Enjoy Reading (:

-----------------------------------

Zara was reading some journal when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up and her heart skipped a beat to see him standing on the door looking smart as always.

"Good Morning, Dr. Kabir. Please come inside." She greeted him with a smile and was about to get up from her chair but he gestured her to remain seated.

"Good Morning Sunshine." He said in a displeasing tone. "Haven't we discussed about you calling me Dr. Kabir?" He said and entered her room and Zara smiled at her nickname. She liked when he called her Sunshine.

She felt special. She knew it was normal for him because he calls all his friends by nickname but for her it was the first time when some adult called her that.

"But we are in hospital?" She said.

"And?" He asked folding his hand.

And people will start assuming stuff if I call you Bir. You calling me Sunshine won't be a big deal because you give names to many people but me saying Bir will cause curiosity. How to explain that to him? And why should she even burden him with her useless thoughts?

I won't call him Bir in front of others and if someone listens to us then I will face the consequences as they come. She decided.

"Good Morning Bir. How are you?" She said with a smile, feeling happy. She liked calling him Bir.

He looked happy for some reason and his smile broadened after hearing Bir. He really liked being called that. Seeing him happy made her happy.

"I'm great Sunshine. I needed your consult on one case actually." He spoke in his usual charming way and Zara knew that she could never say no to him.

"Yeah sure." She replied and they started discussing the case and going in the professional mode.

But this time it was not all professional and she has to admit that she liked it.

***

Zara came out of the OT. The surgery was successful and she and her team  were congratulated. She smiled but she was dead tired.

It has been one week since she went on that dinner with Kabir and almost every day after that they met in the morning...to discuss cases of course.

She was happy that no one in the hospital commented on this. If there would have been whispers than she would have heard that from Dr. Ritu but there weren't and she was glad for that. Not that there was anything to whisper about. It was all professional.

But what about those smiles that they passed to each other when it was just silence or the looks that they gave each other when they were in hallways, surrounded by a crowd of people? And when he used to call her Sunshine, why does her sensory system gets bewildered by his closeness?

No Zara, it's all normal. Don't try to look into any meaning in it. May be that's the normal way boys behave and you don't know because you don't have any idea.

After all he never said anything, he not even said that they were friends. They were colleagues who were cordial with each other. That's all.

She was processing all her thoughts and making her way towards her car.

"Sunshine!" She heard and her lips curled into smile even though she was tired.

"Bir." She said and turned.

"How was the surgery?" He asked walking near her.

"Successful but tiring. How was your day?" She asked.

"Great. My kid is all ready to go home. He is a fighter." Kabir said and she smiled.

"It feels great right? The rush to save a life even though it becomes tiring at times. In the end it's worth it." She spoke leaning against her car and he looked at her face closely noticing her tired frame.

"Yeah it does. That's why we do what we do." He replied. "Are you leaving right now?" He asked.

"Yes I am. Your shift is also over right?" She asked.

"Yeah. It did." He said and paused for a while still looking at her who was now getting conscious of his stare.

Was something wrong with her face? She thought and looked in the side mirror. It looked alright to her.

She is tired. She shouldn't drive. It will make her more tired.

"Actually Sunshine, I needed a help." He said while smiling.

"Yes Bir. How can I help you?" She asked.

He usually ruffles his hair while asking for favour. She thought as she saw him doing the same thing while talking to nurses during college.

"I need a lift. My car needs some repairing." He said and looked at her, then ruffled his hairs which he knew she was expecting and Zara smiled.

"Sure Bir. Come on." She immediately agreed and started walking towards the driving seat.

"Umm...Sunshine. Let me drive. I know the route better and I'm not so good at giving directions." He said like he was asking for favour and Zara agreed as she was really tired and in no mood to drive.

In fact she was glad that he offered to drive. She just wanted to enjoy the breeze without paying attention to traffic. She was staring out of the window for most of the ride. Silence was their companion.

"We are at our destination, Sunshine." Kabir spoke once they reached his society and Zara was shocked because it was at a walking distance from her apartment.

