chapter : 40
approaching storm
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is it a good time or should i wait before we start the countdown, 5 chapters to go! until i mark this baby completed.

on the other note, Defying the Stars, my upcoming book's blurb and prologue has been released. Go check that out! I am taking it down tomorrow!

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t h i r d p e r s o n
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"One day you will get us both reported to HR."

Noor exasperates, her words mumbled out in puffs of air. Her doe eyes constrict at the offencer but there's also a mist of love and adoration covering it. She is lying in a daze of satisfaction, her lips smiling brightly at her husband.

Cheeks tinted with a beautiful hue of shyness. Kabir lets out a hesty chortle at her accusation.

"Mrs. Sood, I think you are forgetting who owns the company."

"With the stunts you pull, I won't be too sure if owning the company will give you an upper hand. Thank God I often skip wearing lipstick to work." She pointedly blames him.

Noor and Kabir lie together, on the very abandoned couch in his cabin. The couch did seem to be useful if not for sitting but in catering to other extra-curricular activities.

"Uhm, I wouldn't mind."

"Of course you wouldn't. I was supposed to work on the file."

"I think we worked very hard." Kabir jokes. His fingers trace the contours of her face, brushing his thumb against her slightly swollen lips.

"Kabir..." She attempts to get up from his embrace. The couch's a little small for both of them but Kabir had managed to pull Noor over him, such that most of her body is sprawled over his. Tangled limbs and faces touching.

"What wifey?"

"We need to get back to work." She might be right but Kabir has no intention to let go of his wife. He has never been someone to neglect his work not because he was a workaholic but cause he never had the right reason to skip.

Noor, his wife, is the perfect reason for him to take a break from work.

"Don't you think you are being too harsh on me?"

"I promise to treat the birthday boy to the fullest, but once we reach home."

"Now you have my attention, wifey."

"Yes, Mr. Sood. Let's get back to work." Noor manages to finally get up, pushing against her husband's chest who looks at her with a pout.

"I don't like you choosing to work over me."

"Are you the same boss who once scolded me for being ten seconds late for a meeting?"

"You were twenty seconds late and I wasn't angry at your tardiness."

"Oh? Enlighten me then, sir?" She presses her lips together, eyebrow-raising. Her hair's a mess, and the lack of clothing doesn't make up for the stern look she is trying to maintain.

"You were late because you decided to stop and help someone else complete their work when they wanted to take a break."

"That's not true." Kabir shakes his head at his wife's defence. He gets up too, revisiting that day in his mind.

"The employee you were helping, had applied for a vacation leave. She had to complete her share of work that day before she logged off, but because she had some parlour appointments, she chose to lighten her burden on you." He recites the incident.

"No. I remember she had a doctor's appointment."

"I have the written application and well she wasn't quiet while bitching about you to her friends and laughing about how easy it was to fool you."

Noor looks at him dejected still trying to make sense of his words. She clearly remembers the expression with which Upasana had pleaded for her help. She had been late for the meeting with foreign delegations just so she could complete her work.

"That's how most of the people think. Getting their work done by undertaking any measures possible. Don't ponder too much on it. Just, learn to prioritise yourself over others. Think about yourself first." Her husband tenderly speaks. Cupping her face, so carefully that she feels some water pricking her lids.

Noor has been through a lot in her life. She doesn't roam hanging the board of her miseries around her neck but she is as wounded as any normal human. Being born into royalty doesn't always guarantee you the glam and glitter, sometimes it is the main soil from where the tree of insecurity grows.

Kabir knows how Noor's mind works, she knows how to choose herself but it often comes with loads of overthinking. He sees the droplet of tears peeking from the punctum of her eye and wipes it off. Placing his lips on her, he tries to distract her mind from the hurt she is experiencing.

It might just be a small incident but when you shower care only to be punched and stabbed in the back, that wound bleeds the most. It's the silent kind of hurt, but the most painful.

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"What are you in the mood for?" Sana pops a chocolate candy in her mouth, looking at Noor for her answer. They are having lunch together in a nearby restaurant which seems crowded due to it being a rush hour.

They finally got a seat allocated to them, and are now scanning the menu. Noor had gotten dressed up after Kabir had finally let her go. She had tidied herself nicely, combing her hair thoroughly that had been blown into a nest.

"Do you want a glass of fresh orange juice?" Noor questions.

"I am not a freshly squeezed kinda person," Sana nonchalantly replies. Noor stifles her giggle hearing those words from her friend's mouth.

"I mean, you do you, baby." A wink alongside the comment and they both burst out laughing. With a huge grin on her face, Noor sees Sana. Truly sees her.

