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Shaken from the proximity, Aahnik was just trying to register what Khwaab said when she dropped another bomb on him with that sexy wink.

His cheeks turned red and his mouth a little open. He wanted to say something to her. Maybe a comeback for what she said but he couldn't. It was as if his brain went numb with those jittery feelings as if that electric shock literally sucked out all his senses and thinking.

He saw her quietly going and standing back beside Ayan with an innocent face as if she did absolutely nothing. Her eyes lingered on his red ears and his face which was flushed red.

She wanted to laugh out loud at him for being an absolute cutie.

Aahnik didn't speak for a moment and then slowly realized about him being an absolute idiot for having given the power to control his emotions to an absolute stranger whom he met just a day before.

He couldn't put his finger on why a mere girl was able to shake him inside out and totally take control over his feelings.

He didn't allow anyone to do it for years, he neither let anyone see through his feelings nor he himself told them ever then how his deep settled feelings which he didn't know existed are coming out after all these years out of nowhere.

It wasn't just about what she made him feel or go through. It was about him showing out his feeling and getting affected. He freaking reacted to her touch. How can he?

Why didn't he feel anything when those girls in his college approached him? Why he never had a crush on someone? He was so into his passion and dreams that he didn't allow anyone to enter his territory. He still has his dreams looking ahead but now it seemed that a barrier had entered his life.

A barrier so strong and it was getting difficult for him to keep moving ahead without being distracted.

He will break through the barrier and will achieve his dreams. All he desires is to keep serving his country all his life without getting attached to anyone.

Attachments are nothing but myths. Feelings are nothing but heartbreaks. It's better to grow thorns than roses because then the hurt will never overpower the heart.

“Aahnik...Aahnik” Ayan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked at him mumbling an apology for spacing out.

"I want you to accompany Khwaab as she wants to look around the station and also please make sure she has her breakfast." Ayan requested him and for Aahnik it was a command and nothing much. Even if Ayan wasn't just a senior for him but still being in the uniform and at your working place, you should be in your actual character.

"Sure sir." He gently nodded giving a firm reply to him and looked at Khwaab with all the determination and promises coming back in his mind.

Khwaab looked at him with slight confusion. A few minutes back the eyes which were down looking at her with surprise and innocence which she couldn't believe for few seconds have now turned cold and blank. It was as if he had shut the down the door and covered his feelings with a veil of sheer coldness.

He confused her at a level that was making her more passionate to know about his mysterious and strange self.

She was attracted to him and she knew it. What she didn't know was the reason for her strong attraction. If it was his eyes that were so freaking mysterious or those feelings which she went through in those few seconds of proximity that she shared with him.

She just wanted to play around with him but didn't know that she herself will get played in the way. She surely saw how much affected he was but she could not dismiss that blend of calmness and peace that she found in his arms for those few seconds and how badly she wanted him to embrace her back.

She would have laughed if someone would have told all this to her. She would have made fun out of it saying that it sounded so filmy.

Experiencing tranquility in a stranger's arms was something straight out of Bollywood for her but today she couldn't laugh after going through the same herself.

Let's go," Khwaab spoke softly to Aahnik with a hint of a hidden tease as Ayan left for some work.

Aahnik didn't respond to her and instead signaled her to move ahead before him with his right hand, his eyes still not ready to meet with her.

Khwaab shook her head at him sensing his ignorance and an amusing smile lingered on her face.

Aahnik joined her after she started to move and made sure to have a ten feet distance between them while walking beside her.

"Listen" Khwaab called Aahnik in a grave tone and halted on her place looking at his face with seriousness written all over her face.

Aahnik's steps halted too along with her and her voice full of seriousness made him look into her eyes and his own eyes filled with worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked trying not to sound worried by any chance. He didn't want her to think that he cared for her in any way.

"I don't bite," Khwaab replied with the utmost seriousness and started laughing throwing her head back without waiting for his response.

Aahnik was literally blank for a few seconds and after registering her words correctly, irritation and annoyance started to grow inside him and he felt like giving her a piece of mind but he couldn't because his anger vanished in the thin air around him the moment he heard her heartfelt laughter.

His irritation precipitated in the sky by just looking at her face which held so much innocence and happiness. She was laughing without a single worry about anything and it made him think about the last time he laughed like the way she was. He didn't even remember if it was months or years back.

Yes, he did stay happy around HIS people who understood him better than anyone. Even if it was a small one and even if he met them once in a year still it was enough for him. The happiness of those few days in a year was enough for him.

With dark eyes full of unknown feelings he looked back at the girl who was laughing without even realizing how her mere presence has turned his life upside down.

His mind wandered back to what she did a few minutes back and now when he thought of his behavior, he could not help but allow a soft smile to linger on his face.

He literally behaves like a shy girl and it wasn't his fault but the one who made him go through that.

Khwaab had stopped laughing and looked at Aahnik who was smiling softly looking at her with lost eyes.

She locked her eyes with him and stared deeply into them like reading the abysses of his mysterious self.

Misery, hollowness, broken hope, a long wait for someone was all she interpreted. His eyes would surely look normal and cold to anyone who would try to know him but then why her? Why she could read his eyes like she knew him and his broken self for years.

It was too much to handle for her, these newfound feelings were too overwhelming to handle. She can't ignore them she knew but she even knew that it would take time to know the man in front of him.

"Staring is not right," Khwaab spoke a little loudly to grab Aahnik's attention and he felt embarrassment creeping inside him on being caught while staring at her.

"What you did was right?" Aahnik spoke in a mocking tone looking directly into her eyes and Khwaab's eyes widen in utter shock with his sudden reply.

