I don't know when it started
But my days are all about you now
It's you
Precious days that were colored with you
The way you talk, your face, your eyes,
I miss them all
Moments that are warm as the sunshine
You alone were enough for me,
When things were hard for no reason
I remember how you held my hand
I realized that my days without you have no meaning
Though I'm afraid of this place without you
At the end of my wait, I hope you'll be standing there
As I cherish all the gift-like memories
Just like our very first meeting.
And now I can't help
But hope that my heart reaches you.
~ Imraan.
■■■
"I'm going to the hospital."
Ayana announced while wearing her shoes.
"Hmm."
Without removing his eyes from his laptop Imraan simply nodded.
This morning he received another rejection mail from one of the companies he sent his resume to. What frustrated him wasn't the rejection mail rather the reason for rejecting him. According to them, he was overqualified to be a mere employee. What kind of reason was that?
"The breakfast is on the table. Heat it up before having it."
Ayana voiced out bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Hm."
"Imraan, close the door."
Sensing his lack of response, Ayana sighed.
Last night they had a mini fight. Hearing the condition of Imraan from Ayana, without discussing with her first, Rayyan proposed Imraan to work for his company which eventually hurt Imraan's ego. Of course he wanted a job but on his capability not because of his mere connection with the Malik's. Imraan assumed Ayana convinced her brother to make the offer to him and with this misunderstanding the couple had a small fight yesterday.
Without saying anything, Imraan simply got up to lock the door.
"Don't forget to drink water and get some sun."
Ayana spoke looking at his pale and tired face.
"You have basically become a houseplant with more complicated emotions."
"Okay. Allah Hafiz!"
He blankly spoke before closing the door.
Mentally taking a note, to talk with him after coming back Ayana turned around to leave when she bumped into their neighbor, Mrs. Rehman.
"Assalamualaikum!"
Ayana greeted.
"Waalaikumussalam! Good that I met you here."
Mrs. Rehman said, indicating about her teenage daughter, Fahia.
"Fahia suddenly got a cold today. So I don't think she will be able to come today."
"Hope the cold isn't severe."
Ayana asked to which Mrs. Rehman nodded.
"It's just a mild cold. Nothing serious. I bet it's just an excuse to escape today's tuition."
Ayana simply smiled. Fahia was a mischievous and bold tenth grader. Last week when Mrs. Rehman shared her concern for her daughter whose board exam was coming soon , Ayana, seeing it as an opportunity to divert Imraan's mind and suggest Imraan to tutor Fahia. Although at first Imraan opposed the idea, he eventually listened to his wife. Ayana remembered the incident when Fahia came over to their apartment for the first time.
Flashback Starts
The bell rang indicating that Mrs. Rehman with her daughter came. Ayana, who was busy making snacks for the guests, asked Imraan to open the door.
As soon as Imraan opened it, a shock of gasp escaped from Fahia's mouth.
"Please tell me you will be my tutor?"
Hopefully the teenager asked.
Awkwardly Imraan smiled before replying.
"Yeah that would be me."
"Mom, for the first I'm so happy at your decision."
Fahia exclaimed in happiness, making Imraan confused.
She was starting to dream about this soon-to-be handsome tutor of hers when Ayana came from behind to greet them, swapping the smile out of her face.
"Don't tell me he's married."
"Hello, Fahia. I'm Ayana. Nice to meet you."
With a warm smile Ayana greeted to which Fahia simply made a face.
"Hi!"
As all of them sat in the drawing room and chatted, Ayana served the snacks.
"So, what subjects does she need assistance with?"
Imraan asked.
"For now, math and physics. Those are the ones she struggles with the most. Right Fahia?"
Mrs. Rehman asked her daughter. Getting no response, she looked at her only to see her daughter ogling at Imraan.
"Fahia! What are you doing?"
"Don't mind me, mom! I'm admiring the beauty."
Dreamily she replied making Ayana look at her with wide eyes whereas Imraan started to cough at such a direct remark.
"I'm sorry. She's brazen for her age."