They have been friends since the start, best ones and today, she is here, hiding such a big fact from her. Sana would never judge her but still Noor's afraid. Her insecurities have rendered her incapable of feeling confident in herself.

What if her best friend judges her?

What if her best friend starts looking at her in a different light?

What if Sana thinks that Noor's not worthy of anything and it's just the connections?

The biggest fear of them all.

Noor needs to tell Sana the truth, her friend deserves her honesty, and she has to spill her secrets in front of her. Even if it meant losing the only friend she ever trusted in her office tenure.

They decide on their menu, order the food and relish it while discussing and gossiping about the latest office news. It's a fun hour, one where the clock is ticking over Noor's heads

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Clunk.

"Fuck."

Swoosh.

"Dammit."

Gurgles and churning sounds reverberate.

Kabir stands shocked at his house's entrance, holding the latch in his hand. He had planned to surprise his wife who had retired for home early this evening. It was his birthday and his wife skipped the second half stating she had some work.

Something that made him jealous of the work.

He came a little early, to surprise her, but stands here astonished. The door's still open, and there are some rough sounds that he thinks are from the kitchen.

Closing the door softly, he removes his footwear. Loses his coat on the top of the shoe rack, carefully folding it, loosens his tie and pushes the sleeves of his shirt up as walks further inside.

His gaze is directed at their home's open kitchen area where he sees his wife. In a mess.

"The fuck is it so difficult." He hears her mumbling, loudly. There's a smile on his face when he takes in her appearance.

Her hair is a mess, thrown together in a bun, that's barely hanging on top of her skill. Her apron has failed to protect her clothes, which are drowned in flour. There's so much flour everywhere. On her hair, hands, clothes and her face.

He is closer now, the kitchen islands are spluttered with some mixtures- chocolate and, vanilla, maybe?

There's flour on the kitchen marble tops as well.

"Uhm." He clears his throat, a sudden voice that manages to scare his wife and the bowl she was holding bounces from her hand.

More flour. Flour in the air and on the floor, and on her face.

"The fuck, Kabir?" She screeches looking down at her hard work spilt on the floor.

"I am so sorry, baby." He rushes there, the mess around him bothers Kabir so much but he tries focusing his attention on his wife.

"Why are you here?" She resembles a white-washed wall. Her face looks like it was dipped in the white powder.

"I live here?"

"Ah! Not that. Why are you here early?" Her eyes peek from the powdery material, looking doused in anger.

"I thought I'd spend some time with you." Kabir looks so afraid at his wife's vex-filled gaze. She keeps eyeing the recipe book that lies somewhere hidden beneath the utensils, but it's there.

"Okay. Okay. It's okay." She sighs. Mutters under breath.

"What are you saying?" Kabir questions.

"I said it's okay!" Her tone rises suddenly, and it just adds to the comic element of her look. Kabir tries hiding the smile that is threatening to spread.

"Are you laughing?"

"No. No. Why would I? How dare I?"

"You are. You idiot. Here, I am trying to bake a cake for your birthday, even when I know how disastrous I am to a kitchen. And you are laughing."

Kabir walks closer, his hands trying to wipe off the marks from her face but it keeps spreading. "Baby, we could have ordered a cake." He tells her gently.

"I wanted to bake you one, well, I hoped I could bake one myself but—"

"You ended up treating the kitchen as your mixing bowl, I get it." He jokes, stifling his laughter.

"You dork!" She hits him with a spatula, eyeing a nearby container that is filled with some gooey floury paste and some crumbs of chocolate chips.

"I have been in this kitchen for three hours now, and you have the audacity to tease me, Mr. Sood?" Her voice was too sweet and calm.

"Noor..."

"Happy birthday, husband." She takes a step forward, her hand reaching out to the container. In a swift motion, she empties the contents of the bowl on top of his head. As the liquid seeps through his hair down to his face, she narrows her eyes at him.

He stands there still, feeling the weird sensation of liquid dripping. She takes her finger, scooping a portion of the liquid from his cheek, and tasting it.

"Good, a perfect birthday dessert, no?"

"I am not going to leave you, wifey." With a shriek, she bolts away and he sprints behind her. They are laughing and shouting, teasing and running. Warning and pleading.

Reverberations of their laughter and happiness echo in the house as if trying to implant themselves permanently on the walls. Wanting to make a mark as to never leave again.

As the evening sun sets, the orangish hue now giving way to the darkness of the night. That's how deep within even the walls of their home can feel a storm approaching.

One that would test them, examine them and maybe...break them.

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Hey!
thank you for reading.

royally yours,
meethi.