"Unraveled Destinies"

Chapter 29

"Good morning, Ira," I said with a hint of sarcasm, but my expression showed that I was serious. She frowned at my remark, but after a few seconds, she replied, "Good morning? It must be evening, Kabir. I didn't even realize when I fell asleep." She yawned and tried to get up, stretching her arms. I helped her sit up on the couch, placing a cushion behind her back for support and comfort.

"Wait, how did I end up here? I remember sitting on that chair," she said, suddenly realizing the situation and looking at me for an explanation.

"Yeah, the chair has this amazing feature where it automatically throws anyone who falls asleep on it onto the couch," I replied, mockingly. She turned her head towards me with excitement, as if she believed my words, and asked, "Really?"

"Of course not, Ira. That was just a sarcastic remark. I actually carried you here. But why didn't you just sleep on the couch if you were feeling sleepy?" I asked her softly, but with a hint of firmness. She kept looking down at her lap, fidgeting with her dress.

"Well... umm... actually, I liked sitting on the chair, and I didn't realize when I fell asleep. It was just so comfortable, I am sorry" she replied, her voice slightly hesitant.

"Next time, if you say sorry, I'll leave you alone with Buzo," I replied, playfully warning her. She looked at me with wide eyes, and I continued, taking her hand in mine.

"It's okay, Ira. You don't have to be sorry for every other thing you do , okk? Besides, I know you were tired because of yesterday, so it's alright .Bs Tum thk ho na? Mere liye utna kaafi hai so relax ,(Are you feeling better now? That's all that matters to me so relax) And please, stop saying sorry everytime " I said, drawing the small circles at the back of her palm from my thumb and she noded at me making me smile.

She then raised herself up, looking at my face, and wrapped her arms around my torso, hugging me from the side. Her head was resting on my shoulder, leaning on me lazily giving me wierd sensations in my stomach . It took me by surprise, but I couldn't deny that I liked it. My hot cheeks and red neck were evidence of that. I wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing her closer, and we sat there in comfortable silence for a while untill,

"You liked the welcome? Or is there any problem?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I just lovvvved it, you know! It was so fab!" she exclaimed excitedly, removing herself from my embrace. She used her hands to explain how much she loved it, and the shine in her eyes made me feel satisfied.

"And you know what? It was the first time I ever received such an amazing welcome. They were all so nice to me. I feel like I should come here every day if that's how they'll welcome me," she exclaimed.

"Which means, now I'll have to pay my staff extra salary every day for this extra work," I commented, causing her to look a bit confused.

"What do you mean? Did you actually pay them extra for that?" she asked, raising both eyebrows in surprise. I nodded my head in agreement, expecting her to praise me or something, but instead, she put a hand over her mouth, showing her shock.

"Kya hua , meri tareef nhi krogi ab iske liye?" (What happened? Won't you praise me for this?) I asked, playfully raising the collar of my suit jacket, hoping for an excited hug or something. But what she did next was beyond my imagination, leaving me looking at her in disbelief.

"Tareef kis baat ki? Bilkul hi buddhu ho aap, itne se kaam ke liye extra pay karna pada aapko. Kaise boss ho aap, ekdm useless. Itna toh hum teachers apne students se bol de toh vo khushi khushi kar de,"(What are you praising? You're so silly, having to pay extra for such a small task. How can you be a boss, completely useless? If we say this to our students, they would happily do it) she said, playfully slapping my forehead while giving me a silly look. I narrowed my eyes at her in mock annoyance.