What do you normally do on the weekends?

I am either travelling and working - or binge-watching series lazily on the bed. There's no in-between ;)

Chapter 16. Hilarious, you are getting a sassy streak.

I have no idea what to do or how to react. My feet don't move and my eyes can't look away. It's unnerving to see Nimit, a man who is always so in control and command, breathlessly beg for help.

Nimit gasps loudly and that snaps me out of my daze. I drop the letter on the floor, my unknown stalker forgotten as I run towards the bed, desperate to help Nimit out of his tormenting nightmare. I whisper his name into the lamp-lit night, a gentle attempt to rouse him from the clutches of his nightmare. But he remains ensnared, lost in a realm that only he can perceive. His breathing quickens, erratic and uneven, as though the air around him is viciously attacking him.

A piece of my heart breaks watching him so agitated and vulnerable. I swallow the lump of fear and cry his name, louder and louder but he's far too gone into a world I can't seem to reach. Tears stain my cheeks and I tug on his arm, trying to jerk him awake. "Nimit! Nimit, wake up!" 

But he flings his arm, sending me flying back. I barely manage to keep myself from falling on the floor.

'No, no, don't touch me!' His hoarse cries pierce my heart and I look around the dark room, desperate to find something to help him. I wonder what he is dreaming about but whatever it is – it seems to be bad...really bad.

"Nimit! Nimit!" I scream at his tightly shut eyes. "Wake the fuck up! Christ, you are scaring me."

I try to reach his arm once again, pinning it down and slapping his face. "Nimit! You are here, with me! Please, wake up. Please." My voice cracks at the end, and my nails dig into his skin, holding down his arm. "It's Aisha. Please wake up." I whisper, letting my tears flow down and land on his skin and bed. I feel so weak, knowing that he can protect me anytime, anywhere and I can't even snap him out of a stupid nightmare.

Suddenly, he jolts upright, eyes wide open but unseeing. His arm leaves my grasp and I take a hasty step back, watching him with apprehensive eyes. The terror etched across his face is palpable, and his chest rises and falls in rapid succession. He seems completely disoriented and lost, like a child seeing the world for the first time. I watch as he blinks repeatedly, adjusting to the reality and his breathing slowly evens. His shoulders slump and he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he opens them, they are focused yet distinctively pale and haunted.

Tentatively, I take a step towards him and scan his face. My voice is timid as I ask, "Hey, are you okay?"

Nimit flinches as if burned by words and presence. He looks away, not meeting my eyes and clears his throat. "I am fine. You can go."

I shake my head, unable to get the picture of a panicked Nimit out of my head. "What was that nightmare about?"

"None of your concern."

"Nimit, I have never seen you so... frightened. What was it about?" I push on, hoping to get an answer.

But Nimit's jaw clenches and he turns to me, eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

My lips part and I tap my feet nervously. Uh oh! "Um, I was just – I heard you and-"

That's when his eyes notice the crumbled letter on the floor and they harden. He turns back to me, a challenging smirk on his face. "Sneaking around, are we now?"

I fold my arms and lift my chin in defiance. "I had the right to know! I have a stalker, Nimit. A stalker!"

"And we are handling it!"

"It still doesn't excuse the fact you hid something so important from me," I argue back. The room is still dark except for the soft glow of the lamp but neither of us moves to turn on the lights. "I can help if I know. I have met him – it says so in the letter. Maybe I know him." I try to reason with him.

Nimit growls in frustration, sweat still covers his bare back and he grits his teeth, glaring at me. "We don't even know if it's a him."

I frown at that, confused now. "Why would my stalker be a girl?"

"Didn't know you were a homophobic, Aisha."

"That's not what I meant!" I snap at him. "It just sounded like a man."

Nimit raises an amused eyebrow. "The letter talked to you?"

"Is this a joke to you?"

"Your safety is never a joke to me, Aisha. You should know that by now." His tone is serious now and for some twisted reason, it warms up my heart and takes my anger down by a notch.

"What have you found out about the stalker then?"

"Nothing yet."

"When did this start? Are all my letters screened now?"

Nimit nods his head. "Yes, most are bills, anyway. You shop a lot for cotton shorts and purses."

