23| a reflex action

Don't forget to vote. Okay, so, I have my test series, after that I have my pre-boards, and then I have my boards. My schedule is very tight. And I'm struggling so please co-operate.

ZEESHAN'S POV:

Waniya had a panic attack.

We were about to land when I sensed something was definitely wrong, but I couldn't pinpoint what. Waniya and I weren't talking at the time.

I turned my face to look at her—to know if she was fine—and her hands were shivering. I couldn't stop myself, so I took her left hand in my right hand, trying to comfort her.

I called for her, not one but several times but she didn't reply or didn't reply to me.

But, eventually, when I shook her—only a bit—she looked at me.

Something in her eyes sparked and it did something to me. Something unexplainable. Something that I couldn't understand or maybe I didn't want to understand.

I didn't leave her, nor did she remove her hand from my hand. She let it be the way it was. Lingering questions trouble me a lot.

What had conspired? A panic attack? Is she not okay?

Waniya said nothing further, so we left the plane. After all the necessary work, we left the airport.

"I will go by myself," Waniya said. "I can't let you go," it was unsafe for her, as she wasn't feeling well.

"I'm going home," she knows that's not possible. We—the guests invited for the awards—are expected to stay at the hotel itself and we can't leave the hotel until the meet is over. "You—we know that's not possible," I said.

"Zeeshan, I want—need—to stay alone," I didn't want to let her go, especially when she was vulnerable. I wanted her to stay, but I nodded. "Khayal rakhna," I said. She nodded and moved away from her sight.

~

The management who arranged our pick-up service from the airport sucked. The driver moved across the whole city and after three hours of sitting in the car and listening to endless driver's talks, I was finally at the hotel. Now, I needed to sleep, and jet lag was hitting me.

I took the room keys from the reception—the lady there unnecessarily took 30 minutes to hand me the keys. Everyone seemed to test my patience—and made my way to the room. I didn't enter my room, I basically barged myself into it. I could no longer wait.

The moment I stepped in, a suitcase caught my vision. It belonged to Waniya. What was she doing in my room? Or what was her luggage doing in my room? Or maybe I was in the wrong room? But they gave me the keys? The questions lurked at the back of my head. Still, I moved.

"AHHHHHHH," both the voices got mixed up. I turned on my heels, I couldn't do anything. My cheeks felt warm due to embarrassment, and sweat formed on my palms.

"I swear to God, I didn't see anything," I said, my voice trembling. "What the fuck you are doing in my room?" her voice came from back. "It's my room," I said.

"You can turn," she said, still I couldn't bring myself to make a single move. "Are you sure?" she said yes. "I swear, I didn't see you naked."

"Can you stop saying that?" she was embarrassed, and so was I. "What?" I frowned. "That word," she hissed. "Oh," that was all I could say.

"And I wasn't," she paused. "Naked, I was wearing my lowers and my sports bra, and I was to wear my shirt when you entered," she said in all in one go. "Why did you shout then?"

"Because you shouted, it was a reflex action. In the first place, how did you get the keys?" she questioned. "The receptionist gave it to me," I said.

"They messed it up," we said at the same time, you can go, and have a talk with them," she suggested and I moved out.

~

"So basically, you are telling me that we have to stay in the same room. Nah uh, that ain't working," Waniya said.

"You are saying as if we have an option," I countered. The hotel management sucks. They booked the same room for both of us referring to it as "some error."

"You know what, fuck this meet. I'm going home," she stood up. I stopped her from leaving, holding her wrist.

"We- You know how much importance this meet holds in our careers," that was no lie.

These meets are held once in three years. And you are lucky if you get invited to any of those.

"But, I can't live in the same room as you," she said. I left her wrist. "We don't have an option," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Let me talk to them once maybe there's another option," she said, I didn't stop her just because the hotel booked one room under two names.

The other rooms are for other guests and the remaining rooms are for their customers. In short, the hotel is fully booked.

~

A few minutes back, Waniya returned, her facial expression said it all. I couldn't help but compress my laugh. No words were exchanged.

Now comes the pain problem. I need to sleep and she most probably Waniya Wants to sleep too but there's only one bed—no couch in the room—and we have to share it?

I know, I was the one who wanted to get her back asap but not like this. This is the situation I never wanted to be in, but unfortunately, no one asked me for my opinion. My eyes were getting heavy. I needed to sleep.

She was in the restroom, doing God knows what. I was sitting on the bed, trying to keep my eyes open, but it wasn't helping. I wanted to sleep.

The last thing I remember is someone removing my watch.

WANIYA'S POV:

Luck wasn't on my side this time. Even the heavens were busy plotting against me or maybe against us? I don't know. All I know is Zeeshan and I are stuck in the same room for the next day and a half.