Mrs. Rehman embarrassedly chuckled.
"She loses her mind whenever she sees someone above average looking."
"That's you, mom. I value style over looks."
Without any filter in her mouth, she talked back.
"They're the same thing."
Gritting her teeth, Mrs. Rehman glared at her brazen daughter. Because of her unfiltered mouth, Mrs. Rehman had to change the tutor seven times in the past month.
"Behave yourself if you don't want me to tell your father that you skipped classes?"
Fahia frowned but nodded obediently. After discussing everything, Mrs. Rehman went upstairs whereas Fahia stayed to study.
Sitting on the opposite side of her, Imraan asked,
"Is there a specific topic in math that you find particularly challenging?"
"Algebra is where I get stuck in math, especially when it comes to solving equations and word problems."
She replied. She hated math and its complicated processes.
"I understand. Algebra can be tricky, but with the right guidance, you'll be able to tackle them with confidence."
With a friendly smile, Imraan spoke before looking at her text book.
"We'll go through step-by-step strategies to solve equations and word problems in math, okay?"
"As you say."
With a shy smile, the teenager replied. Little did she had any idea that her crush on Imraan was going to turn into horror soon.
An hour later
"Did you understand the concept now?"
Imraan asked as calmly as possible. It was the third time he was teaching her the same thing but as she was busy looking at Imraan so she didn't catch anything Imraan spoke.
"Yes."
"Alright then. Solve this math."
Marking a math from the book, Imraan said to which the teenager nodded before doing it.
Taking a break, Imraan stood up and went to the kitchen to have some water.
"How's tutoring going on?"
Ayana asked.
"I wish I didn't agree with this."
Imraan sighed.
"Why?"
"It's so hard to teach someone when she's not even slightly interested in understanding the topic."
Imraan complained.
"Gosh, how can a person be so air headed?"
"Come on! It's not right to say something like this."
Ayana lightly patted his cheek.
"Moreover, I have faith in you. You'll do a good job tutoring her."
Just then Ayana got a call. Excusing herself she went to take it whereas Imraan went to Fahia who was trying to cheat. Hearing Imraan's footsteps, she quickly composed herself.
"Are you done?"
"Yes. Here."
She forwarded her copy.
Checking her copy, Imraan closed his eyes before taking a breath.
"Is this a joke to you?"
Fahia innocently blinked.
"No. Why will this be a joke? This is math."
"Hey!"
Imraan slapped on the table with the pen.
"If you were gonna cheat, at least cautiously cheat."
"C-cheat? What are you saying? I didn't cheat. I did it myself."
Fahia lied.
"Really? Then how come you wrote the answer for problem three when I told you to do problem 2?"
Gritting his teeth, Imraan asked to which Fahia frowned before getting up.
"I don't like math. I don't understand it."
She was about to take her book when Imraan spoke in a hard voice.
"I'm done studying for today. I'll do it tomorrow."
"Sit down."
If she was going to be a brat then, Imraan would also treat her like one.
"You'll only get up once you complete the math without cheating."
At his look, Fahia gulped before sitting down.
Like this the next ten minutes passed.
"What's the answer?"
Imraan asked, to which Fahia replied confidently.
"One."
At this Imraan actually lost his cool.
"You idiot! How's the answer one?"
"Then is it zero? Or minus one?"
With a shaky voice, she asked.
"Gosh! This must be a joke."
Imraan glared at her.
"Why don't you just guess it?"
"You know what, I'll make some dice out of an eraser for you so that you can throw it and then guess the answer."
He sarcastically said.
"My eraser? Here is it."
Fahia, who was now scared of Imraan's temper couldn't understand his sarcasm and took out her eraser making Imraan more pissed.
"Ughh! I'm just saying it. It's not like I mean it."
Semi yelling, he said.
"Gosh you can't even distinguish jokes or solve math problems."
"Is there even something on that head of yours or does it consist of just bird brain?"
"Did you just call me a bird brain?"
Tears started to accumulate in her eyes.
Just then Ayana came into the drawing room.
