This chapter is dedicated to one of my sweetest readers SanaRamzan. She has made the beautiful cover of this book. Thank you so much, Sana.💖

Zara's POV

His thumb trails off from my eye to my lower eyelid causing tingling sensations to form in my whole body. His touch is soft, mellow yet deep. The tenderness of his gentle trace on my eye leaves me with an unusual and calm feeling. His blue orbs are delving intentively into mine. My eyes scan down from his face to his chest where my both hands are still present almost touching his bare skin which is peeking through the half-opened button of his sky blue shirt. This is when reality hit me. I try to push him by shoving his chest but he pulls me back.

"Stay still." He says before tracing his thumb horizontally on my eye causing me to blink. And with a jerk, he pulls off. What was that?

"Your eye has something in it," he spats before walking ahead. I breathe the seized air which I was stopping in my lungs don't know since when. I blink again to calm myself and touch my eye prior to turning on my toes to the other side. What was that feeling?

I spot him walking toward a small area which I presume to be a kitchen. I indolently follow him to get my guess turns correct. It is actually a kitchen rather a small one, hardly allowing two people to stand in ease. I notice Armaan is searching for something in cabinets then fridge. He notices my presence and stops doing what he was doing. He glances at me followed by again getting his attention on whatever he was searching.

The whole cottage is really vacant with little to no necessities. I wonder what he is actually searching in there. Maybe something to eat. I let him do whatever he is doing and amble out of the kitchen. Wait! My phone! Where is it? I look around to find no trace of my phone. I then remember there was nothing in my hand when we get there, not even my clutch. Have I lost my clutch which has my phone in it? Or maybe it's still in the car. Great!

My stomach growl acknowledging me that I am starving from the morning probably. I turn around to head towards the kitchen when my head hit something solid. Okay not again.

"Don't you know how to use your eyes or maybe you lose your eye control when I am around you."

This jerk! He is so full of himself. I roll my eyes when I see a smug on his face but then my eye brightens to see a plate of sandwiches in his hand which he has uplifted probably when I bump into him. Wow-what a timing! I smile and try to snatch the plate from his hand when he lifts it more up far away from my reach.

" Hey, hey, hey! What do you think you are doing?" He spats.

"I am hungry."

What? Have I just said it? No, my tongue has just slipped.

"Okay, I'll let you have it, but first ask with a please." He smirks again.

Me and please! Especially to him! In his dreams.

"Just go to hell!" I yell and rush towards the sofa and sit there with cross legs. I mumble some cursing words while crossing my arms on my chest.

"I won't go there without you by the way," I hear his amusing tone. I shut my eyes tightly and then open them to control my anger. I flinch when he sits next to me as there is nothing except this sofa to sit. I turn my head to another direction as the spicy scent of sandwiches invades my nostrils luring my tastebuds.

"This is so tasty. I didn't know I can cook this deliciously. Just wow!" I sigh heavily on his remarks. My stomach again starts growling at which he chuckles.

"You just need to say a, please. I am feeling bad for your poor stomach."

Can he just shut up? The heavenly scent of Sandwiches, my growling stomach with him constantly blabbering at every bite cause me to look at him. His smirk gets more prominent realizing I am getting defeated by his tactics. Sorry, dear ego, I have to do it otherwise this stomach will make my life hell. I didn't beg anyone ever in my life.

"Can I have it.. p.. plea.. please?" This word, I don't remember if even I have used that word sometime in my life. I always get everything before even repeating it.

"Cool! Here it is." He hands me the plate with an amusing smile on his face. Okay, with him, I am doing the things which I have never done before. I instantly grab the plate and start gobbling the sandwich. Wow, this is really tasty. He surely knows how to cook.

"Eat slowly, you'll choke,"  he admonishes me.

Can he just zip his mouth?

"Can you leave me alone?" I yell in between chewing. My voice a little heavy due to chunks of sandwiches in my mouth.

He leans in closer to me, his face only a few inches away making my teeth stop working on the food in my mouth. I look at him with my mouth stuffed. His brown fringe falls on his forehead by leaning which he doesn't bother to push away making him hotter. What am I even thinking? Stupid! Stupid!

"Cut your proud heiress self in front of me. I won't tolerate that." His blue orbs are reflecting the hint of warning just like his intonation. He glares at me before leaning back at where he was sitting first.

"Wel,l thanks for earlier." Wait! Did I just say that? This time this isn't my tongue which slips, this time my heart wants me to say that. If he hasn't come on time then God knows what would have happened. Although I am sure he didn't do that just for my sake, he has done it for his supposed wife more like to save his pride.

