The Eclipsed Heart

Chapter 46

The persistent knocks echoed through the room, each one adding to the confusion that swirled in Meerab's mind. "Meerab! Meerab, open the door!" Murtasim's urgent plea filled the air. "Open the door, or else I'll just break in." Murtasim's warning lingered but Meerab didn't bother opening the door.

Suddenly, silence descended like a heavy curtain, leaving Meerab feeling disoriented. As she opened the door hesitantly and peered into the corridor, she found it eerily empty. Confusion furrowed her brow as she scanned the deserted hallway, trying to spot Murtasim. Yet, he seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving her questioning the reality of the situation.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, Meerab felt a warm breath on her neck, as another body pressed against hers. A hand, both enticing and controlling, pushed the door closed, making her turn around abruptly. There stood Murtasim, beads of sweat on his forehead and breathing heavily, catching her between the door and himself. The intensity in his eyes held a mixture of determination and accusation.

"H--how did you get here?" Meerab questioned, her voice uneasy, trying to make sense of the surreal moment.

"That's not important. You kissed me while I was asleep?" Murtasim's words hung in the air, a blend of disbelief and shock tainting the atmosphere.

"I--I," Meerab stuttered, clearing her throat in an attempt to compose herself. "How did you get in?" she questioned again, her mind scrambling for a way to divert the focus from her actions.

"The balcony," Murtasim replied, his eyes never leaving hers, a lingering intensity that seemed to defy the laws of gravity.

Anger boiled within Meerab as she pushed him away, her voice now laced with indignation, "How dare you. That's called trespassing! I'll report you." Her threat hung in the air like a storm cloud, but Murtasim scoffed in response, a smirk playing on his lips as he seemed unfazed by the impending storm.

"Well, then be prepared to be counter-reported for harassment, Miss Meerab," Murtasim declared, his words leaving her bewildered, a mixture of defiance and frustration etched on his features.

"Are you out of your mind?" Meerab questioned, her voice laced with disbelief, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I am because you kissed me in my sleep. You stole my first kiss, and that too when I was asleep. That's harassment! Sexual harassment, to be precise!" Murtasim proclaimed, feigning chaotic panic, his tone an orchestrated blend of accusation and disbelief.

"Mr. Khan, you're mad!" Meerab retorted, her frustration mounting, a furrow forming between her brows.

Murtasim, in a state of exaggerated shock, blabbered on, "I can't believe you did that! I was asleep, Meerab! And here I was naïve enough to think that maybe I was having a dream or something, but you were there, trying to prey on me. God knows what else you might have done while I was defenseless in my sleep!" Murtasim exclaimed, his eyes narrowed with fear as he tried to cover himself by his hands.

"Mr. Khan, shut up! You're freaking out about this? It's just a kiss," Meerab demanded, her patience wearing thin, her eyes flashing with a mixture of exasperation and incredulity.

Murtasim's eyes widened comically as he gasped, "Just a kiss? You stole my first kiss."

Meerab rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Oh, spare me the melodrama! First of all, it's not like I took a priceless artifact from you. It was a kiss, not the end of the world. And secondly, let's be realistic here—I highly doubt it was your first kiss at the age of 30." Her words were laced with sarcasm as she delivered a pointed retort, a challenging glint in her eyes.

"Are you trying to say that I'm some sort of womanizer? That I'll be going around kissing random women?" Murtasim said, his shock palpable, a defensive edge creeping into his tone.