5

Knock.

A knock saved her day. 

Ziniya was on the verge of pushing Kabir away from her and slapping him. He not only manipulated his actions when his intent was clear, but also blamed her with a false accusation. She was never one to back down from accepting her mistakes; however, he not only called her inside his cabin with a hidden motive but also accused her of wrongdoing.

Before she could retaliate, someone knocked on the door. Kabir inhaled sharply through his nose before glancing towards the door over his shoulder and  shouting at the intruder, “What!”

Ziniya, visibly shaken by his angry voice, seized the opportunity of his distraction and broke free from his grasp. She retreated to a safe distance, her mind reeling with confusion. The fear she had harbored was now a reality: Kabir had a hidden agenda, but the reason behind it eluded her.

“Come in,” he said, straightening his back and composing himself.

“Sir, forgive me for interrupting, but Amaan Sir has been calling for a long time,” his secretary informed. 

The way she heard him yell from inside the cabin, his secretary knew she had knocked at the wrong time and didn’t want to face his wrath.  Knowing his temperament, she was smart enough not to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Still, when it came to Amaan Hashmi, she made sure to inform her boss immediately. Yes, she was wary of her boss, but his father was more dangerous.  

Using the call as an excuse, Ziniya said, “You seem to be busy, Sir. I won’t keep you waiting and will take your excuse.” 

Without waiting for his reply, Ziniya sprinted out of the cabin, confusing the secretary who was still standing near the door.

“Next time he calls, divert the call to my personal number instead of knocking at the damn door,” he said, gritting his teeth, still looking in the direction Ziniya ran. 

“Yes Sir,” she immediately replied and closed the door.

“Till when you will run Ziniya,” Kabir snarled, his expression hardening.

On the other hand, after leaving the cabin, Ziniya didn’t know where she was going. The only thought she had in her mind was to run away from her boss, her confusion evident in her hasty steps. 

First, the haunting nightmares were back, and now Kabir came into her life. For once, she was optimistic in life, believing that not everyone was out to hurt her, but she was met with disappointment. Kabir was never part of her past; however, his presence in her life meant her past was catching up with her.

When she first saw him, it was her insecurity, ‘What if he knows about me?’ However, she composed herself, thinking he neither met her nor saw her. But the way Kabir misbehaved with her, she was clear about one thing: he came with an ulterior motive, and she was his prey. This was just the beginning for him. God knows what he has up his sleeves.

Why has he entered my life now? Why does he have to scratch the ugly marks of the past? She thought.

In her haste, she didn’t realize when she came into the pantry and her black orbs met with the worried brown orbs.

“Ziniya?” Ayaaz asked when he saw her huffing.

“Why do you look as if you have seen a ghost?” Naila asked, mirroring the same expression. 

“Nothing. I..was looking for you guys,” she averted her gaze, seeing Ayaaz giving a scrutinizing look.

Naila, being naive and distractible, suddenly asked in excitement, “Ayaaz told the new boss called for you.” 

A shudder ran through her, recollecting the coldness around him, his touch, and words. It didn’t go unnoticed by Ayaaz, who remained silent.

“Yeah, some issue with the file I work on,” she replied, waving her hand; however, his gaze fixed on her trembling hand, which she immediately hid behind her.

“I didn’t know he was so handsome. Was he even more handsome from the close-up?” Naila asked with a dreamy look.

Ziniya could only wish that if her friend had seen his behavior a few moments ago, she would also have run away from him as she did.

“Why don’t you just look him up online? Maybe you’ll find his ‘handsomeness’ in a picture,” Ziniya retorted, her patience wearing thin at Naila’s persistent interest in Kabir.

“Oh I did, but hell, I couldn’t get a single snap of him. All I came to know was he moved to the US after his schooling, and since then, he never came back,” Naila whined.

“You actually searched for him?” Ayaaz asked in surprise.

“You are surprised she searched for him online? I’m surprised she took this much time. I was sure she would by now have created his biography,” Ziniya said, grabbing a coffee for herself and walking out.

“What’s so special about him?” When he asks Naila, Ziniya beats her to it, “Nothing, just a spoiled brat with Daddy’s money.”

The venom inside her intensified when Kabir treated her poorly.  

“For you, every handsome man is a brat,” came an instant reply from her friend while they were on their way to the desk.

