This book is going to get a whole lot interesting ahead😙 _

I lifted a brow, tilting my head as I studied him. "So, you mean to say... I should listen to what she said? You want me to believe you're dangerous?"

Zavian's lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk, but his eyes... they were unreadable. "Shouldn't you?"

A chill traced my spine. Not from fear. No, it was something else entirely. A warning? A challenge? I wasn't sure.

I leaned forward just slightly, mirroring his relaxed posture. "You're being dramatic," I mused, swirling the straw in my drink. "If you wanted to scare me off, you should've tried harder."

His smirk deepened, like I'd just said something amusing. "Who said I was trying?"

I paused, eyes narrowing at the weight of his words. There was something about him, something in the way he spoke, that made it feel like he knew things I didn't.

Like he could wreck me if he wanted to.

And the worst part? He knew it.

I cleared my throat, glancing away. "Anyway, thanks for the dinner. I should get going."

His voice was smooth as silk when he replied. "I'll drop you off."

"No need." I pushed my chair back, reaching for my bag.

He didn't move, just sat there, watching me with that same unreadable expression. "Too late," he murmured, standing up as well. "I don't like letting people leave alone at night."

I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then exhaled. "Fine. But no more cryptic lines. Just drive."

Zavian chuckled, walking past me, the scent of his cologne lingering in the air. "No promises, Mashal-e-Mehtaab."

_

The next few days passed in a blur of lectures, research work, and endless notes. University was hectic—so much so that I barely had a moment to breathe, let alone think about anything beyond deadlines and assignments. Mornings started before the sun had fully risen, and by the time I returned to my room each evening, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin.

That Friday, I pushed open the door to my room, barely managing to shut it behind me before I collapsed onto my bed with a heavy sigh. My limbs ached, my brain felt fried, and the only thing keeping me conscious was the distant hum of the city outside my window.

Instinctively, I reached for my phone, scrolling through my notifications out of habit. Emails, group chats, a few memes from Aisha and Sophia—but nothing from him. Not that I was waiting.

No messages from Zavian. No cryptic texts. No smug remarks.

It was... oddly quiet.

I tossed my phone onto the bedside table, shaking my head at myself. This is good, I told myself. Less distractions.

Still, as I lay there staring at the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder—why did the silence feel so loud?

Whatever. I shook off the thought, pushing myself up with a tired sigh. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, but I forced myself to move, dragging my feet toward the bathroom to perform ablution. The cool water against my skin was refreshing, washing away the weariness clinging to me like a second skin. As I stood on the prayer mat, the familiar serenity settled over me, a quiet moment of peace amidst the chaos of the past few days.

Once I was done, I exhaled deeply, stretching my arms over my head. A long, warm bath. That's what I need.

I deserved it after this grueling week.

Without wasting another second, I grabbed a fresh set of clothes and stepped into the bathroom, already imagining the warmth enveloping me, soothing my aching muscles. The tension in my shoulders, the stress lodged deep in my bones—I was ready to let it all melt away.

_

I stepped out of the bathroom nearly an hour later, wrapped in the comforting scent of my lavender body wash, my damp hair falling over my shoulders. The warmth of the bath had melted away most of my exhaustion, leaving me feeling somewhat lighter. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, unlocking it with a swipe and laid down.

A flood of notifications greeted me.

The first few were from Arham and Ali.

Arham: Stay away from the English. I swear, I can't with their angreezi.

Ali: They're unbearable. Trust me, you don't want to deal with them.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head as I typed back.

Me: You both are impossible. It's London. What do you expect?

As I hit send, I noticed more unread messages—one from Mihra, another from Mama and Baba, and of course, Nimra and Haroon hadn't been left out.

I smiled, quickly typing responses to all of them before scrolling through my gallery. I selected a few pictures from the week—some of the university, a few stolen shots of Aisha and Sophia laughing, and, of course, a mandatory food picture—then sent them to the family group chat. Within seconds, the messages started rolling in.

Mama: MashAllah! My bacha is doing so well.

Baba: Stay safe and don't skip meals.

Mihra: Ooooh, looking fancy. Who are you impressing? 👀

Nimra: She better not be impressing anyone. London boys, stay back.

Haroon: 😂😂

I chuckled, about to put my phone away when another message popped up.

Aunt Sidra: Don't forget the dinner tomorrow, jaan. Be here by six. We're all excited to see you. ☺️

I let out a slow breath, staring at the message for a second. There was no edge of formality in her words—just warmth, just home. A small smile tugged at my lips despite the exhaustion weighing me down.

