Chapter 14 - AFFECTIONATE

"Oh! The gate is closed. What time is it?" Looking at the wrist watch, "I am just two minutes late!"

Sara is standing in front of her hostile's closed gate.

"No more sitting on a hard bench for the whole night!"

She says tediously and walks to the nearby old park. Sitting on a bench, she commences to ponder. Something in her mind clicks suddenly which leads her to bring out her phone. She calls Mr. Niaz Bux. Humayun receives the phone call but says nothing.

Sara breaks the ice, "Hello, Excuse me!"

Humayun replies coldly, "Yeah?"

"Is my bike ready?" She asks.

Humayun passes the phone to Mr. Niaz Bux.

Mr. Niaz Bux asks, "Yes daughter! How are you?"

"I am a fine uncle! Is my bike ready?" She replies with a question.

He says, "I am still working on it!"

She asks, "How much time will it take?"

He replies with a question, "Do you want it right now?"

"Yes!" She replies.

He says, "Okay then it will be ready within 2 to 3 hours."

She greets, "Thanks Uncle! Bye"

She stands up with a childish smile on face and makes her way to Mr. Niaz Bukhsh's shop.

Nearly 15 minutes are utilized in reaching his shop.When she reaches the shop she sees Mr. Niaz Bukhsh busy with her bike and Humayun is sitting in a car testing it.

He says, "This bike requires a lot of work!"

Sara replies, "I knew that. I hope this bike will not become a problem for me later!"

Mr. Niaz Bukhsh says, "No no! If any, you can consent to me anytime. By the way, will you ride it yourself?"

She replies, "Yes!"

He asks again, "Sorry to ask but what about your father and elder brother?"

She replies, " No I have none!"

He asks worriedly, "So, where do you live, daughter?"

Humayun comes closer to them with two wheels in his hands with the intention to drop them, who was yet working at a distance from them.

Sara continues replying to Mr. Niaz Bukhsh, "I live in the nearby hostel. I often get late, coming back to the hostel from the academy where I go to teach."

Mr. Niaz Bukhsh exclamates, "Oh! So this is the reason you need a bike?"

She nods in a noble way.

Humayun glances at her for a second with no expressions on his face, then drops the wheel and goes away.

Sara says to Mr. Niaz Bukhsh, "Your son is a serious man! He keeps himself busy with his work."

Mr. Niaz Bukhsh replies with a mirthful smile on his face,

"He is not my son but he is!"

After a minute's silence he continues,

"He was just 12 years old when he came to me and asked for a job. I asked nothing, just kept him at work. Later, I came to know that he is a school going boy, studying on free stipends issued by the school administration due to his good achievement record. I felt really good.

Once I asked him about his parents. He just gave me a one word answer "KILLED" which made me quiet. He usually keeps silent but he is obedient and kind by heart. He neither tells nor shares anything. Slowly, the cars which were not worth a damn once are now made so valuable by him. A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold. He continued his studies and now he is a graduated mechanical engineer but he doesn't leave me and go to settle somewhere else. He does a good job which pays him a handsome salary package in a mechanical company. He has bought one of the apartments above this shop. All three shops here are merged. Two were mine and the third one is now bought by him."

Mr. Niaz Bukhsh looks for Humayun, who is seen busy in his work at a distance from them then he comes closer to Sara and whispers in her ear, "He wants to make it a car showroom!"

Sara replies happily, "Incredible! God bless him!"

Looking tired, Humayun comes to Mr. Niaz Bukhsh calmly.

Uncle Niaz asks Sara in a noble way, "Well! Will you keep sitting here for the rest of one and a half hours?"

Sara replies innocently, "Yes because it is much better talking with you rather than sitting on a hard bench all alone for the whole night!"

Uncle Laughs, "Okay! What would you like to take? Either tea or coffee?"

Sara replies, "No, thanks! Nothing!"

Humayyun asks as he is astonished, "For the whole night?"

Sara replies, "Don't worry. I am sitting here in your shop for just one and a half hours until my bike gets ready. Then I will leave to spend the rest of the night on that hard bench. I am just afraid of that scary Man In Black!"

Humayun says irritatedly, "Ah! Disgusting!"

Sara asks him, smiling mirthfully, "What?"

He replies still in the same cold manner, "I hate him!"

She asks, "Haah! Why?"

He replies, "There is nothing great in his personality. He is just a murderer who is himself coward hence keeps himself vieled"

Humayun, after completing his sentence, goes away. Sara keeps laughing. She talks to Mr. Niaz Bukhsh till 9:20.p.m. until she receives her repaired bike then leaves the shop.