05

5. The Kick.

The next day

At 7:30 a.m.

Aaryansh wakes up with a start,

his first thought being that he's overslept.

As he sits up on the couch, his eyes fall upon her, who is still asleep, her hair cascading gently over her pillow,

and a serene expression adorning her face. He can't help but admire the way the gentle rays of sunlight play across her skin, casting a warm glow over her features.

Aaryansh's POV:-

She's lying there, peacefully asleep, looking like a vision straight out of a fairytale. Her hair is tousled in a way that's both endearing and charming, and her expression is so serene that I can't help but feel a surge of affection.

her form, partly cocooned in the blanket, with one leg playfully poking out from underneath.

She's hugging a pillow to her chest,her arms wrapped around it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Her peaceful expression and tousled hair only add to her charm, making her look utterly adorable.

Even in her sleep, she looks radiant, her hair spread out like a halo against the pillow and for a moment, I find myself lost in admiration of her beauty.

A smile tugs at my lips as I take in the sight. Despite the disheveled state of her hair and the playful way she's sprawled on the bed, she looks absolutely adorable.

Suddenly, a loud thump on the door breaks the tranquility, followed by my mother's voice.

"Dear, good morning! Are you awake?"

I suppress a chuckle at my mother's predictable morning routine, feeling a sense of familiarity and comfort settle over me.

Gathering my thoughts, I rise from bed, reluctant to tear my gaze away from her. But duty calls, and with a final longing glance at her, I prepare to face the day ahead.

Opening the door, I find my mother standing there with a smile.

"Good morning, Maa" I greeted her.

She returns the greeting,

"Woke up? Get ready fast and come for breakfast now . And bring Meera along."

I nodded.

Closing the door behind me,

I pause for a moment, considering whether to wake her up.

But then I remember how tired she must be from yesterday's party n all and decided to let her rest a little longer.

"She'll probably wake up on her own."

I mumble to myself as I head to the washroom to freshen up.

After completing my morning routine and getting dressed, I glance at the clock. It's already 8:40, and she is still asleep.

I sigh softly, realizing I need to wake her up.

But .. how to wake her up? I mean.. ..

shut up Aaryansh, why are you being so...?" I pause, searching for the right word to describe my hesitation.

Anyways, Approaching her bedside, I find myself at a loss for how to wake her up without startling her.

"Um, Mrs. Malhotra?" I begin tentatively, then quickly correct myself,

"I mean, Meera?" I gently nudge her shoulder, hoping to rouse her from her slumber, but she remains unresponsive.

Again , I shake her shoulder, whispering her name softly in her ear.

"Meera, it's time to wake up" I murmur, hoping the sound of my voice will coax her from her slumber.

Furrowing my brow in concern,

I try a playful approach, lightly tickling her side and murmuring,

"Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead. Time to rise and shine!"

I immediately catch myself, feeling a pang of self-consciousness.

"Okay, I'm not usually like this"

I mutter under my breath, bewildered by my own behavior.

Despite my unease, I press on, hoping my efforts will finally wake her up.

I resort to gently tickling her side, hoping it might prompt a response.

"Come on, wake up" I coax, my voice tinged with a mixture of amusement and concern.

But despite my best efforts, she remains stubbornly asleep, her peaceful expression undisturbed.

As I lean in again to gently shake her awake, she suddenly jolts in her sleep and her leg swings out, catching me completely off guard

"Whoa!" I yelp, stumbling backward in surprise, my hands flailing wildly to maintain my balance.

"Did she just.... kick me?" I mutter incredulously, rubbing the spot where her foot made contact as if trying to make sense of what just happened.

Peering down at her, who remains blissfully unaware of her unintended assault, I can't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

"Note to self: never wake up a sleeping beauty without any proper protective gear."

I quip to myself.

Taking a deep breath and mustering up my courage, I prepare to try again to wake her up, this time with a bit more caution. After all, who knows what other surprises she has in store for me?

With a mixture of trepidation and determination, I cautiously approach her once more, keeping a safe distance from her flailing limbs. Taking a deep breath, I gently call out her name, hoping to rouse her from her slumber without any further mishaps.

