𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐓: 𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐐𝐮𝐫'𝐚𝐧

chapter 54

5 months later

"Ayaan, see, you can't do this! Aghhh!" Ayat shouted while standing in the lounge, pointing her index finger at Ayaan. He stood at the entrance, holding a brown cat in his arms. With a mischievous smirk on his face, he bent down.

"Ayaan, no! See! Please don't!" she shouted, rushing toward the couch and gripping the edges tightly. Her eyes were fixed on the cat that Ayaan was about to place on the ground.

"Trust me! She will not do anything!" With that, Ayaan set the cat down. Ayat's eyes widened as she took a step forward, shooting a glare at Ayaan, who was now smiling brightly. In frustration, she grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him. The pillow collided with his face, causing his smile to drop.

"What, Ayat! See, she's not coming toward you!" he said with a resigned tone, holding the pillow in his hands while gesturing toward Cristy, who had wandered into the kitchen. Ayat watched her disappear before glaring at Ayaan again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I will not forgive you for this!" With that, she rushed toward the bedroom. Just as she was about to open the door, he stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She looked up at him in frustration and pointed her finger.

"I swear, Ayaan-" her words caught in her throat when he took her hand and pinned her against the door. His grip tightened as he placed a finger on her lips.

"Shhh!" he hushed her, and Ayat gulped, her heart racing. Habitually, he moved his finger from her lips to her nose, rubbing the bridge gently as he whispered, "Cristy's parents are out of town, which is why they entrusted me with her care. She'll be living here for a week, hmm?" His voice was husky, and she struggled to cope with their close proximity.

"Hmm?" he prompted again, and Ayat finally snapped out of her daze, nodding while looking back and forth between his eyes.

"Words, Ayat?" he urged softly. She took a deep breath and smiled nervously.

"Y-y-yeah, o-o-okay!" She pulled off a thumbs-up with a smile, pretending to be unfazed by her nervousness and flustered feelings. Ayaan smirked, knowing she couldn't hide her emotions from him. He could read the language of her eyes and body.

"And the way she stuttered-aghhh, it's beautiful"

he thought to himself while maintaining his intense gaze on her. As she slowly lowered her eyes, they landed on Cristy, who was coming from the kitchen, licking her paws as if she had just finished a great meal. Their eyes met, and Ayat's eyes widened. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Ayaan, leaving him confused.

He chuckled, glancing in the direction of Cristy. "But please tell her to stay away from me!" Ayat mumbled against his chest, tightly closing her eyes.

"No! I will not do this!" he teased. Ayat raised her head to look at him, who was also gazing back. "You need to be friends with her!" he said, almost like a request, and Ayat made a pout that he adored the most.

"Why?" she asked, glancing toward the cat, who was busy licking her paws.

"Because...it's sunnah! Now go get ready to be friends with my Cristy!" he said casually, knowing she was afraid of cats. He wanted her to become comfortable, as having a fear of them wasn't healthy.

"Cristy?" Ayat asked, confused, tightening her grip as Cristy jumped onto the couch, lying down and closing her eyes, indifferent to everyone.

"Yes, her full name is Cristina, but I call her Cristy. Isn't it cute?" Ayaan said, also watching Cristy peacefully sleeping.

"Hmm," she hummed, looking down at Ayat, who was still hugging him.

"Are we going to stay in this position until the akhirah? I wouldn't mind, though," he said with a chuckle, breaking Ayat's chain of thoughts. Surprise flickered in her eyes as she let go, smiling nervously.