'Got free. Call?' My screen lit up with a notification.

After a whole day of torturous waiting, he finally texted around 9pm and I immediately rushed to the terrace covering myself while dialing his number on the way.

brrr, brrr

"Hello?" 

"Hello? Yeah," he was loud and huffing as if walking quickly.

"Yeah. Just got on the terrace." I muttered while climbing the last staircase.

"What are you doing on the terrace at this hour? It's freaking cold right now. I'm on my way home too." 

"It will just take 5 mins. I will go downstairs."

"What's so important to talk about that you had to come in between the gushing cold winds?"

"Haa.. mujhe kehna tha..." (yes... I wanted to say...)

"Jii..." (yeah..)

"Kii..." (that...)

"Jii..." (yeah..)

I took a deep breath and forced the words out of my mouth, "I'm sorry." Why is it SO HARD to apologize?

"Why?" It took him seconds to realize what I'm referring to. "Oh," he pauses for a bit and says, "Look, I want to give you a disclaimer about one thing, in case you don't know."

"Huh?"
What disclaimer?

"I'm not one of those guys who can bear snapping without any reason and have no self respect." His voice was calm yet stern.

"Murat-" I tried to speak but he didn't let me.

"You can snap at me all you want if it's my fault. I'm not saying you can't get angry at me." His voice softens making me close my eyes. "Hayat, I'm not an arrogant person who won't admit their fault. But at least have a valid reason?"

"Murat.." I trailed off.

"Tell me what I did wrong and we will figure it out rationally. But I just can't bear any lash out where I haven't even done anything wrong."

I stood there silently near the wall.

"And most importantly, I never compromise when it comes to my sleep. Be it work or anything."

"Main us waqt bas... gusse me zyada boldi..." I sighed with fog coming out of my lips. (I just said.... too much in anger.)

"I'm not saying if you said too much or too little."

"Then?"

"I just informed you." He paused, "I don't want these scenarios, nor I like em. Like someone is so dominant on me and ordering me around. Like I'm being controlled and my freewill is gone. I hate that. When to sleep, when to get up, when to sit."

"Nooo.. pleaseee..." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Listen, I have never treated you like that neither I have any intention to do so."

"I didnt mean that you treated me like that. I just gave you an example." Even though we were trying to sort out our conflict, his voice was surprisingly calm throughout the time.
No lashing or cussing.
Just sorting out in a civilized manner.

"Okay but you texted this na?"

"Hmm? What?"

"That 'I don't want to be treated as some slave, no freewill, that's why I don't get close to anyone.' "
I mimicked his tone.

"Tell me one thing. Is it necessary to say 'okay im sleeping goodnight', when I have already told you 2 times that I'm sleepy and I may knock out anytime?"

I kept quiet, feeling bad.

"I did inform you na? That I was sleepy?" His voice softens when received no reply.

"Yeah."

"So?-"

"Have I ever-"

"The-"

"Listen to-"

"No-"

"Listen to me first!" I snapped at him. He wasn't letting me speak. Idiot.

"Okay. Go ahead."

"Have I ever said or controlled you before like any sort of this?"

"I didn't say you did."

"Then? It happened for the first time." I whined.

"Hmm."

"Then?"

"You know hayat. You know me since the start."

"I know murat. I just... lost control. I don't know what gotten over me. I don't get angry especially at these petty things. I haven't lashed out on you before as far as I remember. It happened for the first time." I rambled out.

"Haa koi baat nhi. Isi vajah se maine tumhe kuch nahi kaha. Mujhe gussa aya, maine us gusse ko peelia. Tabhi aaj hum baat kar rahe hain." He paused as my heart sank at his last line. "Kyuki agar mujhe vo pehle wala gussa aata, vo alag tha." He added, referring to our cut-off time.

("Yeah it's okay. That's why I kept quiet even though it pissed me off so much. That is why we are talking right now." He paused as my heart sank at his last line.
"Because if it had been my temper like before? Things would have been different." He added, referring to our cut-off time.)

"Hmm. Maine tumse isliye hi baat nahi kari kyuki mujhe malum tha tum gusse me ho." I mumbled, fiddling my fingers.
(That's why I didn't interact with you because I knew you were angry.)

"Yeah. It's always better to leave me alone while I'm angry." He agreed. "Now you sh.... dow... ," he speaks further but his voice breaks because of the network problem.

"What? You aren't audible."

"I'm saying you should head down now or else you may catch cold. I'm going too."