"What's with all the yelling? What happened?"
Fahia almost ran to Ayana before crying.
"I don't want him to tutor me. He is bad and rude."
"Hah! I don't even want to tutor you anymore."
Imraan also said stubbornly.
"He called me a bird brain!"
Fahia complained while hugging Ayana.
"What? Imraan, did you really call her that?"
Looking at the man child, Ayana asked.
"A bird brain should be called a bird brain. I just stated the fact."
"Imraan!"
"What? I didn't say anything wrong."
Seeing Ayana glaring at him, Imraan asked.
"Then what do I call her?"
"What do you mean by, what do you call me?"
The teenager frowned.
"Call me by my name."
"That's unacceptable... The name you call a person represents that person's identity which ultimately represents their brain."
Imraan replied, behaving exactly like the teenager.
"Your brain is similar to a bird brain if not less. So I called you bird brain. Why don't you accept the fact that you have a bird brain? Why don't you accept the truth?"
"Then is your identity a rude jerk?"
Fahia narrowed her eyes at him before retorting back, making an unexpected chuckle come out of Ayana.
"What?!"
Quickly looking at Ayana, Fahia with a pitiful look spoke,
"Api, I really feel sorry for you for getting married to such a person."
"And thanks to you,"
Then looking at Imraan, she said loudly.
"I learned my lesson. From now on I'll always value personality over good looks."
"What did you say?!"
Imraan glared at Fahia who showed him her tongue before fleeing from there.
"You brat! Come back!"
Flashback ends
After that day Mrs. Rehman came over to their place to apologize to Imraan for Fahia's rude behavior and almost pleaded with Imraan to continue teaching Fahia. Unable to drop the request Imraan agreed.
Getting out of her thoughts, Ayana said,
"I'll let Imraan know that."
Mrs. Rahman nodded before going to her apartment whereas Ayana went out of the apartment.
♧♧♧
Sitting beside her best friend, Deira handed a can of Sprite to Ayana who was sitting on one of the benches in the roof.
"You seem distracted."
"Do I?"
Opening the can, Ayana took a sip.
"What happened?"
Deira asked to which Ayana sighed loudly.
"Nothing serious."
Seeing Ayana not wanting to share, Deira diverted the topic.
"How are you adjusting in your new apartment?"
"It's been-"
Deira counted before speaking.
"-almost two weeks since you two shifted right?"
"Adjusting in a new place is never easy."
Ayana nodded, taking another sip .
"I mean there are small issues but it's manageable, I guess."
The two friends silently sat until Ayana spoke.
"We had a fight yesterday."
"A fight?"
Ayana explained last night's incident as Deira patiently listened while occasionally sipping from her can.
"Why didn't you correct him?"
Deira asked once Ayana completed.
"Why didn't you deny that you didn't tell your brother to offer him the job?"
"I can't believe you would go ahead and tattle on me to your brother."
Imraan said massaging his temple.
"Imraan, I didn't tattle about anything to anyone. I simply shared my concern with my brother and trust me I had no idea he would make an offer to you."
Ayana said, trying to solve the misunderstanding.
"You know what it was my mistake. My mistake for assuming that we were on the same page when we clearly were not."
Imraan looked at her.
"Look Ayana, things are tough now. I know that and honestly it's gonna be tougher from now on. So if you want to move to your parents house, I won't blame you. In fact, I'll gladly accept it."
"I don't -"
"Frankly, I think it'd be better for both of us if you stay at your parents house for the time being."
Rudely speaking Imraan went into his room and from the next morning he started to ignore Ayana.
"I was... tired."
Without giving her the details, Ayana spoke.
"You guys have to communicate. If not, then you won't be able to make progress in your relationship."
Just then Deira got a call.
"I have to go now. My break time is over. See you at the orphanage later."
"Orphanage?"
Cluelessly Ayana looked at her.
"Yes. The director will visit them and we have to be there standby. Didn't you get the mail?"
Ayana hit her head in realization.
"It completely flew from my mind. Some of the check up reports are in my house. I forgot to bring them."
