"Beta, I heard some noises outside. Tum log theek ho? Sab theek hai? Darvaza kholo!" [ Are you people okay? Is everything okay? Open the door! ]

Shaheen looked at Karim in shock, "Shit, that's Nishat khala. You got to hide! It'll be gossip of the family if she sees me with a guy. Hide somewhere!"

Karim didn't stop to argue. He was scared of getting into trouble with the Raza family. No, he was supposed to get along excellently with them. He knew he would never be on good terms with Irfan if he was caught trying to seduce his daughter in the middle of the night. After all, he was totally innocent here. He had only come to apologize. He kicked the rose plaque under the bed and jumped to the single cupboard in the room.

The cupboard was, like all hotel cupboards, too small and he could never have fit in it but he did try.

Chand came running in and jumped into her bed, pulling the covers over her head, "If you let her in, tell her I'm sleeping. I'm already in too much trouble. Good night, you two."

Outside Nishat khala was adamant, "Shaheen! Chand! Open the door, I'm getting worried."

By now, Karim was trying to hide under the bed which was too low. Shaheen was closing the balcony, drawing the curtains close and when she saw Karim darting into the bathroom, she hissed, "That's the first place she'll look, idiot."

Karim gave up and bounded into Shaheen's bed, pulling over the blanket over himself, curling himself into a ball, "If she asks, I'm just a very voluminous blanket."

Chand snorted with laughter.

Finally, Shaheen opened the door, "Nishat khala, what's happening? You okay? We were sleeping so I didn't—hear you?"

"I heard noises and you know Iffat, my girl sleeps without a care in the world. Of course, she didn't hear anything but I decided to come here and check since you guys are the only ones beside me." She walked in, speaking rapidly, considerably rattled by the ghostly noises. "I could have sworn it was coming from the balcony as if some thieves were climbing up but by the time I raced out, there was no one there. I know, I know, I shouldn't worry but then what if it were jinns [ spirits ] ?"

"Khala, aap dua padh ke soyi thi na? Jinns won't harm you, don't worry. Plus, I'm pretty sure it wasn't jinns," Shaheen tried to comfort her. [ Khala, you did recite prayers before going to sleep, right? ]

"Then what was it? I didn't imagine it, did I?" Nishat khala looked perturbed and as if needing a support, she walked over to Shaheen's bed and sat down.

The blanket moved slightly and something that sounded suspiciously like a groan emitted from it. Shaheen coughed loudly trying to cover it up while Chand tried to control her giggles.

"It..." Shaheen wondered how to explain, "it was Chand."

Chand frowned, What the actual fuck? You blaming your bald fucker on me, sis? Not fair, not fair. I better get a date with Isco for this sacrifice.

"Chand?" Nishat khala asked, settling comfortably over the blanket. "Wow, Shaheen, your blanket is so warm and huge. Mine is so thin."

"Haha."

"But it was Chand, you're saying? How? She's asleep now."

"Yeah, Chand...er...she sleepwalks," Shaheen offered.

"But-but how? I've known you three since you were born and I've never heard about her sleepwalking before?"

"Yeah, it's all the college stress..."

Chand stiffened, You criminal...don't you dare spin stories about me. Shaheen, stahp. Don't, just don't.

"College stress!? I thought Chand was cool with college and she is doing pretty well?"

"Oh, right. Um, she still gets stressful about it anyway and-and it first started when...Mom went away. Depression and all."

Whaaaaaaat. NO. NOPE. Don't bring Mom into this. Nishat khala will go and tell Mom now and then, I'll have to have a talk with her. Ugh, I better get a date with Isco for my name being dragged into all this.

"Oh my poor child," Nishat khala cried and got up, much to Karim's comfort. She walked over to Chand's bed and patted her shoulder. "Mariyam has done her children a great injustice by not doing more to keep up a relationship but you all should realize that she had her own reasons for the divorce. Once you girls realize that, everything will get better. She misses you guys, you know? She misses you so much. She just can't show it."

Shaheen was quiet after this and if Karim could see, he would have seen her stubborn face as she turned away. Maybe, more than Chand, it was Shaheen who was affected. Maybe she, despite her apparent indifference, missed her Mom too. Maybe she wasn't as much angry as upset. She sat on the edge of her bed and maybe Karim seemed to realize something. The edge of the blanket moved ever so slightly to cover her hand and she couldn't help but smile as she felt Karim's fingers entwine with hers. She pressed her fingers around his softly and was comforted by the return of pressure from his.

Nishat khala walked back to Shaheen's bed and promptly sat down on the blanket—and Karim—again.

Nishat khala had trouble sleeping as it is and right now, she was wide awake and happy to have found a companion to talk to. She talked widely about everything and anything: Mariyam, the divorce, Shaheen and whether she had any boyfriend, when she wanted to get married, about Iffat "her foolish daughter", about Jamila, the bride, about the incredibly handsome new French chef, the modern DJ, Jamila's crazy bald younger brother who had arrived that day, the arrival of the an eligible young bachelor, again her daughter Iffat who she wanted to have a good education more than anything else and asked Shaheen to tell her to focus on college better...it was well-past four when Nishat khala decided to go to her room.

"See you in the morning, kid! Now, go sleep and don't let the balcony open for Chand. I don't know how I will be able to sleep after hearing about her sleep-walking. I will talk to this doctor I know. He'll know what to do, I suppose. Okay then, khudahafiz, beta."

