Chaos in the Canvas √

22 | dinner

"Take your broken heart; make it into art."

Thurday - 8:01pm

The interior of the restaurant radiated a posh aura as her eyes travelled carelessly across the spacious place, the temperature raised to a few degrees inside to provide warmth against the cold weather prevalent outside. With legs crossed under the table and elbows rested against it, the inside of her palm supported her cheek as her bored eyes moved between the people and the walls.

The walls had witnessed a woman dressed in embroidered and floral traditional attire of kurta shalwar walk in a good fifteen minutes ago and saw her expressions transition from nervous to bored ones during the time. The waiter had just returned back after placing a water bottle in front of her whose content flooded her insides with ease.

"Hemayal?" A voice resonated from behind and the annoyed expressions were quickly masked by those of pleasantness as she pulled a smile on her face and turned in her place.

"Danyal," Hemayal acknowledged the man's presence with a nod as she stood up and shook hands with the man who had an apologetic expression marring his face. "I'm so sorry, something urgent came up."

"It's okay," Hemayal smiled as she gestured him towards the unoccupied seat in front of her. "I think I can understand you quite well on that."

"I'm still sorry." Danyal mouthed apologetically and Hemayal shook her head with a frown.

"I said it's okay, let's order something." Hemayal waved at the waiter assigned to their table who placed the menu cards in front of them with a professional smile.

"Thank you for taking some time out to come here, Danyal. I know life's hectic for you." Hemayal said as her eyes moved through the menu, throwing a genuine smile in Danyal's way who only shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, come on. Anything for you. Besides, Mehmal said it was rather important." Danyal said as he narrowed his eyes in Hemayal's direction rather curiously who pressed her lips in a thin line and merely shrugged.

"Well, it is for me." Hemayal said.

"I'm sorry for your grandfather's death, though. I came on his burial but couldn't get the chance to meet you." Danyal touched the sensitive topic and Hemayal shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she nodded, accepting the condolences with a tight smile.

"Thank you," she mumbled weakly. "I was in a pretty bad shape at that time, I couldn't meet anyone."

"Yeah, one can guess. Mehmal always told how close you were to him," he said, the same apologetic smile coming to rest on his face again. "I'm sorry for touching this topic again. It must be painful for you."

"I'm used to it more or less; it's okay." Hemayal smiled as she shrugged her shoulders, acting as if the mere topic hadn't bruised some part of her that was on the way towards healing and redemption.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Danyal smiled warmly at her, crossing both hands in front of her on the table after both of them had placed their respective orders.

"Something personal." Hemayal began, not knowing how to walk Danyal through the whole situation but then again, she had no other choice.

"Personal?" Danyal raised an eyebrow as if surprised and Hemayal could only sigh in response.

She had no idea, not even in the slightest, if what she was doing right now would pay off in her favor or not. For all she knew, she was treading dangerous waters; narrating her life story to a man she hardly met once in a month. In their childhood, they had been close for obvious reasons that they lived close by. Before her family had moved to Islamabad, she was good friends with Danyal who only lived a street behind.