Panicking Ayana said.
"Why don't you ask Imraan to bring it to the orphanage then?"
Deira suggested.
"Imraan?"
"The universe is giving you a chance to resolve your issues. Grab it!"
Deira nodded with a wink before going away.
♧♧♧
"I think it's possessed or something. "
Imraan said pointing at the washing machine.
Adil rolled his eyes at Imraan's dramatic words before asking,
"What exactly is the problem?"
Imraan called Adil in his lunch break just to see this washing machine which was acting weird for the past few days.
"Every time I press the start button, it starts making these weird noises-like it's singing its own special symphony."
Imraan explained making Adil hold back his laughter.
"A singing washing machine?"
With a serious face, Adil said.
"That's definitely a first."
"Sometimes, it randomly decides to pause in the middle of a cycle, as if it's taking a nap."
Imraan added.
"So, it's not just an appliance; it's got a personality too!"
Adil joked in a low voice which was inaudibly to Imraan.
"And don't even get me started on the spin cycle. It goes into a wild dance routine,"
Imraan complained.
"shaking and shimmying all over the place."
This time Adil couldn't hold any longer and just burst out laughing.
"Sounds like it's trying to impress the clothes with its moves."
Imraan chuckled along with him before adding.
"I wouldn't be surprised! This washing machine has a mind of its own. It's like having a pet that's constantly misbehaving."
Adil shook his head before examining the washing machine. With the tools he did something before turning on the washing machine which was now working smoothly.
"Woah! You must have magic on your hand."
Impressed at him, Imraan said.
Once the duo sat on the couch to relax, Imraan asked Adil.
Would you like to have some tea?"
"Will you prepare it?"
Adil asked, looking at Imraan with hopeful eyes. It will be the first time his boss will prepare something for him. Well, ex-boss.
"Why will I prepare it?"
Imraan gave him a look before pointing at the kitchen.
"There's the kitchen and on top of the counter there's a pot. Make tea for yourself."
'Typical him!'
Adil made a face before making a serious face.
"I think I know why all the other companies are skeptical about offering you the job."
"Because I'm overqualified?"
Adil shook his head.
"Rather than that they think that even if they appoint you, you'll work for Quraish Enterprise."
"You mean as a mole?"
Frowning, Imraan asked to which Adil nodded.
"You can't blame them. Suddenly the CEO of one of the top industries quit that too from his family business and is now searching for a job in other companies. Anyone would be suspicious."
Adil explained before quickly eyeing him.
"That's why you should have thought twice before giving up your position."
"The company needs you, sir."
Adil was cut off by Imraan.
"If you want you can come ba-"
"I won't change my mind, Adil."
Imraan said.
Just then Imraan's phone rang. It was Ayana. Excusing himself, he picked up the call.
"Hello!"
"Hi! Erm, are you busy?"
From the other side, Imraan heard Ayana's hesitant voice.
"Why?"
"I forget to bring some reports which I need urgently. Would you mind dropping them off?"
Quickly Ayana spoke.
"It must be on my bed."
Walking in her room, Imraan looked at the bed where a couple of reports were lying on.
"Alright, I'll bring them over to the hospital."
"I'll be going to the orphanage now actually. So can you bring it there?"
"Okay."
Ayana breathed out in relief.
"Erm, see you later then."
Saying she cut the call.
♧♧♧
"Thanks!"
Ayana said, taking the files from him before hesitantly offering him.
"Would you... erm... like to come in?"
"It's alright."
Imraan shook his head. The couple looked at each other expectedly but none of them said anything. Ultimately breaking the silence Imraan spoke.
"I should get going then."
"Thank you once again for bringing it over."
Ayana, a bit disappointed, nodded.
"This-I must be a burden for you."
She mumbled at which Imraan mumbled.
" Sorry for the trouble. I'll make sure not to repeat it."
Adding, she turned around and started to walk away.
'So much for wanting to communicate.'
"What was that supposed to mean?"
Going after her, Imraan holds her hand.
"It's nothing. Go back."
