Though Shahin pretended not to be affected by their presence, he was undeniably shaken. The women unsettled him. He harbored a deep-seated anxiety, one shared by even the most self-assured of men – a wariness of the irresistible pull exerted, intentionally or not, by the opposite sex.
Shahin believed women to be the most formidable and dangerous of adversaries. Despite his reserved demeanor, a modesty that seemed to charm them endlessly, he unwittingly drew them to himself as bees are drawn to fresh honey.
Incidentally, his striking and distinctive facial features captured the curiosity and favor of the boldest and least shy among the women, temporarily usurping the spotlight typically reserved for Averkane.
One such woman couldn't take her eyes off him, abandoning her shopping entirely to stare. Her gaze was wide-eyed, her mouth agape like a hungry wolf, as though she'd received a divine revelation.