"You live here?" She asked not believing the coincidence.

"Yeah I do Sunshine, that's why I parked here." Kabir said in a teasing tone.

"We are practically neighbours." She said in unbelievable tone.

"Yes Sunshine, I do know that. Remember I picked you for dinner?" He reminded her and Zara smiled sheepishly.

"But you seem excited to have me living closer to you." He teased her and her cheeks turned red.

"Nothing like that Bir, I was just surprised. It's such a big city. What a coincidence it is?" Zara tried to explain herself and not to appear too excited.

"Indeed coincidence." Kabir said looking ahead not giving her any clue as to what was going on in his mind.

"Alright I should leave now. You must be getting late." Zara said realizing the need to put distance between them which was a joke because technically they lived in a radius of less than one kilometre.

He turned to her and looked at her for few seconds.

She looks hungry. But she is tired so she might skip her dinner.

"I made some arrangements for dinner with a friend but he messaged me few minutes ago that he can't come. So would you mind giving me company?" He asked and Zara's eyes widened at the aspect of another dinner.

Not me. Not again. Have some mercy, Dear Lord! Who is this friend who cancels dinner plans with this man? Already forgetting one dinner was becoming impossible now this too.

"I mean I don't want the food I already ordered to get wasted." He cleared after noticing her face.

So it's about food. She felt pinch in her heart but can't deny the tiny bit of excitement too.

She was about to refuse but then realised may be he was missing his old friends, Dr. Rahul, Dr. Pakhi, Ms. Vaishali or his sweetie pie? She can't leave him alone like that right?

Damn her feelings!

Stupid heart!
But it just pumps the blood.

Stupid frontal cortex and limbic system!
She cursed her brain which was responsible for her feelings.

It's okay Zara. It's just about food and some company may be.

It wasn't as if they were on a date.

Also, she was tired and knew that she might skip her meal if she went home. This way his food won't go wasted and she won't have to cook too. So this was a win-win for both of them.

"Okay Bir." She said and he smiled, dreamily, the same one which makes her crazy all the time.

Heavens help her because she will go crazy if he keeps on smiling at her like this always.

She entered his apartment still in awe of its beauty and décor and how well it was arranged. She took one step into his house not realising that this step was marking her future and his place was soon going to be theirs.

***

"You have a beautiful home." She said appreciating it.

"I try to keep it clean." Kabir said and thought about his sweetie pie who used to help him cleaning in past but now it was all him.

But not for long. He thought and smiled, opening the top button of his shirt and folding his sleeves. He went inside the kitchen to bring out water bottle.

Zara settled herself on sofa and sat in Indian style not worrying about her manners. She was tired. She closed her eyes to relax herself and within few minutes she was asleep. The sleep you get after doing hard work is really the best.

***

Zara felt a nudge on her shoulder and murmured something inaudible.

"Sunshine..." She heard a familiar voice.

Such a beautiful dream, it is. His voice felt so real. She also felt a hand on her arm which at first made smile but then she realised what she felt.

A hand?

She opened her eyes and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes noticing her with a mischievous smile.

"Never had I seen someone falling asleep so soon." He commented and she immediately got up and realised that she was comfortably settled on sofa with a blanket covering her.

Such a gentleman he is. Why does he have to be so good? She thought.

"I'm so sorry Bir. I was so tired. You needed company and I slept like log. I generally don't sleep like this but it was a long day." She said and lowered her eye and scratched her wrist feeling guilty.

"Sunshine, I understand. You can use washroom of the guest room. I have heated the dinner. So let's just eat and then you can rest." He said and she nodded and moved to the guest room.

As she was pouring water on her face she realised what she was doing... She was in the house of the man she has a huge crush on and was running away from, since forever.

Why was this happening with her? This was all so wrong. She knew that this will all just make her feel attached and in the end she will get hurt but why does it felt so right? Why do they always end up in situations like this?

Why fate was playing with her like this? She was just a simple girl who developed crush on her senior but she always controlled herself. Her Lord knows that she tried honestly then why was this happening?

