His Little Neighbour

fourteen

"I can't hear you, Murat," Mashal yelled at her phone screen which was buffering due to poor internet connection and the huge time difference was making her cranky and moody. It was freaking three in the midnight. She's not even a night person but couldn't help herself this day. It was a tiring day at work and her eyes begged her to fall asleep.

"What? Can you repeat it?" He asked tiredly, looking pretty worn out already and it was just one thirty in the afternoon at his place.

"I said I can't hear you, what did you have for breakfast?" She laid back on the bed, gazing into the neon sparkling stickers above and then at her phone.

"Same as yesterday, nothing new. How was work?" He asked whilst sipping some protein shake. His favourite drink of all time.

Mashal smiled even though he can't see her, she has switched off all the lights in their room, it was pitch dark except for the stickers above, "work was pretty okay. Kaif sir appreciated my work. The first real work that I did after joining this company and my boss appreciated it. Great day I could say. I'm happy no one tried to steal credits for my work,"

"Kaif?" Murat's jaw clenched hearing that name. Mashal was confused by his sudden reaction. She remembered the same reaction that he gave when he first came to see her as her prospective future husband. She didn't pry him more because of her own happiness that night, but now she's intrigued.

"Yes. Do you know him or something?" She asked curiously.

"I haven't met him in person yet. Didn't hear good things about him though. Just be cautious around him." Murat's response confused her more if anything. It was pretty vague. She didn't know what to make out of that. But he didn't want to share more it seemed. So she lets it be.

"Where's your team? And how come you got free at this hour?" Mashal suppressed a yawn and stared at her screen sleepily.

"They're around. We just finished shooting a good commercial and I gave them some break. They're all pretty exhausted." Murat sighed.

"I miss you," he admitted out of blue. Her ears perked up in shock and slight disbelief. It's been fifteen days since he left and never did he admit about missing her, although she knew that he did. For all her I-miss-you's he'd only reply with an I'll-be-back-soon message. That's all.

"I miss you so much," he confessed again, taking her off guard. She sat up quietly and switched on the lights, making sure that her face was visible to him now. His eyes lights up brightly the very moment she did that. He gave her a sad, longing smile and just silently gazed at her, without uttering a word.

Her heart skipped a beat unknowingly.

"It's pretty hard. The last few days. I never knew that it was possible for me to get used to someone so quickly and miss them so much, but now I know. I miss you so much, Mashal."

Her eyes welled up in tears. Looking at his sad face made her more emotional. She brings her hands to touch the screen, wanting to wipe off his sadness. But it was not possible. Eerything in her just ached to hug him tightly at this moment. Murat's emotional side has always been closed off. He puts up a strong and big guy pretence for the world outside but only she knew how soft he is from the inside.

"Just twenty more days, it will pass in the blink of our eyes," Mashal whispered sadly while he simply nodded. He didn't utter anything ever since she has switched on the lights and the silence wasn't uncomfortable. She could stare at him like this. He was so handsome and all hers. She could stare at him all she wants.

"You look sleepy," he finally spoke. She shook her head in negative, even though all she wanted to do was to wrap her exhausted body in her comfortable blanket and sleep like a baby.