Shehnaaz  had always been in control.

Of her thoughts.
Of her emotions.
Of her actions.

She had spent years perfecting herself, making sure she never slipped, never let anyone see beyond the polished, disciplined exterior she had built.

But with Sidharth, all her control felt useless.

Because he was not just looking at her he was seeing her.

And for the first time in forever…

She did not feel like running away.

Shehnaaz woke up to the soft golden light of Dubai filtering through the hotel curtains. Her body felt rested, but her mind?

Her mind was still with him.

His words from last night refused to leave her.

"Bas ek baar… kisi se bhaagne ki jagah kisi ki taraf jaane ki koshish karke dekho, Shehnaaz."

She had spent years convincing herself that she didn't need anyone. That being perfect was the only way to prove herself.

But what if, for once… she did not have to try so hard?

What if she allowed herself to take a step not away, but towards someone?

What if she took a step towards Sidharth?

The hotel restaurant was buzzing with chatter as the crew gathered for breakfast. Laughter echoed through the space, conversations overlapped, and at the center of it all was Sidharth.

Shehnaaz was not surprised. He was always in the middle of the chaos joking with Aman, playfully annoying the junior crew members, making people laugh without trying.

She took her usual seat in the corner, as always. But this time, she looked at him.

Not with annoyance.
Not with frustration.
Not with the usual eye roll that she had reserved for his antics.

But with something softer.

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Sidharth was in the middle of teasing Aman about his terrible flirting skills when he felt it.

A gaze.

He did not know how, but he knew it was her.

Casually, he turned his head, expecting her to roll her eyes or look away. But she didn't. She was looking at him properly looking.

And not with that usual ugh yeh aadmi expression she always gave him. There was something different in her eyes today.

A curiosity. A hesitation. A silent acknowledgment of something neither of them had said aloud yet.

For the first time, she wasn't ignoring him.

And damn if that didn't make his heart race just a little.

He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Kya baat hai, Miss G.G? Aaj subah subah mujhe dekh kar din start karna tha?"

Shehnaaz blinked, realizing she had been caught. But instead of snapping back, instead of shutting him down like she usually did.

She picked up her coffee mug, took a slow sip, and said, "Aapko galat fehmi ho rahi hai, Captain."

No sharp retort. No sarcasm. No walking away.

She had responded.

It was a small step, but a step nonetheless.

And Sidharth? He wasn't going to let this moment go unnoticed.

Aman, who had been watching the exchange like a cricket match, smirked.

"Oye hoye hoye… yeh kya ho raha hai? Bhaiya ye kya ho raha hai?" he whispered to Sidharth, nudging his elbow.

Sidharth grinned. "Kya ho raha hai?"

Aman wiggled his eyebrows. "Bhai, pehle toh Shehnaaz tujhe dekhti bhi nahi thi, aur aaj dekho… tujhse baat bhi kar rahi hai. Yeh toh progress hai!"

Sidharth chuckled. "Pyaare Aman, yeh toh bas trailer hai. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost."

Shehnaaz, who had obviously heard them, shot them both a pointed glare. "Agar breakfast khatam ho gaya ho toh flight ki briefing ke liye chaliye."

Aman leaned over to Sidharth, whispering, "Bhai, yeh naak chadhana kam ho gaya hai. Yeh toh love story ban sakti hai."

Sidharth just smirked, watching as Shehnaaz walked ahead.

"Love story?" he thought.

Maybe Aman wasn't too wrong after all.

As Shehnaaz walked towards the meeting room, her mind was a mess.

She had just talked to him without snapping, without rolling her eyes, without trying to push him away.

And that was dangerous.

Because she knew what happened when you let people in. They let you down.

Her father had never been happy with her, no matter how hard she tried. She had spent years proving herself, trying to be worthy, only to realize that it was never enough.

She had built her walls to protect herself.

But Sidharth was getting through them.

And she wasn'tt sure if she should let him.

Or stop him before it was too late.

The pre flight briefing went smoothly, and soon, they were back in the air.

But something was different now.

Shehnaaz didn't actively avoid Sidharth anymore. She still held onto her discipline, her professionalism but the distance between them was shrinking.

A fleeting glance. A small acknowledgment. A moment of shared silence.

She had taken a step towards him.
But was she ready for what came next?

And was Sidharth ready to wait for her to fully open the door she had kept shut for so long?

Only time would tell.

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Shehnaaz wasn't sure when it started.

Maybe it was when Sidharth refused to give up on her, even when she pushed him away. Maybe it was when he noticed things about her that no one else ever did. Maybe it was when she let herself take that first step towards him, even if it was small.

But one thing was certain things were changing.

And no matter how much she told herself to be careful, to keep her walls intact… Sidharth was slipping through the cracks.

