New KaYa OS: A Time For Healing.. 20/7

Hola.. 🤗

I've had a working weekend, and was suuper annoyed and cranky. Needed something to cheer me up, and turned to my muse for an escape..

This one's completely random, but I somehow see it happening in the future. *fingers crossed*

Theme : A mature Ms.Kashyap standing tall and strong when her sautan and adversities come knocking at Kabir's door..

Happy Reading.. 😉

Ananya stood in the back with Ronnie, her hand finding its way through her best friend's arm when she saw Kabir's darkening expression through the crowds of people. Ronnie gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and when she locked eyes with him, he shook his head as if telling her that Kabir needed to deal with this on his own.

His expression hadn't shifted the entire time - his deep chocolate brown eyes filled with so much guilt and turmoil that Ananya could feel his pain just by looking at him.

The official merger ceremony lasted for more than an hour, requiring the Editor-in-Chief of KKN, Kabir Sharma to be seated next to his ex-wife while she guided them all through the changes in policies that would soon be brought in.

Her presence was no less than a hard blow for Kabir, both personally and professionally. Ananya saw the way he looked at Shreya when their eyes met accidentally; he was barely hanging onto his tethering patience.

She wished she could have stayed back, said something to comfort him but the top Bosses had a dinner party to attend, and Ananya hadn't had a chance to speak to even approach Kabir, much less talk to him.

Nearly three weeks ago, she had told him that she did not want him to reveal his painful past to her. Though she was aware that his past held the key to dissecting the present day Kabir Sharma, a part of her feared what she would uncover once he bared his life to her. She did not want him to succumb to the dark shadows that loomed over him, threatening to swallow him back.

It had taken her a while to realise that she didn't need the flowery words and confessions a girl usually wanted in a relationship. Kabir had put most of her concerns to rest by proving to her several times that his love for her was the strongest thing he could have had in his life. His love for her kept him grounded, it was his lifeline, and it propelled him to be a better man with each passing day.

She remembered standing on his toes, and kissing him once he was done talking. No more words were needed.

But tonight when she had left the office premises, leaving him seated with his ex-wife and the top bosses, the sight of a rattled Kabir left her feeling uneasy.

She couldn't go home with that weight hanging over her heart, and so she had lied to her mother with the help of her friends and made her way to Kabir's apartment using the spare key he had given her.

It was almost twelve at night when she heard the doorbell ring. Furrowing her brow, Ananya looked up from the book she was reading and padded to the door.

She looked through the peep-hole and her heart almost skipped a beat at the sight of Kabir's slouched shoulders, his head tilted back as he leaned against the metal railing. She frowned in concern when she noticed he was soaking wet from the rain that had been falling for the past hour.

Throwing open the door, she breathed his name.

The blank look in his eyes when they snapped up to meet hers scared her more than anything. Her hand was already halfway close to his face before she registered what she was doing and pulled it back to her side.

Kabir stared at her, his otherwise fiery gaze almost expressionless at first but the small burst of recognition that flashed in his eyes when she called out to him for a second time gave her some relief.

When she held out her hand, he took it and let her pull him inside.

He landed uneasily on the carpeted floor with a low thump and Ananya felt him shiver when the cold blast of air from the air-conditioner hit his rain-soaked body.

She didn't think, she just reacted by turning off the air-conditioner, and began tugging at the sleeves of his suit coat down as she pushed it over his broad shoulders.

When he didn't fight her, more panic flared within her. For a man who was always in sync of his emotions, watching him so lost and broken made her heart ache for him.

His dark maroon shirt was soaked as well, clinging to his chiselled body and she was forced to take a sharp breath, debating on her next move.

"Kabir.. Aap bheeg gaye ho. You need to get out of these clothes." His name tumbled from her lips once more, and she saw the lost look in his eyes getting replaced by confusion as he glanced down at the water that was dripping from his clothes onto the carpet.

Before she knew what he was doing, he began to undo the buttons of his shirt and she watched silently, trying to figure out if she had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him and this was one of her dreams.

But each time she caught a glimpse of his hollow eyes, she knew it wasn't a part of her dreams. The man appearing in her dreams was not as broken as he looked in that moment.

Slowly she approached him and guided him into his bedroom. When his soaked shirt fell to the floor, and his hands dropped to his belt buckle, Ananya almost ran to his closet to pull out clothes for him to wear.

She grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a shirt and walked back to him, holding out a clean dry towel for him.

"Yeh lijiye," she murmured, and he turned his head. The lost look in his eyes told her that he had forgotten she was even there.

"Kabir.." she touched him this time, letting her hand fall to his bare arm and watched his eyes slam shut. He swallowed hard, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he fought to gain control of his normally inscrutable emotions.

Every muscle in his body seemed to tense at her touch and she was forced to put a distance between them. "I'll be outside. Aap fresh hokar aa jaiye.." she mumbled, giving him a long glance before turning away and closing the door on her way out.

Walking into the kitchen, she poured two cups of milk into a saucepan and began looking for a jar of coffee. Her runaway thoughts were marred with the images of a nearly broken Kabir Sharma and while she knew that his past affected him gravely, she hadn't known that it would torment him so much.

Ananya honestly wasn't sure how to help him right now. As much as she had wanted to go to him during the merger event, hold his hand and tell him that no matter what, they would get over it, she'd known that it wasn't possible since she was just a junior reporter, and him her boss. But to have him in front of her, letting her witness a part of his life that he kept locked, she wasn't sure what was expected of her.

She stirred two spoons of sugar into the boiling coffee and began to pace, her mind occupied with everything that had happened over the past few days.

Their confession, the efforts they both made to adjust to the new relationship, little moments they stole during the day to spend time with each other - he had seemed happy, his charming smiles and laughs had reached his eyes, his mask of indifference was gone..

When almost fifteen minutes had passed and Kabir still hadn't appeared, Ananya gathered courage and walked towards his room carrying a tray with two coffee mugs and sandwiches on it.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked and turned the knob to his door.

"Andar aa jaao, Ananya." His low voice followed by a ragged breath sent a shiver down her spine.

The image that met her broke her already fragile heart into pieces. Kabir sat on his bed, fully clothed drying his wet hair with a towel.

Without hesitation, she crossed to his him and slowly sat down next to him. He looked up at her when she reached him and gently took his big palm in her small, delicate ones.

They both knew there was no easy fix for this. The doors behind which he had always kept his emotions locked down tight had been blown apart tonight with Shreya's unexpected return. Ananya could see the battle raging in his eyes and within him, and ached to be able to patch him up.

She felt a slight pressure on her hand, and realised he had entwined her fingers with his tense ones. Ananya let her eyes slip shut and trail of tears cut down across her cheek, when she felt him release a breath he had been holding for long.

She did not speak when his head fell to her shoulder. She knew this wasn't the right time for words, they wouldn't be of any use now. Whatever she might say, he wouldn't hear.

His other arm wrapped itself around her waist, and she almost felt him falling apart against her.

The magnitude of the moment was not lost out on Ananya. She knew this was a major shifting point in their relationship.

While this wasn't the first time he was exposing his vulnerability to her, there was a difference in the Kabir she had witnessed on the night he had confessed his love and stopped her from leaving, and the present one who was leaning on her with all his defenses lowered.

And her heart knew, she loved them both equally with every piece of her aching heart.

"Thank you for coming. I needed..," he breathed, lifting their clasped hands to his lips as he pressed a chaste kiss on the back of her palm.

"Kabir.. Main humesha yahin rahungi.. Right next to you." she whispered, a plea and a promise both at once.

With a gasping sigh, he turned towards her, his body bracketing hers in as he engulfed her tiny frame in a tight hug. The embrace was unlike their previous one, they both needed touch, feeling and reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

His fingers tightened their hold in her hair, tracing patterns as if they were whispered words reminding him that he wouldn't allow his past to ruin his present.

Pulling back, Ananya met his gaze and a trace of recognition and gratitude fluttered through his dark eyes, the warmth having been restored. She offered him a hesitant smile and it seemed to relax him even further.

They stared at each other in silence, the sound of raindrops pattering against the window panes being the only other sound filling the apartment.

A few seconds too soon Kabir broke the eyelock and shook his head. "Tum yahan kaise? Pata nahi kya ho gaya tha mujhe.. I'm sorry if I scared you."

A frission of annoyance ran through her, "Aap mujhe yahan expect nahi kar rahe the na? Aapko laga main akele chod doongi, chali jaungi ghar aapse bina mile, bina baat kiye? You wanted me here, toh bula nahi sakte the?", she snapped back, hands still clutching his tightly.

