“Why?”
“I was sleeping with Iram,” she rubbed her eyes, smiling. “She tried so hard not to wake me and that is why I always woke up when she was coughing and trying to hold it in. She thinks she can bear it all alone…”
“Why is she staying in that house?”
“Have you heard the decibel level of this house?”
“Hmm.”
Her nose scrunched up again.
“You are not sleeping with her today?”
“Her sister is here.”
“She has a sister?”
“Adopted sister. They lived together in Leh at her landlady’s house. Ada. She is young, but she can take care of Iram.”
“Hmm.”
“Ok, bye.” She reached out and grabbed the shutter handles.
“What happened?”
“One more Hmm and you are out.”
“I am already out.”
She grit her teeth behind her pout, looking sweet while trying to snarl.
“You understood what I meant.”
“Did I?”
“You are so dumb!”
His brows rose, amusement like he had never felt before shooting through his blood. Samar stepped up — “You are calling your boss dumb?”
“You cannot fire me.”
“I can do other stuff.”
She stilled, her eyes staring into his. Her breath swelled in front of him, her face flushed under the moon, and he stood there being the reason. Did he even deserve to be the reason?
Amaal’s nose scrunched again, this time trying to sniff — “What’s that smell?”
“What smell?”
She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. He tried to tug back but she sniffed — “You smoked?”
Samar took three steps back.
“You smoked?!”
“No… I…”
“Don’t lie. Either you smoked or you were with people who were smoking close to you.”
