Collection of Short Love Stories

Chapter 3

Amal's POV:

"Ammi, mujhe kuch books chahye to main Rashid (driver) ko lekar jarahi hon. Baba ko bata dein." Amal said, coming down the stairs, fully dressed for having a good time in her neighborhood library.
(Mom, I need some books so I'm taking Rashid with me for buying some. Tell dad for me.)

"Lekin, Rashid ko to Aina university lekar gayi hai or Ramzan (second driver) ko Ayesha apni kuch doston se milne ke liye lekar gayi hai."
(But Aina has taken Rashid with her to university and Ayesha has taken Ramzan to visit her friends.)

"Oh... I'll just-" I was cut off by Ammi when Salaar bhai walked into the room.

"Salaar beta, Amal ko kuch books chahye. Isse apne sath le ja sakte ho?" No, Ammi! He stopped and glanced at me with his deep gray eyes and nodded. H-he agreed? Is he a imposter or really Salaar bhai?
(Salaar son, Amal needs some books. Can you take her with you.)

"N-nahi, Ammi. Main kisi or waqt chali jaoungi. Salaar b-"
(No, mom. I can go some other time. Salaar b-)

"Come quick. I'm busy." He sounded angry and I stopped talking immediately. Walking with h-no, running behind him was a task on it's own. Why does he have so long legs? Sitting down in the car, the engine rumbled and we're on our way.

The awkward silence was suffocating and his figure didn't help. The wheel looked tiny in his big hands. I couldn't help but trail my gaze upwards to his huge biceps and that strong jaw. His sharp eyebrows always make him look like an angry loin, his long lashes making me jealous, his cold gray eyes can tremble the whole of Antarctica. In my daze, my eyes stopped at his lips.

"Kahan se leni hai books?" His baritone voice awoke me from my thoughts and I gasped audibly. He glanced at me and I cleared my throat.
(From where do you want to buy the books?)

"U-uh....t-the store is r-right around the corner. King bookstore." I said softly. If the car wasn't so quiet, he wouldn't have heard me.

"A-apko iski zaroorat nahi thi. Main kisi or waqt c-chali jati. Ap busy honge." I managed to let out. He must be thinking of me as a nuisance.
(You didn't have to do this. I would've gone some other time. I know you're busy.)

"Agar mujhe koi masla hota to mai usi waqt mana kardeta. Kiya tumhe koi masla he mera tumhe yahan laane main?" He grumbled and my eyes widened and I quickly shook my head. I didn't think he'd take it this way.
(If I had a problem, I would've said so before. Do you have a problem with me taking you out?)

"N-nahi b-"

"We're here." Does he have a thing with cutting me off in between? Both of us entered the store and I immediate went to the romance section. I do enjoy thriller and mystery but as usual, romance books are the best. Unconsciously, I hummed something random softly as I searched the aisle for my wanted books.

"You read this?" I turned around to his voice and saw him holding a book with very....indecent cover. He raised his eyebrows at me with little surprise in his eyes. Ground, swallow me now. I blushed red and shook my head. Shakily, I snatched the book from his hand and put it back. Dad would literally kill me if he saw something like this in my room.

"N-no, I don't. I don't read every book on the romance aisle." I gave him a pointed look and continued my search. He's so shameless to just take a book with that cover on and ask me that. He's elder than me that's why I didn't say anything.

After me being quiet like a child just by his glare for wanting to pay the bill, we continued our journey back to the villa. Instead of rounding the corner to take us back home, he drove straight ahead. I looked at him confusingly but he just ignored me. He's so rude that I feel sorry for his future wife if there'll be one.

"Y-ye road ghar ki taraf to nahi jata." Amal said nervously. He just hummed in response, effectively annoying the girl.
(This route doesn't go to our house.)

"Kahan j-jarahe hain?" Amal asked after building up her courage. Don't blame her, the man rendered anyone speechless with his broodiness.
(Where are we going?)

"Lunch." His curt response irritated her. Did he not develop his vocabulary after the age of five?

"A-ap to busy the na. Or wese bhi mujhe bhook nahi lag rahi."
(Weren't you busy? Also, I'm not hungry.)

"Lekin mujhe bhook lag rhi hai." He said, cleverly avoiding her question.
(But I'm hungry.)

"To ap mujhe drop kardein phir akar khalijiye ga."
(So, you can first drop me home then go to eat.)

"Main busy hon ya na hon magar tum mujhe bht busy lag rhi ho." Salaar raised his eyebrow at her as he glanced at the petite girl. She was usually shy and quiet. He hadn't heard her talk so much after a long time. It's not like he didn't like it but the girl is currently arguing to not be with him which didn't settle well with the big guy.
(I don't think me being busy or not matters when you clearly appear to be busier than me.)

"J-ji nahi, main busy n-nahi hon. Main apko disturb nahi karna chahti iss waja se...." She flushed when he had glanced at her curiously.
(No, I'm not busy. I just didn't want to disturb you that's why....)

"Agar main tumse disturb hota to tumhe sath nahi lekar jaraha hota, correct?" He told her sternly and once again, she was speechless as the man always said the right thing, with her anyways. She got quiet after that, not noticing that Salaar was waiting to hear her sweet voice.
(If I was disturbed by you, I wouldn't have taken you with me, correct?)

"I asked you something."

"Y-yes, you are correct."

They reached a cute restaurant which was a surprise to Amal as the person who took her there has no relation to anything cute. If only she knew. Salaar chose a reserved seat at the corner of the place. Like Amal, he hated attention but their reasons were very different. As Amal was an introvert person, it was hard for her to act like herself in a spotlight but Salaar hated unnecessary attention. Being a Chief member of the army and having a huge built didn't help him but he was a man of few words. Not liking attention because it diverts his focus from important things.

Unconsciously, the small girl infront of him opened the menu and he almost smiled as he saw her eyes brighten more than they were. If there was one thing he was absolutely sure about her was her love for food.

"I'll have a terragon steak, fruit salad, baked potatoes and a coke." His eyes fleeted to Amal but she remained quiet. He sighed.

"What do you want, Amal?" She looked up at him nervously. She was feeling so stupid and shy after rejecting to eat with him but here he is, as always, being the bigger person than anyone else.

"I-I'll have fried chicken."

"She'll have fried chicken, a bucket of fries, a sausage pasta and mango juice." He ordered for her and she looked at him with wide eyes. How is she going to eat this much even when she's not hungry? But he did ordered all her favorite food. How he knew, she doesn't know but didn't bother to ask.

"What do you plan now that your studies are finished?" Ugh! Always asking serious questions. Did his sense of humor disappear after he got older?

"I didn't plan anything but mom is looking for my m-marriage." Innocently, she blushed at the thought. She's not desperate for marriage but she definitely won't deny if her mother found a good match for her. On the other hand, Salaar frowned and his fist clenched at the thought of her being someone else's. He couldn't be angry at her adorable flushed self. She deserved to be happy with someone but

he would make sure that that so

meone will only be him.