SHANAYA'S POV :

I wasn't sure what woke me up first—the soft rustling of fabric, the weight of a steady arm draped over me, or the deep, slow breaths brushing against my hair.

But the moment I opened my eyes, reality hit me.

I was still curled up against Kabir.

His warmth surrounded me, his scent—a mix of cologne and something distinctly him—lingering on the blanket draped over both of us. The rising sun cast a golden hue over his face, highlighting the sharp lines of his jaw, the faint crease between his brows as he slept.

God, he looked good. Too good.

I barely had time to process how we ended up sleeping like this before he stirred, his grip unconsciously tightening around my waist before his lashes fluttered open.

He blinked, his gaze locking onto mine.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then, a slow, lazy smirk tugged at his lips.

"Morning, sunshine." His voice was deep and raspy, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

OH HELL.

I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how close we were. "Morning," I murmured, trying to ignore the way my heart hammered against my ribs.

He didn't let go immediately. Instead, his fingers brushed against my waist, his touch lingering. "You slept well?"

"Too well," I admitted, attempting to shift away—only to realize that our legs were tangled together.

He chuckled, finally releasing me, though his eyes held a teasing glint. "I knew you'd love my bed setup."

I rolled my eyes, pushing the blanket off me as I sat up. "Sure. Definitely the bed. Nothing else."

He raised a brow but said nothing, just watching me with that same unreadable expression.

And for a second, I almost thought he was about to say something important.

But then he shook his head, stood up, and stretched. "Come on, I'll drop you home before your brother sends a search party."

And just like that, the moment was gone.

--------

The ride home was quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

Kabir had one hand on the wheel, the other drumming lightly against his thigh as he drove. Every now and then, I caught him glancing at me, his expression unreadable.

When he finally pulled up in front of my house, he shifted in his seat, turning toward me.

"Last night was..." He trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Nice," I offered, though that didn't even begin to cover it.

He exhaled a small chuckle, nodding. "Yeah. Nice."

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then, as if deciding something, he leaned in—just enough for his lips to brush against my temple.

"See you later, Sunshine," he murmured.

And with that, he was gone.

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Later That Day :

As soon as I met up with Kartik and Isha, I knew there was no escaping the conversation.

Isha took one look at me—her eyes narrowing, her lips curling into a slow, knowing grin. "You're glowing."

I snorted. "I am not."

"You totally are." She wiggled her brows. "Tell. Me. Everything."

Kartik, who had been scrolling through his phone, finally looked up. "Wait, what's happening?"

I hesitated. "I... went on a date."

Isha squealed, clutching my arm. "Oh my God, finally! I knew this was coming! With who? Wait, don't tell me—" Her eyes widened. "Kabir?"

I pressed my lips together but nodded.

"Oh. My. God." She nearly jumped in excitement. "Was it perfect? Was it romantic? Did he kiss you? Tell me everything right now!"

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'll tell you later."

Kartik, however, had gone completely silent.

I turned to him, biting my lip. "Kartik?"

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I'm not gonna lie. I have a lot of thoughts about this. But..." He gave me a small, genuine smile. "If he makes you happy, that's all that matters to me."

Relief flooded through me. "He does."

Isha sighed dreamily. "Ugh, this is like a movie."

I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

Everything felt perfect.

But perfect never lasted.

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ONE WEEK LATER 

It started subtly.

Kabir's texts became less frequent.

At first, I thought he was busy. He was always working, always caught up in business. I didn't want to be clingy, so I waited.

But then a day passed. Then another.

By the third day, I realized something was wrong.

By the fifth day, I stopped texting first.

By the seventh, I was drowning in doubt.

Had I done something wrong?

Had I misread everything?

Was he losing interest?

Or worse...

Had something happened to him?

The uncertainty gnawed at me, keeping me up at night. I wanted to reach out, to demand answers. But what if he just... didn't care anymore?

The thought made my chest tighten painfully.

I wasn't sure what hurt more—the silence or the fear that maybe, just maybe, I had been wrong about everything.

A WHOLE week had passed since our date—the most perfect night I could remember. From the way he had held me during our slow dance to the way his lips had brushed against mine, everything about that night had felt like a dream.

But now?

Now it felt like a cruel joke.

Kabir had disappeared. No texts. No calls. Nothing.

At first, I told myself he was busy. He had a company to run, meetings to attend. But as the days stretched, the doubt started creeping in, poisoning every memory I had of us.

Had I been stupid to think we were something?

Had that night meant nothing to him?

Or worse—had I done something to push him away?

The overthinking was eating me alive, but I couldn't bring myself to text him. If he wanted to talk to me, he would. Wouldn't he?

---

At the Cafe

I had to get out of my own head.

That's why I found myself at the cafe with Isha, trying to pretend like everything was fine. But Isha saw right through me.

"You look like you haven't slept in a week." She frowned, stirring her iced coffee.

"Gee, thanks." I forced a smile, though I knew it didn't reach my eyes.

Isha leaned forward, studying me carefully. "What's going on?"

I hesitated for a second before sighing. "It's Kabir."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh my God, did something happen? Tell me you guys went on another date and he—"

"No," I cut in. "That's the problem. We haven't."

I exhaled, staring down at my untouched drink. "After our date, we talked like normal for a few days. And then suddenly... nothing. He just stopped replying. It's been a week."

Isha's smile faded. "Wait... what? He ghosted you?"

I flinched at the word. "I don't know. I mean... maybe? He just stopped talking to me. And I have no idea why."

I shrugged, trying to act indifferent, but my voice betrayed me. "Maybe he just lost interest."

Isha shook her head. "No way. The way he looked at you, the way he acted that night—Shanaya, that's not a man who was pretending."

"Then what the hell is his excuse?"

I didn't have an answer.

And that was the worst part.

---

Late at Night 

I stared at my phone for what felt like the hundredth time.

My fingers hovered over our last conversation—me sending a simple "Good night" after our last text exchange. A message that had never been answered.

I wanted to type something. I wanted to ask him what happened, why he disappeared. But my pride wouldn't let me.

So i did what felt right , i slept not knowing where he was , battling with my thoughts if he was okayy or not ??

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TROUBLE IN PARADISE ALREADY?

THIS IS JUST A START , WAIT AND WATCH THERE'S A LOT MORE DRAMA INCOMING.😉😉

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