Chapter 8: V

♪♫ Ek din kabhi jo khud ko taraashe,

Meri nazar se tu zara, haaye re

Aankhon se teri kya kya chupa hai,

Tujhko dikhaun main zara, haaye re

Ik ankahi si daastan daastan,

Kehne lagega aaina

Subhanallah...♪♫

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"Ahana, will you please-" Kabir opened the door only to stop in his track.

Two weeks ago, Ahana approached him at night when he was making a quick sweet dish to satisfy her sweet cravings. She asked him to accompany her to the charity gala and he couldn't say no by looking at the hopeful look on her face.

"This is the first time, that I'm seeing you in a saree." He breathed out.

She was standing near the vanity, in a saree with her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail with a middle partition, wearing her long earrings. She turned and walked toward him but stopped at a short distance from him.

"That's the compliment you're going to give me? That I've never worn a saree before?" she didn't have any emotion but her eyes were dancing with amusement.

"You look stunning, Ahana."

"Thanks." She diverted her attention to his hand which held a tie. "Aren't you going to wear it?"

He looked at the tie and remembered the reason he came to her in the first place.

"Yes, I want to wear it but I don't know how to tie a tie. So..." he trailed off and put his hand forward for Ahana to take the tie.

She didn't take it. "What if I tell you that I don't know how to do it either?"

"Then, I'll call bullshit. I know you know how to do it because you have tied my tie before."

"When did that happen?"

"Almost ten years ago. I had an interview and was supposed to drop you at college. I was delaying you because I couldn't tie the tie so you helped."

"You have an annoyingly good memory, Chef Jaisingh."

"Glad you noticed, now will you do the honours or not?" he placed the tie in her hand.

"Sure." She muttered looking at him. She walked toward the bed after telling him to follow her and made him sit on its edge.

She stepped a little closer to him—still maintaining as much distance as she could—and looped the tie around his neck.

"I'm not untouchable, you know." He said when he noticed that she is maintaining a short distance between them. When she looked at him but still didn't react, he placed his hands on her waist to pull her between his legs. He flicked her long earring with his finger when he thought she was close enough, then dropped his hand and leaned back a little on them.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously? You pulled me close so you could lean back?"

"I wasn't comfortable."

She glared at him for a few seconds then again focused on the tie. She fixed the collar before starting to tie it carefully.

He was looking at her face, she was looking exceptionally gorgeous today, and didn't know why but he couldn't stop looking.

"Quit staring!" she said suddenly, her eyes still focused on the tie.

"You look stunning!" she stopped to look him in the eyes.

"I know Kabir, you already said that a few minutes before. Besides, that doesn't give you a license to stare. There would be a lot of stunning women in the gala, are you planning on staring at them all night?"

Her voice was emotionless like usual so he couldn't decipher if she was jealous or just saying that casually.

"Well, I'm your date—your plus one for tonight so I think I do have a license to stare at you and no, I'm not planning on staring at other women... only you."

She stared at him for a second with an unknown emotion in her eyes but then diverted her eyes toward the tie. She adjusted the tie and stepped back when she was satisfied with her work.

"There you go!" she said casually, ignoring his previous statement. "We should get going or we'll be late."

▪◀▩▶▪

They have been moving around the banquet hall, mingling with people.

Ahana had a half smile in place which was more of a threat he assumed. It said 'one word out of line and I will show you hell'. He was more than amused by her.

He noticed that she didn't leave him alone either—even for a second. If he didn't know better, he would think she was being protective.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked when they were finally alone.

"Yes, water, please. I hate socializing!" she exclaimed and he let out a breathy chuckle.

"Stay here, I'll be back in a jiffy." He told her and made his way toward the bar counter to get water for her.

When he was returning he saw her talking with a couple but he realized who they were when he got closer and saw their faces. His grip tightened on the glass he was holding.

Vikram Verma.

Ahana's almost fiancé—who is now happily married to his ex-girlfriend. After the accident, when Ahana was in the hospital, Vikram came and severed all ties with her—he said he wanted his own kids in the future and now that Ahana can't give birth, she is of no use to him. While leaving the hospital Vikram met with Kabir's fist. After that day, he didn't see Vikram until now.

To her credit, Ahana had an unbothered look on her face. Her hands were not fidgeting either but she had her hand in a tight fist. She didn't like their presence.

He schooled his emotions and walked towards her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She wasn't startled and didn't look back to see whose hand was it instead she ever so slightly leaned into him as if she was aware of his presence without having to look back.

Vikram's eyes snapped to him but he didn't say anything.

