4

Is it a coincidence? Why do I feel he was warning me?

Ziniya was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, pacing the bathroom with a sense of unease, when Ayaaz’s words echoed in her mind.

“You are overthinking. I know you have trust issues, but not everyone is out there to hurt you.” 

Her steps halted, and she stopped chewing her nails. As if an answer to her unspoken question was whispered, she raised her head, “Yes. I’m overthinking.”

She walked towards the sink and looked at her reflection, “I’m being paranoid, there were many people around me, and he could be looking at anyone. He doesn’t know me.”

After taking a few deep breaths to calm her frantically beating heart, she splashed cold water over her face and looked at her reflection in determination. Straightening her dress, she walked out of the bathroom only to find Ayaaz with his back towards her, waiting at her desk. His presence forced her to recall how she had held his hand, and instead of being surprised by her action, he interlocked their fingers in return—as if consoling her.

How does he know what I need? Her gait slowed down in contemplation, staring at his back. 

She doesn’t know why she grabbed his hand in the first place. When a wave of fear passed through her at Kabir’s entrance, instead of reaching out to  Naila—who was the closest to her—she subconsciously sought Ayaaz’s comfort. As if her body knew that he would protect her, and that was baffling her. Hardly knowing him for two days, there was a phantom connection pulling her closer to him.

Maybe he doesn’t judge people, and that’s why you felt comfortable around him.

Sensing a gaze on him, Ayaaz turned around, and the same mesmerizing smile crept over his face, seeing Ziniya.

“Avoiding training me already?” he teased.

Somehow Ziniya knew he wanted to ask her how she was, yet he was giving her space instead of prying. Unknown to her, a smile adorned her face at his silent understanding. Ayaaz froze for a few heartbeats.

“I thought it was the other way around,” she replied, walking past him and taking her seat.

“Did I tell you, I’m clingy?” he said while taking his chair.

“You don’t have to tell me,” she feigned eye roll.

“Quite an impression I made, I say,” he replied. 

Her brief moment of calm was shattered when she was informed that the CEO wanted to see her. The smile that had graced her face while talking to Ayaaz quickly faded, replaced by a wave of fear. It took her a few moments in the bathroom to gather herself, only to be confronted with her worst fear.

“Ziniya?”

Her breathing turned heavy, and she forgot to blink. Why would he want to meet her?

“Ma’am?”

Ziniya came out of trance when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched. Instead of frowning, Ayaaz only smiled and pointed towards the peon waiting for her. 

“O-Ok,” she stuttered. 

That only made Ayaaz frown. In the two days of knowing her, he had only seen her cold and indifferent. This was the first time he saw her going pale, and couldn’t help but ask, “Everything all right? Are you scared of him?” 

His question made her face him with a jerk. 

Yes, she wanted to say, but what would she say to him? Why was she afraid of meeting a man whom she was meeting or seeing for the first time?

“No…” she gulped the lump formed in her throat.

Does he know me? Did he know…. Her thoughts were untamed, and she couldn’t think straight.

“Ziniya,” Ayaaz called her out, seeing her lost.

“No one can scare you unless you let them.” As soon as she heard his gentle voice, her eyes met his.

How can you be so sure? Is my emotion plastered all over my face? Could he see through me? Her mind was plagued with questions, but she could only keep looking at him with an unknown emotion as if he had the answer to all her questions.

“Ma’am?” Her trance was broken when the peon called out again. 

“I’m coming,” she said.

She straightened her back before giving Ayaaz a practiced smile and walked along with the peon. Reaching the cabin, she took a deep breath to calm her frantic heartbeat and knocked on the cabin door with a trembling hand. She shivered when a cold voice responded from the inside, “Come in, Ms. Jabri.”

The coldness in it could freeze the entire Sahara Desert. Ziniya had to clutch the side of her dress to hide the tremors in her body. 

He doesn’t know you. He doesn’t know you.

She kept chanting inwardly to build the non-existent courage. Bracing herself to face her fear, she was taken aback to see a vacant chair. On cue, she looked around and found a tall man with broad shoulders donning an undercut, standing near the glass railing of an in-built balcony.

With his back towards her, she couldn’t read his expression. But something told her that the less she spoke, the better it would be for her. The interior, consisting of white walls and coffee brown wood flooring, should have brought warmth. Still, it couldn’t suppress the coldness radiating from its occupier. 

The center of the room was adorned with a complete glass desk, and matching coffee-brown low-back chairs were placed on either side of it. A pastel-colored rug underneath the table gave it a simple yet elegant look. The wall behind the CEO’s chair was covered with white, inverted L-shaped shelves, the center of which held a delicate aquarium, the soothing blue of which stood out against the white shelves.

A contrast to his personality, a voice snickered in her mind.

The left wall featured an arch that led to the balcony, which was enclosed by a glass railing on three sides and furnished with comfortable couches and a coffee table. Kabir stood with his back towards her. The surrounding walls were hung with minimally crafted paintings. The right side of the room had a door, which was the bathroom, while the room was lit with warm-colored LEDs.

This was the first time she had been called inside the CEO’s room, but she was sure it had been renovated according to the new CEO’s preferences.

“You called for me, Sir,” she said, forcing out the words. The eerie silence inside the room was exaggerating her dread.

“Yes, Ms. Jabri,” Kabir replied, glancing over his shoulder.

She couldn’t stop the shudder when he called her Ms. Jabri, as if she were a pest and he was doing her a favor by even addressing her at all. 

“Did you make that report?” his cold voice echoed.

His posture and refusal to even grace her presence were turning her dread into rage. No greeting and jumping directly to the question. With his broad back towards him, he didn’t bother to furnish any details.

Her bafflement turned into recognition when she saw the laptop open, and she walked closer to look into what report he was asking about.

“I believe I worked on it,” she responded, still not clear about where the conversation was heading.

Is it only about the report? He could have asked Zaid Sir instead of calling me to his cabin; her mind was on alert, however, she regained her composure.

“I’m disappointed with your work, Ms. Jabri.” Kabir’s words strengthened her resolve in offense. 

Slowly turning around, he removed his jacket, saying, “And your boss couldn’t stop praising you. I suggest you have a look into it instead of me teaching you the basics of your job.” 

If there was anything, Ziniya would never let anyone question her work and integrity. She didn’t miss the veil jibe that started getting on her nerves. Of all scenarios, she didn’t imagine that her first meeting would be a disaster. Instead of addressing the concern, her boss seemed intent on demeaning her. Granted, she was terrified, but her work was sincere. The audacity of him to question her work.

Choosing to follow his lead, she didn’t react and worked on the file to confirm if anything was missing. Engrossed in her evaluation, she didn’t notice a presence behind her. A gasp escaped her mouth when a large palm pressed her hand holding the mouse. As a reflex, she was about to pull out her hand when Kabir’s hold tightened. 

How dare he! 

She knew from her experience how men treat women, and now her boss exhibited the same trait that disgusts her. She scowled and was about to confront him for his rudeness when he leaned down further, making her shrink. His strong cologne intensifies her uneasiness further. 

In her struggle, she failed to notice a slow smirk forming on Kabir’s otherwise cold face.

“Not there, Ms. Jabri,” his lips leveled to her ear, while his hot breath fanned her neck, intensifying her struggle.

Goosebumps covered her skin. Ziniya tried to pull her palm out of his grip; however, his hold was firm as he moved the mouse to point out the error in her file. Ziniya’s attention was long gone from the file and more on removing her palm from his hold.

“Sir—” as soon as she opened her mouth, Kabir used his other arm, pointing at the screen, “Focus, Ziniya.” Placing the same on the desk, caging her deliberately.

The way he rolled her name sounded more like a warning. 

“Please leave my hand,” she demanded in a quivering voice.

He was close enough for her to feel his body heat from her back, he was close enough for her to smell his minty breath, he was close enough to hear her pounding heart beating frantically against her chest in fear. A smirk erupted on his face, seeing the slight tremble in her body.

“Say that again, I didn’t hear that.” he deliberately moved closer, caging her between him and the desk. Ziniya sat like a statue, fearing that even a slight movement of her body would cause it to come into contact with him.

Gulping hard, she replied with a firm voice, “You are invading my personal space.”

“Am I?” came his reply, and a shudder passed through her spine when his lips almost brushed against her ear rim.

Her back was against his chest while his arms were caging her small form. One move from either of them, and his lips will be on her neck. Her intuition was not wrong. It was never about the report, with that thought her composure was slipping bit by bit.

“If you excuse me, I’ll work on the file again,” she attempted to leave the cabin, starting to use her other hand to remove his from hers.

“If this is how you work, I’m afraid it might cost you,” he said, removing his palm.  

“Please, move,” she said again, but this time her voice trembled.

Still hovering over her, he said, “I was showing what wrong you did in the file, and now you are pretending as if I misbehaved with you.”

Ziniya went wide-eyed when he manipulated his actions and was blaming her for overreacting.

“I didn’t permit you to touch my hand, and even now you are way too close to me,” she said, scooting closer to the edge of the chair.

“Ms. Jabri, you think highly of yourself. First, you were missing the error in the file and moving down the page. To stop you, I grabbed the mouse; unfortunately, your hand was on it. Secondly, it’s not deliberate that I…” he trailed off and visibly sniffed her hair before saying, “touched you.”

“I could say you are playing the victim card here because I was pointing out your mistake.”