❝︎ i wanna feel your touch
it's burning me like an ember
pretending is not enough
i wanna feel us together
so i'm giving in ❞︎

- “Trouble I'm in” by Twinbed

★★★

Yawn.

A rub on head, a stretch of body and a tug of lips. He got up as he forked his fingers through his hair, his eyes closed and his mind taking him back to last night.

Ah, he was really happy.

He shook his head at how easily he felt satisfied. It wasn't like he was down in the dumps without her but how he lived wouldn't be considered living blissfully. He was alive and well. There weren't any difficulties but there was also not this undying essence of euphoria.

However, has life ever failed to provide us with a fly in the ointment?

The corners of his mouth dropped when he remembered how their drive ended.

'No. Gotta play safe.'

Chanting internally, he decided to not be alone with the being Fizza Aftab. They sat in the car for mere twenty to thirty minutes both times but still it felt like a sin. It was, indeed, so he condemned himself to no rides alone with her till-well, till it feels right to be alone with her.

After clearing his throat to cease the foolish grin contouring his face, he freshened and stepped out of his room. While greeting his family, he realized it was a weekday yet they were all gathered, giving rise to a deja vu-ish feeling in his chest.

"You don't have college today?" He made Zara aware of his presence, for she was busy gawking at something in her phone.

"I do, but there's no lab practice so I skipped." He nodded his head before smiling at his mother as she placed his breakfast in front of him.

"I really think I should've selected Pre-Engineering like you. It's not fair, you guys only had two practicals whereas, we, poor Pre-Medical students have four." She whined, causing him to arch an eyebrow and scoff.

"Don't flatter yourself. You think you could've handled Intermediate math?"

That earned a vengeful grit of teeth from his sister and she sent a glare towards him. "It's not like you can draw Bio diagrams. Don't make fun of me!"

Shahveer chuckled but before he could retaliate, someone else beat him to it.

"My son can easily handle those, okay?" Their mother smiled at him, which he returned with the same, and she joined them on the dining table.

"Abbu, inko dekhein na! Ammi is playing favorites."
(Father, look at them)

Soon one of the chairs was occupied by Mr. Ahmed and he cleared his throat before starting.

"Let's move on to the main topic, shall we, bacha?"
(Daughter)

Zara's sulking face turned into a cheery, smirking one and Shahveer's eyebrows creased as he took in his family members' countenance.

"Well then? Did you solve your problem?" He enquired as he directed his attention towards his son.

"What problem?"

"Did you find out if my daughter in law likes you back or not?" The impatient one, a.k.a Mrs. Zunaira Ahmed, questioned.

Daughter in law. The phrase rang in his mind and as he tried to stop smiling, he miserably failed.

"Ammi, she isn't your daughter in law yet." He muttered puckishly as he lifted his toast up to his mouth with a subtle wrinkle of brows, generating a shrewd shake of heads from his parents.

"Look at yourself in the mirror before saying that." A deadpan from his younger sister in response to which Shahveer laughed with glee, not even trying to cloak his happiness anymore, and his joy originated similar actions from his surroundings.

A fact, however, was poking him since forever and he decided it was okay to share it in their current atmosphere. "I wanted to tell you something about Fizza." He gulped and guided his sight towards his father because according to Shahveer, he would be able to understand him to the fullest.

"Fizza was actually my student once and..." Halting for a breather, he continued, "I had feelings for her since then." He observed, rather tensely, how his parents looked at one another while they allowed the straining silence to hang in the air. The atmosphere made his toes curl in jitters, and he didn't know he was holding a breath pre-exhaling in relief when one of them finally voiced his opinion.

"Sach kahon tu mein tumse maafi mangna chata hon, beta."
(Honestly speaking, I'd like to apologize to you, son.)

Taken aback, Shahveer couldn't form anything and only waited for his father to elaborate.

"You were young yourself at the time but you still behaved maturely. I can't help but acknowledge that if I had been a capable father, you wouldn't need to get a job at such a young age." He sorrowed and his wife immediately placed her hand on his arm, catching his attention, and gave him a glare, as if daring him to continue demeaning himself.

Shahveer smiled softly. "Abbu, I don't think carrying the weight of a coworker's miscalculation, one that you weren't even aware of, can be counted as incapability."

His father formed a small smile as he tried to reassure him, and seemingly it wasn't enough. Thus, he added a bundle or two more of his thoughts.

"Moreover, if I didn't take up on that job, then I wouldn't have met her, right?" His voice oozed out merriment as he resumed; "And, to answer your question, yes. We have talked it through and she has agreed to trust me."