He looks at me with shook in his eyes.

"Did you just thank me?" He interrogates while his expression still in disbelieve.

"Is there anyone beside you and me here?" I fire back while rolling my eyes.

"Well, you don't have to thank me. I didn't exclusively do this for you."

I know it. Why would he do anything for me?

"I would have done this for anyone, for any woman. It's just your name is linked with me so I have to do that no matter what."

I glance back at him. He is already looking at me with a serious expression. Why I can't help but admire his mentality.
    
                     *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Zainab's POV

To lose his signature appearance is quite demeaning for Shaiq but this time he is giving zero attention to it or should I say fuck about it. The whole time he has been telling me he will make Professor Wali repent on what he has done by taking the first position in this presentation. And I know he is competent in doing so.

For our entire way downstairs, he is constantly blabbering to me about useless things, how many girls have flirted to him, his oh not so funny jokes which somehow always make me smile and in his talks like always I become able to forget what I am suffering from. He has always been like that, cheerful, funny and bubbly person. But he is so gullible too.

And as usual, in his magical conversation,n I don't comprehend when we already reach the hall.
Shaiq greets my mother when he spots her. We stroll towards the dining table where she is serving breakfast.

"Have breakfast before going to University," she says while her center of attention is just Shaiq. I know it.

"No Ammi, We are already getting late. So let us..."

"I am not asking you," she interrupts me and pats Shaiq's shoulders.

"Come here son and have breakfast," she holds his right arm and gently pushes him towards the chair. Shaiq peeks at me with a smirk and sticks his tongue at me. This brat. I will kill him. He is having good revenge for what I have done before to him.

"I know how much you love the parathas made by me. Look, I have made them especially for you." She lifts a paratha from the tray and puts it on Shaiq's plate.

"Oh Aunty, you are the best!" Shaiq thumbs up to my mother at which she giggles.

The aunty nephew thing has started now, wow!

I sigh heavily looking at him eating big bites of paratha while winking at me. He knows I have to make arrangements for today's class activity and he is doing this just to tease me. I glare at him while folding my arms on my chest.

" Aunty, what a good cook you are! " He exclaims while sipping the water.

"Oh thank you, child!" My mother's faint yet cheerful voice came from the kitchen.

" You can also join me, Zainab," He offers me while forming another morsel.

"No thanks, and can you please eat quickly?" I say gritting my teeth.

"Whatever you say, " he chirps while gulping the water down his throat.

Wait and watch, you little punk.

He gets up and holds his bag which he has thrown on the other corner of the table. On his way, he doesn't forget to gulp another glass of water making me hit on his arm.

"Do you have the plan of storing the water in your body?"

"Ouch, why you always hit me? It hurts!" He yells while rubbing his arm on which I just have hit him.

"Because you ask for it. Now can we go, Mr. President?" I ask in sarcasm while walking ahead of him.

"President doesn't get hit by their friends. By the way thanks for calling me that," he soon catches up to me and shows me his toothy grin.

I ignore him and continue walking towards the garage, not forgetting to fasten my pace.

"Well, you are always a sweet Zainab for everyone. Why you become a feisty, bloody lioness in front of me?" His breath becomes heavy due to almost running to catch up to me.

I stop in my track and glance at him. He glances me back with a questionable look. He is right actually. Perhaps he is the only person in my life who makes me comfortable and I can open up myself as much as I want. Not even Armaan has made me feel that home feeling. But I am not going to tell this spunk that. He will feel so high of himself then. I ignore him again. Nopes I am not gonna tell you that.

Shaiq starts the red BMW and puts it on the road. I pull my long brown hair to one side and start playing with a strand of them. My long hair! How much he likes them. He even once said that my hair is the most fascinating feature of me. The atmosphere again turns gloomy even in noisy music playing in the car, when my mind again drifts to Armaan. What will I do without him?

"Why are you so sad today?" I come back to reality when Shaiq's raspy voice collides with my eardrum. I turn my face to look at him, he is already looking at me with concern.

"Are you asking me?" I ask blank mindedly while pointing my index finger towards me.

"No, I am asking this steering wheel," he says sighing.

"Hey, are you okay? You are not sad because I am going hard on you?" He pats on the steering while looking at it.

Unknowingly I chuckle at this.

"Is this because of your Prince Charming?" He asks at which my formerly curled up lips loosen into a thin line and my eyes shift from the steering wheel to him.
     
                    *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Assalam O Alaikum! How are you guys? Do you like this chapter? Let me know your feedback in the comment section and don't forget to vote.