𝐀𝐂𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄,【𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙖𝙣.𝙂】

Chapter 16: Meeting ICT. Again.

The next morning came with the sun streaming through the hotel room window, casting a warm glow on Hira as she slept peacefully. Suddenly, her iPhone rang loudly, jolting her from her sleep. Groggily, she reached for her phone, barely opening her eyes.

"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "Who is calling so early? Can't you let a person sleep?" She muttered a few Gujarati curses under her breath, not realizing who was on the other end of the line.

"Good morning to you too," came Shubman's amused voice, causing her to sit up straight in bed, her eyes wide open.

"Shubman!" she exclaimed, suddenly fully awake. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

He chuckled, the sound warm and teasing. "No problem, Hira. I didn't know you had such a colorful vocabulary in the morning."

She could practically hear the grin in his voice, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to curse at you. I thought it was some random person."

"It's okay," he replied, clearly enjoying her flustered state. "I just wanted to wish you a good morning and see if you're up for breakfast. Or should I let you go back to sleep?"

Hira glanced at the clock and sighed. "No, I'm awake now. Thanks to you," she said with a playful tone. "Breakfast sounds good."

"Great," Shubman said, sounding pleased. "I'll meet you in the hotel restaurant in about thirty minutes?"

"Sounds perfect," she agreed, feeling a flutter of excitement. "I'll see you then."

"See you soon, Hira," he said before hanging up.

She quickly jumped out of bed, eager to meet Shubman for breakfast. In her rush to get ready, she hurriedly put on a simple yet elegant dress, brushing her hair and applying a touch of makeup.

As she moved around the room, her mind was filled with thoughts of their previous night together and the prospect of spending more time with him. However, in her haste, she tripped over her suitcase that was left in the middle of the room. She tumbled forward, landing awkwardly on her right ankle.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, wincing in pain as she tried to stand up. She gingerly put weight on her injured ankle, only to feel a sharp sting. Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, she examined her ankle, which was already starting to swell.

"Oh no, not today," she muttered to herself, frustrated by her clumsiness. She knew she needed to meet Shubman, but walking on her ankle seemed impossible. She carefully reached for her phone and sent him a quick text.

Shub💜

Hey, Shubman.
I'm so sorry, but I had
a little accident and hurt
my ankle. Can you come
to my room instead?

Within moments, her phone buzzed with a reply.

Oh no! Are you okay?
I'm on my way.

True to his word, Shubman arrived at her room in record time. He knocked gently before entering, his face full of concern. "Hira, what happened?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

"I was in a rush to get ready and tripped over my suitcase," she admitted sheepishly. "I think I twisted my ankle."

Shubman gently took her ankle in his hands, examining it with care. "It looks swollen. You need to rest it and maybe put some ice on it."