I was wondering, do some of you vote even before reading? 😵

He offered me a slight smile, but I couldn't return it. Few moments later he closed the door while still holding me, and the suffocating feeling clutched onto me immediately, leaving me breathless and more miserable than ever.

He didn't move an inch as his eyes watched me intently, reaching into the farthest corners of my soul. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't look away. My whole body buzzed now, and the painful throbbing in my chest rose with my anticipation.

My defensive barrier finally cracked and I couldn't prevent the intoxicating warmth from filling my heart. I don't know what had gotten into me but this time I initiated the kiss. I tip toed to reach his lips. His lips were so soft. At first he seemed to be taken aback but within seconds he began to respond as well. He held my jaw tightly as he kissed me slowly yet passionately. The way our lips moved seemed like a slow dance, and it felt soothing. I put my hands into his hair, pulling my fingers through the long and silky strands. Humza's hands moved over my back, caressing me slowly.

His lips grazed mine, exploring them slowly and sensually. He took his time playing with my lips and tongue while I did the same. I moaned when he caressed my tongue callously. I Returned his raw kiss hungrily. My heart raced as I matched his rhythm and pressure, our tongues hot and clashing against each other. I was too desperate to get closer to him. His searing kiss made me incapable of thinking, leaving me breathless.

I finally broke the kiss because I couldn't breathe any more. I rested my forehead on his, we both were gasping for air. I couldn't help but smile at my own self. He was here and his eyes held unusual warmth that filled me with longing. My eyes fell on his warm hand that was still holding my waist now, and my skin began to burn under his touch. My vein was pulsating fast against his chest, where my hands rested, revealing just how excited I was.

"Thankyou for what you did for me." I spoke while panting. His body grew rigid under my touch as he moved his head away and a frown immediately captured his face.

"Did you kiss me because you wanted to reward me for what I did?" His voice held an underlying frustration which was quite visible. I looked at his hair which was disheveled because I had been messing it with my fingers. My cheeks immediately reacted to it.

All of a sudden he left my waist and moved to his bed. It was then that I realized that I didn't answer him. I hurriedly followed him to the bed after picking up the pillow that had fallen on the floor.

"No.. No.. No. You got it all wrong. I didn't kiss you because I wanted to reward you." I explained. He was now lying on the bed with his hands resting below his head as he faced the ceiling above and I sat on his side. His eyes were scrutinizing me, as if looking for the truth. "Then why did you kiss me?" He probed. "Because I.." I was left speechless. How do I answer this question? Why do people kiss? Isn't that very simple? "Because I wanted to." I whispered. He didn't say a word and I became restless. I Am an idiot. Why do I always make a fool of myself?

"I am really sorry. I shouldn't have. I mean I am really sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." I was disheartened. I looked at him to find him staring at me. "I'll just go." I took my pillow as I was about to leave the bed but he pulled me by my arm and I was allmost on top of him.

I gulped the lump down my dry throat. I don't know how he did it but in a matter of seconds I was on his bed while he laid on top of me. I was too dumbstruck to figure out what happened.

"Where do you think you are going?" Why don't you give my heart a break? I wanted to ask. "I was going back to my room." I answered. He moved his thumb over my cheek and the side of my now swollen lips. His touch alone left me craving for more. "Do you have any idea how I feel about you and what I want to do to you?" His voice sounded so sensuous that I felt goosebumps all over my body.

"No. Why don't you enlighten me?" I couldn't fathom as to where did this new found courage come from. His eyes darkened immediately, clouds of lust quiet prominent in them.

He lowered his head to the side of my neck and kissed my soft spot making me squirm. I moaned as he licked it with tenderness. I was nervous as a wreck. My hands immediately found its way to his hair. I liked it very much. They were always silky and smooth.

His hands were now inside my top as it traveled all the way up to one of the most sensitive part of my body. My stomach was bubbling with anticipation. No man had ever made me feel the way he did.

"Stop me." He moaned while kissing my jaw line. I shut my eyes tightly as he gave my breast a light squeeze. The pleasure was unbearable for me. "Ss.. Ssttop." I moaned shutting my eyes tightly as I let my fingers caress his hair. My own voice was barely audible to me.

"Fuck! Anaabiya you are not helping me." He groaned as he raised his head again to meet my eyes. He was panting like he had been running a marathon.

"We... We need to slow down." He said and my heart just sank. Call me greedy but I wanted more. I wanted him.

"Yes.. You are right." I wanted to ask him to continue what he had started but I couldn't do so. He pulled his hands out of my top and I felt empty all of a sudden. I was in deep shit.

He moved from above me and shifted on my side pulling me to his chest not before giving me a small peck on the lips. He even kissed my forehead. How do I say that I love him?

May be he was tired? It's not the right time. I want it to be spacial. "This room. It belonged to my parents. My father gifted it to my mother." He began. I couldn't see his face, only his chest was visible. "Baaba died because of me. I was the one driving that night. I am a murderer." His muscles were now slightly tensed. I don't know why I did it but I rubbed his back swiftly.

"My mother married again. She moved on easily Anaabiya. She married my father's own brother. Who does that?" I could hear the pain and agony in his voice but I was never good at consoling. "Sometimes I wonder if she really loved him. All my life I have been going through hell. Nobody loves me Anaabiya. Absolutely nobody after Baaba. People are just scared of me." I felt him sniffling and my heart clenched. Pain like never before slammed into my chest. He was crying.

I clinged onto him even more tightly and he too wrapped his arm around my waist in an unyielding grip.

"Why don't you start praying? I know ALLAH loves you the most and he had not forsaken you." I said and he let out a bitter laugh.

"I stopped praying ever since that woman married my uncle. ALLAH never helped me. He never sent me any help. I waited Anaabiya. After Baaba died I was in depression but ALLAH doesn't love me. I cried but he didn't care just like everybody else." He sounded so helpless that it pained my heart even more.

"No don't say that. Please. I know ALLAH. I used to think like you but believe me Humza. He has plans that we won't understand right now. Everything else is temporary, everything else will wither away but ALLAH will never leave your side." I don't know why I started crying but I did. I couldn't see his tears as it tore my heart into pieces.

As I sniffled he moved his head back to look at me. "Why are you crying?" He frowned. His own nose was a shade of crimson. "Because you are crying." I found myself answering him while hiding my face all the more in his chest. I didn't want him to see me crying like a fool.

"Don't wipe your nose on my chest." He mocked and I hit his chest playfully. I heard him chuckling at my gesture.

"Pray with me tomorrow." It was more of a request and I could feel his jaw tightening.

"I have everything right now. I don't need to pray." He spat. The venom in his voice was very evident. I just couldn't watch him falling into the trap laid by shaitaan. I wanted him to be close to ALLAH.

"It's a blessing Humza. It was given by ALLAH and can be taken away by him too. You need to be thankful because he has given you everything." His hold around my waist was now lose as he stared into space. "Then I will come to him when he takes away his blessing." He spat again.

Ya ALLAH please give him Hidaayah. Please show him the right path, the path that leads to you. Let us both help each other to attain Jannah. I prayed within the walls of my heart.

He wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of his thumb. "Now stop crying and go off to sleep." He again held my head and pressed it against his chest. I then decided to sleep because it was already very late.

His heartbeat was like a lullaby to me. I found myself falling into a deep slumber soon.

The next morning I woke up when the strong sun rays filtered in through the curtain shrouded window of his room. He was again not there beside me and I so wanted to confess it to him that I loved him. Now that I look at this room. It was extremely beautiful. Almost everything was made of Gold. I had never seen anything like this before. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had to even check on Nabiha. I am such a bad sister. I left her in the room alone.

I walked out of his room and entered mine to find Nabiha nowhere. I almost had a panic attack. I just got my sister. I couldn't lose her. I checked in everywhere inside the room but she was not there. I grabbed my hijab and covered my head.

I then sprinted out of the room and ran downstairs. I was on the verge of crying when I heard certain hooting voices from outside. I walked out to find Humza, Huzaifa, Nabiha, Rafiya aunty, Humza's father and another man who's name I didn't know, in the garden. They were all playing cricket except for Rafiya aunty who was only sitting and encouraging them. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Nabiha completely fine. I didn't expect her to be so good in just one dose.

She was balling while Huzaifa was batting. I always knew that Nabiha had a thing for cricket because she was the captain of her school team. I saw Humza standing at a corner. He was fielding. This time he had a shirt on. Who could say he was a mafia?

This man had my heart and he wasn't even aware of it. My heart fluttered at the mere thought of him.

Nevertheless I strode towards aunty. She seemed to be a bit disturbed. As her eyes darted towards me, happiness danced in them. "Assalamo alaikum." I greeted her as she hugged me. I immediately felt Humza's eyes on me. "Walaikum assalam.. Walaikum assalam. I am so happy to see you. We came this morning while you were sleeping. I am glad to see that Humza is fine. We were really worried." She said it all at once.

"Alhamdulillah he is fine." I smiled when I heard Huzaifa calling me. "Bhabhi why don't you join us? Come and bat instead of me. If you'll be in our team, Humza's team will lose." He shouted. "I don't know how to do it." I said the obvious. Nabiha laughed because she was aware of it. I looked at Humza only to find him smirking.

"Aapi doesn't know how to play cricket. Humza bhai our team is stronger." She snickered.

"Bhabhi atleast try." Huzaifa again requested. "Yes Anaabiya just try. We are already losing and I am tired too." Humza's father also joined in. I looked at Humza again. This time he gestured me to join. I couldn't refuse him and so I ambled towards Huzaifa. He gave me the bat and he took uncles place.

Nabiha threw the first ball and it wasn't really tough but since I knew nothing, I missed it. I am a fool. "C'mmon api just concentrate on the ball. Don't look at Humza Bhai." She giggled. This time I payed all the attention to the red ball even if it was quiet a difficult task with Humza watching me with burning intensity.

She balled again and I missed it this time too. I was a failure in this. Why was I even doing this? I was about to quit when I felt Humza's hand sliding above my hands. My body stilled as his front came in contact with my back and I forgot how to breathe. He had been closer to me but every time it happens, it feels as if it's happening for the first time.

"Humza bhai we are in a different team. You can't help her. This is cheating." Nabiha groaned. "There is no harm in teaching my wife." He replied to her with a smile. I could feel his breath fanning my earlobe even though I was wearing a hijab. How do I hit the ball when he is this close to me?

He gripped the bat from above my hand. Memories from last night came crushing down again as heat rushed to my cheeks. "Just let me do it. Loosen your grip." He merely whispered. His lips almost touched my hijab and I felt tingles all over my body. I immediately followed his instructions.

"And stop blushing or I have to stop the game and resume what I had started a few hours ago." I didn't even have the time to blush as Nabiha threw the ball and it bounced before coming towards my face. I thought it would hit me but Humza swung the bat and it hit the ball perfectly as it went flying towards the terrace.

"Woah! That was a huge one." Nabiha smirked. I was so happy to see her happy. She was healing so fast. "I always knew that it was the right decision." Huzaifa squealed like a girl. I looked at Humza who gave me a hearty smile. "Humza I.." I was about to confess when Rafiya aunty called him.

"Humza. I need to talk to you. If you are done, can we go in?" She yelled. "Not now mother." He spoke nonchalantly. "Humza it's important. Come right away." She left no room for an argument as she got up from her chair and walked towards the entrance. "I'll be back soon." Humza groaned before leaving me and following his mother. I looked at his retreating back. I was so whipped.

In that very moment I could so much relate to John Green's quote from 'The Fault In Our Stars'. It was exactly what happened with me.

I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly and then all at once.

Please fasten your seatbelts, the story is about to take a U turn from here. Enjoy the ride. 😉

on 4.2.2018