SWEET NOTHINGS - A COLLECTION OF MISHBIR OS

OS 7: Yeh Nazdeekiyan

** This is set before Mishti's realisation - where she is trying to understand and name her feelings for Abir **

It was a hot blistering Friday. The late evening sun shone down in all its glory, making the workers at the orphanage, want to just leave everything as it was and just retreat inside.

Abir was seated on the bench, looking over at the plan that Ramu Kaka had just handed him. The orphanage needed new cots for the dormitory, tables and chair for the classroom, and his NGO was helping them with it.

"Here, juice peelo" Abir said, bending down and retrieving a bottle of juice from his rucksack. Looking over the plan, he extended his hand in the direction of the workers.

When the bottle remained in his arm, untouched, he turned his attention to the men. They were looking at something intently, with a hint of greed in their eyes. He quickly followed their gaze. The minute he found what had caught the men's rapt attention, he quickly slid off from the bench.

It was Mishti - standing over by the classrooms, helping the women haul the completed desks inside. Her long black hair was pulled up in a bun, secured with a butterfly clip. His eyes travelled down her head and he found the reason for the men's lewd looks.

Right below her shoulder blades, her dress had ripped, running upto the small of her back.

Anger, like nothing he had felt before coursed through him. He clenched his jaw, and willed his temper in control as he turned back to face the men. Taking a few measured steps towards them, he stood directly in front of them, making sure that they couldn't see her. Fixing them with a stern glare, "apna kaam karo" he bit out fiercely, telling them in no uncertain terms that they were not to even think about looking at his girl.

They seemed to have gotten the message. Taking one look at his face, they quickly scampered away.

Mishti put her hand under the desk distractedly. Biting her lip, she nodded at the other girl holding the other end. The other girl nodded back at her and together they lifted the desk and trotted inside the classroom.

"Theek hai na didi?"

Something had changed. She didn't know what exactly but something had definitely changed.

"Didi?!" The other girl placed her hand on her shoulder and shook her.

Huh she turned to look at her, "mein puch Rahi thi ki kya yeh theek hai?" She asked again, motioning to the placement of the desk with her hand.

Mishti nodded, "AAP Kahan khoye ho?"

Abir mein.

The last few days everything had changed between them. They were best friends, he was the one person she turned to in despair, the one person she turned to in happiness. But that night in the pub - she still didn't understand what had happened that night. Why wasn't she uncomfortable when Abir had pulled her close. Why hadn't she backed away - hadn't she hid herself the night of the goddhana. Yes, they weren't as close as they were now, but still. Why, oh why did her heart flutter when he had smiled down at her. Why hadn't she been able to look away from his eyes as he had looked at her.

He had asked her. He had asked her what had happened to her and she had told him nothing had.

That wasn't exactly true, Mishti thought following the other girl outside to bring the next desk inside. But what? What was happening to her?

Abir glared at the men's retreating backs, his fists folded by his side. Turning around, he covered the distance between Mishti and him in a few long strides.

"Come with me" he said, holding her by her hand and pulling her inside a classroom.

Mishti looked down at her hand in his, wordlessly following him inside. Once they were inside, Abir let go of her hand, and took a few steps back, looking at her with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. They were gentle, yet they were angry. There was warmth yet there was deep intensity. Mishti gulped. Turning away from her, he walked to the switch board - Mishti unable to take his eyes off him all the time. He switched off the lights one by one. Mishti looked at the lights as they went off, plunging the otherwise bright room in darkness. Her brows creased in confusion as Abir walked back to her, she didn't understand why he was doing this.

The sunlight from the setting sun, filtered in, casting it's light pink glow in the room. Abir looked at her as she lifted those lotus eyes at him. If it was 2 days ago, he wouldn't have done what he was about to do. But now he knew, he knew that Mishti also felt something for him - that there was a possibility that she felt the same way for him as he felt for her.

Looking deeply in the bespectaled eyes he loved, he lifted his hands and hooked them around her neck, reaching for her clip.

Mishti's breath hitched in her throat as Abir's hand went around her head - she couldn't look away from him for the life of her. His lips were lifted up in a hint of a smile as he undid her hair clip making her hair fall down over her back.

If she could find her voice, she would have asked him what he was doing. But then he stepped back, still looking at her as if his life depended on it, undid the buttons of his shirt. The fabric fell away as the buttons came undone one by one revealing a perfectly chiselled chest and the taut muscles of his stomach.

The soft glow in the room suddenly turned to a raging fire, and she just couldn't breathe.

She lifted her hand to her back absentmindedly as she felt something pricking her lightly. Then her fingers grazed her skin and she understood.

Her eyes round with disbelief, she looked at Abir. He blinked meaningfully, tilting his head lightly, his hazel eyes comforting her, telling her wordlessly that it was fine.

khubsurat raat yeh,

Hai saath tera maange

Managing a small smile back at him, she let her hands fall back to her side. Her breath caught in her throat as Abir leaned in as he took off his shirt and draped it around her shoulders.

Dil yeh mera khush rehta hai

Bas saath tera paake

He held it together by the collar, holding his gaze steadfast over hers. Mishti lifted her hands and placed it on his chest. His skin was warm under her touch. He looked down at her fingers briefly. Looking back at her, his hazel eyes twinkling, he passed her his trademark smirk.

And the butterflies in her stomach exploded throughout her body.

Saathiya mere

Mein toh tera deewana hu

Saare jahaan se begana hu

Mere dhunon to taraana tu.....