Loving Her

I

♪♫ Aisa kyun lage hai,

Jaise kuch adhura

Vo chand hai mukammal,

Kyun na lagta pura

Aankhon ki seipi mein,

Khwabon ke moti hai

Moti taraste hai,

Pyar ke liye...♪♫

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahana was working on her laptop while waiting for her best friends—Inaya and Noor in the café. The cafe had a cozy interior but it was unusually empty that morning.

"You're working on a Sunday, seriously?" Inaya asked in disbelief when she saw her workaholic best friend with her nose buried deep in her laptop.

"I was waiting for you." Ahana shut the lid and put the laptop aside while Inaya sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry for being late." Inaya sighed.

"Where is Ziya? You didn't bring her with you?" Ahana asked. Ziya was Inaya's almost 2 years old daughter whom Ahana loved dearly.

"You came to meet me or her?" Inaya frowned.

"Would you be upset if I say, her?"

"Fine! She has a day out with her father today. I'll bring her next time." Inaya huffed in annoyance.

"Alright! So, what did you want to tell me?"

Inaya's demeanor changed as she took Ahana's hand in hers. "Look, I don't want to hurt you but I know that if I don't tell you, you would be more hurt."

"Out with it already!"

"I'm... I'm pregnant!"

"Really!? Oh, God! That's such great news!" After a very long time, Ahana was grinning and Inaya regretted her decision of not telling her before. "But wait, why isn't Noor here? She should know this too, right?"

"She... she knows. Everyone knows." Ahana frowned at her friend's reply.

"Then why am I the last one to... Oh!" Realization dawned upon her and her face again had that emotionless mask so Inaya wouldn't be able to know what she was feeling. "You thought that I wouldn't be happy—that I would get hurt by your news because I can't become a mother."

"Ahana, I'm-"

Ahana cut her off. "No, I understand. Anyone in your place would have thought the same. But you're not anyone, Ina. You're my best friend! How did you not know that I would be the happiest person to know that you're pregnant?" She took a deep breath and gently squeezed Inaya's hand. "I've always loved and protected Ziya like my own and I would love your second child the same. Sugar, I want you to understand that your happiness is a part of my happiness, always. And I don't want you to hide anything from me."

Inaya's eyes glistened. "Even if it hurts you?"

Ahana looked into Inaya's eyes. "Yes, even if it hurts me."

"Your happiness is a part of my happiness too, Ana. Always."

Ahana gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

▪◀▩▶▪

She walked into the house, only the night lights were on in the living room and no one could be seen considering that it was almost 11:30 at the night.

She already had her dinner but she was craving something sweet. So, putting her handbag on the sofa, she passed the dining room and made her way toward the kitchen.

Even after searching for ten minutes, she couldn't find something which appealed to her. She huffed and again started her search.

"There is cheesecake in the refrigerator." A voice came from behind her and she exactly knew who the voice belonged to. 

Kabir Jaisingh. 

She also knew that if she turned around now, she would see him leaning on the door frame with a smug look plastered on his annoyingly beautiful face.

"Who said I'm looking for something sweet?" she lied without turning.

"A demon told me." she could feel the smirk in his voice but still turned toward him with a raised brow as she asked wordlessly. A what now? "You know because you are Satan's daughter."

"That's lame!" She again turned around and continued with her search.

"It's not lame!" he exclaimed while he walked and stopped beside her.

"Sure."

"I said that there is cheesecake in the refrigerator!" he exclaimed when he saw her still searching.

"And I said that I'm not looking for anything sweet!" she exclaimed looking at him with annoyance.

"We both know that's a lie." He said as a matter of fact.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't know that."

"I do because I know you."

Suddenly her expression changed, for the second time today, she wore the emotionless mask on her face. "You don't know me because if you had known me, you would have run miles away from me by now."

"I don't run away from my people."

"Well, then it's a good thing that I'm not your people."

She couldn't find it in herself to face him anymore so she left the kitchen and went upstairs to her room which coincidentally was right in front of Kabir's room.

She went into the bathroom to take a shower. When she stepped into her room again, there was a slice of blueberry cheesecake sitting on the nightstand. She walked toward it to see a note beside it.

One should never go without a cheesecake!

Good night!

Your frenemy,

Kabir

And without her permission, a sweet smile slipped on her face. She opened a drawer and took out the book she has been reading while replacing it with the note.

She ate the cheesecake while reading with a smile.