Love at First Heist

ELEVEN

Shehnaz loved flights.

But, her worst nightmare was dying in a crash, and drowning. Flights could mean both. She forgot to mention this detail to Idris, because the entire time her entire attention span was captured from the curves of biceps moving underneath his shirt whenever he picked their luggages.

Which brought her to this situation; as the streaks of silver struck outside the plane's windows for the tenth time in two hours, her eyes probably have cried enough tears to fix all of famine in this world.

The lightening was beautiful, she had to admit, and if it weren't for the shaking of the aircraft, she'd be admiring it. Her lips tremble, and she cries silently, engaging her hands in zikr with the tasbih.

"They've said it's going to be okay, Shehnaz."

She looks at him in disbelief, before incredulously laughing. Going to be okay? Seriously?

"Wo yeh toh nhi kahenge ki Khudafis shaheedo, aab hum kalima shahadat salawat karenge,"

Idris gapes, taken aback by how serious she sounded. But he notices how she doesn't flinch as the plane shakes again, busy in proving her point. Deciding to provoke her more, he starts again, "Thik hain. Maanlo aab humare intikam ho—,"

Her eyes widen and she slaps her hand against his mouth instant, "Toubah, Idris, Allah khair kare humare."and he almost smiles at how adorable she is. He moves her hand from his mouth, yet doesn't leave his grasp over it.

"Agar kaal ka subha hum nhi dekh sakay, aapki kya khawish hongi?"

She pauses at his question, her mouth parted. The clock appears to tick slower once she realises how much his eyes resembled the lightening and clouds outside, and suddenly she is not so afraid of the storm. Shehnaz takes a sharp breath in, and looks at his hand unconsciously grasping her smaller one. She wraps her pinkie around his, and smiles at him.

"Toqborneh,"

"Huh?"

"Kuch nhi." Shehnaz innocently replies, giggling at his dejected expression, then retracts her hand from his, stretching her fingers as if his touch flowed through her skin in statics. She notices how the sky had finally began calming down, and rests her head against the seat, letting her eyelids close. Shehnaz allows the streaks of the rising sun's light to caress against her skin, and she is warm despite the rain.

If I don't see you tomorrow, I hope he sees you last. If either is at all to reunite with dust, let the demise be mine first. Bury me before him, and I will accept. Perhaps it is only my home when his bones lie against my bones.

___________________________________

"Sir, we are about to land now," the voice wakes Idris up from his nap, and the sunlight peaking in from the window is almost blindingly bright as he tries to adjust to the scene. He attempts to stretch his arms, stiff from no movement, but finds a weight pressed against his.

Shehnaz was peacefully leaning against his side, and her mouth was lightly parted as her hair fell over the half of her face. He gives it a couple moments as he observes how she chews her lip like a child in sleep, and her head abruptly leans forward causing Idris to place his hand under her forehead to prevent any injury.

The bump wakes Shehnaz and she looks at Idris, her eyes lost for the first few seconds. She blinks thrice, before taking in her surroundings as realisation dawns upon her expression. Shehnaz attempts to move back to her side, nevertheless that is not possible when she feels a tug on her scalp.

"Ow," she groans, and notices the strands of hair stuck to Idris' jacket's zipper. Shehnaz shifts her weight to his direction, her entire upper body leaning towards his seat. Her hands fumble with the knot for sometime, as her head is positioned directly under his chin. The gap is so close that she can feel his breath almost, and catch a whiff of his cologne.