Chapter 183 - Out of good faith.

Zeenath did not know for the love of God how she had gotten herself into her current predicament. Even though it was her own doing, it still ticked the hell out of her. She was irritated with herself and was also extremely fl.u.s.tered at the same time staring back at the pitch-black pair of eyes just a short distance away from her own brown ones.

All she knew was… one second she was stumbling down the stairs to get some water in the middle of the night half asleep and next second she was caught red-handed staring into Srinavas's sleeping figure just inches away from his face. She was so embarrassed and shocked that she could not even think to retreat.

When she was coming down the stairs, she heard television running in the living and so she went to check out who it was… and to her surprise she found Srinivas sleeping on the couch with the T.V. playing some sports channel in the background. After all, Srinivas was one of the most disciplined people she had ever met. He was barely out of bed after hours.

And she, out of good faith went ahead and switched off the T.V. and got him a blanket seeing as he did not bother to cover himself from the cold. But just as she was going to walk out, her attention was caught by his frowning brows. Something in her gut told her that he wasn't exactly having a peaceful night. So without realizing her hands sought out towards his face. But who knew just inches away from trying to soothe his frowned brows, a pair of black eyes flew open and stared back at her.

Srinivas was someone who was trained to be on high alert even when he was asleep. SO it was no wonder that he would wake up when he felt the presence of someone near him. But for the life of him, he never expected to see Zee's unblinking eyes just inches away from his face as soon as he opened his eyes. He stared back at him for a whole minute dumbly without moving a muscle. But then he came back to his senses and asked her, "Zeenath, what are you doing?"

Zee instantly pulled her hands away when she heard him coming back to her senses and mumbled under her breath in a whisper, "Uhm…Ah.. sorry I woke you. I… I just.. came to get some water… yea water…" She stumbled around with her words looking around to make her escape as quickly as possible before she embarrasses herself more than she already had.

But she was still one step slower than Srinivas. Her reflexes were quick but they were no competition to that of Srinivas. Before she could even take a step away, her wrists were wrapped around by a hand engulfing her in warmth.

Zee's pulse fled instantly. It took everything in her to look back at him and ask pretending to be oblivious, "You need something?" Pretending to be innocent naïve. But this was particularly a difficult task for one- she had never been naïve in her life. And secondly- Srinivas was not just anybody. So he saw right through her.

Srinivas just stared at her for one extended minute before asking, "How long are you going to keep running away?"

Dread filled Zeenath. This confrontation was not something she was ready for yet… more like this was one confrontation she knew she would never be ready for.

"What? What… I don't understand what you are talking about?" Zee muttered nervously still trying to play dumb. Anything to get out of this situation she had put herself in. Anything to get out the hole she had dug for herself.

"How long before you stop playing this cat and mouse game between the both of us?" He asked again with his steady voice. He did not seem emotional or irritated with her deliberation to play dumb.

Both of them had high observation skills. SO it was almost impossible for them not to notice each other's sneaking a peek at each other every now and then.

Srinivas did not even know when it had started. But slowly but steadily Zee occupied his eyes and crawled her way into his mind. And of course, he also realized her eyes lingering in on him every time she thought he wasn't looking at her. It was not obvious to normal eyes. After all, it only lingered on his back. But Srinivas still felt it.

But both of them had this unspoken tacit agreement to not acknowledge it. At least it was the case until this night.

It may be the silence of the night or it may be finding her so close to him as soon as he opened his eyes from his nightmarish sleep or the warmth of her eyes… or it may be something Shreya said to him about how a family is worth everything… he did not know what it was but he did not really want to play dumb anymore.

Zee couldn't even bother to hide her raising her panic anymore. She quickly pulled away from his grips forcefully and made a beeline to the kitchen as she said urgently, "I… I don't know what you are talking about? I'm… I'm thirsty. I will go get some water…"

Srinivas could clearly see her panic… But he still following her with his ever so steady steps as the banket she had flunked on him fell to the ground behind him.

When he reached the kitchen, he found Zee standing there holding on to the counter in the dark completely out of it. She was lost in her head that she did not even notice the light coming on.

Srinivas went and got a bottle of water and then pulled her by her hands and dragged her to his own room. He was not ready to let go of this opportunity she had given him just yet.

Zee only managed to come out of her head when she was stepping into his room when it was already too late to struggle.