I haven't the faintest idea how I will manage myself in front of him. Why me? I was mentally drained because of the flight and the panic attack.

I wanted to sleep. I moved out of the restroom, it reminded me of our earlier encounter with Zeeshan.

Yeah, I was embarrassed. Okay, that was—I don't know what that was—but, never mind it.

My vision fell on Zeeshan, who was dozing off. I know he was tired. I moved towards him. He was almost in his sleep. I helped him remove his watch and placed the provided quill over him.

Wait, no, no. There's only one bed. What the fudge? How dumb of me not to notice this earlier. There ain't a couch either. I can't sleep with him. How wrong did that sound? I know it did. Ugh.

Kahan phas gai hu main?

(Where am I stuck?)

No matter how hard I tried to think, I couldn't come up with anything, any alternative or a substitute. Does that mean I have to sleep with him?

I know that sounds wrong. Shut up. Shut up. We—me and my brain—mean sharing a bed with him, nothing else.

Nothing else.

I am engaged to someone. Someone you don't love. My brain mocked. I have a daughter. I countered. And he has the paternity of your daughter.

My brain doesn't belong to me anymore. But no matter what, I am engaged. I need to stay loyal to him.

I moved towards the other side of the bed. I was tired. Just a night, and then after tomorrow's event, I will leave for my home. The bed looked like the Queen size.

It could fit three beings, easily. It won't be that hard. I will just sleep straight. Not a tiny single movement. Shut up and sleep.

I laid down. In my twenty-six years of being on Earth, I haven't shared a bed with anyone—Mirha and Ezzah are exceptions— okay, only a few times with Zeeshan, but it was years ago. Stop thinking and sleep.

I turned to my right side; I couldn't sleep straight. But I was startled, he was sleeping on his right side. I gluped due to proximity.

He was way too close, enough for my chest to heave up and down due to uneven breaths. I didn't even bother taking quill, I changed my side and tried to sleep.

~

I snuggled into my pillow. I don't remember putting any manly scent on my pillow covers. The scent was musky, and I didn't catch why I loved it. I snuggled more into it, wanting to inhale every bit of that specific scent. The pillow felt hard, but I didn't mind it at all. I felt at home after a long time.

Where was I? My eyes flickered as I adjusted them to light.

When did my pillow turn black? I tilted my head a bit to look up. "Good Morning, tresor," Zeeshan whispered in his deep, hoarse voice, enough for me to gulp. I glanced at our positions. I was holding his torso, and his hands at my back.

"You had a good sleep," he whispered again. "I..... I didn't... I don't...... I mean..... I didn't mean..... You know..... You could have woken me up," I pushed back my locks, he looked breathtaking.

Shut up. It was getting difficult for me to talk. He was intimidating me, and he knew it. And the fact I was getting intimidated by him.

If a person enters the room in an instant, they could easily feel the thickening tension. I stood up from the bed, terminating the stiffening tension between us.

~

"Mama, I miss you," I heard Ezzah's soft voice, almost heavy, on the other side of the phone. "I will come back soon," I said, my voice filled with care.

"Mama, Sha hasn't been home, and I miss him too," Ezzah informed me about something, I wasn't aware of. "Don't worry, he will be back.

"Mama, I talked to grumpy pants, he called me. And he told me he was with you," she chirped with happiness as she talked about Zeeshan. "Mama, please ap jaldi ajao na," my baby.

The reason why I canceled the shoot, I will be returning tonight right after attending the event.

The whole day was in a blur. I didn't have any encounter with Zeeshan, and I was thankful for it. At night, we had the main event.

I was adorned in a black sleeveless satin dress with a cut on its thigh. With diamond studs, a classic diamond necklace, and my engagement ring. Last time I avoided the media but this time I couldn't.

All the congratulations and different questions, but one constant question: when will I make an appearance with Shayan, aka my fiance? I had no answer. All

I could see was Zeeshan looking at me as if I would disappear into thin air. He looked good-looking as usual, adorned in his all-time, constant, black tuxedo.

The paps asked him about his wedding, and all he did was looked me and said; soon, very soon. And my heart simply skipped a beat.

First, there's Shayan, who didn't call once, not a text, nothing from his side. At least he could have messaged me, once. Or he could stay with Ezzah.

And on the other hand Zeeshan: who loves me irrespective of anything. Why are you making me regret the decision I made years back? I am sorry for letting you down, Shan. I am sorry for being hard to love. I am sorry for having a brain that overthinks everything.

I couldn't hold up the thought of you leaving me, and I had no choice but to leave you.

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Zaar.