•______________•
“If nothing in this world is permanent as they say,
Why do I see forever in your eyes?”
_Unknown_
•_____________•
Shanzay"?!
Waniya's voice was what snapped her out of her trance making her immediately halt in her steps.
The realization dawned in the other second that she had already taken two steps in his direction and that too infront of the crowd of spectators with their gazes oh so curiously and astounded-ly set on them.
The realization couldn't help but make her feel embarrassed to her core.
The hues slowly scattering across the creamy skin of her soft cheeks.
Why was she so thoughtless and reckless earlier?
Why didn't she give a single thought to what she was doing, what her feet were doing?
Why did it feel so easy to take steps towards his direction?
Gulping softly, she swept her reluctant and slightly scared orbs across the chilly air until the light coloured honey cups of hers caressed his aristocratic features again.
The eyes of hers, even from this far, getting stuck in between the thick arched brows of his, getting lost in those ferocious orbs of his and getting entangled in the luscious sweep of his raven eyelashes.
Shanzay never knew just a mere sight of someone could give anyone a shortage of breath.
She suddenly felt it difficult to inhale and pump oxygen in her body.
Confusion shone in his inky irises as the tall muscular frame of his stood there basking under the attention of nearly all the crowded lot.
His face expressionless, almost blank, not giving away anything to what he was feeling at the moment, but the orbs of his stayed glued to her frame, not letting her go for even a mere second, like the moon following the wanderer in the middle of night,
Stalking their each step.
Following their every movement.
"Shanzay"?
Ayat's voice echoed this time breaking her trance, pulling her out from the petrification, making her take in a shaky inhale as she reluctantly withdrew her gaze from his figure, lowering her pristine lashes like the wings of the bird lifelessly fluttering down, as she turned on her heels facing the group of her friends with slight hesitance like a deer who hadbeen caught in headlights.
She raised her orbs, gazing back at them with slight awkwardness.
She really didn't expect anything to happen this way.
She really didn't want everything to be revealed to them this suddenly and unexpectedly.
This situation was not something she had ever wanted.
She really didn't want to make them feel as if she was hiding such an important matter from them, that she didn't deem them worthy and important enough to tell them anything.
To discuss everything.
They hadbeen her best friends, her companions through thick and thin.
Her support systems and cheerleaders whenever she faced a hurdle, a difficulty or a grievance in her life.
They were people who never abandoned her, never judged her and never made her feel as if she was alone.
They were always there when she needed them.
They were there when she was alone.
They were also there when she was surrounded by masses.
They protected and shielded her in ways that couldn't be put together in words.
They never left her behind, never made her feel left out, and never left her to fend for herself.
They always backed her up, cheered her up and hyped her up no matter what the circumstances were.
They were people she could sacrifice for,
They were people she could fight for,
The were people that were her family.
Shanzay immediately felt guilty for hiding everything from them till this moment.
She couldn't imagine the amount of heartbreak and disappointment they'll go through.
How much hurt they'll be after knowing everything.
She hesitantly gazed at her friends whose face reflected pure shock and confusion and oh so obvious disbelief.
Manahil was the first one to gain her senses back and speak,
"Shanzu, you know him"?
Her voice low, even assuring, pushing Shanzay to the endless pits of regret and shame.
She let out a soft sigh.
Who was this him, she didn't need to know.
She gulped softly but before she could say anything Ayat shrieked with a startled gasp making her jump slightly,
"THE HELL!!!! WHY IS HE COMING THIS WAY"?!!
Shanzay felt as if her toes were on fire and the flames of it had reached the top of her head, burning her scalp too in the process as she immediately flinched slightly while turning towards the way Ayat was gazing at.
Her lips parted as a small gasp trespassed them and the doe like orbs of hers widened more at seeing the brute now taking strong, firm and oh so confident strides their way.
Her way.
"JUST WHAT IN THE JAHANNUM IS HAPPENING HERE"?!!
Waniya whisper yelled in utter astonishment with a voice tinged with slight panic as she gaped ahead with her mouth hanging open and jaw touching the lot's ground.
