So I promised a recap of the last chapter in this chapter for those of you who didn't want to read the mature part :P Here it is!!! And happy reading <3
Recap:
- Kabir comes back to the hotel room drunk...Pooja is waiting for him restlessly
- When Pooja sees Kabir in such a state she gets angry at him
- Kabir and Pooja spend the night together and wake up early the next morning to catch their flight to Canada
- Pooja decides to handle what happened during the night as maturely as possible
- Kabir seems disturbed and angry however which surprises Pooja...Why is he reacting this way? Read on to find out ;)
Part 15
Within 20 minutes, Kabir had showered and dressed. Haphazardly, he began throwing his clothes into his suitcase as he waited for Pooja to do the same. Both could feel the awkward silence looming over them like a dark cloud and yet neither wanted to be the first to speak. When he heard her shower running in the washroom, he quietly stepped outside into the hallway. He needed a breath of fresh air. He needed to think. About everything. About last night. He felt a surge of nausea as he thought of what he had done. He had been absolutely and one hundred percent drunk. He hadn't been thinking straight. But he certainly couldn't blame the alcohol for the anything but innocent feelings he had experienced. He wasn't sure what this meant for Pooja. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe she would prefer to just forget about the whole ordeal - call it a bad dream and move on. But for Kabir, it was much more. It was so much more.
In his 31 years of life, he couldn't ever remember feeling the way he had the previous night. It had been an uncontrollable sort of urge. A possessiveness. A need. It was more than just lust. But he couldn't quite understand the word for it. It just wasn't lust. It's not as if he was a virgin; he had had his share of experiences with women and so it wasn't just a primal instinct that had come over him the previous night. No. This woman...once his sworn enemy...was starting to mean something to him. Not an enemy...but not a friend either. Something different. But what? He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. If there was one thing he knew with certainty it was that last night shouldn't have happened. And he would make sure nothing like this ever happened again.
It was at that moment that Pooja chose to stick her head out the door in search for her missing companion. "What are you doing out here?" She asked in surprise. He shrugged. "Just needed some space." And then, stuffing his hands into his pocket, he pushed nonchalantly past Pooja without giving her a backward glance.
Pooja was confused. She didn't know what to think. Obviously the events of the night before had affected him more than she realized. I mean, she herself wasn't all too happy about it. But it was a one time thing. It passed and there was nothing more to it. So why was he so...cold? Would things be different between them now? Not that there was a 'them' of course. They had no relationship. So, pushing back the slight pang of hurt she felt at his negligence, she followed him inside.
Once they had re-packed all of their belongings, the duo locked the hotel door and headed downstairs to hail a cab to the airport. There was a pregnant silence between them. Kabir wouldn't even turn to give her a look of acknowledgement and Pooja couldn't understand the reason for Kabir's absurd behavior. It can't be the first time he's had sex, she thought. Then what's the problem?! As they entered into the yellow cab, a sudden and nearly crippling thought hit Pooja. Maybe I wasn't good enough for him.
Pooja felt the bile rise up her throat. Maybe I wasn't good enough for him. It shouldn't matter. The logical part of her knew it shouldn't matter. After all, one night stands didn't have any meaning or connection behind them. They were simply done in the heat of the moment and this was the case with their previous night. She bit her lip, and in an attempt to hide the sudden ache she felt in her chest, she turned her face towards the window, away from the man sitting beside her.
Kabir maintained as much distance from Pooja as physically possible in the small cab. He stuck to his side of the cab and had his face turned stonily towards the window opposite Pooja's. If an onlooker were to observe this sight, they might think that two mortal enemies were sharing a vehicle. But it was nothing of the sort. After what had happened last night, Kabir couldn't find it in himself to hate the girl let alone even dislike her. He hated himself more than words could describe, however. He couldn't stop replaying the scenes in his mind that were still as clear as day. He didn't know what had come over him. Perhaps it had been his way of letting go of all the frustrations and pain he had harbored inside of him for so long. But that moment. When they had been together...when he had really FELT her.... It hadn't just been about letting things go. He had felt so much more. And he needed time to gather his thoughts. And time was exactly what Pooja wasn't giving him. No matter where he turned, he felt her eyes on him. He had felt her watching him as he had stuffed his clothes in the suitcase this morning. He saw her eyes on him when she followed him back inside from the hallway. Even just now, when they had entered the cab, she had been looking at him. It was as if she was waiting for him to say something. But he wasn't ready. The truth was, he had so much to say that he couldn't find it within himself to say anything at all. And so, he sat silently.
45 minutes later they had reached the airport. After the formal procedures, they soon found themselves waiting to board. Pooja sat next to him. Her back was straight and she looked stiff. Unable to bear the silence any longer, she finally turned to him questioningly. "We're going to have to talk about it at some point you know," she said softly. He bent, reached into his suitcase and pulled out a pair of headphones. Sticking one end into his phone and the other into his ears, he replied with a curt, "There's nothing to talk about."
And just like that, the conversation was over. And the ache in Pooja's heart seemed to grow. She had never seen Kabir like this. Why can't he just talk to me?! Her mind screamed. It was agonizing. This man was agonizing. Not being able to understand his damn mood swings was infuriating. She turned away from him and sat, for the rest of the time until boarding, in deafening silence. Why should I be bothered when he isn't? She thought indignantly. The atmosphere around them was so tense that when the announcement to board was finally made, Pooja nearly bounced out of her seat to the lineup. Kabir wanted to stay away from her? Fine. She would make it even easier for him.
It was in this manner that the entirety of the flight passed. Kabir didn't say a word and Pooja didn't ask. This time he ensured to carefully lay his head in the other direction when he slept instead of using her shoulder as his cushion. Not even a finger of his touched her. He's behaving as if I have an infectious disease. She thought, irritated. At the back of her mind, there was a constant question, asking her why she even cared. Kabir was her employee. She was his boss. This was a business trip. And that's where the matter ended. And so, sighing, she rested her head against the plane's window and closed her eyes, exhausted.