Their next few flights together were different. Not in a dramatic way, but in small, unspoken ways.

Shehnaaz still maintained her professionalism, still stuck to her disciplined routine. But the distance she had carefully built between them?

It was disappearing. Sidharth noticed it in the way her eyes softened when he joked around. In the way she no longer shut him down immediately.
In the way she let him exist in her space without resistance.

On one particular flight to Paris, Sidharth was going through the pre landing checklist in the cockpit when the intercom crackled.

"Captain, can you come out for a minute?" Shehnaaz said in sternly tone.

Surprisingly, he excused himself and walked out to the first class section, where he found her standing near the galley.

"Sab theek?" he asked, slightly confused.

She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then leaned in slightly. "I saved something for you."

Sidharth raised an eyebrow. "Mere liye? Kya?"

She reached behind the counter and pulled out a chocolate croissant, still warm.

"Business class ka ek passenger khane se mana kar diya, toh maine socha… aap toh bina breakfast ke aaye the."

Sidharth blinked. His G.G had saved food for him?

This woman, who once acted as if he was the most irritating person alive, had thought about him enough to keep something for him?

His heart did a weird little flip. He grinned. "G.G your are close to Future S.G, tum soft ho rahi ho."

She rolled her eyes. "Agar nahi chahiye toh wapas kar dijiye."

Sidharth quickly grabbed it, taking a dramatic bite. "Arey nahi nahi, ab toh yeh mere dil ke kareeb hai. Mere liye ye kisi heere moti se kam nahi hai."

She shook her head, but there was a small, almost hidden smile on her lips.

And for Sidharth, that was his real win.

After landing in Paris, the crew got a full day layover. While most of them planned to explore the city, Shehnaaz had already decided she was staying in.

Or at least, that was the plan… until there was a knock at her hotel room door. She opened it to find Sidharth, holding two cups of coffee.

"Tum room mein akeli baithe baithe kya kar rahi ho?" he asked.

Shehnaaz sighed. "Relax kar rahi hoon."

Sidharth smirked. "Relax karne ke aur bhi tareeke hote hain. For example walking by the Seine, drinking overpriced coffee, ya phir Eiffel Tower dekhna."

She frowned. "Aap yeh sab karne aaye hai?"

"Nahi." He held out one of the coffees. "Maine socha, main bechara akela baccha kaha jaunga wo kamina Aman to bhaag gaya mujhe chhord kar ab apni company ke liye koi to chahiye tha na aur ab tum bhi akele main bhi akele maza aa raha hai hainaaaa.?"

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes on his over dramatic nature, she hesitated. She should say no. She should shut the door and stick to her routine.

But instead…

She took the coffee.

And that's how they ended up sitting by the hotel balcony, looking over the Paris skyline, talking about everything and nothing.

For the first time, Shehnaaz let her guard down. Just a little.

She told him about her childhood how she was always compared to her brother, how she grew up trying to be perfect, how her father's approval was something she had chased for years but never caught.

Sidharth listened without judgment.

Then he told her about his own past the pressure of expectations, the loneliness that came with success, the fear of losing people he cared about.

Somewhere between their words, something shifted.

Shehnaaz was not just letting Sidharth in. She was beginning to trust him.

And for someone like her, that was the scariest thing of all.

Late at night, as they walked past the Eiffel Tower, something unexpected happened.

A small street musician was playing a soft melody on his violin, and couples were slow dancing nearby.

Sidharth looked at Shehnaaz, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Ek dance ho jaye?"

Shehnaaz let out a disbelieving laugh. "Dimag hotel chhord aaye hai kya?."

"Kyun? Dar lag raha hai kya ki world ke best dancer ke saath aapko dance karna padhega." he teased.

She crossed her arms. "Mujhe faltu time waste nahi karna."

Sidharth grinned. "Are life me ek baar to time waste kar lo G.G."

Before she could protest, he took her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Bas meri aankhon mein dekho, aur mujhe follow karo."

Shehnaaz hesitated. But as the music played, she found herself moving awkwardly at first, then more naturally.

Sidharth's hands were steady, his presence warm. For the first time, she was not thinking. She was not trying to be perfect. She was just existing.

And maybe… she liked it.

As the song ended, Sidharth leaned in slightly, his voice softer than ever.

"Kabhi kabhi life ko khul ke jeena chahiye Shehnaaz. Aur mere saath jab tak ho bhul jaao ki life me perfection bhi matter karta hai."

Shehnaaz felt something stir inside her.

She didn't reply. She didn't know how to reply.

All she knew was that, for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.

And maybe… just maybe…

She didn't want this moment to end.

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That is it for today.

Hope you all like it.

Thanks for reading.