Everyone was too stunned to speak or reply to her.
Their faces mirroring her dumbfounded expressions.
Even the students in the parking lot had halted their movements and talking, with their figures frozen and lips sealed, the eyes set on the area, the brute was walking across.
Shanzay curled her clammy hands into fists as she gazed ahead while nibbling on her lower lip nervously.
Each step he took towards her felt like a trial of her sanity, a test of her patience and an announcement of her doom.
She felt her heartbeats escalate with each firm and stable stride of his.
She felt the fingertips of hers quiver with each step he took that shortened the distance between them.
And what astounded her to her core was the realization, the immediate dwelling that it wasn't fear.
The feeling was something she couldn't name.
The intimidating frame of his only came to a halt when he was at a two steps distance from her as the tall frame of his now towered over her dainty figure.
She gulped, unable to raise her head and meet his intense orbs.
It was difficult.
It had always been.
"Salam".
The low echo of his raspy baritone tone holding a rough edge made her flinch internally fisting her hands tighter, unable to formulate a reply.
Her friends were so speechless and stunned, the faces of theirs reflecting shock, the orbs of theirs widening the size of saucers and mouths gaped open that a fly would enter but they won't care.
Like frozen sculptures of ice.
Too speechless to even speak,
To dumbstruck to even school their expressions.
A soft sigh left the man's lips a second later as he unnoticeably tucked his hands in his dresspants pockets keeping his gaze on her,
Only her.
"Chalain, Shanzay"?
The voice of his low, the soft edge lacing it, causing the echo of his baritone whisper to feel more like a caress of wind, that was warm unlike the cold chilling winds raking their surroundings.
His words made the brows of hers crease in confusion, dimming a bit of nervousness as she mustered great deal of courage before raising her head for the first time, trying hard to not pay attention to the eyes of her precious friends that were widening the size of saucers with each passing second, as if they were minutes away from popping out of their sockets.
Shanzay took in a deep breath before finally meeting the sardar's gaze.
The light coloured cups of hers met his obsidian ones that were so dark, they could bring the darkness of night to shame.
"Kidher"?
She didn't realize her voice came out extremely small that it wasn't even clear enough for her own ears.
Though the brute answered almost immediately, without a single crease marring his well sculpted face,
"I'll drop you home".
His words deepened the crease as she heard herself asking reluctantly,
"Wh-what? Wh-why"?
It was silence for few seconds.
Oh so pin drop silence that Shanzay felt sudden anxiety seep into her bones, makes her insides tremble.
The sight of his dark cups oh so intently and solely set on her frame, on her eyes, there was something about it she couldn't explain, couldn't point at.
Though, it did make her heart tremble, almost wildly.
A soft sigh left his lips a minute later as he kept his unforgiving orbs on her light coloured ones that glinted like honey under the sun's soft and warm rays,
"Phone kahaan hai apka, Shanzay"?
The words of his made the brows of hers furrow more as the visible confusion danced in her eyes giving her an innocent look,
"Phone"?
"Haan g, phone".
The corners of his lips unnoticeably twitched for a flicker of second as something light flickered in his orbs.
The action too shortlived, too unnoticeable, it almost made her believe that it was part of her imagination.
Trying to get a grip at her palpating emotions, she tried to formulate a response,
"W-wo....it's dead".
The sardar's dark irises didn't leave her orbs for even a second as the head of his ever so smoothly and slightly tilted towards his right shoulder,
The thick brow of his arching higher as he sighed softly,
"Phir say"?
As if the actions hadn't already puzzled her and made her heart skip a beat, the words of his immediately scattered scarlet hues across her rosy face as she lowered her gaze the other second, causing the light brown canopies to caress the soft skin as she mumbled like a child who had just been scolded by an elder,
"G".
The head of his still tilted and the ferocious orbs oh so stubbornly holding her sight as he asked in a low tone,
"Ap har dafa charge kerna kiyun bhool jati hain apna phone"?