Ayana tried to free her hand but instead Imraan held it firmly.
"Why will you think of yourself as a burden?"
He further asked.
"Because that's what I'm to you, aren't I?"
Taking her hand back, she at last spoke her heart.
"You are fed up with me and you already made it clear."
"When did I say it?"
Confusedly he looked at her.
"You can't possibly be suffering from short term memory loss after last night, are you?"
Seeing him still confused, she added.
"You think I'm a burden and that's why you told me to go back to my parents house."
"That's not the reason why I -"
Imraan took a breath before looking at her.
"You are not a burden, Ayana. You never were and you never will."
"About wanting you to stay in your parents house, it wasn't because I am fed up with you nor because I think of you as a burden. It's quite the opposite."
He softly spoke.
"The apartment we are staying in now, it's smaller than the room we had at Quraish Villa. I know you say that you don't have any problem staying there but I do. Leaving the company, the Villa, all the luxury behind was my decision but you, you were simply dragged here with me."
"I don't want you to face any discomfort because of me. I would hate to be the reason behind your discomfort."
Holding her hand, he said.
"I'm sorry for talking to you rudely last night. But I was just frustrated with all of the things and-"
He paused realizing that whatever he said may sound like an excuse to her.
"I was just looking out for you. I'm sorry that it came out wrongly. You don't have to go anywhere."
"I am sorry for yesterday. I really am."
"And for ignoring me in the morning."
Looking down, Ayana mumbled.
"Huh?"
"What about ignoring me in the morning? Don't you have anything to say?"
She asked loudly this time.
"Yeah. About that too. Sorry for being rude last night and for ignoring you in the morning."
He sincerely apologized.
"I like the apartment. And I don't have any problem or discomfort staying there."
Looking away Ayana said in a low voice.
"I want to continue staying there. With you."
"So never tell me to go away like that again! I might forgive you this time but not the next time!"
Narrowing her eyes, Ayana threatened him to which Imraan made a fake scared face.
"Never gonna repeat."
♧♧♧
At night
"One time when we were interns, we were in charge of the nursery. Ayana was asked to bring the baby of the parents that were discharged that day."
One of Ayana's colleagues shared an internship memory of them.
"Unable to identify the baby, she handed the wrong baby to the parents. Fortunately the parents recognized that it wasn't their baby and were able to identify the right baby. However, Ayana had to write 15 long apology letters to the authorities as a punishment."
Everyone laughed whereas Ayana frowned.
"In my defense, I'll say that both the babies at that time looked identical."
In the orphanage, spotting Imraan and Ayana together, Ayana's colleagues demanded a housewarming party. Ayana was about to refuse but Imraan gladly invited them. And so after work everyone came over to their apartment. Ayana was surprised at how meticulously Imraan arranged all the things. The house was immaculately clean, reflecting the care and attention to detail Imraan put into its maintenance in such a short time. For dinner, he ordered pizza with soft drinks. Considering arranging everything in such a short time, Imraan did a marvelous job which was more than enough to impress Ayana.
"Guys, remember the other incident?"
This time Deira spoke.
After dinner all sat in the drawing room playing truth and dare when suddenly from the game their attention shifted to Ayana whom all were bent on embarrassing before her husband.
"Which incident?"
Others asked whereas Ayana vigorously shook her head.
"It was our sixth month in the internship. Ayana and I were appointed in the surgery room for the first time. Both of us were excited. I was instructed to examine the patient before the surgery and Ayana was instructed to inject the anesthesia to the patient."
Trying hard to control her laughter, Deira shared.
"This madam here while injecting the anesthesia accidentally dropped a few drops on her hand which she didn't notice."
"As soon as she was done injecting it, she touched her face I-don't-know thinking what and then boom!"
Deira chuckled whereas all burst out laughing including Imraan.
"She fainted in the surgery room beside the patient."
Looking at Ayana's scowl face, Imraan stopped laughing before putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, everybody! Stop teasing my wife!"
A slight blush crept on Ayana's face which in the next second vanished.