She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Bir has no idea what was cooking in her mind. He doesn't know about her feelings and she can't let him see that.

He needs companionship for time being and she will give him that. He should not realise what she was thinking.

Just two good colleagues! She thought and putting a smile on her face she came out.

Why is he so handsome? She thought and groaned when she saw him setting the table. He changed into casuals but still looked sinfully handsome.

Jet black hairs, ocean blue eyes, flexed biceps, six foot something height and toned body.

On the top of that blue tshirt? Blue is his signature colour! It brings out his eyes.

Have some mercy on me Lord! Zara prayed and walked towards the table, hoping that the smell of food could distract her from the man who was arranging it.

"Come on, Sunshine. It's dark. I need you here."

Kabir said while setting the table, not looking at her and even though Zara knew that it was a joke her heart started beating wildly.

She smiled and walked slowly towards the table and like a gentleman he pulled chair for her. See the small things like this make her feel so fluttered. No one ever did these things for her.

"What did you order?" She asked trying to distract herself from his thoughts. It was getting dangerous.

"Lasagna from my favourite place." He replied while serving and her eyes widened. She told him about that in their last dinner. It must be because his friend liked it.

"You eat that right?" He asked looking up.

So it's a coincidence then. He doesn't remember her words. She thought and nodded. He gave her the plate and she focussed her attention to food.

Anything to distract her from him... But who was she kidding? No one can ignore Dr. Kabir Shah's presence.

"So when did you decided to become a doctor?" He asked initiating the conversation. Zara smiled at the memory.

"When I was in third standard, Dad was taking me to some doctor for flu. We have to take appointment and wait for our turn. I saw a crowd of young people in white coat while we were on our way. I asked dad that instead of waiting for that doctor like we have to always; can't we just go to these people?

He smiled and replied that they are not doctors yet but they are studying to be one. It's an honour to study this course, he said. And I could hear that he was genuinely impressed by them. So I decided on that day that I will become a doctor and make dad feel proud."

Zara said remembering one of the earliest memories she has of her father. She missed him.

"Your dad must be proud of you." Kabir said in an appreciative tone.

"He was...is the best dad." She said and blinked her eyes not wanting to cry, not in front of him at least.

"And you are the best daughter." He spoke the words that she always wanted to listen.

She has tried her best to be a good daughter. Even though she has heard the words so many times she can't help but feel really great after listening them from him.

He doesn't know how much these words meant to her. Even unknowingly he said the right things.

"You know that people who really love us never leave us alone. They are around us, always. In our manners, in our personality, the way we speak, do certain things, a part of them lives within us. Try to cherish that part and live happily. That's what he would have wanted if he was here. That's how I remember my mom." Kabir spoke after sensing her sadness.

Zara was stuck by his words. She heard consolations before, like her dad was in better place and he was free from pain and was now resting peacefully. That he will be with her always but never did anyone said something like this. The way Bir understood her pain and asked her to remember him by smiling and not crying like she usually does, unnerved something deep inside him.

And the dam of resistance finally broke. Zara immediately closed her eyes to hide the surge of emotions that were rising inside her.

She knew that now she could not deny her feeling.

The one from which she was running from past ten years, when she was just eighteen and entered the college.

The one which stayed even when she tried to suppress so hard, after she left the college.

The one that made her go wild with fear when she saw him, after his accident and the one because of which she ran away before he could even wake up.

She opened her eyes and stared into his ocean blue eyes and admitted the truth in front of her Lord,

She is falling for Bir.

***

Zara is falling for Bir! Such a honest realization ♡

Who saw it coming? Frankly we all did. We all knew it was just a matter of time.

Any thoughts about what our Sunshine is going to do next, based on their previous encounters? And what she should actually do next?

Well, whatever she does, she can't escape Kabir this time. Because this time Kabir isn't in the mood of letting her go.

He is doing everything after knowing what will be her reaction. And sometimes it scares me because one day he will have to explain all this.

Please vote if you haven't, comment and share (: