𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧 [PAUSED]

10. Sneaking

It was 9 p.m., and the house was eerily quiet. The only sound came from the faint hum of my laptop, casting a soft glow over my desk. I rubbed my temples, staring at the screen as I tried to focus on the last-minute tweaks to my event planning checklist. Dadi had gone to bed after dinner, leaving me to finish my work in peace.

I stood up, stretched, and crossed the room to crack the window open. A gentle breeze slipped inside, the cool night air offering a welcome break from the warmth that had settled in after a long day. I took a deep breath, letting the scent of jasmine calm my frazzled nerves. Finally, a moment of quiet.

That peace didn't last.

There was a soft thud behind me, and my body tensed. I spun around, and my heart lurched at the sight of him-Sayyid. Casually climbing through my window like a thief in the night.

"What the-?"I gasped, backing up a step. "Have you lost your mind?"

He didn't seem the least bit fazed by my reaction. Instead, he stood there with that maddening grin on his face, as if sneaking into my room was the most normal thing in the world.

"You left the window open,"he said smoothly, brushing off his jacket. "Seemed like an invitation."

I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. "An invitation to what? Break into my room? You can't just climb through windows, Sayyid!"

He shrugged, completely unbothered. "I was bored at home. Figured I'd stop by, see what you were up to. Thought maybe you missed me."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, but I wasn't about to let him see that. "Miss you? You've got to be kidding me. I didn't even notice you were gone."

"Ouch,"he said with mock hurt, placing a hand over his chest. "You're cold, Sehar. Ice cold."

I tried to keep my face neutral, but the truth was, his stupid grin always got under my skin. "I'm not cold. I just don't appreciate uninvited guests."

"Really?" he took a step closer, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Because you haven't exactly kicked me out yet."

My pulse quickened. He was too close. Too smug. Too-ugh, everything.

"You need to leave," I said, keeping my voice firm. "Now."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself far too much. "What's the rush? We could hang out. Catch up." He started stepping closer to me.

"I don't want to 'catch up.' I want you gone."

Just as I thought I had him convinced to leave, I heard Dadi's voice float up the stairs. "Sehar beta, can you come down for a minute?"

My heart sank. Oh no. Not now.

I froze, eyes widening in panic. Before I could react, Sayyid's grin grew even wider.