"Kabir, this is-" she started to introduce him just the way she had done numerous times tonight.

He stopped her by giving her waist a gentle squeeze. "I know who he is, Darling. We have met before."

Vikram looked a little uncomfortable and so he excused himself and his wife and went off.

"I need some air." Ahana breathed out.

He led her toward the balcony—which was deserted and at the very back of the room. The balcony was overlooking the garden with a fountain in the middle. She leaned a little on the railing.

He was standing at a short distance from her. "You loved him?"

Her head snapped in his direction at the sudden question but answered after a second, "No. I liked him, yes. But love? No, Kabir, I didn't love him. But that doesn't -"

"-doesn't make it hurt any less." He completed.

She turned to look at the garden and nodded. "Yes."

She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it instantly and if he hadn't been looking at her closely he wouldn't even have known.

"I'm not made for love, I think. But it's fine. I've got this."

He moved forward and pulled her toward him by putting an arm around her waist and cupped her face in his hands to make her look at him.

"Then why do you have tears in your eyes, Ahana?" He knew she was hurting but she didn't let her tears out, "You don't need to hide from me. Let it out. It's okay to cry—to show emotions. I won't judge you. I will never hurt you."

She finally let out a sob. She hugged him with her hand around his waist while he rubbed her back and caressed the back of her head. His heart clenched at her every sob.

He realized that this was the first time he saw her crying. She cries during the nightmare, sure, but she never dared to shed a tear when she was awake.

"Everyone deserves to be loved, Ahana. Don't let yourself believe that you're not made for it." His voice was soft—gentle even.

"No." she pulled a little back, cheeks flushed and her eyes and nose were red. "Love gives pain and I don't want any more pain."

"Someday, someone would make you realize that love is not synonymous with pain. Someone would love you so much that he will share your pain and your every problem will be easy to overcome."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have seen you, Ahana. I have known you for more than a decade. You hide from everyone by wearing multiple layers of that emotionless mask every single day. But there is a side of yours that you never show to anyone. A side that is decent and kind and loving. And any sane man who is courageous enough to see past that mask would be delighted to love you."

"Would you be delighted?"

▪◀▩▶▪

"Dance with me?" Kabir held out his hand.

She glanced down at his large palm and then back at him. "Ask a lot more nicely and maybe I would say a yes!"

Leaning in close—her perfume was soft and sweet and fruity totally opposite from her personality—he said, "Will you please, make me the happiest man-"

She gave him a look and seemed to say wordlessly. Why does it feel like a cheesy proposal?

Well, you said 'a lot more nicely' so this is me asking nicely.

Why don't you try asking for a dance like a normal guy?

Well, I did try but her highness didn't like it! Now, will you let me finish or not?

Fine. Go on!

He cleared his throat and started again. "Will you please, make me the happiest man here, by having a dance with me?"

She pressed her lips to not let out a chuckle but she couldn't stop herself from smiling to which he gave her a cheeky grin.

She shook her head at him but placed her hand in his nonetheless. He helped her up and ushered her to the dance floor.

She was still smiling when he pulled her close to his body, his hand on her lower back and his other hand holding their palm together. His mouth was close to her ear when he asked, his voice low to keep their conversation private, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She murmured.

They moved around the dance floor while slowly swaying to the instrumental version of 'Jashn-E-Bahara'. He couldn't focus on anything but her as he twirled her around. He twirled her out and then gently yanked her back to his chest.

"You dance well!" she murmured when she was close enough for him to hear. He braced himself and dipped her for a second and lifted her back up. He again lowered his mouth closer to her ear, "Thank you. I feel honoured to hear that from a person who loves dancing and is a phenomenal dancer herself."

She looked into his eyes and again had that sweet smile that he loves to see on her face. She never gives that smile to anyone else and he loves that fact too.

The beautiful notes of the song weaved through the room as the chandeliers dimmed, setting a romantic mood around them.

There was no romance between Ahana and him but his mind was stuck on Ahana's question 'Would you be delighted?' and he found himself thinking if he could love her? If yes, then what would it feel like to love a woman like Ahana? What would it feel like to be loved by her?

She is strong, ambitious, and intelligent and cares for people around her in her own twisted way, but she's also dangerous to some extent. She sometimes has that aura around her, which makes people wary of her. He had seen a dangerous glint in her eyes that could make a grown man shiver in fear. He had seen a hint of that when they were mingling with people earlier tonight.

No matter how her love is, platonic or romantic, he knows that she will cross any line and would turn the world upside down for the people she loves and she would do it without any remorse.