A faint blush covers my cheeks at the thought of Nimit sitting on a chair and scanning my bills, reading about every single item I have bought. Oh my god, this is worse than having a crazy stalker! 

"Did you wear that bottle green lace lingerie set you bought last month?"

The blush deepens and covers my entire neck and face. "Shut up!" I hiss at him and Nimit only smirks in repose, enjoying my discomfort. I swiftly change the topic, "When did this start?"

"A week before I was hired." He replies after a pause. 

My jaw drops and understanding sinks in. "You were hired because I had a stalker?"

"You needed a bodyguard. The first letter came in and since you were away on a trip, your father decided to open it." Nimit informs. "He is grateful he did because that letter was far more descriptive and talked about you in a weirdly vivid manner. What you were wearing the day before, what you did, even the coffee you had. Your father was scared, for obvious reasons, so he reached out to my company and I decided to take the job."

"So the letters started over 6 months back." I hack my brain to remember if I had seen anything suspicious 6 months back, someone following me, a man stalking me but I come up empty. "Where was this coffee shop?"

Did I meet someone at a coffee shop or just before? No, no one suspicious.

"We already scanned the cameras and found nothing," Nimit answers, getting off the bed and picking up the letter. He scowls at the crumpled state it is in. "What did you do? Eat it and then spit it out?"

"Hilarious, you are getting a sassy streak." I scowl back in reply.

"Happens when I live with the queen of sass." He mocks.

"Gee, thanks." I mutter, unsure if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult. "I want to stay updated on my stalker from now onwards. I want to know everything."

"I don't work for you." Nimit dumps the letter on the bedside table, flickering the light on. We blink, adjusting to the sudden stream of light. My eyes dance around his naked chest and I gulp. He's only dressed in black boxers, showing off his muscular legs. Gosh, how many squats does he do? How can a man's legs be considered sexy? Am I a creep for being turned on by that?

And they would look fantastic tangled with my legs.

Nimit clears his throat, noticing my gaze on his body and I press my lips together, quickly looking away. "Put on some clothes."

"Why? Is this troubling you?" He takes a step closer and I hold my breath as his manly scent engulfs me. "Maybe it is distracting you?"

"Yes, I am not used to seeing something so ugly for a long period of time."

Nimit stops, shocked by my words and then lets out a deep chuckle. My head snaps to face him, eager to see a laughing Nimit and the sight that greets me is far better than any half-naked man. His eyes twinkle a little and his lips are curved up in delight. His shoulders move and his stomach clenches and unclenches as he chuckles lightly. It's not a loud guffawing laugh but still better than just a light smile. It warms my heart, especially knowing I did this – and minutes after that unpleasant nightmare. 

Can I add this as an accomplishment in my resume?

Nimit notices my beaming eyes and his smile drops, turning into a concerned frown. "What's wrong?"

"You look beautiful when you smile." The words slip out without a thought, shocking both of us.

For a minute, time stands still and then Nimit offers a small smile. "You look beautiful, always."

Butterflies gather and dance in my stomach, performing an act that doesn't seem to end. Nimit steps closer and nervously lifts my chin between his fingers. "I am sorry you had to see that."

Even though I know he is talking about his nightmare, I try to lighten the mood. "Your smile? Eh, don't apologize for that, it's not so bad."

"You know what I mean." Nimit's tone is serious now. His thumb gently caresses my cheek. "I don't normally get them but when I do, I don't wake up easily. You shouldn't have been in here. I could've hit you."

"I am glad I was," I say with light frustration. "If I wasn't, I never would've known."

"And you should never have. Why didn't you run?"

His question staggers me and my eyebrows furrow together. "Why would I? I am not afraid of you." 

His thumb rolls over the curve of my bottom lip. "You should be. You should be running away from me." Even as he says those words, he makes no motion to let me go. Instead, he pulls me closer and leans forward to brush his lips across mine. "You have no idea what you are dealing with, my sweet girl. If you did, you'd leave now."

But we both know, neither of us are going anywhere.

You can't just walk away from people who have become a part of you.

~~~

Quick reminder to vote and comment - its free and makes me smile.

Also, what do you think Nimit's nightmare must be about?