"That's not what I meant..," his voice turned soft. "Ananya, please agar koi bhi sawaal uth raha ho tumhare mann mein, toh pooch lo." He mumbled in a voice that was filled with guilt, and she startled back.

The sadness in his eyes drew her in, and she shook her head. Tears began to clog her throat, but she swallowed thickly, trying desperately to keep them at bay.

"Koi sawaal nahi hai. Aapne poocha tha na ki kya main aankhein band karke aapke yakeen kar sakti hoon? Toh mera answer aaj bhi wahi hai. I trust you with me, and with our relationship."

All of his words vanished when she stared at him with so much love and faith that he couldn't process it all.

He knew only one thing. He had to overcome his resentment over Shreya's betrayal as soon as possible and let go of the remaining loose ends that still kept him bound to his past, for this woman's sake.

He could tolerate Shreya's scathing remarks, and the world's biased opinion of him, but his relationship with Ananya could never end up being the collateral damage.

"I won't let myself screw this up." Kabir murmured hoarsely, his hand reaching out to trail fingertips over her jaw so he was cupping her face. "Bass mujhe thoda sa waqt, aur tumhara saath chahiye. I can't lose you, Ananya."

Her tears fell, her cheek sinking against his hand. "I know you won't." Ananya's voice was firm and soft, shoulders dropping as she gazed at him tenderly, wanting to reach out and erase the pain that radiated off him. "Jo bhi hai, we'll deal with it together, alright. Main kahin nahi jaanewali. Ek baar commitment kar di, toh zindagibhar jhelna padega, Mr. Sharma."

The firm press of his lips loosened up and a barely there smile twitched in its place.

Ananya tasted the wetness of her own tears when Kabir pulled her for a languid kiss until they were both left breathless.

When he opened his eyes, her words from earlier played through his mind. He had willingly dropped his walls around her and now he couldn't deny the unbridled satisfaction that he felt after her admission.

She was his safe place, his home and no matter how difficult the times ahead would get, he knew he would always come home to her. She wasn't going anywhere, and he would always protect her and their relationship from every adversity that life would pelt at them.

After a while, Ananya felt him lighten his hold on her. Pulling apart, his hands found her cheeks once more. The man that stared at her looked tired and worn, but there was a determination in his eyes and hope that she had always related with Kabir.

She could see his eyes crinkling with confusion when she picked up a pillow from the bed, but she didn't let him ask his unspoken question before she pushed him down on the bed.

"Sleep. You need to rest. You look like you're about to come down with fever." She murmured and turned to pull the comforter over his legs.

Ananya was about to turn back and head out to the couch, when his hand snaked out and caught her wrist.

She gasped, startled and almost fell on top of him. Kabir's large palm landing on her hip kept her upright. "Tumhe ghar nahi jaana?" He asked curiously, and then found his expression morph into guilt yet again.

Ananya shook her head, tipping it to the side, "Ji nahi.. It's too late now. Ab agar ghar gayi toh Ma sawaal karengi, aur main unse jhooth bol nahi paungi."

"Ananya.." He intoned, with a hint of warning to his voice. "Jhooth bola tumne unse?"

"Kabir.." She mimicked him, and then deflated watching his serious unwavering gaze. "Please. Just rest okay. One issue at a time.. Trust me.."

After her words, she saw his shoulders sag in defeat and he nodded when she motioned him to sleep. The tension slowly slipped from his body, and with it, hers did as well.

Her fingers continued to move through his hair until she felt his breath even out, little puffs of breath spanning over her arm that was wrapped around his shoulder. She couldn't help the stirring inside her at the sight of him resting comfortably.

"Bohot jald savera tumhara chehra dekhkar hi shuru hoga.."

He had once said to her.. She threw yet another glance at his sleeping form, and walked to the recliner in the room. As carefully as possible, she moved onto it, and covered herself with a spare blanket she found in his closet.

There were several issues to tackle, battles to fight and win, and a heart to heal. But it was only a matter of time that all her wishes came true. And his too.. She wouldn't have it any other way..

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Thank you for all the love, peeps.. Really appreciate it a lot..

Do let me know if this one was worth it..

Love,

Avantika..