"Although I'm grateful to you all for sharing my meticulous and oh-so-perfect wife's hidden moments of silliness which very soon I'll be using against her,"
Imraan winked, making everyone chuckle whereas Ayana glared at Imraan before hitting him lightly.
"Let's shift our focus on the game so that Ayana can stop giving us her infamous murderous glare."
And that's how everybody's attention shifted on the game instead of teasing Ayana.
This time Ayana turned around the bottle which landed on Nila.
"This time I'm going with the truth.."
After thinking for a while, Ayana asked a classic question.
"What's the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in public?
"Well, one time, I was giving a presentation at school, and I accidentally tripped over my own feet and fell flat on my face."
Nila shared.
"Not wanting to be a laughing stock I pretend that someone pushed me which only made the students make fun of me more."
Everyone smiled. It was so typical of Nila before sympathizing with her. Eventually all shared their own embarrassing stories, creating a lighthearted atmosphere.
As the game continued the bottle landed on Saad who was sitting exactly opposite of Nila.
"So, truth or dare?"
A colleague of them asked Saad who replied,
"Dare!"
"Okay, so..."
The colleague thought for a while before looking at Saad mischievously.
"I dare you to call your girlfriend whom you are hiding from us and talk to her for at least a minute."
Deira and Ayana looked at each other whereas Nila's eyes widened.
"Hey! That's a bit too much! Come on, give him something else."
Deira said to the guy who dared Saad.
Making a face, the guy was about to give another dare to Saad when Saad spoke looking directly at Nila who was forced to look back at him.
"No. It's alright, I'll do it. I accept the dare."
"Saad!"
Low-key Ayana warned Saad who ignored her warning before dailing Nila's number.
Nila's phone which was thankfully inside her bag vibrated as her heart raced erratically, as if it had a mind of its own. The room suddenly seemed smaller, the air heavier, as a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Her palms grew clammy, and she absentmindedly wiped them on the fabric of her dress, hoping to alleviate some of the perspiration. Nervousness engulfed her, but she refused to let it define her. Thankfully none noticed that her phone was ringing.
"No response!"
As the vibration stopped, Saad spoke. An awkward silence fell.
"I guess she's busy."
"It's getting late."
Nila stood up in an instant, making all the heads turn towards her from Saad's.
"I should get going. Shihab would be here anytime to get me."
She added, indicating her fiance.
Before anyone could protest, she looked at the hosts.
"You guys have a lovely place. Thank you for inviting me over. "
Saying she almost dashed out of the place. Shortly after that Saad excused himself before going after Nila.
♧♧♧
Nila stormed away to the road, her heart heavy with anger and hurt. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Saad knew he couldn't let her walk away without trying to make her understand his viewpoint. Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint, his footsteps echoing as he chased after her.
"Nila! Wait!"
He called out, his voice laced with a mix of urgency and longing.
Nila's steps faltered for a moment, but she continued walking, determined to put distance between them. Her pace quickened, fueled by a mixture of anger and annoyance. But Saad was relentless, fueled by a desire to bridge the gap that had grown between them.
With every stride, his heart pounded in his chest, not just from the physical exertion but from the fear of losing her forever. He reached out, stretching his hand towards her, desperate for her to stop and listen, to give him a chance to explain.
"Please, Nila,"
He pleaded, his voice catching in his throat,
"Just hear me out."
His words hung heavy in the air, carried away by the wind. But he refused to give up. He knew he had to tell her, to break through the walls she had built around herself.
When he finally caught up to her, he reached out and gently took hold of her arm, turning her to face him. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, he saw a mix of emotions swirling within her-anger, confusion, and a glimmer of curiosity.
"What do you want, Saad? You have said enough. What more do you have to say?"
Nila voiced out angrily.
"I messed up, Nila. I made a mistake, and I'm so sorry,"
He whispered, his voice raw with sincerity.
"It's been less than a month and I already feel like I've spent an eternity in hell. I miss you. I miss us."