"Oh." My mind was still processing if our conflict was resolved or not and he was already leaving?

"Yeah. I'm feeling cold too. Okay bye."

"EK MINUTE RUKO." I panicked, trying to hold him a little longer before he leaves.
(WAIT A MINUTE)

"Ha bolo," (Yeah) he replied calmly as if he never left.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out except fog.
Gosh hayat. Say it.
I was struggling to speak my mind, but it sounded too cliche.

After silently waiting for a few seconds he spoke again, "Bolo." (Say)

"Umm vo," (Umm, that)
I couldn't help but stutter.

"Kya vo," (What's that?)
His sweet voice was back, easing my heart.

"Tum,"
(You)

"Ji?" (Yeah?) He patiently waited for me to complete my sentence.

"Tum raat me baat karoge?" (Will you come online at night?)
I finally managed to pull out the words I was wanting to ask.

"Yeah maybe. If I got free, we will chat. These upcoming days are gonna be hectic for me." He replied nonchalantly.

"Achha"

"From tomorrow"

"Achha"

"I mean day after tomorrow. I still have 2-3 days. Don't worry I will inform you whatever the situation will be." He reassured me.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I exhaled a deep breath in the cold atmosphere around me, resulting in a lot of fog and finally felt lighter. As if this fog was the heaviness on my heart since yesterday, and finally it was out.
My shoulders relaxed as I took a sigh of relief with a sense of accomplishment, as if I just solved a huge conflict between two countries on the edge of War.

.
.
.

Next few days went busy.
Me in my exams.
Him in his work.

I took a break from my exam preparation, stretching up my body and snuggled in the blanket lazily, checking my social media.

'Bro they are online exams. What are you studying for?' Lexi, my college friend, texted me.

'I'm going through the books to know which topic is at what page, so I don't struggle while finding answers lol.' I replied.

I miss that thrill of giving offline exams, understanding the concept and writing in my words.

I wonder when I will feel like a university student: going for classes, preparing notes, making friends, having lunch together, and most importantly, travelling alone~~

Uff this covid!

I checked the time.
8:07 PM

I want to video call him.
But what if he's busy?

Let's SMS him.
I legit feel like the 20s era with him.

'Suno' (Listen)

He replied after a minute.
'Haa' (yeah)

'I want to Video Call you right now.'

'Oh'

'Please'

'Come on telegram then.'

'I dont think telegram supports videocalls'

'Who said? Come up'

I raised my eyebrow.
I had explored telegram once but couldn't grasp all its functions.
God!
Why can't he just use Whatsapp or Instagram like normal human beings :)

I turned on the app but not before removing my beanie and setting up my straight hair.
Gotta be presentable :)

'Dont say anything', his text popped up on telegram and before I could ask why, my phone vibrated, indicating an incoming call.

"Weird," I mumbled and answered.

Nervousness crawled over me as his expressionless face flashed up on screen. I waved at him with a nervous smile but received no response.

What is wrong with him?

I chuckled and asked, "kya hua?" (what happened?) waving my hand, forgetting he told me to keep quiet a few seconds ago.

And the statue in front of me moved lol.

Only to put a finger on his lips.

I quickly mute myself, and talked with gestures, making him chuckle at last. He cut the call and texted, 'Aamir is asleep.'

"Uffo," I mumbled.

I rang him again and he picked up with a white pencil like thing in hand.

I gestured and mouthed, 'working?', to which he nodded.

I rest my face in the palm, admiring him as he wasn't looking at the camera, working on his iPad or laptop maybe. He glanced at me, making me raise my eyebrow, and before I could say anything he cut the video call again.

What-

'You're making me recall my dream,' his text popped up on telegram.

'I came in your dream?' I replied with furrowed eyebrows.

'Yes and doing some nasty things to me.'

Wtf
I laughed so hard.
'So you remembered it all by seeing me again lol?' I replied with a big grin on my face.

'Yeah, and now all I can think is that dream while looking at you.'

I sent few laughing emojis.
So that straight face had something dirty going on in mind.
Noice

'You're distracting me,' he sent me.

' ;) my pleasure'

'Will you strip for me ;) '

'You're out of your mind,' I laughed at his text.

'Then go away and let me concentrate on work.'

'What nasty things were they by the way?' I teased him.

'Hayat'

'Best of luck in concentrating on work ;) ', I replied while chuckling and shaking my head.

He is too cute.

.
.
.

********