Scherezade puts down her pen to clasp her head. It’s been hurting since a night, and now she’s repentant about being inebriated. It wasn’t worth her cranium feeling like this. She cannot recall what happened the last day, or the day before, but unfortunately for her, someone else does. The phone rings. It’s Manni’s number. She answers.

“Ugh… hey Maannii… oww… my head hurts…”. Scherezade clutches the side of her head even tightly.

“Hey, Scherezade. Its me…”. A mature, heartrending tone that she can associate to. A voice she can never forget…

“O… Omi…?”

“Yeah… what happened…?”

“Nothing… I… nothing… just…”

“Got drunk?”

“Yeah… how did… did Manni told you?”

“Yeah. Plus, you sound like you still are.”

“Ahan… yeah… sorry about that… umph… you know, its weird, I don’t recall, but I think that… I think I kinda had a dream… about you… that we…”

“That we made out in my room?”

“Wha..! Omigod Omer… S… stop freaking me out… how did…”

“That’s because you actually came over, and we actually did…”

“We d… really… ?”

“How else do you expect me to know?”

“Hmm… true…”

“Shezoo… what… what does all this mean…”

“Whatever could you be talking about, Omi?”

“About what happened this morning… what you said… what we…”

“Omer… Oh my God… I’m so… I don’t… I don’t know what to say… I don’t even remember what I said to you… I’m sorry… I didn’t… I didn’t do it on purpose, I didn’t mean to hurt you, you know I never would…”

“Did you really break up with Sohail…?”

“Yeah, for almost a day, but he called a bit earlier. Said he understood I was drunk and a bit mad at him for ditching me yesterday for dinner, so it’s all fine. You don’t need to worry. We’re okay…”

Broken.

Manni fiddles with his deck, putting on ‘Closure’ by Chevelle. How paradoxical.

Closure has come to me myself.

You will never belong to me.

“Mmhmm…”. Omer strangles his rage.

“Omer… please… I’m sorry…”

“Ohho… its really okay… I just hope Sohail’s not mad when he finds out…”

“He’ll understand, he knows how drunk I was. He never gets jealous… Goddd he’s soo cute! Plus, very kind of you not to rape me while I was drunk…”

“What is THAT supposed to mean?”

“I’m just kidding… I know you never would… see? You’re still mad at me…”

And I shall fall.

And I shall be victorious.

And I shall feel no pain no more.

And I shall cease to love.

“And you’re still drunk, Shezoo. Go back to sleep.”

Oh ye who witness my pain,

Who cower from my Anger.

Behold .

As I fall...

And with a subtle click, Omer shuts off the phone.

“Doesn’t sound good, Omi”, Salman breathes out Marlboro smoke as he extends his neck so as to aim his exhalation towards the window.

“Yeah, I know. I need to go, Manni. I need to be alone, I hope you’ll understand…”

“Haan haan, sure. By the way, while you were on the phone, this Zeenat girl called on your cell. I told her you were on the other phone, so she told me to tell you that she’s in Lahore, and she’ll call you again…”

“Ahan… thanks… I’ll… I’ll be off then? Take care, acha…?”

“Omer, call me when you get home, okay?”

“Will do, brother. Allah Hafiz”.

“Khuda Hafiz”. Salman hugs Omer tightly, wrapping his bulky arms around Omi’s slim frame. “And don’t fret about it, yaar. Hota hai. Just don’t do anything stupid. Go now.”

So she takes it Away again and follows Me to My Death.

Too dark, She said, Too Dark. Over and over again.

And they Cheered me on.

Dread... Dont smile

Just dread, dread and dread.

The heart gives in to less than Allowance.

But Fails to feel the Warmth.

Too bad, they said, when the Last time it happened?

Love is where you Light it; Lust is a Game and I am not giving in.

The donut’s too sweet. Omer tries to occupy his mind with petty thoughts as he sits in the Dunkin’ Donuts outlet in Ahad Arcade near Liberty. Another cheesy song on the T.V. ‘Lahore Lahore Hay, Lahore Lahore Hay…’. Quite true, Mr. Tariq Tafu, but right now, I just hope I was back in Islamabad. No wait, Lahore is better. I just hope I didn’t have to find out that me being with Scherezade this morning was just a dream. It was real, but now, it seemed like just a dream for Omi. He gets onto the computer set up in the donut shop as soon as one man is done checking his mail. He puts on his glasses, logs on into his account, and writes a mail to Mahira. It reads, ‘hey baby sis. I’m back in Lahore, just don’t ask me why I left so soon. You told me to handle this carefully, then listen to what has happened. Let me clarify, I did NOT fuck things up. When Scherezade came over aaj subah, she was drunk, extremely drunk, and she didn’t even remember us doing all that. So it was just me who thought we were back together. She asks me not to be mad and that she’s sorry but is that really compensation enough for me? I don’t know what to do… send me a reply when you get the time, okay? Tc *huggsss* Allah Hafiz.’

Am i too foolhardy that i keep looking back?

Hoping to trace my steps and find her...

Lying on the crevices of the pavement,

Where she held my stumble yet fell herself...

Will i get her back where she left me?

Why do i still wait for her embrace...?

“I thought you said you were in Islamabad, dumass.”, says a voice behind Omer.

- posted by Mumra @ 1:34 PM