Chapter 14: What a Kiss?
"Okay, one last picture," Asia commanded, her voice cutting through the humid night air like a blade. "Now, Aslam... you have to kiss her."
Aslam's brain didn't just stall; it short-circuited. "Wha—WHAT?!"
"Asia, I don't think we need that right now," Heer interrupted, her face flushing a deep crimson. "I think you understand... it's a bit much."
"No," Asia snapped, her professional persona replaced by a terrifying intensity. "For a foolproof alibi, you need this. For the world to believe a beauty and a common man are in love, they need to see a spark. Now, Aslam, kiss her!"
Aslam stood frozen, his mind racing for an escape. "I... I haven't brushed today!"
The rooftop went silent. Even the wind seemed to stop.
"Really?" Asia asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Yes! Yes... I haven't brushed!" Aslam scrambled, his voice rising an octave. "I can't kiss her, Ma'am. Do you really want someone to kiss you when they haven't brushed their teeth?"
Heer made a face of pure disgust. "No."
"Listen to me!" Asia shouted, her voice echoing off the nearby buildings. Aslam and Parwaiz jumped; they had never seen the polished, mannered Asia scream like a drill sergeant. "You look like two kids who just finished a fight and are being forced to shake hands! No one—absolutely no one—is going to believe you are a couple! Look at these photos!"
Aslam, Heer, and Parwaiz huddled around Asia's camera screen.
"Look at this heart emoji sign you made with your hands," Asia pointed out. "It doesn't look like a heart; it looks like a squashed frog! And this hug? Aslam, you are standing a full foot back! It looks like you're trying to catch a criminal, not embrace your fiancée!"
She looked them both in the eye. "If your family asks for proof and you show them this garbage, you're finished. Now, do what I say, or just go home and get some sleep. Aslam... kiss her."
The pressure was suffocating. Aslam looked at Heer; she looked back at him. Both were blushing so hard they looked like they had fevers.
"Okay... fine. Let's do it," Aslam muttered, taking a breath so heavy his chest hurt. He reached out, catching Heer's hand and pulling her toward him, leaning her back slowly as if they were in a classic movie. He lowered his face, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Their faces were so close their breaths mingled.
Heer closed her eyes, letting her body go limp in his arms. Aslam's lips were inches from hers, moving in for the final, terrifying contact—
"I GOT IT! I GOT THE SHOT!" Parwaiz screamed.
The spell broke instantly. Aslam and Heer scrambled apart, standing up so fast they nearly bumped heads. Asia whirled around, furious. "What happened, you idiot? I didn't even click the shutter!"
"Look at this!" Parwaiz shouted, grinning like a madman as he shoved his phone into their faces.
"What...?" Heer whispered, her eyes widening.
In the photo on Parwaiz's screen, Aslam and Heer were locked in a perfect, passionate kiss. It looked 100% real. The lighting, the angle, the emotion—it was flawless.
"But... this didn't happen," Aslam stammered.
"Of course it didn't!" Parwaiz laughed, tapping his phone. "The moment you leaned toward her, I clicked a burst. Then, I ran it through a quick AI-generative filter I've been testing. It mapped your face onto her lips perfectly. Digital proof, baby!"
Asia's eyes were like daggers as she stared at the "kiss" on Parwaiz's phone. The silence on the rooftop was thick enough to choke on.
"You... you used AI?" Asia's voice was dangerously low. "Parwaiz, you idiot! I wanted raw emotion! I wanted the heat of a real moment!"
Parwaiz didn't flinch. He just tapped the screen, showing the perfect lighting on Heer's blushing face. "Asia, look at the data. This photo is perfect. If you post this, no one—not even her father—will doubt it. Do you want a 'real' photo that looks like two awkward kids, or a 'fake' one that looks like a blockbuster movie?"
Asia snatched the phone, zooming in on the pixels. She stayed silent for a long minute while Aslam and Heer stood awkwardly, refusing to look at each other. The ghost of a touch—the feeling of their breaths mingling—was still vibrating in the air.
Finally, Asia sighed. "Fine. It's better than the 'squashed frog' heart emoji photo. But listen to me, both of you..." She looked at Aslam and Heer. "Next time, the AI won't save you. You're playing a dangerous game. You better start practicing for real."
Aslam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked at Heer, expecting her to be angry. Instead, she was looking at the city skyline, her fingers tracing her lower lip as if she were imagining what almost happened.
"Let's go home," Asia commanded, packing her gear. "Aslam... try to brush your teeth tomorrow."
They all headed toward the main gate, the tension from the "fake kiss" still hanging heavy in the air. Suddenly, a woman appeared from the shadows of the entrance. She stumbled, her heel catching on the pavement, and she began to fall.
Before his brain could even process the movement, Aslam lunged forward. He caught her mid-air, his arm supporting her back in a perfect, cinematic dip. For a second, they stayed there—Aslam looking down and the mysterious woman looking up—in a scene straight out of a K-drama. Asia and Heer stood frozen, watching like an audience in a theater.
"Are you alright?" Aslam asked, helping her stand.
The woman smoothed out her dress, a playful smile on her lips. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Abigail... and you must be Mr. Handsome."
Before Aslam could even open his mouth to respond, a cold hand clamped onto his arm.
"Hi," Heer interrupted, her voice dropping an octave as she pulled Aslam closer to her side. "My name is Heer. And he is my fiancé."
Abigail blinked, her smile faltering under Heer's icy gaze. "Oh... I see."
"Good to meet you, Abigail," Heer added, already dragging Aslam toward the gate. "Sorry, but we really have to go. Now."
As they hurried away, Parwaiz popped up from behind, stopping in front of a confused Abigail. "Hi! My name is Parwaiz, and I'm his best friend! You know that suit he was wearing? That's actually mine. I'm the one with the real style—"
"Get lost!" Abigail snapped, turning on her heel and walking away.
"Oookay... tough crowd," Parwaiz muttered, jogging to catch up with the group.
Once they reached the cars, Asia turned to the couple. "Heer, Aslam... tomorrow we head to some new locations. We need more photos. But more importantly, we need a proposal video."
Aslam felt a cold pit form in his stomach. "Wait... I don't even know anything about your family. I don't even know who you are exactly. Tell me something I need to know before I walk into a lion's den."
Heer opened the car door, her expression unreadable. "I will tell you when the time comes. I'll send you the details tonight. Just... be ready."
Inside the sleek, leather-lined interior of Heer's car, the silence was heavy. Heer stared out the window at the passing streetlights, her expression unreadable.
"So, Heer..." Asia started, her voice teasing as she steered the car through the quiet streets. "Did you feel anything?"
Heer didn't move. "Wh—what do you mean?"
"I mean when his lips were an inch away from yours," Asia said, glancing at her friend. "When the air between you two was hot enough to start a fire. Did you feel anything?"
Heer finally turned, her eyes narrowing into that familiar, icy glare. "Look, Asia. I don't know what you're trying to say, but I am Heer. There is no man on earth who can melt me down. You know why? Because I am not frozen water. I am a tough rock."
Asia smirked, but she didn't argue. She knew Heer better than anyone.
Suddenly, the large console screen in the center of the car's dashboard lit up. The ringtone was sharp, cutting through the quiet. Both women looked at the incoming caller ID displayed in bold, elegant letters.
Heer's face went from "tough rock" to ghostly white in less than a second. Her breathing hitched, and her cool composure shattered like glass.
"What the... fuc—"
Heer's voice trailed off as her hand trembled near the screen. The "tough rock" was officially shaking.
[End of Chapter 14]