"Then? When are we going to her house?" His mother probed further.

The question succeeded to pause him for a few seconds and he hummed in response as he got ready to unfold his plans-plans which he has yet to convey to the regarded person. He leaned back in his chair, looking at particularly nothing but a future in his mind.

"I haven't discussed this with Fizza, but I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate something like this anytime soon." Zunaira Ahmed's eyebrows collected together-an indication that she didn't expect this-making her son notice her perplexity and he carried on with his analysis;

"She's just twenty years old right now, only a sophomore, so I can't force such a thing. It'll hinder her life, her career and everything, all in all. Also, I don't want to add myself to her plate right now. I want to stay on the sidelines, just close enough to be there if she needs me."

His mother nodded her head, perceiving his concern but Zara was quick to highlight the hidden meaning behind his words—definitely his sister. "So, you have an idea how to be around her, huh?"

"Yeah, somewhat and-" He sighed, "I'll have to make amends with just that for at least two or two and a half years." His lips formed a single line and he slightly bobbed his head, confirming inwardly the amount of time Fizza would need to complete her bachelors. Anyways, for now, Shahveer had something else to announce.

"By the way, I won't have dinner at home tonight." Almost struggling to not wriggle his brows, he got up and trod lightly towards the kitchen to put back the used utensils in the sink to wash them.

"What does that mean?"

"You asked me about my plans, didn't you? This is a part of that." He smirked and his time washing the dishes went by in explaining his ideas, noticing that a particular family member wasn't taking part in the conversation anymore.

Done with his tasks at hand, he passed behind his sister, unintentionally noticing her scrolling through pictures of a person in her phone.

"Who's that?"

As if caught off guard, she blinked and after a few seconds of collecting herself, answered;

"It's a celebrity."

"Western?"

"No, he's an Asian singer."

He oh-ed, remembering a certain someone's addiction for them.

"Do girls like them? I mean, these singers and their, you know, their style?"

Zara's nervous eyes widened, finally realizing the cause of his interest.

"Bhabi mentioned them, didn't she?" She burbled, making Shahveer's brows crinkle in disapproval but both of them knew better.
(Sister in law)

"Even if she didn't and you're asking me this only because I seem to like them, though that's obviously not the case," She waved her hand cogently, "I'll still be generous and tell you. Yes, girls like these singers. Who wouldn't? They sing and dance well and are also gentlemen. Needless to mention, they are good looking." She ended sagaciously and Shahveer was somewhat relieved.

He couldn't dance but the other matters weren't a problem so he straightened, now proceeding to enter the privacy of his room. The closing words of his sister, though, succeeded in having made a place for themselves in his mind.

"Girls like glasses too, you know. Metal ones."

~~

She glanced over at the door and then proceeded to focus on her phone with slumped shoulders and squinted eyes. A few seconds of scrolling Instagram and she lost her patience, vocalizing a worry;

"Why isn't he here yet?"

Haroon and Daneen shared a look and the former was the first to respond.

"Well, I hope he's okay." He sighed and Fizza hummed questioningly, her eyebrows further knitting.

"I mean, he's never this late, look, there's just ten minutes to class. I hope nothing's wrong." He gave her a shrug and pursed his lips as his eyes darted to Daneen before she looked away and bit back a smile.

A dilemma. Fizza was now in a dilemma, not knowing what to do or what to think.

'He'd be okay, right?'

She gnawed her lower lip as a form of habit whenever she gets anxious and after a minute or two of doing so, she decided to ring him up.

But, she didn't have his number.

Whipping her head up, she was about to ask Haroon to call him but before she could say anything, she noticed him stifling a laugh as he glanced in a particular direction. Following his gaze she found Daneen, in a similar state, and that's when it occurred to her.

'These bi-'

"Done laughing?" She smiled, thinking back to why she's friends with such flippant individuals and the other two now had no reason to suppress their laughter, causing them to laugh like hyenas.

"Kia horaha hai yahan?"
(What's happening here?)

A familiar, deep voice brought Fizza out of her apparent angry trance and she moved her head in his direction, wanting to complain but her words died in her throat at his appearance.

Shahveer Ahmed was wearing glasses.

He was wearing FREAKING GLASSES!

"Why are you wearing those?" The words rolled off her tongue before she could process them. What else could be done? She was a sucker for guys in glasses. Though, this fellow wearing them doubled the tension.

She scanned how complimenting those round inky spectacles seemed heeding his sharp features. She didn't move her sight even an inch, as if she was utterly powerless against the endeavor. Thereby, it didn't take long for him to realize her deviant reverie.

