Mahnoor smiled softly, her eyes holding his for a moment longer than usual. There was something unspoken between them, something that didn't need words.
"So," Rajveer said, breaking the silence, "should I expect more sleep confessions from now on?"
Mahnoor laughed, shaking her head. "Don't push your luck."
But as they sat together on the couch, both of them knew that something had shifted—something real, something deeper than the rivalry and tension that had defined their relationship until now.
After what felt like hours of shared silence, Rajveer and Mahnoor sat comfortably on the couch, the air between them lighter but laced with an undercurrent of something deeper. Both had loosened up around each other, but there was still an unspoken tension, as if neither was fully ready to let go of the walls they had built up over the years.
Mahnoor glanced at Rajveer from the corner of her eye, her expression thoughtful. After a moment of contemplation, she leaned forward, placing her now-empty coffee mug on the table. She turned her body slightly, facing him with an intensity that made Rajveer straighten up.
"So," she began, her voice casual but carrying an edge of seriousness, "I guess you can go back to your own dorm now."
Rajveer raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to this. "Yeah? You ready to kick me out?"
Mahnoor's lips quirked into a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She sighed softly, shaking her head. "No. Not exactly."
He tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. Mahnoor's fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her gaze briefly dropping before meeting his again.
"I mean, you probably need your own space, too. It's not like I can keep you here forever," she said, her tone lighter, but there was a certain vulnerability in the way she spoke. "But... don't think you're entirely off the hook."
Rajveer furrowed his brow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Mahnoor bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "You're half-free to go," she said, a teasing note in her voice. "But only half-free."
Rajveer chuckled softly. "Half-free? How does that work?"
Her gaze softened as she continued. "Look, you'll be back in your dorm, but don't get too comfortable." She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering. "You should anticipate my arrival whenever I feel like showing up at your place."
Rajveer smirked, recognizing the playful challenge in her words. "So you're just going to show up unannounced?"
"Exactly." She grinned, but then her face turned serious again, her eyes holding his. "And you better come to me whenever I want you in my room."
Rajveer leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, is that an order?"
Mahnoor's smile widened, but there was a softness in her expression now. "Not an order. Just... what I want."
He nodded, still unsure of what to make of it all. There was something deeper than the playful banter, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Before he could say anything, she spoke again, her voice quieter this time.
"I'm not ready to fully let you go," she admitted, her gaze dropping for a moment as if she were gathering her thoughts. "Especially at night."
Rajveer's expression shifted, realizing this wasn't just about teasing him or keeping him on a leash. This was something else—something more vulnerable.
"Sleeping beside you," Mahnoor continued, her voice soft, almost hesitant, "made me feel... safe. Guarded. For the first time since I've been here." She looked at him then, her dark eyes filled with something unspoken. "You know how it is... with our worlds, and the threats always hovering over us."
Rajveer felt a tug in his chest, understanding her in a way that words couldn't fully express. He knew the world she spoke of the constant feeling of being on guard, of never fully trusting anyone because of the shadows they both lived in. He had felt it too—the weight of their underworld connections and the danger that came with them.
Mahnoor trailed off, her words hanging in the air as if they carried a weight too heavy to continue. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the gravity of her confession settling between them like a fragile thread.
Then, without warning, she reached out and took his hand in hers. Her fingers were warm and soft against his, and she held his hand for a moment, simply looking down at where their skin touched. After a long pause, she lifted his hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss against his knuckles.
Rajveer felt his heart skip a beat at the tender gesture, unsure how to respond. He hadn't expected this—this softness, this vulnerability from her. It was like seeing a side of Mahnoor he didn't know existed, a side that went beyond the fierce, sharp-edged woman he had come to know.
"I'm not saying this is easy for me," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she kissed his hand again, lingering for a moment. "But... I need you here. Even if it's just knowing you're close by."
Rajveer swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight. He wasn't used to this—wasn't used to being someone that someone else relied on for comfort, especially not Mahnoor, of all people. But the truth was, hearing her say it, feeling the warmth of her hand against his, he realized he didn't mind. He didn't mind being that person for her.
"You don't have to worry," Rajveer finally said, his voice steady but gentle. "I'll come whenever you need me."
Mahnoor's lips curved into a small, grateful smile; her fingers still wrapped around his hand. "Good," she whispered, her eyes soft as they met his again. "Because I'm not ready to fully let you go just yet."
Rajveer nodded, squeezing her hand lightly. "I'll be here."
They stayed like that for a while longer, the silence between them filled with an unspoken understanding. And in that moment, Rajveer knew that despite their differences, despite the chaos of their lives, there was something real between them—something that went beyond rivalry, beyond the worlds they came from.
Something that was worth holding onto.
The warmth of the room, combined with the low hum of the heater, created a cocoon of comfort. Rajveer and Mahnoor sat on the couch; their hands still intertwined from the tender moment they had just shared. The air between them was still charged, not with tension or hostility, but with a strange mixture of intimacy and vulnerability.
Suddenly, Mahnoor shifted. Without warning, she climbed onto Rajveer's lap, straddling him with a fluid, natural movement. His body stiffened in surprise, but before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him close. Her face buried into the crook of his neck, her long dark hair spilling over his shoulders like a veil.
Rajveer's breath hitched as he felt her warm breath against his skin, the familiar scent of her enveloping him. For a moment, he didn't know what to do, his hands hovering awkwardly before settling on her waist. Her embrace was desperate, almost as if she was clinging to him as a lifeline.
"Can we stay like this forever?" she whispered into his neck, her voice trembling slightly. Before he could respond, he felt her lips press against the bite mark she had left earlier, her soft kiss sending a shiver down his spine.
Rajveer tightened his grip on her slightly, his hands splaying across her back as he whispered, "I'm not going anywhere." They stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, as if the rest of the world didn't exist. And for a moment, Rajveer wondered if maybe, just maybe, they could stay like this forever.