Danish's car whisked him away from the girl who had yelled his name from behind; her voice had vanished, as had her body, which was no longer visible in the side mirror. Danish smirked triumphantly. Who was she, that he would accompany her? He didn't want to be with that village girl a million times. So abandoning her in the city center was a brilliant idea. She could use the ticket to see a movie with his lifelong love, Ana.
Ana motioned her way to his car. Her lovely smile made his heart beat faster. Danish thought that girl was getting more beautiful by the day, and he would never let her go. Anna was far superior to that village girl in every way, including beauty, intelligence, education, personality, and family trait. That village girl was nothing in comparison to her.
Danish invited Ana in by opening the door and sitting on his side. As soon as her gaze landed on his bandaged hand, that girl commented on it. Danish assured her that the incident that had injured his hand was minor. After hearing his explanation, that girl sighed with relief.
Danish turned on the music and they cheerfully sang along together, enjoying their time together. Ana was a lively and carefree young lady in her early twenties, standing at 5.5 feet tall. Her skin was porcelain smooth and fair. Her cherry lips were always planted with a beautiful smile, making her look sweater than honey. Many men vied for her affection, but only Danish was able to win her heart.
"What if that woman tells your grandmother that you left her on your way and she discovers we're dating?" Anna had a worried expression on her face.
"That village girl would never do something like that. She will see what I can do to her if she tries to interfere with my business." Danish's hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel. "Don't be concerned, Babe." He turned to face Anna. When their gazes met, his expression changed; a smile flourished on his lips.
"I believe in you, honey. I know you're capable of doing anything for me. I adore you." Ana's excitement was mirrored in the rearview mirror.
"I adore you as well." Their eyes were fixed on happiness, as if the world were theirs.
***
Luna knelt in the middle of the road, her hands covering her ears. Her eyes closed in resignation, as if she had given up on her destiny if the car had hit her. Instead of the blood, she saw a handsome tall man in a jet-black suit standing less than one foot away from her, looking down at her in concern.
"Are you all right, Miss?" Luna's weak nod brought him relief. His hand reached out to assist her in getting to her feet. Luna declined. She staggered to her feet. That man's hand swung around to help her, but she indicated that she was fine. "I'm sorry for driving too fast because I was in a hurry." Luna, shaking her head, insisted that it wasn't his fault. She simply did not cross the street with caution.
"I have to go," Luna said, bowing slightly and dragging her feet to the kerb. He did the same thing, bowing politely to her before walking to his car. His car's horn blared, and Luna nodded her chin once more toward the man whose face popped out the window.
As she walked to the phone box, she wondered if she really needed to call Grandmother. That lady would undoubtedly question why she had to call her while she was with Danish. She'd be suspicious if something suspicious happened between them. Luna was only able to rest on the pavement bench after leaving the area.
What should she do now? She had an epiphany when she remembered the home address grandma Li had mentioned; with the address, she could return by taxi. She sighed in relief and counted the money in her purse. Despite not knowing whether the money was enough to get her home, she had to take the cab.
She'd been waiting on the side of the road for what seemed like a decade, with no sign of a cab arriving. This place was overcrowded, but there wasn't even a single taxi. Luna was wandering around, looking for a cab. Sweat had collected on her brow and soaked her dress. She decided to ask one of the passersby, who told her that the taxi would be in this area. She gratefully directed her attention to another part of the area. Luna could finally relax inside the cab after a long walk thanks to her instructions.
Luna dashed inside the gate after paying the fare. She crossed from the front yard toward the massive door after ensuring that no family members were visible around the house. It was fortunate for her that the maid greeted her. When the maid inquired about Danish, she placed her forefinger on her own lips. Luna dashed upstairs, making sure Grandma Lee didn't notice her.
"Luna...." Her spine shivered as she heard Grandma's voice. She turned her gaze to the old woman, who was now looking up at her with questioning eyes. "Why are you going home alone? Where has Danish gone?" She had expected the question but not the response. She was counting her steps down the rungs as she considered what response she should give her.
"He said he needed to get somewhere after dropping me off at the gate." Luna felt bad about lying to Grandma Li, but she had no choice. If she found out Danish dumped me in the street, she'd be furious. She had to prioritize avoiding the conflict between grandmother and grandson over her disappointment.
"I'm curious as to why the film is so short. It takes at least two hours." Luna was taken aback by her statement. She tried to hide her nervousness by averting her gaze. "But forget about it. Get some rest." Luna climbed the stairwell, bowing her head.
Luna exhaled a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her after a long day. Her rage at Danish's arbitrary abandonment of her lingered in her heart. That man despised her, but abandoning her alone had been too much for him. Showing him how much she suffered as a result of what he did would only feed his ego. She had to act as if nothing bad had happened.
***
"Danish, Luna, would you mind telling me about your date today?" Grandma Li immediately questioned them after they gathered in the living room. She summoned them to see her. In shock, Luna bawled her eyes out. How could she possibly tell Grandma Li? She never even went on a date. Her only experience today was ending up in a bustling place she had no knowledge of and nearly being hit by a car. Luna struggled to come up with an excuse to save them after catching a glimpse of Danish, who remained calm as if he were a good and innocent boy who never broke the rules. But it appeared that he had no desire to explain himself. "Why are you two being so quiet? What about the film? Do you enjoy it?"
"Yes, I... we enjoy it." Luna's unguarded response drew a smile from Grandma's lips.
"Can you tell me about the movie?" Luna was taken aback by her next question because she had never seen the film. She had no idea how to answer that question. She begged Danish, who was still holding his mouth shut, for assistance. Nothing came out of his mouth.
"It's about... love," Luna said at random.
"Can you please tell me more about what happened and how it ended? Do the male and female leads end up being together?" Grandmother didn't stop there; she peppered them with more questions. Luna gave up this time.
"It's about two lovers who are madly in love, but the man's parents try to get in the way and separate them and fail. In the end, they live happily together." It felt like Danish was telling his own love story, not one from the film. Danish, whatever it was, had saved them from Grandma's other questions and rage. "Are you finished?"
"Yes, that's all for today." Now you can spend some time together before you return to work tomorrow, Danish." Danish didn't say anything in response, instead hurrying upstairs.
"I know you were both just acting. Now, Luna, tell me the truth." Luna returned to her seat, puzzled and anxious. She was helpless this time. She formed sentences in her head while heavily inhaling. "What are you waiting for, Luna? Did you and Danish actually see the movie?" Luna hesitantly gaped her mouth, knowing that making a mistake in what she said would be fatal to the relationship between grandmother and grandson.
"Grandma," she sputtered, the tension in her heart tensing. "I and Danish..." Grandmother was patiently and attentively listening to each of her ward. "Danish ...."
"I noticed her with a man!" Sandra appeared out of nowhere. "I told you she was seeing another man, Mom. She did not go out with Danish. She was dating someone else." Luna was in agony as that slander strangled her. How could she defame her in front of her grandmother? Her resentment for Luna drove her to go so far, destroying her heartlessly, like mother like son.
"That is not the case. It's not true. I didn't..." Her efforts to defend herself were futile. Grandma Li did not respond, instead displaying her cold expression.
"Not only was she uneducated and ugly, but she was also a shameless young lady!"