"Meera, it's time to wake up." I say softly, my voice laced with a touch of urgency.

I reach out tentatively to shake her shoulder, ready to dodge any potential kicks that may come my way.

To my relief, she stirs, her eyelids fluttering open slowly as she emerges from her deep sleep.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." I greet her with a warm smile, relieved that she's finally awake and (hopefully) no longer a threat to my shins.

She blinks blearily, a sleepy smile gracing her lips as she stretches languidly. "Morning.." she murmurs, her voice still heavy with sleep.

She's cute.

As she begins to fully awaken, I can't resist teasing her about the unexpected wake-up call.

"You know" I say,

I playfully groan, clutching my shin where she had accidentally kicked me. "You just deliver a ninja kick in your sleep!" I exclaim, feigning an injured expression.

Her eyes widen in confusion, and she quickly scans the room, searching for any signs of an intruder.

"What? No, I didn't! Aap thik hain?" she asks, genuine concern evident in her voice.

I nod, still pretending to nurse my "injury."

"Yeah, but I think you owe me an explanation for this morning's ninja move." I tease, trying to keep a straight face.

She looked puzzled for a moment before realization dawns on her face.

"Wait, did I...?" she starts, trailing off as she recalls the events from earlier.

I raise an eyebrow, my expression playful. "Yep, you definitely did." I confirm, a hint of mischief in my tone.

Her cheeks flush with embarrassment, realizing the truth of my words.

"Oh my goodness, I'm... I'm ..so sorry I didn't mean to." she apologizes, her voice laced with genuine concern.

But I can't resist teasing her ,

"I didn't know you were trained in martial arts." I say

"I'm.. so sorry, I seriously didn't mean to.." she apologizes, genuine remorse coloring her voice.

Before I can respond, a sudden thump on the door startles us both, and my mother's voice rings out from the other side.

"Dear, are you both ready? Come for breakfast!" she calls out cheerfully.

I exchange a knowing look with her , a grin spreading across my face at the impeccable timing of my mother's interruption.

"Looks like breakfast is calling,"

I remark.

I open the door to find my mother standing there, a sheepish expression on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt, beta. I just wanted to make sure you were both up." she apologizes, her tone apologetic.

"No problem, Mom. We'll be right there" I assure her.

As my mother heads off, I turn to her again with a playful grin

"And yeah, don't worry, If you ever feel the urge to unleash your inner ninja again, just give me a warning." I said and left from there.

As I walked ahead, leading the way towards the dining hall, the playful banter with her was still fresh in my mind,

I can't help but reflect on the exchange. I'm not like this, never. but I don't know why I did that, I think to myself, a bemused smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Despite my initial reservations, I have to admit, teasing her was surprisingly fun.

____________________________

Meera's POV:-

'Oh god, how could I kick him like that?'

I berate myself silently, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

I flop down onto my bed, burying my face in the pillow to muffle the embarrassed groan that escapes me. What must he be thinking right now?

Is he annoyed? Pissed off? The uncertainty gnaws at me, leaving me feeling even more self-conscious.

The realization that I unintentionally hurt him, even in my sleep, weighs heavily on my mind. He has always been so patient and understanding with me till now, and the thought of accidentally causing him pain fills me with guilt.

As I lie there, lost in a whirlwind of embarrassment and regret, I can't shake the feeling that I've made a fool of myself.

All I can do is cringe at my own clumsiness and pray for the embarrassment to fade away.

With a frustrated groan, I nudge my face deeper into the pillow, muffling my voice as I shout into the soft fabric,

This is so embarrassing.

As my mind whirls with thoughts of embarrassment, my phone suddenly rings, jolting me out of my reverie. Without bothering to check the caller ID, I hastily answer the call, hoping for a welcome distraction.

"Hello?" I say, my voice tinged with curiosity.

"MY Cupcake Choco-Pie! Where are you? Get ready! This Zara is on her way to meet her Veer." The person on the call exclaimed.

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