"Bas aesi hi."
(Just because.)

He smirked, having realized that he succeeded, triumphantly at that. He was perhaps not satisfied with their present conditions. He was so easily distracted by her that he wanted her to be the same. To be just as mesmerized by him as he was by her. So, he resorted to his current strategy.

However, if she was helpless, then so was he, when confronted against her staring. It accelerated something in him, something that he couldn't quite control. He didn't want to go too far but maybe he had misunderstood. Misunderstood that he could pull the strings without affecting himself.

Cocking his head to the side, he elevated the index finger of his right hand and pretended to fix his glasses, his mouth slightly parted, his gaze misty. 'He emanates vibes of a devil with the face of an angel.' She inhaled sharply, averting her gaze from him, but met his eyes soon enough, this time nervously—only to bring about an extended smirk from him.

He couldn't comprehend why but despite of his own rational defiance of his deeds, he found himself doing things he had never done before, entirely to make her eyes linger on him for longer, longer than usual. In pursuit of that, he shifted her attention by a fold of his arm, the action causing his muscles to bulge underneath his navy blue shirt—her little easy self now thoroughly detained in his game—and lifted his hand to roll up his sleeves, knowing well how the stunt always distracts her.

"Shahveer." It felt as if a foreign voice had interrupted them and his chin slightly uplifted, now that he was deserted of her attention, for Haroon had broken the silence.

He turned to his left and found Haroon looking back at him as he worded;

"Class shoro hone wali hai, chalo."
(It's class time, let's go.)

He suggested, to which Shahveer nonchalantly agreed as he moved his head to his front again but she was no longer in sight.

Clicking his tongue and spinning on his heels, he murmured; "Kahan gai?"
(Where's she?)

His co-worker, however, dragged a hand through his face and bleated on his way out of the room;

"In case you've forgotten, we come here to work."

~~

Done with his last class for the day, Shahveer took large strides through the crowd, his eyes downcast, and entered the staffroom. He picked up the test papers he had received recently and thought he'll skim through them before the others come, wishing in his heart of hearts for her to come earlier.

Just as he had hoped, Fizza soon arrived, except her usual gaiety wasn't visible, instead a cautious look clouded her lineaments.

"Farigh hogae ap?"
(You're free now?)

She adjusted on the settee, her elbows perched on her knees and he stared in her course, humming fondly.

Putting the papers away, he ambled towards the sofa and seated himself on the corner, the corner closer to the settee-unlike previous times. Their knees were now levelled. One wrong move and they'll be grazing one another.

Commanding her mind to not drift off, she began; "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Mirroring her, he placed his elbow on his knee as well and positioned his chin in his palm, fingers curling inwards.

"The thing is, don't take this the wrong way, okay? I mean, I'm just saying this because you said we should be honest."

"Jee, farmaein." Chuckling, he tilted his head the other side, almost as if he was drunk, drunk on something, drunk on her.
(Yes, go ahead)

"I think we should stop going home together." She stated in a sole breath, staring at him without a single blink-as he did the same-and a few seconds of looking straight in his eyes was all it took for the blood in her whole anatomy to rush to her cheeks.

"Matlab, hum srif do dafa hi akele ghar gae hain," Her words lost sound as they progressed and she was now on a serious verge of wanting to curse herself.
(I mean, we've drove home alone only twice,)

"But, putting aside the fact that we could be seen, I'm not scared of that actually. I'm just saying we shouldn't be-"

"Alone, just the two of us?" He finished for her without even the slightest hint of mischief in his irises, for they portrayed something entirely different this time. A flicker of an exceptional peccability wriggled in his eyes and he felt as if it had never crossed him before. Or maybe it did. That haze had made it's existence known just the night before.

"Yes." Her throat clogged, corollary of her try to uphold his stare. That she did. Even with a heart that hammered against her rib cage to the point for her to fear that it'd give away any moment and fingertips that itched to reach him so, so bad but couldn't.

Shahveer was undoubtedly the only person capable of shaking her whole being. The credits would go to those actions he performed-without even realizing-and they caught her attention impartially and indisputably. One of those enticing, uncountable deeds was bobbing his throat whenever they wandered into seriousness and she could swear that little feat inclined her into an aberrant daze she didn't like coming out of.

"Why though?" He rasped, his mind running devilish, his face exhibiting absolute stiffness, on the other hand, his eyes-his eyes roaming all over her face. From her brown tresses that disrupted her by rippling in the wind and made him want to glide his fingers through, to those soulful umber hued orbs that didn't sway and kept staring back at him. That adorable little nose button which she scrunches whenever she's annoyed and those cerise tinctured cheeks that he undeniably had a vivid thirst of fondling.

