Beautiful disaster (completed)

Chapter 24 - A Tiny Flame of hope

Kiara's POV

I tossed and turned all night, unable to stop thinking about my confrontation with Kabir. The memory of how close we came to...I didn't even want to think about it. My cheeks flushed as I recalled the intensity in his eyes before we were interrupted.

What was that about? One minute he was accusing me of being incompetent and letting Dev influence my decisions, and the next he had me pinned against the wall, his breath hot on my skin. I shuddered. No one had ever looked at me the way he did in that moment. Like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

But that was crazy. Kabir didn't see me that way. I was just a nuisance to him - someone getting in the way of his perfect team. He made that clear with his constant criticism about my work. This was probably all some kind of twisted mind game.

Unless

I sat up in bed, my heart racing. What was his problem with me spending so much time with Dev? Sure, he gave some excuse about Dev being a distraction, but it seemed like more than that. Almost like...

Could Kabir have feelings for me beyond just a colleague or childhood friend?

No No way. It wasn't possible.

And yet...a tiny flame of hope flickered inside me at the thought. Could Kabir actually have feelings for me? Could he be...jealous?

I shook my head, trying to dispel the thought. I couldn't let my imagination run wild. Kabir had given me no reason to think he saw me as anything more than an employee. One he loved to torment apparently. I was being ridiculous.

Maybe, just maybe, his feelings had changed. I thought back to that rainy night at his apartment, when I'd seen a surprisingly tender side to the normally caustic Kabir. The way he'd cared for me when I was sick, offering me poha and medicine. Could there be more to him than I realized? More to us?

Still try as I might, I couldn't stop replaying our almost-kiss over and over. The way he looked at me...it had felt real.

I stared absently out the window of my apartment, watching the people below hurry along the sidewalks with their umbrellas and briefcases. The weather seemed to match my mood - gloomy and unsettled.

I remembered our school days together, when I had trailed after him like a devoted puppy. Playing silly pranks on him at every chance, just to get his attention. Hiding my true feelings behind barbed jokes and laughter. Those four years had been the best of my life.

Occasionally though, my traitorous heart wondered if maybe I hadn't fabricated this whole jealous theory. If Kabir did have feelings for me...No. I couldn't afford to travel down that path right now.

But no. I couldn't let my thoughts run away with some fanciful theory. Kabir had made it clear he just wanted to be friends again. I was probably imagining things, seeing only what I wanted to see.

With a frustrated sigh, I grabbed an umbrella and headed to the office early. At least there I could distract myself with work.

As I wound my way through the cubicles, my ears caught the tail end of another hushed conversation.

"Yeah, Kabir really seemed on edge yesterday after that client call," said Ronit in a low voice. "He had it out with the biggest client about the missed deadlines."

I slowed my steps, straining to listen despite myself.

Sumit chuckled. "You know how Kabir gets when projects are behind schedule. He's probably stressed."

I had to clamp my lips shut to keep from jumping in to defend him. It bothered me to hear them talking about Kabir that way, even if part of it was true. With a flash of irritation, I carried on to the pantry, the charged silence matching my conflicted mood.

At the break area, I busied myself making a fresh cup of tea, willing the steam to clear my muddled thoughts. What did it matter if people made assumptions about Kabir? I should stop overanalyzing ever little thing when it came to him. We had a strictly professional relationship, despite our complicated history. Nothing more.

So lost in my musings, I didn't notice someone approach and walked straight into a solid chest, splashing scalding tea everywhere.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" I gasped, setting down my mug and grabbing a napkin. I dabbed ineffectually at the spreading brown stain before glancing up. When I looked up to apologize further, my words died in my throat. It was Kabir. My mouth went dry.

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "It's fine, Kiara," he finally said, taking the napkin from my trembling fingers. "Don't worry about it."

"We have got to stop meeting like this," he said, laced with a touch of humor arose.

 My cheeks flooded with warmth and I took a hasty step back, nearly toppling over in my awkward retreat. 

An awkward silence fell between us. My heart pounded as I scrambled for something to say. What was I, a bumbling school girl with a crush? I had to pull it together.

Finally Kabir spoke. "Listen Kiara, about what happened yesterday..."

I gripped my mug tighter, heart suddenly lodged in my throat. Here it was - the confession I hadn't realized how desperately I wanted to hear until this very moment.

"There you are!", a voice suddenly called out. "Kabir, we have client meeting in 10 mins,"

"I'll be right there."

I glanced up to see Rahul waving him over urgently. Kabir muttered a curse under his breath, then spared me an apologetic glance before walking away.

 And just like that, the moment was over, leaving me suspended once more between hope and uncertainty. With a frustrated huff, I cleaned up the spilled tea and headed to my desk. At least there was always work to distract me when my personal life insisted on being so chaotic.

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Hey there!

How's everyone doing?😁😁

Here's another update! What are your thoughts on Kabir and Kiara's emotional state? Who will admit it first? Is there going to be another fight?😥😥 What's your opinion?

help me out by voting and leaving comments😇😇