*****
"We should have two separate rooms booked under the names Pooja Sharma and Kabir Mittal," he explained to the elderly lady at the hotel's lobby. Her skin sagged and she looked as if she would breathe her last at any moment. Pooja adjusted her handbag on her shoulder and pulled her suitcase up beside the check in desk. Their flight had landed over two hours ago and after collecting their baggage, they had made their way to the hotel that Chopra booked.
Canada was beautiful in every sense, especially at this time of year - autumn. The trees were changing color and piles of red, orange, yellow and green leaves scattered the streets like a beautiful mosaic. Pooja had felt a strange sense of home away from home as she had walked along the streets beside Kabir. She had gotten accustomed to his silence now and had resolved not to speak to him until he chose to speak with her. But as she had walked along the sidewalk, matching her footsteps with his, she had felt a strange sense of contentment. At that moment, she hadn't needed or wanted anything more. Even now, as she gazed at Kabir, discussing the details of their reservation with the receptionist, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with tranquility. What is it about this man? She wondered, taking in his disheveled appearance. The restlessness that seemed to have settled into my very soul over the past several years seems to disappear every time I'm in his company. She shook her head, trying to gather herself. Focus, Pooja. And so, she walked beside Kabir and joined into his conversation with the receptionist trying to ignore her all-too-disturbing thoughts.
Within 10 minutes, Kabir and Pooja had found their respective hotel rooms. Chopra had arranged the rooms such that Pooja's room was directly across from Kabir's. It was more proximal than either would have liked and yet seemed as distant as two countries. And as both stood in front of their room doors, neither wanted to make the first move to enter. They stood in the hall, feet shuffling, trying to look anywhere but at one another. Both were having the same sort of thoughts. They were thinking about the previous night. About the hotel room and the bed they had shared. Pooja bit her lip as the heat rushed into her cheeks. She remembered the urgency with which he had kissed her...as if he was a thirsty man who had finally found water in a desert. The thought caused a shiver to run through her. She clenched her hand around the handle of her suitcase trying to compose herself.
Seeing Pooja's reaction, Kabir's face too had grown hard. He cleared his throat anxiously. "I'll...I guess..uh..jet lag," he stuttered finally. "You must be tired." She gave a small smile and nodded, trying to ease the tension. "Yes. I suppose...um, we should sleep. In our beds...alone." She could visibly see Kabir tense at the usage of her words and Pooja wanted to kick herself. Why did I have to say it like that?! She groaned. It sounded sexual even though she had had no intention of making it sound so. And Kabir hadn't missed the slight huskiness of her tone as she had spoken the last word. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Pooja couldn't believe the words that had escaped her lips and Kabir couldn't believe the words that had somehow entered his ears. Noting his eyes flickering over her form, she felt a flutter of excitement. Stop it Pooja, she thought. Stop stop stop. This shouldn't be happening. But why was he looking at her like that?!
His eyes grew dark as he saw her chest rise and fall with nervous anticipation. Her cheeks were flushed. Kabir nearly lost it when, at that very instant, she chose to bite her lip. Oh hell, he thought, clenching and unclenching his fist. This was bad. This was really bad. Trying to find composure, he offered her a terse nod before turning towards his door, stepping inside and shutting the door in Pooja's face.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. What in the world was that?! What had come out of her mouth?! And Kabir's reaction.... Her heart was pounding in her chest and she suddenly felt dizzy. What just happened? She turned, fumbling with the lock on the door due to her shaky hands, and finally entered. She rested her suitcase in one corner of the room and collapsed onto the bed, staring, stunned, at the ceiling. Something had changed within her. Maybe within both of them...after last night. Her body was reacting strangely to Kabir's proximity and she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. Her mind was composed and rational...knowing full well that this was Kabir Mittal. Her body was saying something else altogether. She clenched her eyes shut, groaning in despair. Raking a hand through her hair, she shook her head. This had to stop. This INSANITY that her body seemed to be hell-bent on doing...had to stop.
It has to stop. Kabir thought exasperatedly from the room across from her. After their disarming encounter in the hallway, Kabir had chucked his suitcase down and had immediately headed into the washroom, desperately in need of a cold shower. This woman would drive him insane. Why the hell did she have to bite her lip like that? Was she being suggestive on purpose or had it been an accident?! He felt the cold water hit his body like ice pellets and he relished the pain they brought with it. He would welcome any pain if it meant forgetting about their little 'moment'...if you could even call it so. This ends here. He thought, determinedly as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself.
This ends here. She thought as she climbed into bed. Her eyes were already flickering shut. Kabir had been right about one thing. The jet lag was REAL. It was as if sleep was a vortex that was just sucking her in. She could barely keep her eyes open. And the bed was far too comfortable to spend any additional time awake. Despite her exhaustion, as she drifted off to sleep, her final thought was: this ends here.
End
Hi everyone! Sorry I know I kept you guys waiting for an update! As a quick note, I know not much happened in terms of the storyline in this chappy, but it was essential. I was having this discussion with a few of my friends earlier today and generally, the consensus was that the show lacks emotion. It lacks a deeper level of emotion between JaBir..such as their hurt, anger, pain and ultimately their transition into love. That's all of what I'm trying to bring together in this story and so this chapter was mainly revolving around trying to explain Pooja and Kabir's feelings (which I hope is at least somewhat clearer by now! Kabir's feelings will be definitely further revealed in the next chapter!)
I also have some potentially steamy JaBir scenes planned for the next chapter, just as a heads up :P Lots of love!
Edited by -Sanjana- - 5 years ago
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