Aahnik could very well see the surprise on her face and was very much satisfied with his comeback. This is how he'll outbreak on her advancing steps as well as newfound emotions.

He'll be ignorant of her presence and will make sure not to give her any ideas of how crazy she turned him with just her voice.

"I was just teasing you and nothing more," Khwaab replied in all honesty and it was really true when she said it. She was just being herself around him even if she was feeling more than necessary.

"I really don't like what you did here and even a few minutes back there. Kindly don't repeat it and maintain a distance from me." Aahnik firmly told her folding his arms on his chest looking straight into her orbs without any expressions on his face. This was the maximum words that he has spoken with any girl.

Khwaab didn't see this coming. She thought that the boy was too shy but she was highly mistaken. He wasn't shy but rather very straight forward. She realized that he didn't speak more than what's needed but even she was Khwaab and she knew her ways.

"Omg, I'm sorry. I didn't know you're not straight." Khwaab made a horror-stricken face laced with fake guilt and her eyes sparkling with the sparkles of mischief.

Aahnik's eye widens in shock and his face flushed with anger.

"NO!!!" He instantly shouted and regretted the very next second. He was standing near the mess and the officers were passing by, his image was surely going to be damaged till the time this girl was at the station.

"Why can't you just keep your mouth shut and just come quietly with me." Aahnik moved closer to her and asked her in a low voice, his jaws clenched in anger and he was trying his best to calm himself down.

How? Like how she was managing to bring out all the shades of him suddenly which he never knew existed. Anger? Care? Worry? Fear? He didn't even know if these existed or not until yesterday but literally, everything changed in the past twelve hours.

"Aye Aye Captain!! Sorry Leader!!" Khwaab replied saluting him and gave him a toothy smile.

Aahnik rolled his eyes and gestured her to follow him this time.

His gentleman's behavior was gone too soon and it was because of her. Now she'll know what a squadron leader could do and what staying with him meant. She'll herself run miles away from him in few hours and he'll be free of her for FOREVER.

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It was around one in the afternoon when Khwaab returned her room after Aahnik dropper her at the threshold of the quarter with a sad face and disappointed face.

Khwaab falls down on her bed and keeping her head over a pillow she laughed spreading her arms around.

He tried hard but not so hard. He thought he'll cover up his soft heart with that facade of ruthlessness and coldness but he failed miserably.

He tried so much to pretend and never left a single chance to taunt and insult her but he literally didn't know the actual meaning of insults. Whatever he told her either was a scolding for being reckless or a statement given in anger for being ignorant about her health and he thought she'll be irritated because of him.

"Aahnik Singh Rathore, you're too good to be bad and too bad as an actor or to even pretend to be a bad person," Khwaab spoke to herself and shook her head.

She very well got off his plan of irritating and annoying her with his bad behavior and making her leave his side for whatever time she was the station bit unfortunately what he couldn't do was to execute his plan perfectly because his care was totally visible.

From not allowing her to have spicy food, calling Ayan to remind her of her medicines, to not allowing her to walk for more than five minutes at a time, and yet he thought he was being a BAD person?

Picking up the new phone that she got from Ayan she called him to ask him about a few things if he was free enough to answer.

He was free and picked up the phone. After a few seconds of asking about the food, medicines, and other pleasantries she asked him about the main thing only to be left disappointed.

"But I have an idea" Ayan spoke from the other side of the phone in an exciting tone.

"What Papa? Is there anything left?" Khwaab asked in a sad voice with disappointment all over her face.

"Yes, there is a plan. You can visit Ladakh if not Kasmir. See the curfew can last for more than two weeks because of the situation so you'll have nothing to do in this one week but then I have a few important documents to be sent to the Ladakh office and I'm sending on of the officers there so he can accompany you." Ayan suggested in the best possible way with few other things going in his mind.

"That would be a great idea but why do I need someone else? I can travel on my own and how can I go with any stranger?" Khwaab didn't feel like going on a trip with any stranger. She was used to traveling alone and it hardly mattered to her if she had someone at her side or not.

"No, you can't go there alone because I really don't trust the situation out there on the border these days so it can be dangerous. There is no stranger that I'm sending. You'll love to travel with the stranger and I'm sure about." Ayan hinted her in a little reading voice and that was the clue for Khwaab to squeal in happiness. Well, she covered the speaker because in no way she wants Ayan to know about what she feels for that mysterious man until she herself knows what it is.

"Well I don't know what you are talking about but if am just saying yes because it's you and also why can't you come with me? I just met you after a long time." Khwaab asked him in a babyish soft voice and Ayan sighed sadly.

"My kid, I've few works here to finish and then I'll be back to Shimla after two weeks until then your Shaheena Maa would be there with your monkey friend," Ayan answered back in a playful tone and Khwaab instantly grinned after listening to the amazing news.

Her Shaheena Maa and best friend would be there in Shimla the moment she would return. She can't wait for the week to pass already but before that few things were waiting for her.

"This is the best news that you have given. Okay, Papa, I'm tired and I'll take a nap. Bye." She kept the phone not before Ayan informed her that she would be leaving tomorrow morning and that means she needed to keep herself ready.

A road trip with Aahnik Singh Rathore. She was already waiting for the morning to come.

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2537 words!!! Huff and I updated so fast. I'm shocked totally. This chapter has ample Aahnik and Khwaab and from now on it'll be this way only till I don't know how many chapters.

Also thank you so so so so much for all the love on the last chapter. You guys motivate me so hard to write and also to update asap. I love you all and thank you for your love.

Also lol a day before I ended up writing the epilogue of this story. Don't worry this is not ending any soon. There are still 20 chapters left so yeah get yourself ready for regular updates.

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