Selfless Love [Completed]

Chapter 2

She was just looking right in his eyes with a proud smile etched on her face.

"More than anything, I am proud of you. For who you are, for the man you have become. Your parents should be the proudest!"

"Well, I think they are or at least they say so! And like an obedient son, I believe them because let's face it, they do have a genius son"

"Hold your horses, mister. Too confident, no?"

"You don't think the same? Hold on... okay but never mind. You are still stuck with this too confident brat for life so... tough."

"You won't have it easy Mr. Shahroze Sheikh. I am a tough woman."

She said with a smirk on her face and he just shook his head and chuckled.

"Oh, you are. I agree. Someone's got to be tough to handle me well."

"You are such a pain! Going to make sure our son doesn't go on your over-confident trait."

"Yeah because my daughter will. Ha!"

"I give up."

She said and heaved a sigh while he just laughed. Dropping her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and with a beaming smile on her lips, and said a prayer for him and her. For them. He wrapped his arm around her and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Seeing sunsets from her apartment balcony was one of their favourite things to do and they were doing the same now. Just sitting close with each other, admiring the sun set in silence which was always enough to hint the truth and meaning of their love.

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The next morning followed with mad amount of work for Shahroze. The company he was working with bagged a really big and important deal and everyone in the leadership team were working tirelessly to make it a success. It was a short project, only for a week, so the work load was immense and all of it had to be sorted and done in some days.

Rudaba was busy in her university assignments but was still less occupied than he was. They were still in touch through calls and texts, but they didn't meet after that evening because he had gotten busy in work. So, she decided to go and visit him in his office. Surely, he would be allowed a tea or coffee break. It would be enough for her to catch up with him and to see if he was okay.

She walked to the reception and asked for him and the receptionist told her that he will be out soon, so she will be able to meet him. She sat on the couches nearby and was scrolling through her phone when she saw someone stood in front of her with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Rudaba."

"Hi Zain! What's up? Where's Shahroze?"

"He is just finishing up the meeting notes, so he sent me to call you in. I will take you to his office. Come."

He said with a smile and gestured her to walk to the right which was the way towards Shahroze's cabin.

Zain was Shahroze's first cousin. Both of them grew up in the same household and both came to the United States to study business, but their universities ended up being in different cities. Both had been really close since their childhood, their relationship was more of brothers and best friends than cousins. He knew Rudaba because when he returned to New York to find work, he had found out from Shahroze that they were in love and that he was going to wait for her education to complete first before they settle. Now,l Zain and Shahroze worked together in a company and due to their dedication and hard work, they managed to get promotions to better roles soon after they were appointed.

Rudaba and Zain got to Shahroze's cabin and seeing her enter, his lips curled into a smile straight away as if all his tiredness and stress had gone away seeing her. As if this was all he was waiting for.

"I am so glad to see you! Thanks for this surprise." He said taking long strides towards her and then hugged her sideways.

He didn't notice Zain was there too and it was awkward for him to stand there so he excused himself.

"I will go and order some tea. Will be back." He said smiling and winked at Shahroze who got the signal.

He was basically telling his cousin to do all the PDA while he was out. He just shook his head and sat with Rudaba on the sofas in the cabin opposite the main desk and chairs.

"How was your day?"

"Mine was fine. Submitted two assignments. But you look like you had a blast of a day!"

"I mean yes, I did. There is so much work related to this deal. I hope I do well. Don't want to disappoint or embarrass them all last minute."

"You always do great and this is no different."

She smiled assuring him and patted his shoulder. And it almost eased his stress. She would always make him feel better, no matter how bad things would go, she would always make things right.

Meanwhile Zain walked in with the cups of tea and the three just talked and enjoyed the little tea break they had managed to get due to Rudaba's arrival. Smiles, laughter and hyped conversations were all going on between the three but there was something Shahroze felt. Something he almost immediately hated himself for feeling. Seeing Rudaba laugh out at Zain's jokes and almost engrossed in a discussion with him was making him feel unsettled. Was he getting jealous? If he was, he was hating himself for it.

But there was something else between Rudaba and Zain that he saw but they didn't.

Something that was perpetual. Something present yet unknown.

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