At last, his vision entered the territory he was the most afraid of. He was incredibly scared of that piece of flesh right above her chin and the consequent thoughts it brings to him, still couldn't find it in himself to recede. Once again, his brain and his gaze got clouded with the similar kindling fog he had barely liberated himself from the night before and this time, he professed it impossible to overcome the pounding of his heart as he kept surveying those cupid's bow like lips of hers.

Nathless, he still tried.

Instead of keeping his sight at the same spot, he lifted it and met her eyes. He thought that could save him. But oh, he had never been more wrong. His mind could not reign over the beating of the organ sitting in his chest when he espied her view dropped to his own lips. She gulped audibly and he noticed it, causing him to do the same. That was it, maybe. That caused his entity to stir to the degree of being unable to restrain himself, unable to keep all of him to himself. So, he gave in.

Shifting a little in his seat, he turned towards her, their knees now brushing against the others', and within a swift twinkle, he had upraised his sinewy hand. As if moving on its own, it was now on its way towards her face and they had locked gazes, having drifted into an entirely different world, insulated to everything that occurred around them, until...

His hand came in contact with a rather bony one, instead of the apparently soft jowl he had expected, and the blunt, crude words stemmed instantaneous whirl of heads from the low-key sinners.

"Tum dono ka sab abhi aur yahan karne ka irada hai?"
(You two plan to do everything here and now?)

Haroon murmured in a low voice yet loud enough for both of them to hear. Daneen stood behind him, pursuing her lips in pursuit of suppressing her laugh or portraying her disapproval -unknown. She motioned to the other teachers who had started entering the room and fortunately had not witnessed their brief moment of insanity.

Maybe, Shahveer would've stopped himself. Perhaps, Fizza would've backed off. Worst case scenario, neither of them would've moved. Anyhow, they were grateful to Haroon for his sudden appearance.

Almost as if electrified, Shahveer rose to his feet, startling Fizza, and lumbered towards the door, though stopped soon. He, after a few seconds of contemplating Lord knows what, swivelled on his heels and without glancing at any of them, picked up his stuff. They watched him wordlessly as they blinked their eyes and as soon as he left the room, they shared a look and burst into a bubbly laughter while one of them sat there faning her face. Regardless, the oldest one obviously didn't spare the juniors his impotent remarks.

"Did you catch his ears reddening?"

~~

"You didn't forget we're going in Sir Shahveer's car, did you?"

Daneen reminded Haroon, producing a round mouth from him and they sauntered towards his car as Fizza plodded behind them. They hopped in, Haroon in the passenger's seat and Daneen behind him, leaving open the space behind Shahveer.

"Scoot in." Fizza vocalized but her friend only passed nonchalance her way, within her words and her actions.

"Come from the other side." And she closed the door after a shrug.

Fizza pondered for a while but what could she do? She rounded the car, her eyes subconsciously wandering in his direction and found his gaze at her, as always. Ducking her head, she got in the car and evinced indifference as she looked at the road. Nonetheless, her facade washed off, for Haroon had, once again, proven to be the cheeky fellow he was.

"I see Fizza clear from the rearview mirror. Shahveer, lad, you need to sit here. Lemme drive." He suggested and added a grin and wiggling eyebrows to his words, making two people want to kick him all the way to Mars.

As he cleared his throat, Shahveer tried his best to change the topic. "No way am I doing that. You almost got me killed when I sat in your car before." He shook his head and the naive, excited girls slash children leaned forward, thrill outlining their expressions and the voice that reached his ears made him turn his head incredulously.

"Really?" Fizza exhilarated. "Then you take over." She included and Shahveer felt his mouth gaping.

"You really want him to drive?" He emphasized and got a vigorous nod of head in return.

His eyes turned into slits as he soared his left brow in his signature manner, smirking as an add on. Consequently, dimming Fizza's simper.

"You're saying this because of what he said, right?" He teased while pointing at Haroon and observed her irises expanding as she bobbed her head.

"Jee jee bilkul, aur kia?"
(Yes exactly, what else?)

She challenged, yielding a chortle from him and a smile spreading across her own profile.

"Don't you think it was better when they were fighting?" Fizza turned to Daneen, to find her scowling and then to Haroon, to find him doing the same.

"I know right. They weren't this bad back then."

"What back then?" Fizza knitted her brows in a single line.

"Two years ago." He stated the obvious making Shahveer and Fizza pause for a while.

