You're my dawn

18.I am sorry

They had fallen into a monotonous routine of life. Waking up, getting ready, having breakfast and heading for work and college respectively and after returning alternate days were allotted for each of them to cook dinner. Arsh had fallen beneath a tremendous workload as he was managing a new project and he had even started to bring his work to home. As for her, she had the last semester coming up which had started to consume most of her time. Sometimes, she felt they were living like a roommate instead of a couple. The early hugs and innocent kisses after their little fight had stopped happening. She thought to sort it out after her exams but as time passed by, she felt it wasn't good. They needed to have a work-life balance because work was always going to be part of their life and if the thinking of sorting the relationship after getting done with work continued, they wouldn't be able to establish a healthy relationship. 

Thinking thoroughly, she thought to take a step to make their relationship a priority and make Arsh understand to do so. She glanced up and saw that it was quarter to one in the morning, Snapping her book close, she rose to her feet and dragged her numb feet towards the living room. She saw him still working. 

"Arsh," she called him.

"Hmm?" he looked up for a brief second before resuming his work. 

"Are you not done yet?" 

"It will take a few more minutes to wind this up." he gestured towards the sheets, file and laptop with an apologetic smile. He looked extremely exhausted, dark circles and red-rimmed eyes spoke about the lack of sleep. 

She nodded and strode towards the kitchen. 

"Here," ten minutes later, she extended him a cup of tea. 

While taking the cup from her, he looked at her gratefully. "Thank you, I needed it."

She nodded while sitting beside him. "Do you need any help?" She asked. 

"No, don't you have your exams coming up?" 

"Yes, but I am done for the day. My mind is saturated. I can't take it anymore." She whined with a scrunched-up nose and a deep laugh escaped his mouth. 

"You are so cute," he said, pinching her nose. It was the first warm gesture from him after that un-fateful incident. 

As she fell silent and started wringing her fingers, Arsh's brows snapped together. 

"What happened?" He queried. "Did I offend you somehow?" 

She looked up and found his gaze. 

"Yes, you offended me," she spoke with conviction and grave expression. 

Arsh pursed his lips and put the empty cup of tea on the centre table. 

"I am sorry," he mumbled, looking downwards. 

She hit his shoulder with her fist. "You should be."

"Ow! He exclaimed while holding his shoulder. "What was that for?" 

"For being a workaholic." She deadpanned, crossing her arms around her chest and jutting her chin out in annoyance. 

"I am sorry," he spoke with seriousness. "I am trying to wrap this project up before your exams are finished so that we can take a few days off and travel somewhere." He paused momentarily while gauging her expression before continuing hesitantly. "It doesn't have to be a honeymoon if you don't want to." A faint blush had crept up his cheeks. 

She bit her cheek to stifle the bubbling laughter at his cute reaction and held back the urge to pinch his cheeks.

Clearing her throat she spoke. "Have you decided where we will go?" 

His face lit up at her indirect yes to the travel plan. 

She wondered, did he think that she would deny it? 

"We will decide the place together." He spoke with excitement. 

"Okay," she agreed while looking at him with a soft smile. 

His gaze clashed with hers and they didn't know there was something that charged the air around them and the blood in their veins heated up and their hearts started pounding in their ears. 

They didn't realize when they shifted so close to each other, their face, merely an inch away, eyes connected, breathing uneven and fast. 

Arsh had moved ahead when his phone buzzed which broke the magic between them and Seher had turned her head towards the table to look at the source of the noise because of which Arsh's lips landed on her cheek. 

Still, his lips plastered on her cheek, Arsh snapped his eyes closed tightly and groaned moving back while cursing under his breath. 

Seher cleared her throat and fought back the blush and smile. "It's late." She mumbled. "I-I should sleep."

Arsh nodded while retrieving his phone. "You're right."

While she was entering the room, she heard him scolding his friend Ali for calling at this hour. 

With a smile etched on her lips, she plopped on the bed, her heart still pounding in her ears. 

***

It was three in the morning when he was finally done with his work. After putting everything in place, he stretched his limbs and moved towards the bed. As his gaze fell on her, their moment of magic appeared in front of his eyes. They were about to have their first kiss. Even though he was angry at Ali for calling at such a crucial time, now as he thought about it rationally, he was grateful for the interruption. He was planning a beautiful vacation and in a beautiful romantic set-up, surrounded by candle lights or maybe fairy lights, under the starry night sky, with her hands in his he wished to kiss her, of course with her permission so that they could cherish it their whole life like some possession which only they had access to. 

"What a romantic dream!" He exclaimed while plopping beside her on the bed. Turning towards her, his gaze wandered on her face, drinking her features. 

These days, they barely had time to spend with each other. He wanted to wrap up the current project as soon as possible until then she would also be free from her exams. He wanted to know her, her wishes, favourites, dislikes and likes. He was going to do just that, just a little more time and patience and then he had faith that they were going to learn to balance it all. Work and relationship. 

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