The breath fled from Nila's lungs. Oxygen solidified into something sweet and honeyed that dripped into her stomach, filling it with warmth. A choked sob entered the mix before she swallowed it. She couldn't afford any break in composure. Not in front of him.
"But nothing has changed,"
Nila said, her voice thick.
"You still are not ready to settle down and I won't continue to be in a relationship with no future."
"You're wrong."
Saad replied.
"Something has changed."
"I thought I could live without you. That my commitment issues meant more than my feelings for you. It took a while but I did realize that I can't. I..."
His throat worked with another swallow.
"I love you, Nila. More than I ever thought I was capable of."
Without wasting a second, he kneeled down and put a ring out of his pocket.
"Marry me, Nila."
Nila's heart soared; her stomach plunged into a wild free fall.
'Marry me, Nila.'
The words echoed in her head and spilled into her chest, where they met their counterparts for the first time.
Unknown to them Shihab who was about to pick Nila up came, heard their conversation and with a broken heart left the place unable to witness the scene in front of him.
♧♧♧
After bidding farewell to their last guest, Ayana and Imraan surveyed the aftermath of their lively housewarming party. Plates and glasses were scattered across the living room, and a general sense of disarray filled the air. But amidst the chaos, there was a palpable energy between the couple-a connection that only grew stronger as they embarked on the task of cleaning up together.
Ayana grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor, her delicate features highlighted by the soft glow of the room. Imraan picked up a sponge and joined her, ready to tackle the pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
As they worked side by side, a playful banter filled the air. Imraan nudged Ayana with his elbow, earning a giggle from her. She retaliated by flicking some water at him, resulting in a mock protest and laughter that echoed through the house. Their movements were in sync, as if they had danced this routine a thousand times before. But it was in the subtle glances and tender touches that their connection truly shone.
Once they were done, their eyes fell on the sofas. They shifted the sofas in their original position holding the opposite sides respectively. Placing it in its previous position, both sat on it to rest when their hands accidentally brushed, sending electric currents of warmth through their bodies.
Both of them instantly looked at each other, before Imraan's eyes fell on her lips and back to her eyes.
"You feel it too, right?"
Looking at her directly he whispered without taking his hand from hers.
"This attraction."
"This undeniable attraction."
Her heart pounded hard as he whispered getting closer to her. Each beat reverberated through her body, causing her breath to hitch and her senses to heighten.
The room around her seemed to blur, as if the world had faded into the background, leaving only him and his words.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
And like this ten seconds passed as the couple continued to look at each other without saying anything.
Imraan really wanted to know what are running on her head as she continued look at him with a unrecognizable expression but soon under her gaze he got nervous. It was as if she held the power to unravel him with a single look, and he found himself both captivated and intimidated by the intensity of her scrutiny.
His mind raced, searching for words to fill the void of silence that stretched between them. Yet, every thought seemed to evaporate, leaving him feeling exposed and uncertain.
"I just want to make sure that we are on the same page."
He quickly added, not really pondering what he was saying.
"Page?"
Ayana blinked twice.
"Well, I guess I am wrong. Maybe I'm the only one who's feeling this way- anyways, I got it."
He rambled in his nervousness.
"We are not even in the same library."
'He shouldn't have opened his mouth in the first place.'
He cursed himself.
"What?"
Confusedly Ayana asked.
"Nothing. You should go to sleep now."
Looking away, he said not wanting to embarrass himself more.
Staring at him for a couple of seconds, Ayana stood up before calling him.
"Imraan!"
"You are not the only one."
She said in a small voice, making him look at her.
"I-I feel the same way."
"Huh?"
"Goodnight."
Blushing profusely, she added before running inside her room leaving him speechless and somewhat flustered.
♧♧♧
Assalamualaikum and hello everyone! 👋
Unfortunately my five-days eid vacation ended today and as the classes have resumed so it'll be a bit difficult to update. 😢 However, I will try to update whenever I can manage time.
Anyways, back to the book.
How was the chapter? 😃
Do let me know in the comments and don't forget to press the 🌟 button.
And thank you for reading.❤