"You guys thought we didn't know anything, huh? Yeah right." Daneen joined her lips in a tight smile and Haroon carried the topic through, all of them forgetting that they needed to drive off the same day.

"Even after my help to give her the chocolate, you think I didn't get it." He tch-ed. "Or, you simply didn't think much of it." Even dramatically wiping off his non-existent tears didn't bring conscience his way, for suddenly and unlike his daily ordinal, Shahveer exclaimed, remembering something.

"Oh, I forgot." He opened the gloves' compartment and took out a chocolate from there. "Thanks." Dismissing Haroon with half hearted gratitude, he reached out to Fizza, giving her her favorite snickers.

As if given the whole wide world, or according to his preference, the stars or something, she beamed as she looked between him and the bar.

"What the? When did you get this?" Eyes widened, mouth parted, she asked ebulliently and there was nothing more Shahveer could wish for. His lips drew up and he shrugged, not letting her know that he requested the peon to buy it for him during last period.

"Thank you." She stretched the words and for someone who had never really cared about anyone's gratitude, he sure felt giddy. He turned to the front, both of them smiling widely and oblivious to their friends' warm smiles at their trivial exchange. How they have waited for this, only they knew.

Unwrapping the bar, she proceeded to bite it and as she chewed it up, a thought occurred to her.

"You need to eat this too." She addressed Shahveer, who had now ignited the engine.

"Why?"

"You know, there's no promise between us. Make a promise and eat this to seal it." The fact that she had a pocker face on as she spewed such nonsense appeared alarming to Shahveer. However, he still didn't miss the main point.

"What the eff ?" The two flies on the wall found it hard to believe that such nonsense was being discussed and Fizza didn't care about the guffawing individuals as she leaned sideways behind his seat to see what kind of features masked his handsome face.

"So basically, you want me to make a promise?" Even a distance worth miles wouldn't be able to diminish the smile emanating from his words, still she didn't back off.

"Sort of?"

"Fizza, do you want me to stop the car here or something?" He candidly put forth, starting to honestly consider the idea.

"No, or we'll be late."

'So you would've said yes if we weren't late?'

The two poor onlookers wondered but decided to put their curiosity aside and just watched the two flirting shamelessly.

"Let's just consider 'honesty' the promise for now. You are to be honest with me always and you'll eat this now."

"You sure you should be telling me that?" He asked with arched eyebrows, for everyone knew she was the one who chooses other aspects over honesty.

"..... don't fret the details." She fake coughed and he scoffed, shaking his head.

"Okay then, I'll eat. The question is, how?"

Was she losing her brain cells these days? She didn't consider that. Not at all.

Shahveer's lips curved upwards at her lost expression and he espied her eyes darting to his left, to her once physics mentor.

"What?"

"Bhai."
(Brother)

"Kia bhai? Mein nahi tumhara bhai."
(What brother? I'm not your brother.)

"Aese party badalte hain kia? Chalein, pakrein."
(Don't be like that. Just take it.)

She gestured Haroon to hold the bar and he looked at her in a dumbfounded manner.

"Take it yaar, 'cause I can't take this anymore." Daneen chuntered with a hand gesture, feigning glunchness as she made the quirky demander titter and the traumatized give in to her commands.

"Okay!" Daneen simpered as soon as Haroon put the piece of chocolate into Shahveer's mouth, both making appalled expressions. "Step on the gas, now!"

"Slow down, girl. I'm getting pre-storm anxiety all of a sudden." Shahveer gulped, obtaining a giggle from Fizza and she replied as she leaned forward in her seat and grabbed his seat from behind.

"Mere ghar wale apko kuch kareinge nahi."
(My family won't do anything to you.)

She chuckled and the other two burbled, one fervently roaring and the other switching on the music player of the car while the owner only wetted his dry lips fretfully.

"Let's go face the in laws!"

★★★

Author's note:

Assalam o Alaikum and Hi!

Hope everyone's fine. MY it has been a really long time.

Well, I reaped what I sowed ·-·

I procrastinated so sooo much after the last chapter. Rewatched a kdrama, read a watty book, then started rewatching Humsafar (though I stopped midway fortunately). But when I thought I'll start writing, uni THE B started and I became extremely busy [ because it's five days a week now. (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ) ]

Anyways, I thank everyone who's still reading this book from the bottom of my heart for being this patient. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ♥♥

Now, for some sharing of your abundant love, leave me a star or something. I welcome opinions with my whole heart (*≧▽≦ )

Also, this ☟

[ Low-key the inspo (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) ]

Well then, Allah Hafiz and take care!

Laters ✌🏻