Me: I won't forget, InshaAllah. Looking forward to seeing you all too. ❤️

She replied almost instantly.

Aunt Sidra: That's my good girl. Take care of yourself, Iman. Don't overwork. I'll see you soon.

I placed my phone on the nightstand and sank into the comfort of my bed, staring at the ceiling. The past week had been overwhelming—lectures, assignments, endless new faces—but somehow, knowing I had family waiting for me made things feel a little lighter.

Tomorrow, I'd see them. I'd get a little piece of home, even if just for an evening.

_

Just as I was about to close my eyes, my phone buzzed again.

Aisha 🦋: Emergency meeting in my room. Movie night. No excuses.

I smiled, already knowing there was no way out of this.

Sophia: What's the movie?

Aisha 🦋: Who cares? Bring snacks.

Me: I'm exhausted, Aisha.

Aisha 🦋: And I'm heartbroken that you'd even think of missing this. Get up. Come now.

I groaned, rolling onto my side. A movie night actually sounded good. A break. A distraction. And knowing Aisha, she'd probably bang on my door if I didn't go voluntarily.

With a sigh, I grabbed my blanket and a pack of chocolates from my drawer before making my way down the hall to Aisha's room.

The second I walked in, I was met with the sight of Aisha sprawled across her bed, a giant bowl of popcorn in her lap, while Sophia was already bundled up in a blanket on the floor. The room smelled like caramel popcorn and hot chocolate.

Aisha grinned triumphantly. "Look who decided to show up."

I plopped down next to Sophia, pulling my blanket around me. "You didn't really leave me a choice."

Sophia nudged me. "Admit it, you wanted to come."

I huffed, reaching for the popcorn. "Fine. What are we watching?"

Aisha smirked, pressing play on the screen. "Something that will either make us cry or fall in love."

I let out a soft chuckle as the movie started. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

Just as the opening credits rolled, there was a knock on the door, followed by Isabella's voice.

"Are we late?"

Aisha shot up, her face lighting up. "Never too late for movie night! Get in here!"

The door swung open, and Isabella walked in, dragging Yuki behind her. Yuki looked half-asleep, wrapped in a thick hoodie, her hair in a messy bun. "You guys owe me for this," she grumbled, plopping down beside Sophia.

Isabella laughed, handing Aisha a bag of snacks. "We brought reinforcements. Chips, chocolate, and Yuki's famous matcha cookies."

Aisha clutched the bag to her chest dramatically. "I love you."

I reached for a cookie, taking a bite and humming in appreciation. "Okay, these are actually amazing."

Yuki gave a tired smirk. "I know."

As the movie started again, the room fell into a comfortable silence, interrupted only by occasional gasps, laughter, and Yuki muttering under her breath when a character made a dumb decision. Isabella curled up at the foot of Aisha's bed, completely invested, while Aisha whispered dramatic commentary every few minutes.

Halfway through, Sophia sniffled. "I swear if they don't end up together, I'm suing the director."

Aisha tossed a pillow at her. "Let them suffer first. That's what makes it good."

I chuckled, pulling my blanket tighter around me. Despite the exhaustion weighing on me from the week, I felt warm, at ease. Safe.

Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

A sob tore from my throat before I could stop it, and I quickly covered my mouth, my eyes glued to the screen. Aisha, just as teary-eyed, blindly reached for the tissue roll and shoved it into my hands.

"I hate this movie," she whispered, dabbing at her nose.

"You literally picked it," Isabella muttered, her voice thick with emotion.

Yuki sniffed, her face half-hidden behind a pillow. "It's not that sad," she claimed, though the way she aggressively wiped at her eyes said otherwise.

I clutched the tissue, my heart aching at the scene playing out in front of us. "They deserve to be happy," I croaked.

Sophia, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly let out a strangled noise. "Why can't love be easy?"

Aisha dramatically flopped back onto her pillow. "Because authors and directors are evil."

I let out a watery laugh, shaking my head as I wiped away my tears. "It's just a movie," I tried to reason, but my own voice wavered, betraying me.

"Just a movie?" Isabella scoffed. "Tell that to my shattered heart."

The credits rolled, but none of us moved, the weight of the film still pressing down on us. Aisha sniffled again, then suddenly sat up. "Okay, we need something happy. I refuse to end the night like this."

