Shaahid took in a long satisfactory sip of tea.

The rooftop was strangely cool even at four thirty in the afternoon.

" Sorry for bringing you here along. I cannot sit in the room and have beverages. " , Sakina spoke from the side, as they stood against a railing. She was grabbing a fuming cup of black coffee. Shaahid threw a distasteful glance at the cup.

" What? Don't gimme that look. Coffee haters are a different species, I don't know who created them with such erratic genes. " , she twisted her lips.

" Did I utter a word even, that I'm being insulted this way? Or is it your habit that you speak whatever you wish to, and think you are not answerable to anyone in return! " , Shaahid shrugged and nodded.

His tea tasted real good. It was time to meet the cook.

Sakina judged him thoroughly for sometime.
" You too ain't some gentle guy, I suppose you know that! "

" I definitely am. One amongst three men in Fareedpur, knows every bit about me. If you have a doubt, get your survey done. " , he smirked.

" As if I have got so much of bullshit time in spare. " , she rolled her eyes.

" That's it. We always have this one excuse prepared well when we know we are losing. ' I don't have time to fight. ' " , he looked away and sipped.

" No. I genuinely don't have time to ask one out of three in the streets of Fareedpur whether you are soft spoken, when I can see with my eyes and hear with my ears that you are not. "
Sakina was not an easy goer at all.

Shaahid smiled wider.
" Did you finally pass the test today? "

She frowned at this. Took sometime.
" No. Salman told me he'll contact some other center that arranges tests. This one's worthless. Delaying a session-ending exam for months. I have finished reading the journal so many times now, I feel as if I am some brainless student detained to the same standard for years. "

" That's a pity.
So, what does your Salman teach you everyday? New things, or just the old ones in repeat? "

" Are you an idiot? When the session doesn't end, how can he teach new things? " , Sakina nodded hopelessly.

Shaahid smiled to himself.

He had guessed it right again.

When Mr Siddiqui didn't even exist anymore, how could he teach new stuffs? On the other hand, how could Sakina's brains imagine being taught something she didn't herself know?

" So, do you smile to yourself like a duffer? " , Sakina broke his thought process.

" Wait.

Do you normally talk to people this way?
Like.. Idiot, duffer, retard, genetically challenged, nosy etc, or is it just me? "
Shaahid turned to her and raised his brow.

For the first time she looked a bit embarrassed, so she faced away.
" You are every bit of these adjectives. "

" How much do you know about me even? " , he smirked.

" I don't need to. That you are bhai's friend, is enough for me. "

" Do you hate your bhai, because he dislikes Salman? "

" Nope. That's his personal choice. I've got nothing to do with that. I hate him because he doesn't value me as much as a brother should value his sister. He doesn't value people.

Wait..

How do you know he dislikes Salman?
He told you right? "

" Wrong.
I'm just a tenant. Your bhai wouldn't discuss his life history with me.
Someone more of my standard informed me. "

" Who? "

" Sophia. The braid queen. "

" Haww! " , she face-palmed.
" She gossips with you, and you let her? "

" Not only that, she slept in my room. I mean, almost. "

Sakina stared with her jaw dropped for sometime. Then broke into a terrific laughter. She hugged her belly and laughed indefinitely.

While Shaahid turned uncharacteristically embarrassed. He scratched nails on the railing and looked at the sky, while Sakina like a child swirled around the rooftop laughing her lungs out.

She returned after a long time.
" Oh my god! I can't breathe!
That weirdo got you too! She tried a chance on bhai, Salman, literally on any man she came across. Bhai did not even realise that she was wooing him. And hence she stamped him an idiot. "

" And Salman? " , Shaahid turned.

" Hello!! 

Did you not hear?
We are a couple. Going to marry soon.

You really think I would let him sway? " , she turned serious soon.

" I have no idea what you are capable of. But this much I do understand, yours is a house of circus. " , he finished the last sip of tea.

" And you are the newest member. Mr Musician ! " , she winked.

And Shaahid did realise, that even at thirty three, she had that typical Sufi aura in her that could make hearts skip beats. Her nose pin glittered in the drowning rays of the sun. Her mahogany hair emitted the smells of raw henna. Her sea blue dupatta embedded with green stones, reflected ethnicity.

Shaahid hardly ever noticed women this keenly. He surprised himself.

" So, Ms German Learner and Violinist, and would be Mrs Siddiqui, do you know you'll receive a terrific surprise tonight? "

Sakina squeezed her brows.
" What surprise? "

" One of your long anticipated wishes will get fulfilled. "

" Long anticipated wish? I don't even think I've any, except for marrying Salman. "

" Some materialistic wish. "

" Are you kidding me? Are you trying to play with words or something? "

" I never play with words.
But I definitely play something else. And people get me wrong most of the time. "
Shaahid grinned, and checked the watch.

" Okay, so it's almost time for your love to be at your doorstep. I've some work.
Taking your leave, mademoiselle! "

Shaahid exited the rooftop.
He knew very well, Sakina was still trying to judge him big time.

__

Eight in the night.

Shaahid pushed open the door to the living room, which wasn't latched incidentally.

He looked around, and settled on the worn out diwan.
His evening stroll and public interactions on the road had somewhat tired him out today.

He guessed the 'ghost' of Salman saab was out by now. He did not at all want to face 'him' . Because that would completely mess up his line of work.

Suddenly the curtain to the indoors was drawn aside, and a woman of at least hundred and two kilos, with a face twisted like the Vodafone dog, came and stood with her hands across her chest, before him.

" You the new mannerless brat in house? "

" Errm... I think you aren't mistaken. ", Shaahid smiled.

" Really? Who gave you right to fear our dumb gardener about running wife? "

" Ohh... Your gardener got it all wrong. I didn't talk of his wife running in the marathons. I know it's a big deal for our patriarchal society, a thing of worry of course.
But, I said she's gonna elope with her babaji. "

" Shut up! I also talk of this. The wife is good and crying. She can't run. Murshid is so sad because of you! "

" Who are you by the way?
And why can't she run? Having a fractured foot? "

" Shut up! I'm the cooker of this house. She loves husband. Why she run with new man? "

" Mostly because she doesn't like the old man called her husband anymore. Hence she got herself a new man. " , Shaahid yawned.

" Shut up! I say she no run! Why you say same thing? "
The woman was now almost screaming.

" Because I know what I'm saying. She might have cried before her husband today, upon getting caught. But she'll soon execute her plan. One thing I like is, everyone's so protective of Murshid here. " , Shaahid grinned.

" Shut up! If she run tomorrow by chance, I will sit on you. You die. "

The woman thumped away like a baby elephant.
Shaahid then remembered, he forgot to praise her as to how great a tea she prepared.

Shaahid slowly lay on the diwan, thinking, that if the gardener's wife really did run away the next day, which she'd definitely do, and if the cook really sat on him, he would soon join Salman Siddiqui out there in the sky.
And most importantly, no Sakina would keep him existent in this world as well.

Just as he was about to sigh, he heard a scream that made him spring ten feet up from the bed.