Enjoy Reading (:

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Zara was nervous when they entered the restaurant. It was full. She wasn't that comfortable in crowd of adults. Kabir smiled at her nervousness and kept on walking to the end.

"Where are we going? I mean sitting area is there, right?" She asked feeling worried when he took her to small staircase. It was dark.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you. You can trust me with that." He said jokingly but wanted to know her reaction.

Could she walk on a dark stairway with him without knowing where they were going?

"Of course, I'm not worried about that. I trust you." Zara replied in a heartbeat and this time his heart skipped a beat.

He stopped for a second which made her stop. She looked at him. The darkness didn't allow them to see each other's faces but then they didn't need to.

"How do you trust me that easily?" He asked his doubt. 

Did she trust everyone that easily? The world is not safe for her then.

"Well you were a respectable senior in college and I have seen you with your Dr. Sanaa. She is good which means you are good too." Zara simply explained her logic.

And Kabir didn't know what to do with this simplicity and innocence. It will be his death one day. Thank God it was dark so she can't see his face.

"So shall we?" This time she asked.

"Yes." He replied and held her hand to guide her out of the darkness.

He thought he was helping her but didn't realise that she was the one helping him come out of his darkness.

***

"What shall we order?" Kabir asked after they settled.

"Whatever you like; I don't have any favourites." Zara answered with a smile. She was feeling nervous, a lot.

"You don't have any favourites?" Kabir asked raising his eyebrows, feeling surprised as this was the first time he heard that.

"Yeah. Is it weird?" She asked feeling uneasy with his way of asking.

"No. It's just that people have favourite dishes normally; something that they eat more than others." He asked his doubt.

"But doesn't that make you prejudiced? Forming a strict opinion towards something stops you from looking at other things, right? For example; if I start liking one type of pasta then I would order it too much and may be that will stop me from tasting other types which may be tastier than my preferred one. I would miss on something great because of liking something too much." Zara replied truthfully and hoped that he doesn't think her to be some mental person.

Like who even thinks so much before ordering food? He is definitely going to think of me as psycho. Way to make first impression, Zara. She thought and down casted her eyes waiting for the earth to open up and swallow her.

There was silence at the table for a while before waiter came and Kabir ordered for them.

"You don't dislike anything either?" Kabir asked after a while and Zara looked at him feeling confused at his question.

"I mean I get it that you don't like anything in specific but don't you dislike something? Some vegetable or some dish that you might just hate and don't want to eat ever again in your life?" Kabir asked in clear words.

"Hate is a strong word. I don't think we should use it casually. Dislike may be but hate is not the right word. I will tell you about this lasagna I ate for the first two times, it was not so good. But I tried it at some other place and turns out that it's so tasty. If one lasagna is bad doesn't mean all will be. So, few bad experiences don't mean that the thing can never be good.

And if I started hating it based on few bad incidents then I would miss on such a good stuff, right? So, no I don't dislike anything either." Zara said and was glad that the waiter brought the starters.

Food might distract him from her idiotic explanations. He is definitely going to run away from her after this dinner gets over.

Kabir on the other hand was busy thinking about her words; the deeper meaning.

Few bad experiences don't mean that the thing could never be good. Was it true about businessmen too? Are all businessmen not bad too?

***

The rest of the time they were silent but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence.

"So Zara..." He said while they were eating dessert.

"Yes Dr. Kabir?" She asked with ice cream stuck to her nose and this made him smile.

"You were saying something?" She asked when he just smiled and didn't say anything.

"You have ice cream on your nose." He said and she immediately wiped it using a tissue and checked her face in her phone.

"Thank you." She said with a smile feeling a little flushed at her childishness.

He must be thinking that I don't have table manners. Way to go Zara! Might as well start bawling like a four year old! Her inner voice teased her and she hushed it.

"So I was saying that the dinner was nice." Kabir casually asked her, trying to get her reaction on the dinner.

"Yes. This place is really nice. The food is so good. I will definitely come here again." She replied focussing her attention on the last bite of ice cream.

Food comes first.

Then she looked up and saw him smirking.