Not an ounce of scolding, sterness or sarcasm marring his tone.
It sounded calm....and almost......caring?
Shanzay immediately gulped trying to hold in the reigns of her wildly beating heart,
"W-wo..."
She couldn't complete her sentence as her gaze lowered more.
"Agar kabhi ap dobara kisi mushkil main phuns gayee tou kaisay pohunch paun ga main ap kay pass"?
The echo of his rough baritone voice nearly made her choke on her breath as she immediately raised her head the other second giving him a taken aback and utterly flabbergasted look,
"G-g"?
His brow arched higher,
"Aik call nahi uthayee ap nay meri".
"You called me"?
Shanzay felt her jaw touching the ground.
H-had he?
Had he really?
A soft hum left his lips as he gave a slight nod, the intensity swirling in his ruthless orbs not fading a bit,
"I did".
Shanzay gulped softly as her fingers tightly held the strap of her tote bag,
"Why"?
"I wanted to inform you that I was coming to pick you up".
The brute replied calmly.
"Pick me up"?
Shanzay asked utterly confused.
Wasn't he supposed to be in his village?
Why would he come here just to pick her up?
How did he know she was in university at the moment?
Shanzay saw the orbs peeking from between the slightly lowered thick and voluminous canopy of his raven lashes gaze at her as he stated without any reluctance, any waver,
"Ap kay baba meeting main busy thay. Main farigh tha aur unsay baat hui tou unhon nay kaha apko drop kerdu main".
Shanzay immediately felt her jaw drop to the lot's hard ground which she immediately closed trying to school her expressions, keeping in mind to have a conversation with her precious father later as she asked softly,
"Iski k-kiya zaroorat"?
He didn't need to.
Why would he come all the way just to drop her at her house?
Was he doing this because her father asked him to?
But she didn't want him to go through the trouble for her.
He didn't have to-
Her train of thoughts was broken by the brute's raspy tone that echoed again, holding a firm edge to it, as if spoken with finality,
"Zaroorat thi. Mujhe bilkul bhi tasali na hoti agar main yahaan khud na ata. Apko khud apni nigrani main ghar chorna chahta hu".
His words not only deepened the hues littering her cheeks but also caused the sudden echo of hysteric cough from their right making both of them almost turn their gazes towards it at the same time.
Shanzay's gaze was met with the sight of Ayat hysterically coughing as Manahil kept rubbing her back to relieve it somehow, while Waniya's unblinking and widened orbs kept gazing at Shanzay with her mouth visibly parted looking nothing less than a fish out of water.
Shanzay immediately choked on her breath.
Shoot shoot shoot!
Did she forget her precious friends' existence just now?!
Heck, she did!
And not only this, she had the longest conversation with the sardar and that too infront of them!
Shanzay felt like disappearing somewhere.
Even digging a tunnel and getting underground was fine.
The sardar gave them a lazy, nonchalant glance before turning the focus of his gaze back towards her who was gazing at her friends as if she had seen a ghost.
It was silence for few seconds.
Very unnerving and nerve-wracking kind of silence.
A whole minute later, Manahil who was still patting Ayat's back, took the initiative to break the pious silence as she spoke gazing at Shanzay with assurance reflecting in her orbs,
"Shanzay, you go. We'll talk later".
Ayat who opened her mouth to speak immediately broke into another cough making Manahil pat her back as she turned her gaze back towards Shanzay almost pleadingly,
"Tum jao Shanzay. Hum jab dobara milain gae tou baat karain gae. Pareshan nahi ho, acha. Jao shabash".
The words instilled a sudden relief in her as a small grateful smile couldn't help but form at her lips.
She gave a soft nod to Manahil and a slightly reluctant gaze towards her friends who were looking at her as if she had mass murdered as she immediately turned on her heels facing the intimidating specimen of the man again.
"Chalain"?
She tried hard to not give away the desperation in her tone making the brute's brow arch higher before the other second he nodded softly, pulling his hand from his dresspants pocket and stretching it in air, gesturing for her to walk forward.
Shanzay gulped softly, wanting nothing but to escape the situation she was stuck in as she immediately began taking swift steps walking side by side with the man who had snapped the attention of nearly half of the uni, currently gathered in the parking area, with his mere presence.
She tried to not stress too much over the things she's going to face when she comes back including the student's questions and curious gazes.
She gulped, silently walking beside him as they reached the car.
The hotheaded sardar stepped forward, effortlessly pulling open the front passenger door for her making her mouth a meek thanks before getting inside the other second.
The door was closed a moment later and a minute later, she felt the man settle on the driver's seat beside her.
The strong scent of sandalwood and leather was oh so vivid, raking past her nostrils, lingering in the warm air of the car, enveloping her whole.
The brute ignited the engine pulling the car effortlessly out of the lot as Shanzay tried her best to ignore the gawking students and their astounded gazes that followed them as the car drove past them.
A soft sigh of relief left her lips when the car was finally pulled on main road as she leaned back on the leather seat turning her neck and gazing across the window for the first time.
The tall buildings and bustling surrounding passed by them in blur, the sight reflecting in her honey brown irises.
A soft helpless sigh left her delicate lips.
The urge to go back and tell everything to her friends, to clear the misunderstanding and explain herself was so strong, almost unbearable but she knew, oh she knew so well that it wasn't the right time.
Neither was her mind in a state to explain everything, nor did the situation was right with the man beside her.
She silently gazed outside, the orbs of hers dimming, the lips of hers pressing in a thin line as she felt sudden panging, palpating anxiety and almost raw sadness invade her heart making her increase the grip on her tote bag that rested on her lap at the moment.
"Ap pareshan hain"?
She who was still fretting over everything that happened earlier and almost fighting an inner turmoil froze at his words for a fraction of second.
A moment later, she slowly closed her eyes causing the thick sweep of lashes to fall down curtaining the gloom littering her orbs as she breathed,
"N-nahi".
The words of hers were followed by another minute of silence again.
She thought he wouldn't ask anything again, wouldn't bother much about anything but the arrogant Sardar left her speechless with the next words that left his lips.
"Keh sakti hain ap kuch bhi. Mujh say hich kichaya na karain. Ap dil ki baat keh sakti hain mujh say. Main apko judge nahi karun ga".
Was it the first time of her realizing how gentle, how comforting and utterly relaxing his voice sounded when he spoke in that low baritone tone, few octaves lower, few octaves deeper.
It was like a warm flutter of wind caressing one's skin, the warmth seeping slowly into one's heart turning it calm too.
That's exactly how calming it sounded,
Atleast to her.
She didn't open her eyes. Neither did she turn her neck to gaze at him, maybe internally afraid that she won't be able to talk that much relaxed-ly and calmly if she faced his intense orbs.
"My friends.... They saw you with me earlier".
She stated in a low voice that came out a little louder than a murmur.
Shanzay just realized this thing too, that she unintentionally and involuntarily murmured and muttered in an almost inaudible tone when she conversed with him,
Many times in the past included,
Yet the heartless reputed man, everytime, every single time, understood her words at the first time making her not repeat the words again.
It wasn't like that with others.
Shanzay had to repeat her words sometimes if she muttered them subconsciously infront of her friends and sometimes even infront of her mother.
But this man was different.
Or was it his ears that worked differently?
"And"?
She heard the baritone tone of his echo again and this time, she slowly opened her eyes and slightly turned her neck towards him.
The arrogant, chiselled and oh so ruggedly charming side profile of his met her light orbs as she parted her lips again to speak,
"And they didn't know I...we.....the thing between us".
Why was it so difficult to answer him smoothly without stuttering?
Why did all the words leave her mind and the vocab of hers almost reduced to nothing when she conversed him?
Why would the tongue of hers and her mind won't coordinate?
He never hurt her, never even tried to do that.
Protected her oh so many times.
Was it just his intimidating and dauntingly towering figure that scared her?
