It's been hours since Farrah had left Richard's office. She didn't have time to think about what happened in his office as she was swamped the moment she stepped into Paani. Although, her first order of business was to unravel her hair and swallow two paracetamols to soothe that throbbing in her temples.
Running her fingers through her hair she poured through the accounts, the stock-take and checking in with Dave and Charlie. As Dave stood up to leave, he raised his eyebrow at Charlie.
"What? It's girl talk time," she exclaimed with a huge grin on her face. Both Farrah and Dave rolled their eyes at her.
As she heard Dave shut the door to Farrah's office behind her, "What happened? What happened?" Charlie asked breathlessly. Tugging on her hair, Farrah groaned.
"Not now Charlie," Farrah's voiced muffled by all the paperwork on her desk as she dropped her head with a thump on the desk.
"Ben & Jerry's tonight?" Charlie asked her brow furrowed.
"Uhuh," came Farrah's muffled reply.
*
"So, what happened?" Charlie asked as she dipped her spoon into her pint of Chocolate Brownie ice cream.
Both girls were comfortably dressed in their pajamas and wrapped up in their favourite blankets on the couch. The tele was on but neither of them was paying attention to it. Farrah was studying the swirly patterns her spoon was making in her Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream and Charlie was watching her friend. Something definitely happened today, she thought as she watched her best friend and roommate with a pensive expression on her face.
"Hey, it couldn't have been that bad. Could it?" Charlie asked hesitantly.
"He had a panic attack," Farrah said, eyes still on the patterns her spoon was making.
"Who? Prince Richard?" Charlie asked, her mouth agape.
"Yeap," Farrah said, popping the 'p'.
"What? How?" Charlie still confused.
"I told him about my plan. You know, using Princess Victoria's 20th death anniversary to come up with a segment talking about depression, getting the royals involved...and he had a panic attack," Farrah said flatly.
"Fuck," Charlie breathed.
"Fuck, is right," Farrah said scooping a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
"What...so, then how did he calm down?" Charlie asked. "Did you...help...?" her throat suddenly dry.
"Mmhmm" Farrah murmured burrowing herself into the couch and leaning her head against the couch.
"You helped?" Charlie asked again. "How?...Like you do for me? You cuddled him?" She all but shrieked sitting up on the blush colored couch.
Farrah glared at Charlie. "Yes."
"Yes. Yes? That's all I get?" Charlie looked on at her best friend with wide eyes. "You cuddled with Prince Richard! I need details!" she said quickly grabbing the pints of ice cream and sitting it on the coffee table. "Let's remove these distractions, now spill!" Charlie said looking at her with excitement scrawled all over her face.
"Charlieeeee," Farrah whined.
"U'uh, no. No whining. But seriously, though â how come you were the one to help him? Weren't his bodyguards or secretary there?" Charlie asked firing questions at a rapid pace.
"Charlotte. Stop, you're giving me a headache," Farrah groaned. She threaded her fingers, through her hair and started tugging at the roots.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Charlie said sheepishly. "I can't help it. You cuddled Prince Richard! I mean...do you know how many people-" Charlie held a finger up, "-and note I said people, not just girls, because both males and females would give anything to cuddle up to him!"
"Are you done?" Farrah asked without any emotion.
"How did he smell?" Charlie's voice was giddy with excitement.
Farrah released a rush of air through her nose, "Expensive," she deadpanned.
"Okay, so wait...this is the second time you've met him in person, right?" As Charlie opened her mouth to say something else, she was interrupted by Farrah.
"Third." With a crease in her forehead she corrected herself, "No, wait fourth time if you count the thing in Oxford."
"Fourth?" Charlie frowned. "Oxford, Paani, and today makes three. When did you meet him to make four?" She asked confused.
"Yesterday, at Dishoom for dinner." Farrah answered quietly.
"Are you trying to tell me, that you went out for a dinner date with the fucking prince of England?" Charlie asked, her voice raising in a shrieking crescendo.
"I didn't know it was a date," Farrah grumbled.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. OH MY GOD!" Charlie couldn't stop herself. "My best friend is going to be a princess!!"
At that outburst, Farrah couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. "I'm not going to be a princess, I'd have to marry him for that to happen," she said a smile teasing her lips.
