It's not the first time someone has praised me for my voice in singing. I've gone to several singing institutions and even won some competitions and my teachers had always loved my voice. You have an amazing voice Mahira if you only rehearse more! , they would say. But the brunette boy beside me praising me for my voice has somewhat caught me off guard and it feels jarring to hear him say so. In return, my cheeks flush red and I fumble through what to say. I whisper a thank you to him.
"You have a great and amazing voice too that's why I came outside to see who it was... It's enchanting"., I tell him
He grins which elaborated the dimples on either cheek and Oh My God, he is really a handsome pretty boy. Everything about him is so graceful and gentle. English boy syndrome!
"Same here. I heard you singing and I just had to duet".
"That's so sweet. By the way, what are you doing so late in the night here? I have never seen you before.", I ask him.
"Yes you have seen me before when you pushed me on the ground the other night.", he says cooly.
"First, I didn't push. I actually caught you from falling but you never stood up so I let you go. That doesn't count as falling and I said sorry c'mon. I mean it was pretty late in the night, what do you expect?", I reason out dramatically moving my hands, "Second, what are you doing here?, I have never seen in this society before", I ask smiling and curious at the same time.
"One of my friends lives here. I came to visit him and I was just checking out the building," he says. I honestly didn't know we had a neighbor with a pure white boy as a friend enough to visit them. That's interesting. I wish he said that he was the neighbor front door. That would be more fun.
"Oh okay, that's cool. Well, it's nice to meet you. You're really nice", I tell him.
" Thanks. It's wonderful to meet you too. You're really pretty...like seriously".
If he only knew what that compliment felt like. Too many butterflies are flooding. I am blushing like crazy. My cheeks are on fire. Like whaaaat? He thinks I'm pretty and that too seriously as emphasis.
"Aww, thanks. But you have really beautiful eyes," I compliment him back.
"Inherited from my dad. I look a lot like my dad. You just like my eyes, nothing else?", he asks looking at me slyly with an innocent smile. I mean what am I supposed to say? I don't wanna sound like I'm flirting or something.
"Your dad must be a very good-looking person then", I say laughing nervously. What? Why did I say that? Does it sound normal or weird?
"You could say I'm a handsome man, didn't have to compliment indirectly", he says smirking. Thank God! It didn't sound too weird then.
"You are a Pretty. Cute. Boy", I say highlighting every word for the emphasis, laughing.
"Oh, I'm sure I'm a little pretty boy", he says sarcastically, "Yeah a little boy who's thrice your height", he exclaims holding his hand above our heads and showing the height difference.
"Ouch, that hurts!". I take my fist near my chest like I've been stabbed in the heart and we both laugh, " Someone's being salty" I've always wanted to be taller with long legs and a thigh gap. I have none. That's why I've always wanted a tall boyfriend and that still makes no sense but it is what it is. "So how old is the little boy?", I ask with curiosity. And maybe because I want to see the age gap between us cause the hopeless romantic in me is already assessing a potentiAl suitor that I already know I'm never gonna have.
" A larger number than 16 and lesser than 21", he states.
"Really you're worse than a girl and being asked about age. Okay, maybe 19?"
"Nope 20. I turned 20 yesterday."
"Oooh. Happy Belated Birthday!" I wasn't expecting that. He just turned 20 yesterday and I don't know why but it's kinda cute.
"A birthday wish without a hug. You're a sour wisher", he says grinning its so cute. Should I hug him? Is it okay to hug him? He's practically a stranger. But it's his birthday. It's rude if I deny it. He opens his arms as an invitation and I go for the hug. He wraps his arms around me and I do the same. I would probably never go in for a hug with a stranger first of all and that too a guy! But this feels comforting. As if I've known him all my life. All my insides relax in the hug and I feel like...really nice and safe. It's like when I hug my dad. I involuntarily bury my head on his chest near his heart and I hear his heartbeat. It's really fast. He smells like vanilla. What cologne does he use? Does he feel the same lingering comfort about me or is it just me and it's just how his hugs are? I hug him more than a minute before I force myself to pull away. The elevator lights up and I know who might be on it. Dad. If he sees I'm here talking to a stranger boy plus the hugging part. Then he's done for and so am I. "Hey listen, I know this might sound weird but can you please go back to the apartment in front. I guess my dad's coming and I don't want him to get the wrong idea...its just weird. " He looks confused and worried but I ask him to hurry.
"Let me help you first to your home", he says and then Lends his arm forward.
"It's okay, you go inside. I'll be fine. Thank you so much for the napkin and sorry for the fall and Happy Birthday...Ummm...I don't know your name".
"You'd really be alright?", he asks with concern. The lift pings one more time and I wave my hand to let him know he needs to hurry. He quickly goes inside..." Your name?..", he asks.
"Mahira".
*******
My dad makes his way out of the elevator and looks at me. I sit there grabbing my ankle to show him that I'm hurt. He rushes towards me and I'm grateful the brunette boy went farther inside because he isn't standing in the doorway. He's farther inside the apartment so my Dada can't see him. I think I almost had a mini panic attack when I thought about what would've happened if he saw him talking to me. He'd probably ask too many questions to me and him. He would be suspicious of me and I never want that or he could ground me. Maybe get the very wrong idea. Thank God! None of that happened.
"What's wrong Mahira? Did you hurt yourself? How?" my dad asks as he approaches me with a worried frown on his face.
"Someone knocked on the door so I came out to see who it was but there was nobody so I stepped out to see who it was and I stumbled upon a pebble and well this happened", I point at my wound.
"Who walks barefoot outside. You didn't need to see who it was. Give me your hand. I'll help you walk in."
"Well I did," I say in a matter-of-fact tone and he gives me a disapproving look but it was true. He reaches for my hand and I grab his before I push all my body weight to my unwounded leg and lift myself up and dad helps me walk inside. I look back one more time to see if that brunette boy was still there but I don't see him.
"It's sprained?"
"Well yes, but it'll get better. I'll just wash up real quick"'
"Where did you find the handkerchief?" Oh dammit. Damn it. How could I forget? I was still holding that handkerchief the brunette boy gave me. What do I say? Think Mahira think!
"Well, I brought it from the k-pop festival I and my friends went to last year. I found it in the almirah today so I was looking at it and....it finally put to some work" I say showing him the bloodstains. I jump on one leg and go to the washroom and let the cool waterfall on my bloody leg. My feet hurts like a trainwreck. I think I want to look outside the window one more time, in case he's still there. I didn't ask him a lot of questions. Will I see him ever again? As the cool water cleanse my bloodstains, I rub my feet on the rug and hop to the corner room where I was. I look outside the window and It's dark. I see nothing. It's absolutely dark. Maybe he really left. I look for a long time before I turn away and that's when something hits the window glass. And I see it. Those ash mauve eyes.