Or was it the ruthlessness that sometimes shone in his irises that horrified her to her core?
Or was it the gaze of his, the devastingly intense and captivating gaze that made her vow to not face these orbs again, even unintentionally?
Or in simple words,
Was it actually fear?
Could the feeling actually be called that?
The words of hers made the brute arch his perfect eyebrow oh so smoothly as he turned his neck meeting her orbs, knocking the breath out of her.
The obsidian cups that could suck out your soul, nibble on the deepest pits of your heart and halt its beats.
The orbs that'd swallow you whole and you'd not even realize what had actually happened.
Orbs that were one of their kind,
The type of eyes, she had come across for the first time in her life.
Orbs that took away the world from below your feet and made you feel as if you were fluttering,
Oh so vividly floating in air and a mere breaking or averting of gaze from them would make you fall.
A fall that'd kill you.
A fall that'd be your doom.
The sardar gazed at her with that arched brow of his as something oh so visibly shone in them as the brute oh so leisurely stated, almost painfully slow,
"The thing between us"?
There was something about the amusement dancing in his irises, something about the slight, barely noticeable twitching of his corner lip and the look of teasing swirling in those inky cups that Shanzay couldn't help but feel the nervousness occupying her insides fade away as a new, almost offended feeling took place in her heart.
She cleared her throat almost replying back immediately,
"I m-mean our nikkah".
That look in his eyes always instilled something in her, provoked the slight anger she didn't know she'd possess at the mere amusement dancing in someone's irises.
Only his irises.
The look never failed to throw her off everytime, pull her strings and snap reactions out of her she never knew she'd give.
The brute ever so slightly clicked the tongue of his in his cheek as he turned his neck turning his attention back on the road ahead making Shanzay see the sharp, perfectly chiselled side profile of his.
The jaw that could cut the hardest of irons into two.
He hummed softly as the echo of his rough tone littered the air again,
"Are you scared of their reaction"?
Shanzay sighed, finally averting her gaze from him, looking ahead.
Her orbs followed the vehicles moving on the road,
"Maybe".
The echo of her voice was small, as timid as the beats her heart was taking.
But the next words leaving his mouth almost made those meek beats die too as she heard the soft, gentle caress of his raspy tone.
"Don't be".
They weren't just words and the tone didn't just hold visible concern.
There was something edging them, radiating from them that she felt utter calmness litter her being, reach her soul and fade down the palpating anxiety she hadbeen feeling since she entered the car.
"G"?
Her soft tone echoed as she turned the focus of her attention back towards him,
Almost unwillingly.
Almost willingly.
The sardar didn't avert his gaze from windscreen as he replied in his calm and unwavering tone,
"If they're your friends, they'll understand you, understand the position your were in, understand the turmoil you went through and understand the reason you couldn't tell them everything earlier".
How was it that he played with words so well?
How was it that he always threw the words and put them together in the most perfect and suitable way?
How was it that the mere few words leaving his lips could leave such a huge impact on someone?
He was famously reputed among others as heartless and ruthless and oh so menacing.
With a heart of cold and personality that could put the glaciers to shame.
A man devoid of feelings and emotions.
She still to this day remembered those words oh so clearly that had left Zainab's lips during her earlier days of stay in haveli.
Words that had haunted her for a long time.
Words that had painted an image of Sardar in her mind, woven a judgement she firmly held onto and wasn't willing to leave for a long time.
But was it really how a heartless man would sound?
They called him heartless, devoid of emotions, didn't they?
How come he so effortlessly and perfectly put her feelings, her emotions to words?
How come the words leaving his lips were what exactly her soul, her heart wanted to hear.
How come he could easily read her like a book?
How come the same heartless man who everybody feared could oh so perfectly and oh so unnoticeably comfort her?
"Would they"?
A soft whisper left her lips.
She didn't know herself why she asked it, knowing deep inside that her precious friends would definitely do.
They had always been understanding, always been so kind and forgiving, loving and comforting, cherishing and adoring.