"And why won't that happen?" Charlie asked with a whole lot of sassiness. "Look at you, you are a Pakistani wet dream, with that tight body and luscious hair, he'd be crazy to not want to be with you!" Charlie exclaimed loudly flipping her hair over her shoulders.
Richard's voice rang in Farrah's ears, I like you. And for whatever reason, the inside of her wrists started burning, as if reacting to the memory of Richard's soft caresses.
"And don't get me started on your skin; it's the perfect tan all year long. If I could skin you like a baby calf and wear your skin all year long like a favorite accessory, I totally would!" Charlie continued.
Rubbing her wrists, "First of all, God you are mental. Second; you said it yourself; a Pakistani wet dream. One that white men don't go for, especially men who are princes of countries that have options from the whole world to choose from like an all you can eat buffett."
"Babe, why you selling yourself short?" Charlie asked.
"I'm not, I'm just super realistic. As attractive as he is-"
"Ah, so you do find him attractive," Charlie crowed triumphantly.
"Charlie, I'm Pakistani, not blind. I can acknowledge an attractive man when I see one," Farrah said rolling her eyes and shrugging.
"He is fit, isn't he?" Charlie asked smirking.
Raising a brow at her, Farrah continued, "The point here is; it's not going to happen. Well, there's nothing there to happen in the first place" Farrah continued rubbing the insides of her wrist.
"Okay, so what's going to happen to your proposal?" Charlie asked, serious in a flash.
"He said, that he'll need to talk it over with his siblings and then he'll let me know." Farrah answered just as seriously.
"So, does that make you two colleagues now?" Charlie asked cocking her head to the side as if trying to make sense of something.
"Friends. Apparently, we are going to be friends now." Farrah said leaning back into the couch.
"You know, it is pretty damn hard for a man and a woman to just be friends. Especially when they are as attractive as the two of you are," Charlie said mischievously.
Raising her brows, with her lips curving into a smile, "Charlie, are you quoting Bollywood to me babe?" Farrah started giggling and which was soon joined in by Charlie.
*
The ice clinked in the glass and Richard poured the amber liquid into his glass. He still couldn't believe that he lost control like that. The last time he had a full fledged panic attack was when he was in Afghanistan. While doing a security sweep, he had come across a family preparing a burial at the cemetery, it was a woman and she was a mother of two. Her boys were wailing their little hearts out and at that moment Richard was transported back to when he found his mother. Unmoving. Unfeeling. Unhearing. He was only 11 then.
He could hear the ticking of the clock in his study, the precision of the ticking soothed him amongst all the quiet that was his life. After that panic attack in Afghanistan, a lot of things changed for him. He was honourably discharged from the military and in confidence, he had sought help.
Picking up a heated pad, the propped it on his shoulders and picking up a small ice pack he put it on his left knuckles. He really went all out at his kickboxing session in the evening. He felt ashamed, humiliated even, that the woman that he was desperately trying to impress saw him broken down to pieces. A mess. In tears.
Remember, real men don't cry, his grandmothers voice kept ringing in his ears as he punched away at the bag.
Richard swallowed as he used his right hand to bring the glass to his lips and took a sip. Inhaling deeply, he thought back to the woman that had been on his mind for the last three months. Richard didn't even realise that she had taken hold of such a big place in his mind that he felt absurdly jealous when she said that she was the marrying kind; implying that she would be marrying someone else. Someone that was not him. Even thinking about it now, got him agitated.
Shaking that thought off, he thought instead about how right it felt to have her wrapped around him. She smelled of honey, almonds, with a hint of cinnamon; things that ignited a warmth in his heart. He'd never felt anything like this, in this capacity before. He wished he could stay like that forever, wrapped up in her arms; protected and shielded from the wealth of hurt that was inside of him.
Richard pulled out his leather bound journal and flipped to a new page. With his favourite pen in hand, he started writing.
***
Hey guys, finally an update. TBH, and I mean completely honest, I am really struggling with keeping Farrah and Richard as close to how I imagined them being. Wait, am I making any sense?
Please, please, my lovely readers comments and votes really help. especially with the fact that I am pretty much struggling with the writing.
So guys, read, share, comment and vote. Love you long time!! xx