"Yeah, definitely food is good and who cares for company when food is all they need for survival!" He said in a fake hurt tone and immediately got the reaction he wanted.

"No, no no Dr. Kabir. It isn't like that. I enjoyed your company. Food was just bonus." Zara hurriedly explained and then realised what she said.

Mother earth! Now would be a good time to open up and swallow me. The embarrassment! Zara thought and gulped.

"And yet you call me Dr. Kabir." Kabir said with his devilish smirk.

"But that's your name. Aren't you supposed to be called that?" Zara asked in confusion.

Thank God he ignored her previous statements!

"You can call me Kabir." He suggested.

"Kabir or Dr. Kabir, what's the difference? Both are long." She explained while shrugging.

"Bir. Call me Bir. That's short and different." He said in a sincere tone that gave her shivers.

Wasn't that what his sweetie pie used to call him? She was the only one who called him that. So why is he asking me to call him that? Won't it be a breach of relationship between him and his sweetie pie? Is he missing her that much that he needs someone to call him Bir? But he could talk to her then! Doesn't he miss her? Then he should definitely talk to her. But looks like he isn't! Should she ask him what all she is thinking?

Nope she can't. She can't let him know about how she stalked him in college. He would definitely think of her as some creepy fan girl! Besides it wasn't any of her business really. Both of them were mature adults who could talk to each other. They most definitely didn't need the advice of outsiders like hers.

But what should she do now? Should she call him Bir? Won't Dr. Sanaa get angry when she hears someone else calling him that? But he himself is telling her, right?

Then why think so much? She thought after overthinking it.

"Bir"

She finally said with a smile and felt her heart beating wildly. He observed her silently before smiling, the genuine one. One that was reserved for his sweetie pie and kids.

"Isn't it unfair that you get to call me by short name and I don't?" Kabir asked while smirking.

"But you only asked me too call you that." Zara said feeling confused and pouted naturally.

"I did. But I should get a return favour right?" Kabir asked with his most flattering smile and Zara nodded trying to control her heart beat.

Calm down, it's nothing. She chanted.

"Do you have a nick name?" He asked.

"Umm... No I don't. Zara is already a small name." She said avoiding looking in his eyes.

"No one ever called you anything besides Zara?" He asked knowing the answer fully well. She thought for a while.

"Well... Some kids in school used to call me... Sunshine." Zara said while playing with her locket feeling nervous and exposed. What if he thought of it as a joke? She knew that the way she said it would appear as if her classmates used to call her Sunshine but she meant about the kids she taught in mental health programme. She wasn't ready to discuss that detail with him yet.

What she didn't know was, he understood her even when she tries to conceal the truth so hard.

"Well it's settled then. That's what I will call you then." Kabir said with a knowing smile and she looked in his eyes while he said,

"Sunshine"

He said in a deep baritone when his blue eyes locked with her hazel ones.

And in that moment Zara heard the danger bells. She had the choice to stop him but she didn't. Was it stupidity or the satisfaction of finally getting what she wanted, that she didn't know.

***

Kabir dropped her back at house like a gentle man he was and Zara didn't know what she should do to stop him. Even unintentionally he was arising so many feelings inside her.

Earlier he did nothing and she developed a crush but now knowing him and spending time with him even though it wasn't planned, she felt like she was losing her mind.

Now how many years will it take to forget this night? She hoped and prayed that she could do that.

Tomorrow is a new day and they will be back to their professional mode. This dinner was just a onetime thing. So think of it as a good memory and move on, Zara. She explained herself and slept even though his face didn't let her actually sleep.

***

Zara...My Sunshine, you don't know that you are in for one hell of a ride. This man will be your destru..oops. *evil smiles*

By the way are you guys noticing the sleek manipulations of Kabir. He is getting what he wants without even asking. And that's just the beginning.

Also notice that Zara is trying her best to resist him, which we read in the initial chapters. But who can escape Kabir's manipulations?

Now coming to an important topic, I will update alternate days from now ownwards. As promised we have reached the time when it all started. So, I hope you can understand that as some readers need time to catch up on the story.

Till then, vote, if you haven't and share your feedbacks (: