"What was that?"

She asked in a whisper. His actions and proximity made her heart flutter. He considered her his enemy for God's sake!

"It's a new city and new people. And not everyone in today's time have good intentions. Atleast not men."

He spoke and she understood why he did it.

"And you have very good intentions?"

She teased and he rolled his eyes.

"I don't have any intentions towards you."

She raised her eyebrows at his words and whispered while leaning closer to his face.

"Your eyes say otherwise."

He too looked into her eyes and whispered back.

"What do they say?"

At the moment, they felt time around them freeze. Nobody else mattered at the moment. It was just the two of them.

Their eye contact got more intense. It felt like they wanted to drown in each other yet find a safe corner in them.

Anubhav felt like he didn't have control on his senses and hands anymore. His hand on her waist moved towards her back as he pulled her closer by snaking his arm around her.

Her breath hitched but she kept eye contact. It was a micromovement but she swore she felt him lean in.

And he would have if a party poppers didn't go off at the next second. The sound resulted in them springing apart from each other as if realising who the other person was and what they were doing or well, were about to do.

The rest of the evening was an awkward mess. They didn't meet each other's eyes. The two rushed back to their hotel after wishing Mr. and Mrs. Bernard once again.

Anubhav was laid on his bed but there was not a trace of sleep in his eyes. He sighed and played soft sufi music in his phone. The only thing that calmed him down.

He smiled and closed his eyes when his favourite one played. Afreen Afreen by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It was when a certain stanza played that his eyes shot open.

Aankhen dekhi toh main dekhta reh gaya

Jaam do aur dono hi do aatishah

Aankhen ya maikade ke woh do baab hai

Aankhen unko kahun ya kahun khwaab hai

He was reminded of the eye contact that he shared with her. Why did he feel like he wanted to keep looking at her? She felt like a dream.

Tamanna's condition was no different. Why did her heart flutter and skin tingle at the way he was looking at her? Was she developing a crush on him? She gasped at the possibility and shook her head.

"Nhi Tamanna! That guy hates you with the bottom of his heart."

But why did it not feel like that today? His gaze was different. He had something in his gaze that made her want to never look away.

Tamanna and Anubhav were back in India. It had been a month since that Paris meeting and since then, the two have avoided each other at every chance.

Tamanna didn't want to hurt herself and develop any feeling she knew wouldn't be reciprocated. Anubhav, on the other hand was confused. She wasn't anything like he thought her to be. Maybe he had judged her all wrong.

"Tamanna? Tu kuch din chhuti lekar ghar aa skti hai kya?"

Tamanna was talking to her mother about random things when her mother suddenly asked this in a serious tone.

"Kya hua mumma? Sab thik hai na?"

"Haan haan! Aisi koi khaas baat nhi hai bas kuch dino se tere papa ki tabiyat sahi nhi chal rhi. Tu aa jaati toh meri thodi help ho jaati. Agar mushkil hai toh koi baat nhi. Mai manage kr lungi. Tera wo important project hai na."

"Kaisi baatein kr rhe ho mumma? Aur pehle kyu nhi bataya mujhe? Kabse tabiyat thik nhi hai? Mai kal hi sir se baat krke aa jaaungi kal shaam tak."

"Haan! Thik hai."

"Koi badi baat toh nhi hai na mumma? Kaafi tired sound kr rhe ho."

"Nhi nhi. Tu bas aa jaaio."

"Haan-"

She was cut short by her doorbell.

"Mumma mai baad mai baat krti hu. Wifi company se aaye honge. Bataya tha maine kuch dino se problem aa rhi hai."

"Haan haan tu kr le aaram se."

"Ok bye! Love you!"

She disconnected the call and opened the gate. Two men holding big bags stood at her door.

"Ji?"

She asked confirming their identity.

"Madam wifi ki complaint thi. Uske liye aaye hai."

"Hanji aaiye."

She never had to call in any company people at her place. And that too men. And considering the world they were in today, she couldn't trust anyone.

Tamanna kept the main door of her house open.

"Paani lenge bhaiya?"

She asked and the men denied.

"Router kaha laga hai madam?"

"Wo-umm-room mai hai."

She didn't realise that they'd enter her room. She guided the men feeling a little reluctant and very nervous. Should she call Anubhav to be here with her? No! What if he makes fun of her for being a scaredy cat?

Showing the men the router they were asking for, she stepped out of her room. She didn't want to stay at a confined place with unknown men. Maybe she should call Anubhav.

He, on the other hand was back from his grocery shopping when he saw the main door of her house open wide.

Not bothering to enter his own house, he walked towards her to check what was going on. He saw Tamanna standing outside her own room and her body language screamed nervous.

"What's wrong?"

He asked making her shriek and jump in fear. She kept a hand on her heart.

"You scared me!"

"Why is your main door open? And why are you standing like this?"

He asked but before she could answer he heard some shuffling from her room. Okay? What the hell was happening?

"Tamanna?"

He prompted and she lowered her head.

"Wo-I have people from the Internet company over. Wifi mai kuch problem aa rhi thi toh check krne aaye hai."

"And why are they in your bedroom?"

"Router waha laga hai."

He understood her cause of nervousness and wordlessly kept his grocery bags on the table. He walked past her and inside the bedroom.

"Kya problem hai bhaiya? Kyu dikkat aa rhi hai wifi mai?"

He asked the men who looked at him and said.

"Kuch badi dikkat nhi hai bhaiya. Yaha se wires loose ho gyi thi. Set kr di hai. Ab dikkat nhi aayegi."

"Hmm! Thank you."

Anubhav said and saw the men out of the house. He waited for them to descend the stairs before leaving her house.

"Agar kabhi aise kisi ko bulao toh call kr dia kro. Aise safe nhi hai akele."

With that he disappeared inside his apartment leaving her standing with her heart fluttering and butterflies in her stomach.

**************************************

Please do leave your comments.

Also, please vote for the story.������

Laters!!��❤️