He climbed to the third floor over walls and pipes, and reached the balcony of an apartment, he has been observing for days. Apart from a suspicious flickering light in the kitchen, no movement was captured by his binoculars. He entered the bedroom...
At quarter to nine, as the vegetable vendors were heard shouting their presence in the society, Ayaan opened his eyes to the unknown ceiling. He squinted his eyes under the strong sun rays and stretched himself on the bed. He peeked at his left side where Mehek was sleeping soundly and realized that he had drifted on the other side of the bed while sleeping but not farther from her. He turned his body in her direction and immediately touched her forehead to check whether her fever had gone down. After the assurance, Ayaan lifted his head and rested it on his left hand while gently caressing Mehek's sunlit face.
For the first time in his life, he had no regrets of being a thief.
Ayaan slowly got up from the bed as he lightly pulled the blankets off him and tiptoed his way out of the bedroom. He brewed a good cup of coffee for himself and got busy making breakfast in the kitchen. While he was tossing some freshly cut coriander leaves into the Upma, he could hear sluggish footsteps behind him that went straight to the living room with a blanket trailing behind. Ayaan prepared a cup of water and handed it over to Mehek who sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with swollen eyes.
"Are you feeling better?"
Mehek nodded as she sipped the lukewarm water in complete bliss. She affectionately watched Ayaan arranging the plates with Upma on the coffee table in front of the couch. As soon as he took his place beside her, Mehek spoke softly, "Thank you."
Ayaan chuckled, "For what?"
Mehek silently observed him for a while before speaking, "You have never been appreciated, have you?"
Ayaan simply blinked in response.
"I don't have the closest idea about your life outside this apartment but I am somehow sure that you go out of your way to help out or take care of the people in your life even if you are being used or if it's simply your responsibility."
Ayaan ruffled his hair from behind, "How are you so sure that I am not appreciated enough?"
"Because when I do this..." Mehek stood up on both of her knees on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, "Because when I take you in my arms and pat you on the back like this, did you know this warm feeling?"
Ayaan's eyes widen in surprise and they began to shake when he felt the soft patting on his burdened back.
"This for the breakfast you made for me and this..."
Mehek pulled herself back from the hug and began moving towards Ayaan's face. His heart began racing frantically as Mehek's face inched closer to his and in one quick movement, she planted a small peck on his cheeks, "And this is for the fairy lights." Mehek began giggling loudly as she settled herself back on the couch, "Can you turn them on again? They make my house look a lot less dull."
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Ayaan stayed stunned at one spot. With his heart almost beating out of his chest, Ayaan's mind was clear. He grabbed Mehek's hand before she could grab the plate of Upma. He pulled her into a tight hug and rested his chin on her shoulder.
