Rabt

12

Day 1

Rukhsar

She sat there in a corner while everyone talked amongst each other.

Neelum and Ibrahim would join them for the main events , which meant there wasn't a single friendly face for her for the next three days.

The pinging of her mobile alerted her that it was time for her shot,
She looked at Qasim who seemed engrossed in a conversation with Fahad bhai who had just come not too long ago.

She didn't know what to do.

Should she make an excuse and leave and how should she call him, she had no clue .

She sighed , tapping her fingers on her knee.

She turned to Rania bhabi who had barely spoken a word to her , gathering all the courage that she had,

"Umm woh bathroom kidher hai?" She asked , her heart hammering in her chest,
Rania bhabi paused for a second and the continued her conversation with Mahnur bhabi like nothing had been asked .

Feeling the hot wave of shame at being blatantly ignored she picked up her phone and thought of texting Qasim,

Its time for my shot.

There now he had to respond.
She looked at him from the corner if her eye , as he took out his phone and saw the message,

He typed back ,

Okay,

Thats it , thats all he wrote .

He got up excusing himself ,

"Rukhsar?" He said and she turned to him quickly,
"Gee?" She asked relieved,

He did not show any emotion ,
"Zara mere saath anna please?" He asked ,
And she got up and hurried out, ignoring the frowns on everyone's face .

________________________

They made their way towards the bedroom that was allotted to them,

"Shots kaha hai?" He asked ,
She  took them out of her bag,and picked up her shirt,
Qasim frowned at her stomach.
Rukhsar colored instantly, she had been having chai samosa for the last week and her stomach didn't appear to be as flat.
She was about to say something but he cut her off,
"It's started to bruise" he said softly.

She could not breathe.

His soft touch on her stomach cause butterflies in her traitorous stomach.

She cleared her throat,
"I've been getting them every day so...." She just trailed off awkwardly.

He nodded looking away once he had given her the shot.

"You should put something on that." He said straightening up, and with that he left .

The door closing with a soft thud behind him.

Rukhsar closed her eyes and breathed .
"Ya Allah" she said placing her hand on her racing heart.

________________________

Qasim

They had returned to their room after the dinner , Qasim sighed .
"You take the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa" he said ,

Rukhsar looked at the sofa and even an idiot could tell that she would fit in the sofa more comfortably than him.

She shook her head,
"That makes no sense, I'm smaller then you I should sleep on the sofa" she said ,
He raised an eyebrow  but didn't say anythingelse.