pretends it's nothing. Giggling, Rayan got out not before scoring at her, "You truly love hurting me."
"Then why don't you leave me?"
"Even if you made your decision hastily but I truly want our bond to work. I don't know whether you can give me a chance but I will try my best to earn it." He whispered sweetly before leaving her baffled and enraged.
~*~
"..-Etch it in your mind: Customer is always right. And- Hoorain." Zain was giving his lecture in the college, telling the students about customers but stopped after noticing Hoorain wasn't paying attention which he despises the most, "Huh? yes, Sir?" Hoorain said after being interrupted from her thoughts.
"What did I say?" He asked sternly, closing his arms at his back. "Uh.." She bit her lips, looking down.
Zain sighed at her lack of response and said, "Meet me after class." He demanded.
"Yes, Sir." She said and he continued his lecture.
After the lecture, Zain and Hoorain were in the garden. He was looking at her firmly, even infuriated as well as his voice came icy, "Now, tell me. What happened?"
Tugging her hair behind her ear, Hoorain replied timidly, "You know it, Sir... Rayan Bhai moved out." She used the condition of her home as an excuse to hide the actual reason.
Zain gaze softened a bit, sighing, "It was a wise decision in my opinion. Being together will only make things awkward besides, this behavior of yours has been going on for a while now. Even before marriage." But it came back again by his last sentence, narrowing his eyes at her, commanding for get some answers, "Uh.. I.. Sir."
"Tell me. What is bothering you? Listen Hoorain, it's your last year, then you will graduate and you can't put your efforts to waste." He tried to explain to her but her anxiety only increased along with her heartbeats. "I know..."
"Then what is it?"
"I.. Don't want to leave." She whispered, looking down.
"Huh? What kind of reason is that, Hoorain? Are you attached too much to this institute in just two years but not to your school where you studied for twelve years?" Why is my love unnoticeable? She asked herself, looking at him with a tear pricked in her eyes which stunned him for a second, thinking he might have hurt her. "I.. didn't mean to offend you, I just state the fact." He reasoned, putting his hand in the air.
"I.." She tried to speak, making an almost crying face. His voice came out low and soft, "Tell me."
"I don't want to leave you." Inaudibly, she confessed with thundering speed. Narrowing his eyes, Zain asked, thinking he might have misheard something, even hoping he did but didn't, "Come again?"
"I am sorry but I have liked you for a while, I even joined this institute for you." She finally confessed her years of crushing on him, liking him longer she could remember.
Zain blinked, praying it's a prank but the tears told it wasn't. "You've got to be kidding me." He whispered in disbelief, holding his head, not believing she dared to think this way.
"Sir, I-" She tried to convince him, taking a step closer but he motioned her to stop, "Don't. Don't you dare to come closer."
"Do you have any idea what you are saying?" He hissed, taking her into a corner, the impression of fury on his face gave her a very bad omen. They went to a corner and he growled, "Disregard every fact, me being your Brother's best friend, me having no interest in you but I am your goddamn teacher Hoorain and I have no interest in starting an affair with my own damn student."
"So what? You will leave the job after your degree." Her tone was desperate, hoping he would understand but to no avail, "Listen Hoorain, stop this nonsense."
"You can't call my emotions nonsense!" She shouted. "Shh. Someone will listen." He hissed.
Exhaling deeply, he shook his head, utterly disheartened at her, "Listen, I feel nothing for you. I don't know what hit your head but you better forget what you have said. You and I have no comparison and I don't want this thing coming to your lips again. Understood?" He ordered. "But-"
"And if this keeps going on then I am going straight to your parents and tell them about your damn audacity to even think romantically about your teacher." He threatened, taking a step closer.
Startled at his anger, she took a step back, lowering her head in shame, whispering, "I am sorry."
"You have your whole life ahead of you, Hoorain. Don't waste it, this demeanor will lead you nowhere. Do you understand?" He tried to advise her, calming down a bit.
"Yes... Sir." A weak reply came with a tear rolling down. "Good. Now go and don't talk about this matter ever again."
Hoorain's confession left Zain flabbergasted but he acted, nothing happened, not wanting to ruin the already messed up things. After work, Zain went to meet Rayan. They were in a pub, talking. "How's Isra?" Zain asked. "Not ready to accept me." Rayan chuckled dryly, finishing his drink in one go.
"It's gonna be alright. This must be hard for her. You know, marrying the Brother of her fiancé." He reasoned. "Still. I am trying to reassure her but she made it clear, she is not ready to give me a chance." He said in a grieved tone, slamming his hand on the table, "Hmm.. Calm down Bro. I'm sure it will pass." Zain said, rubbing his back, trying to calm him.
"By the way, Emraz Bhai truly met Papa. I didn't know what they talked about but we are told to forget everything and move on..." Zain said, making a sour face, taking a sip of his whiskey, "I don't get it, how easy it is for them to pretend nothing happened. Can anyone imagine Isra's pain?" Zain hissed, not liking the fact things were taken lightly for Emraz who dared to hurt his sister.
"I know... that's why I just want her to let it be and give herself some time." Rayan mumbled, staring at his glass. "Well, I am relieved she has you." He smiled genuinely, looking at him.
"Thanks.. I am trying."
"And yeah, Rayan..."
"Hmm?" Zain paused a little, not knowing how to tell him about the act of his Sister, "Bro tell Hoorain to focus on her studies, that girl is slipping out your hands." He said quickly, finishing his drink.
"What did she do this time?" Rayan laughed. "If you don't want her to fail,"
"Yeah.. But what did she do?" Rayan asked, leaning on the counter, smiling, feeling tipsy, "Crushing on someone she shouldn't." Zain replied.
"Man... it's fine. It's just crushing. Let her be like that." He waved his hand to shrug it off, "That problem is the person." Zain mumbled. "You are saying as if she likes her old ass principal." He joked. "Something like this."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, just counsel her. "
"Yeah.. Yeah.." He said, not paying much heed to his words and hiding his face in his arms,
"Anyways, I gotta go." Zain said, taking his stuff and patting his back. "And yeah, don't forget to bring Isra home on Saturday."
"I will.." He replied, without looking up.
"Bye. "
Zain knew if her brothers came to know, the one who would be in trouble would be him and he had no idea how to prevent this tribulation.