Yuki stretched, rubbing her eyes. "I vote for a Disney movie. Or cartoons. Something stupid and fun."

Isabella nodded in agreement. "Agreed. No more heartbreak."

Aisha grabbed the remote, flipping through options. "Fine, but next time, I pick something with even more suffering."

Sophia groaned. "You're actually the worst."

I curled up in my blanket, the heaviness in my chest slowly fading as my friends bickered over which movie to watch next. Whatever stress or exhaustion I'd carried from the week melted away in that moment.

I really did need this.

The night stretched on, filled with laughter, playful banter, and a growing pile of snacks scattered across Aisha's floor. We ended up watching an animated comedy, something ridiculous enough to make us forget the emotional damage from the previous film.

At some point, Isabella dozed off, her head resting against Yuki's shoulder. Yuki, barely awake herself, absentmindedly played with the hem of her sleeve, her gaze glazed over. Sophia was curled up on the other end of the couch, wrapped in a blanket like a burrito.

Aisha nudged me with her foot. "You awake?"

"Barely," I murmured, my eyelids feeling heavy.

She sighed, flopping back onto her pillow. "I wish every night was like this."

I smiled, adjusting my blanket. "Me too."

A comfortable silence settled between us, only interrupted by the soft sounds of the movie still playing in the background. I reached for my phone, checking the time. 2:43 AM. A little too late—or early—but I wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Then, a notification popped up.

Zavian: See you tomorrow, Mashal-e-Mehtaab.

My stomach twisted. I had completely forgotten about the dinner at Aunt Sidra's.

I debated ignoring the message, pretending I hadn't seen it, but my fingers betrayed me before my mind could decide.

Me: Don't call me that.

The three dots appeared almost immediately.

Zavian: What else should I call you then?

I sighed, locking my phone before I could get pulled into whatever game he was playing. I wasn't in the mood to deal with him—especially not when I was finally at peace, surrounded by my friends.

Aisha yawned, stretching. "We should probably call it a night."

I nodded. "Yeah. Long day tomorrow."

As I gathered my things and quietly slipped out of Aisha's room, I couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow wasn't just going to be another dinner.

Something told me Zavian had plans of his own.

I quickly typed a response.

Me: Call me Iman. Simple.

I hesitated for a moment before pressing send, my thumb hovering over the screen as if second-guessing my own decision. But the message was already out there, and there was no taking it back.

Zavian's reply came almost instantly.

Zavian: Iman?

I stared at my screen, blinking. Did this man ever put his phone down? How was he always online?

Me: Yes, Iman. Simple. Easy. Not Mashal-e-Mehtaab, not sweetheart, not anything else you feel like making up.

I barely had a second to breathe before his response popped up.

Zavian: But those suit you better.

I let out a slow exhale, tossing my phone onto the bed. Of course.

Why did I even bother?

Ignoring the message, I grabbed my hairbrush, running it through my damp strands when—buzz.

I didn't check.

Buzz.

I threw my brush down and snatched my phone.

Zavian: Sleep tight, Mashal-e-Mehtaab.

I stared at his message for a long moment before locking my phone and shoving it under my pillow. I was not smiling. Absolutely not.

I switched off the lights, pulling my blanket over my head.

_

The next morning started slow, the crisp weekend air carrying a sense of ease. I woke up to the sound of soft murmurs outside my room—Amma talking to someone.

Stretching, I rubbed my eyes before reaching for my phone. A few messages in the group chat, a reminder from Aunt Sidra about dinner, and—no text from Zavian. Not that I was expecting one.

Shaking off the thought, I got up, freshened up, and stepped out to find Amma in the living room, her shawl draped neatly over her shoulder.

"You're finally up," she noted, adjusting her purse. "We're going grocery shopping, Want to come?"

"We?" I asked, arching a brow.

"Yuki's coming too," she said, glancing at her phone. "She wanted to pick up some things as well."

I nodded, "Give me a minute," I said, disappearing into my room to change. A long skirt, a warm sweater, and a coat later, I was ready.

By noon, the three of us were stepping into the local grocery store, the warmth inside a stark contrast to the chilly air outside. The familiar scent of fresh produce, baked goods, and spices filled the space.

"Alright," Amma announced, adjusting her list, "I'll start with the vegetables. You two look around and get whatever you need."

Yuki grinned, nudging me. "Snack aisle first?"

I chuckled. "Obviously."