The aroma of freshly cooked food drifted warmly through the dining hall, mingling with the soft clinking of cutlery. The evening felt peaceful — or at least it did until Kamran cleared his throat with the casual confidence of a man who had no idea he was about to derail everyone's night.
"I met Asad Khan this morning in the park," he announced, dropping the sentence into the silence like a pebble into still water.
Across the table, Faqair and Zayn stiffened at the same exact moment. Their eyes darted to each other — wide and startled.Oblivious to their unease, Kamran continued speaking, lifting another calm, unhurried spoonful toward his mouth."We had a good conversation. He seemed quite stressed about his daughter's marriage. I told him I was worried too."
Faqair blinked, genuinely confused. "Why are you worried about his daughter?"
Kamran shot him a dramatic glare, playful yet scolding. "You punk! I'm not worried about his daughter — I'm worried about you two!"
Faqair's expression softened into sheepish embarrassment. "Oh," he muttered, shrinking in his seat.
Kamran leaned back, arms folding over his chest as his tone shifted to something subtly more serious. "And by the way," he added, "Asad mentioned someone's trying to hack his company."
The effect was immediate.
Zayn's relaxed posture vanished. His head jerked up, his dark eyes sharpening with sudden intensity.
At the same time, Faqair — mid-sip of water — choked violently. He coughed, sputtered, his hand thumping desperately against his own chest.
Kamran reached over and patted his back with gentle concern. "Careful!" Then, as if discussing something as harmless as the weather, he added, "And before I forget — Asad suggested that Meher and Zayn should go on a date."
Zayn froze.
The world seemed to pause with him.Zayn leaned forward slightly, tension sharpening his voice.
"What did you say then?" he asked, trying — and failing — to sound calm.
Kamran dabbed the corner of his mouth with his napkin, as if the question were nothing drastic at all.
"I said yes," he replied simply, almost cheerfully — completely unaware of the chaos that sentence unleashed in Zayn's mind."What?" he finally managed, eyes stretched wide. "Grandpa, why did you say yes to that? I don't want to get married now, please!"
Kamran crossed his arms again — a theatrical gesture, face firm with grandfatherly authority. "Please! I've listened to you so many times. Just once, listen to me."
Zayn slumped back helplessly, exhaling a long, miserable sigh. "We'll see. After a while," he muttered, voice weak.
Across from him, Faqair bit down hard on his lip, his shoulders trembling with the effort to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out.
Kamran, however, was relentless. "Zayn, just go for me. I already told him yes. Don't ruin my reputation."
Zayn groaned — long, dramatic, and defeated. "Fine! But please, don't do this again."
Kamran beamed triumphantly, the picture of satisfaction. "Done! Thank you!"Hours later, the house had fallen silent.
Zayn sat on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, his mind replaying everything from dinner — but more than that, replaying her.
Meher.
Her face from the morning meeting flickered in and out of his memory: the fierce spark in her eyes, the sharp edge in her tone, the unspoken challenge she carried like a weapon.
And now this proposal mess?
A slow smirk crept across his face.
"So that's why she didn't answer me," he whispered to the empty room. "She really wants me to, huh?"
He reached for his phone, thumb flying over the keyboard with a reckless, mischievous energy he couldn't — or perhaps didn't want to — control.
Zayn: "You genuinely want me to get close to you? That's why you sent the proposal,huh? You didn't answer before — you just went ahead and made a whole reaction. OMG."
He hit send.
Then tossed his phone aside and leaned back. A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips… for about five seconds.
Then it faded.
Just like that, the playful arrogance evaporated, replaced by a tightness in his chest he couldn't explain.
Her voice.
Her eyes.
Her attitude.
It all looped through his mind with an intensity he didn't like — or maybe liked too much.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair.
He stood abruptly. The room suddenly felt too small, too warm, too suffocating.
Grabbing his jacket, he slipped it on with one fluid motion. The house was quiet; Kamran asleep, Faqair snoring softly in the next room.Outside, the night wrapped around him in cool stillness.
Without a second thought, he pulled open the door of his car and slid inside. The leather seat felt cold against his back, grounding him just enough to breathe. He started the engine; the low hum filled the silence, steady and familiar.
As he pulled out of the driveway, the streetlights painted long golden streaks across the hood.
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than usual.
"I need air…" he muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on the empty road ahead.
"Before she drives me completely insane."
The car rolled into the night, taking him anywhere that wasn't filled with thoughts of her — though he knew deep down he wouldn't escape them.
To be continued.....