But the thing was, was she going to be okay despite this all when she knew a part of them would be hurt?
They won't show it, won't say it out aloud but did they really have to?
A soft, almost slight tilt of his corner lip and he nodded,
"Mhmm. They would".
The smile so slight, so sudden, so unexpected that Shanzay immediately averted her gaze towards front not understanding why the almost fading heartbeats of hers had gripped at a pace again.
She really needed to visit a cardiologist to make sure she wasn't suffering from any heart problems.
There was something about the smiles of people who rarely smiled.
Or was it only about him, only about his smile?
Shanzay pressed her lips in a thin line turning completely towards the window as the soft and light hues began scattering across her pale cheeks.
Why would he smile out of nowhere?
Why would he smile like that?!
"It's only natural for them to be angry and hurt".
She didn't realize she had spoken the sentence oh so smoothly and unwaveringly without a single crack or stutter in the tone.
The thoughts crowding her head were already too preoccupying for her to pay attention to this.
"Angry at you for what"?
The questions came almost immediately without any hint of sarcasm.
Shanzay let out a soft sigh as she tilted her head slightly towards her left shoulder and hugged the tote bag closer while gazing outside,
"For not telling them anything despite them being the closest people to me, the most important people in my life. The ones who've always accompanied me through thick and thin. Treating them like outsiders and hiding all this. If I hadbeen in their place, I would have been hurt too, angry even".
The fluent tongue of hers spoke as the echo of her tone gave away the obvious sadness lacing it.
She was oh so naturally and calmly discussing it with him.
She didn't even realize herself.
A soft hum left Badar's lips as the ferocious cups of his remained fixed on the windscreen while the strong hands of his held the steering wheel in his loose grasp.
The sunlight illuminated the strong bulging arms of his peeking from the white cuffs that remained folded slightly behind his wrists.
The lining of intimidating veins popping on the back of his hands with every movement they did as the red stoned ring in his third finger wrapped around the honey skin illuminated,
"Hmm. You would have been. But if they hadbeen in your position-"
The brute paused, turning his neck as the devastatingly beautiful obsidian cups of his swept past the air, stopping on her frame.
On the luscious loose strands cupping her dainty cheeks.
On the curl of her delicate lashes that was fluttering swiftly with each movement.
On the soft hues that had scattered across her pristine face.
The raven canopy of his thick lashes, almost pointed at their tips, grazed past her features, like a breeze of wind, caressing past them leaving hues behind as the man spoke,
"They would have waited for the right moment to share it with you too. Not because they want to hide it, but because they want to tell you everything with a stable and clear state of mind, when they are emotionally strong and mentally ready. Now, are they wrong for doing this"?
The man slightly tilted his head towards his right shoulder as he enquired softly.
Shanzay was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice the intense orbs of his set on her as she let out a frustrated sigh,
"Nahi na, ap nahi samajh rahay. Larkiyon ki dostiyan apko kaisay samajh ayen gi".
It was more of murmuring to herself as the lower lip of hers jutted out and corners of her lips unnoticeably dropped down.
A slight twitch of the brute's corner lips as he turned his gaze back towards the windscreen as something oh so visibly glinted in the unforgiving orbs of his,
"Acha"?
Shanzay gave a firm nod filled by the hum as she stated,
"Haan na! Apko pata bhi nahi mujhe kitna stress horaha hai".
The girl forgot for a moment who she was conversing to as she honestly stated the inner thoughts that were disturbing her.
"Tou ap mujhse bantain na. Stress share kernay say kam hota hai, apko nahi pata"?
The teasing oh so vividly marring the deep tone making the brows of hers furrow even more.
She didn't like it at all when he teased her like that!
A soft exhale left her lips as the elegant nose of hers scrunched up,
"Aisa kis nay kaha"?
Her tone sounding offended making the brute arch his brow higher,
"Main nay".
His town unyielding, almost firm.
Shanzay stated dismissively leaning back on the seat in a more comfortable position,
"Aisay nahi hota".