Shaheen smiled and quickly locked the door behind her. "Phew, Karim, Chand, she's gone. You guys can move around now."

There was no reply.

Turned out both of them were soundly sleeping by then. She huffed as she realized that they had had a good couple of hours while she had had to not only listen but also converse. Okay, Nishat khala was one of her favourite people but talking about issues late at night while your male friend is hiding under the blanket can be quite jarring for nerves. 

"Karim, get up! You can go now," she whispered, shaking his shoulder. He didn't even budge, breathing deeply in comfortable sleep. "Karim, you are not sleeping in my bed. I'm tired af. Wake up and go."

He mumbled something in his sleep that sounded very much like, "Fuck off, Rafa" and conveniently shifted to the other side, pulling the blanket over himself.

"Fine, be a selfish prick and hog the bed," she gave him one last useless push and walked over to Chand's bed. She slipped in the blanket trying to steal some space but Chand who was used to having a whole double bed to herself at home went on pushing her off the single bed in her sleep, not giving an inch of her blanket to her sister.

When Shaheen found herself on the cold hard floor with a thud she decided to let her sister be. She walked back to Karim to try one more time

"Karim parim," she said in as loud a voice she could in an effort to wake him, "please wake up and let me have my bed back. Tell you what, I'll forgive you if you wake up. Pakka."

He snored softly in response.

"Uggh, I hate the both of you," she said and stared at the room in the dark. She was sleepy, tired and cold. If she stood any longer, she would fall asleep. She yawned and looked at her bed. There was a small-ish empty spot that was inviting her beside Karim. She stared at Karim closely. He was keeping to his side of the bed. Maybe I can just sit beside him and warm my feet in the blanket?

She sat down quickly and slowly pulled her blanket away from him. She shifted, half-lying down, managing to wrangle all of her blanket away from him. Now enclosed in her blanket, she smiled evilly. Eventually he's going to get cold and wake up. Hehehe.

Or maybe I can just push him off as Chand did? She tried to but he didn't even budge. What do footballers even eat? Rock boulders? Ooh he's got such great shoulders...shit no I did not just think that. No, no, no. Note to self: Stay away from Karim's shoulders.

She quickly turned away from him, ducking her head inside the blanket. 

I'm in bed with Karim Benzema. The Karim Benzema. Karim, the man who is the best friend of Raphael Varane, my longtime crush. Karim, the guy who gives me butterflies every time I see him which, granted, hasn't been many times but stilllll. This moment needs better analysis. I sh...

And before she knew it, she was asleep, tired by the events of the day and night.

When Karim woke up, he was aware that there was something important gnawing at the back of his mind but he was just so warm and content that pulled his pillow closer to his chest and snuggled into it. Suddenly his eyes shot open as he realized just what he was snuggling into.

A head of dark brown hair was resting against his shoulder and he squinted in the morning light as he saw that his arm was around Shaheen's waist. He yelped and pulled back, slipping over the edge of the bed and falling to the floor with a thud.

Shaheen woke up when she heard him fall.

Karim threw up his hands in defense, "I was asleep!"

"What-"

Their phones ting-ed simultaneously and they looked at each other before picking up their phones.

"Just a sec."

"Me too."

Chand: *sent you a picture*

WOOHOO, YOU GUYS COSYING UP EARLY IN THE MORNING!"

BTW, Isco was in the room in the morning. We need to fix the balcony door, man. It doesn't get locked.

Not that I'm complaining ;) Loved to wake up to him even though he was sprinting out of the balcony.

Apparently, Jese tried to climb up the creepers too. He fell...

So Isco and I teamed up to help Jese get some bandages.

He's okay now. Says he gets hurt a lot more in matches xD.

Bechara cute hai, baby jaisa [ Poor thing, he's cute, just like a baby ]

Anyway, I'm with them in the kitchens now

Raphael is trying to cook Indian food, it's hilarious.

P.S. Isco thought you guys had sex lmao

Told them Karim fell asleep earlier than us.

Thankfully, Nishat khala couldn't hear those low snores #fantasticears

Meanwhile, Karim's phone was being spammed by Isco.

Isco: *sent you a picture*

#SHARIM IS SAILING

I've called Arbeloa and everyone with the good news

Were the roses that effective?

I mean wowwww you guys slept together :''')

I'm over the moon!

Oh shit, just met Chand and she told me what all happened last night...

So you guys didn't really sleep together? *sigh*

But still sharing a bed is A HUGE STEP AYEEE

And you guys look so cute together, just get married and make some babies soon, please

Can the first boy be called Isco?

Pretty please?

Because Isco Raza Benzema sounds like the next great footballer??

Can I be godfather?

P.S. Jese sprained his ankle, no biggy

Also Zidane was asking when we're coming home

Told him the signal's bad here and said I can't hear anything hehehe

Did I mention you guys look cute together?

Because #cute af

I'm a proud shipper today

Also, Marcelo wants Chand or Noor's number lol I'm thinking of giving him Jaun's number instead xD

[ Major #Sharim feels happening rn! Our babies :')

And so sorry guys, we have been travelling a lot so our updates aren't very quick. BUT WE TRY hehe.

Also a fun fact : We are currently in Patna for our cousin's wedding xD So casually waiting for Karim Parim and co to appear out of nowhere lmao if only omg <3

Ps : Snapchat is nearing its end :(

We have also updated our rant book called "BITCHY". Check it out if you haven't!

Don't forget to VOTE AND COMMENT xx ]