“Ayaaz is far better than him.” Before Ziniya could stop the words, they were already out of her mouth. 

The moment froze for the trio who abruptly halted in the track. Ziniya’s face was flushed with embarrassment, and she avoided looking at the other two and continued walking. On the other hand, Ayaaz gave an awkward smile while Naila’s face turned red, controlling her laughter. She never expected her otherwise indifferent friend to find someone handsome, especially Ayaaz.

After a while, Naila catches up with her friends and says, “I agree.”

Ziniya, distracted, asked with furrowed brows, “What?” 

“I agree Ayaaz is handsome than Kabir Hashmi,” she giggles, seeing Ziniya going red and looking sheepishly towards Ayaaz.

“I think, here I should be saying thanks and move on,” Ayaaz shook her head and went ahead of them.

“No, I’m not kidding here. You are like, what, 6 ft tall? Well-maintained body and those sharp features, you could give any model a run for their money,” Ziniya laughed when Ayaaz was giving an annoyed look to Naila, and like before, her inability to understand people’s moods didn’t let her stop her prattle.

“Welcome to the club,” as soon as they sat on their chairs, Ziniya leaned and whispered to Ayaaz.

During their lunch break, while Naila was ordering her food, Ziniya and Ayaaz grabbed the seat and were waiting for her. As usual, Ziniya’s mother had packed a lunch for her, while Ayaaz had gotten his order earlier than Naila. Their silence was broken when he asked, “What happened to you earlier?”

Ziniya knew about what he was asking, yet she chose to pretend, “Earlier when?”

“You don’t have to pretend, Ziniya,” Ayaaz said with a sigh and continued, “I’m not Naila. I noticed how you were trembling and your breathing was rapid. It didn’t look like nothing happened.”

With work and Naila’s constant chatter, Ziniya forgot about the morning incident; however, when he reminded her, she couldn’t stop fuming at him, “That’s none of your business. Being cordial with you doesn’t mean you could pry into my life now.”

The moment she said that, she regretted bursting out her pent-up fury over his innocent question.

“Yeah, you are right. I’m an orphan, so no one taught me to mind my own business. I imagine everyone around me as my close ones and want to help them. My apologies, I expected them to think the same way about me. I’m sorry,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Before Ziniya could apologize, Naila came with her food and sat down.

“You guys carry on, I had to make a call,” he said, leaving his food untouched and walking away.

“What happened to him now?” Naila asked.

Ziniya cursed herself, looking at his sad form.

“I…” she licked her lips before adding, “I don’t know.”

Naila’s inability to understand didn’t make her see the visible tension between her friends. The lunch continued with her picking her food, and Naila’s continued prattle. 

How should I apologize to him? Why is it that every time he becomes the target of my fury, he is not even responsible for it?.

Once their break was over, Ziniya rushed to her desk to talk to him. She was contemplating how to apologize when he broke the silence and asked her doubts instead. The day went by, and Ayaaz didn’t talk about anything other than work. Although he smiled, she could see it didn’t reach his eyes. And it only worsened her guilt. The thought that she was responsible for hurting someone ate her from within. 

At the end of the day, she gathered the courage and called him out. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to—” 

“Rude to me.” And just like earlier times, he completed her sentence.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her head and said, “I was—” only for him to finish her sentence, “scared.”

“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes welled up. The guilt and the fear overcame her senses, and she let her guard down in front of him.

“Why?” There was something about him that made Ziniya comfortable, like how he asked appropriate questions.

“He...he misbehaved with me and manipulated his actions,” she said, looking around to see if anyone heard.

“Did he touch you?” he asked, to which she replied, “he was too close to me, and even when I pointed out, he said I was misinterpreting his action and was overreacting because he pointed out my mistake.”

A sob escaped her throat, and the tear she was holding trailed down her cheek. Instead of prying, he moved closer to her and grabbed her trembling hands into his. The action made her tears start falling, seeing worry plastered over his face.

Is he worried for me? She thought, looking deep into his eyes. She didn’t know why she was opening up to him; however, she was sure of one thing: she could let her guard down before him without being judged for her past.

“He made me feel disgusted, I felt helpless, and I know he won’t leave me,” she said, controlling her sobs.

“Why do you feel like that?” he asked, cupping her face and wiping her tears.

“Is that the only reason you are scared of him?” he asked, taking her by surprise.