The brute's brow arched even higher at her words, almost touching his hairline as the tongue of his oh so playfully poked the inside of his cheek as he took the turn on the road while smoothly rotating the steering wheel with his strong lean fingers.
"Tou phir kaisay hota hai"?
"Ap...."
She turned her neck to say something with brows of hers furrowed and a deep frown marring her features when the realization hit her who she was actually talking to.
She cleared her throat turning her neck back towards the window as she chose to stay silent.
"Mhmm"?
The quizzical echo of his hum penetrated the silent air in the car making her speak softly, in a low tone,
"Kuch nahi".
She actually had said what came in her mind earlier and that too without a filter and that too infront of this intimidating specimen of a human.
The stress and anxiety really had started effecting her in literal sense.
She could only let out a sigh vowing to not blabber anymore nonsense and end up embarrassing herself as she kept her gaze fixedly on the surroundings passing outside in blur.
The silence littered the air for the next few minutes and Shanzay realized that they had entered her colony.
Driving past the houses, his baritone tone echoed again gaining her attention who looked nothing less than an epitome of utter gloominess.
"Shanzay"?
She turned her neck towards him gazing at him in confusion as a soft hum left her lips,
"G"?
A soft sigh left Badar's lips as he rotated the steering wheel with one hand while turning the car in the street on left,
At the end of which her house stood.
This time, Shanzay realized she didn't stop him like she did back then.
Even the thought of asking him to drop her here didn't cross her mind.
The brute gazed ahead as he asked in the low tone of his she'd become used to,
"Ap ab bhi udaas hain"?
She wanted to say no but couldn't.
The rejection danced at the tip of her tongue but she couldn't pronounce it.
She couldn't lie.
The silence and lack of response made brute turn his neck, only to come across her lowered lashes and gloomy face.
"Ap mat hua karain udaas".
The words so soft, caressing past one's ears appearing nothing less than a gentle melody making Shanzay raise her gaze and meet those cups again.
Those dark cups that reflected nothing but sheer softness,
The most vivid expressions she'd ever seen reflect in them.
The orbs that reflected her face too.
She gazed back at his orbs, seeing her reflection in them as she saw the lips of his move, as the orbs of his didn't even waver or avert from her frame.
Didn't even bother to.
Holding her gaze, holding her heart in his grasp.
"Ap udaas hoti hain tou ap kay bagheechay kay phool bhi murjha jatay hain".
He paused.
His scalding and warmth filled gaze caressing past her dainty features, finding her orbs again as the corners of his perfectly arched brows twitched for a second, the jaw of his unnoticeably tightened as he breathed,
"Bilkul meray dil kay dayaar ki tarha".
The first few words of his had caused sudden confusion to course through her being making her brows furrow while the last few words nearly slipped the ground from her feet as the deep scarlet hues immediately scattered across her creamy cheeks making them blaze and flush oh so vividly that she immediately turned straightening in her seat the other second as the slender hands of hers flew up in air covering her lips as the shocked whisper left her parted lips followed by a gasp,
"Hayee Allah"!
Not even a second later, a deep throaty chuckle left the brute's lips echoing in the air making the blush scatter all the way till the tips of her ears.
The obsidian cups, glinting under the sun's rays with oh so visible amusement caressed past the red hues, sweeping past her snow pale ears gazing at their blazing tips before the inky lashes fluttered moving back to find her lowered orbs again as he slightly and unnoticeably tilted his head towards his right shoulder, holding the sight of hues that had even reached the delicate skin of her lids,
"Shanzay, apkay rukhsar surkh kiyun horahay hain"?
The teasing tinging his deep tone made her resist the urge to jump from the moving car as her lowered eyelashes lowered even more,
"Th-thand ki w-waja say".
She stuttered curling her clammy fingers wanting nothing but to cry in helpessness at feeling the crimson hues get out of her control as they littered her skin with all their pride, standing out in all their glory for the sardar to vividly see them.
The corner of his lip twitched oh so slightly,
"Acha"?
Shanzay gulped, unable to endure his gaze any longer as she spoke through gritted teeth,
"Ap deyhaan r-road per rakhain. It's d-dangerous to divert your attention while d-driving".
The brute didn't make a single movement to turn his attention as he leaned back on his seat folding his arms on his chest causing the muscles to budge and the fabric of shirt to tighten around his biceps as he stated with utter amusement tinging his tone,
"But we have already reached".
Shanzay nearly choked on her breath as she raised her head while gazing across the window only to come across the sight of the double storey house that was undoubtedly her precious home.
Had she been so much oblivious earlier to not even notice that the man had already stopped driving and they had reached?
She felt like disappearing from there, digging a tunnel or hiding from his sight,
His orbs.
She gulped softly, too embarrassed to even raise her gaze as she stuttered,
"I'll g-go now".
The brute hummed softly, not planning on withdrawing his gaze.
Shanzay mustered the courage as she asked again with her gaze stubbornly lowered to her lap,
"You w-won't come inside"?
The sardar replied in a laid back tone as he turned his gaze, sweeping it across the road ahead,
"I have somewhere to be so I'll pass".
He had somewhere to be?
And still he came and dropped her here?
Shanzay gulped nodding softly as her grip on the tote bag increased,
"Khuda Hafiz".
She murmured in a low tone as she turned reaching for the door handle.
"Khuda Hafiz".
The low baritone voice that echoed reminded her of the 'heart' the said man reacted to few days ago making her barely resist the cough from erupting as she swiftly opened the door and got out.
Evading the car.
Evading his scent.
Evading his orbs.
Evading the effect he was having on her.
Softly closing the door behind, she immediately turned, taking quick strides towards the gate, trying hard to not stumble and give another reason for him to tease her.
Though, she oh so clearly felt the intense gaze of his following her till she evaded his sight.
The engine only roared again when she had closed the gate and entered the boundary of her house.
While passing across the luscious front lawn, Shanzay noticed something.
The flowers adorning the bougainvillea trees had fallen, and those that were barely hanging on for their dear lives appeared wilted due to the chilling-ness that had possessed the atmosphere for the past few days.
Even the pot plants resting in the balcony on top floor appeared wilted due to the cold weather.
When did he catch a glimpse of them?
How come he so quickly came up with those words by just glancing at them?
When did he even glance at them?
She hadn't realized earlier that he was this observative as she took slow steps forward.
Once entering the corridor, a small unnoticeable smile that she was unaware to herself, tugged at her lips.
He had made her smile again, like the last time when he dropped her at night.
A smile that was pure.
A smile that was soft.
A smile that was heartfelt.
🥀🥀🥀
🥀🥀🥀
Word Count: 6,280 words
________________
Ohkayyyy!!!
Look who's going feral 👀
*Aggressively fans herself*
Sardar Sahab literally has done PhD in flirting and its not even a joke anymore because he plays on words like no one else 🤌❤️
Agar Tum ab bhi nahi pighli na Shanzay tou ab bus bohut maar Khao gi mujh say 👀😑
Anddddd,
I was literally mirroring Waniya's expressions during their exchange 😭🙌
Ayat was me with that *panicked coughing*
And Manahil, you're such a sweetie pie! Do you know that? 🫶
Plussss,
Someone is oh so observing and even notices the tiniest of details and despite his reputation of being a cold hearted brute, he oh so beautifully comforted his begum 🫣💘
Let's not expose him tho👀😳😏
Anddddd,
Thank you all for showering this book with your love and dropping your precious reviews 🙌❤️
This human absolutely loves them :')
Also, did I tell you I had already given a spoiler for this chapter on my Instagram page on Thursday? 👀😲
So if you haven't followed it yet, you are missing out on many things
The username is @zezephyra_
And!
Do you guys have any ship name in mind for Shanzay and Badar?
(Uncle Sahab nay manga hai mujh say👀
He's asking me to give this currently nameless ship a name so he can proudly boast about it na)
Don't forget to share your thoughts on chapter💝
Till next time,
Take care ;)