Author's Note: Hi y'all! I am glad y'all enjoyed the second part of this short story - here's Part 3, we get into Meerab's POV. Part 4 should be up in a day or two as well! Enjoy!

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Meerab Ahmed

Echo Valley High School, USA

Monday

Pre-First Tutoring Session

"He's looking at you again." Ajiya teased from across the table in the cafeteria, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up, he is not. He's probably looking at her." Meerab said, moving her food around her plate and glancing up at Mahnoor, who seemed to be perpetually glued to Murtasim. They made sense together: both super rich, super gorgeous, and hanging out with the same elite crowd. It was like they were the king and queen of the high school, while Meerab felt more like the quirky best friend in a teen movie.

"I honestly don't think he is with her. She's clearly just pining for him," Ajiya said, her voice dripping with confidence.

"Just look at her, she's perfect, even I am attracted to her, how can he not be when she's stuck to him all day?" She sighed before stuffing her face with rice and chewing while pouting.

She was not made for high school crushes—she had read one too many romance books and knew how it was supposed to work. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, dramatic declarations of love ensue. Not this messy, real-life nonsense where her heart felt like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle.

"You've got it bad, girl. Just talk to him. He's a lot sweeter than his other friends," Ajiya suggested with a knowing look.

"Easier said than done, he's always surrounded by his friends plus I am nothing like him, he probably doesn't even know that I exist." She answered, feeling a pang of self-pity. And it was true. Murtasim Khan, also known as the hot guy she had been crushing on since Grade 9, ran in a completely different social circle than she did.

He hung out with the popular crowd and she was a total nerd, President of Student Council and part of almost every academic club in the school. She had even joined the English Literature Club in the hopes that he would join too, he always chose the best books for their book reports and assignments so she though he liked reading, but he hadn't joined. Maybe he was too busy saving damsels in distress, like a modern-day Mr. Knightley.

"Trust me, everyone knows you exist, as evidenced by the trail of broken hearts you've left in high school," Ajiya laughed. Meerab rolled her eyes. It was true that some boys had asked her out, but she had turned them down because none of them were what she was looking for. Her heart only flopped in its pericardial cavity when Murtasim looked her way with those mesmerizing eyes of his.

It wasn't just the mesmerizing eyes either, he was a big soft teddy bear on the inside. He always walked to the corner store after school and she had noticed him doing a whole lot of things that he didn't think anyone saw. He helped old women carry their bags, he stopped to teach children soccer tricks at the park, he broke up fights between younger children, he bought crying children food and let them sit at the table with him. If he wasn't the epitome of a modern-day hero, she didn't know who was.

And he read, he pulled out a book and often sat at a table reading, classics that she knew were difficult to read. He handed in all his assignments, he stopped his friends from bothering other students and he didn't engage in the bullying his friends engaged in. She often wondered why he hung out with them in the first place, he didn't quite fit in there, the only thing he had in common with most of them was the fact that he was on school sports teams and he was filthy rich. It was like watching a misplaced prince trying to fit in with commoners.

"Stop looking at him, Meerab." Ajiya hissed. She turned back to her tray with a sigh. She had it bad for him. "It's senior year, you don't even know if you'll ever see him again after this, just talk to him, please." Her friend pleaded as her own boyfriend walked back to the table along with their other friends.

Ajiya was right, she had been harboring a crush on Murtasim for years now. He was gorgeous, as evident by the amount of times his name had been written all over the girls' bathrooms. So gorgeous that looking at him made her mind go blank sometimes.

She felt her heart speed up every time he smiled and could pick out his laugh and voice from an embarrassing distance. She went to all his soccer games, citing it was her duty as Student Council President, but it was mostly to watch him run around with a single-minded focus that made her blood run hot.

He was the star of every fantasy of hers. Sometimes she'd just stare at him in class and wonder what it would be like to be his girlfriend.

Would he try to hold her hand under the table? Her mind wandered to how his fingers would feel intertwined with hers, warm and strong, giving her a secret thrill every time they brushed against each other. She could almost see it now: them sitting side by side in class, their hands hidden but connected.

Would he push her up against her locker and kiss her when the halls were empty? She could see it vividly—him cornering her in the hallway, his eyes dark with intent. He'd lean in slowly, his breath warm against her skin, and just when she thought she couldn't stand the anticipation any longer, his lips would capture hers in a kiss that made her toes curl. She imagined herself wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, the world fading away until it was just the two of them.

Her daydreams didn't stop there. Sometimes she'd watch him at lunch, the way he'd laugh with his friends, and she'd picture herself sitting next to him, making him laugh even harder. What if they spent their weekends together? Would they go to the park where he taught kids soccer tricks? She could already see them, a picturesque couple on a sunny day, laughing and kicking a ball around, making the little kids jealous because she would be his favourite.

And then there were the quieter moments she fantasized about—sitting together in the library, her head resting on his shoulder as they pretended to study. She'd feel his arm around her, holding her close. They'd whisper to each other, sharing secrets and stolen kisses between the shelves. Her heart raced just thinking about it.

And of course, there were the mundane yet intimate fantasies. She pictured them doing homework together, him struggling with something while she patiently explained it. He'd look at her with those big, grateful eyes, and she'd feel like a genius and a goddess all at once. Or maybe they'd cook together, making a mess in the kitchen, flour on their faces as they tried to bake cookies but ended up in a playful food fight instead.

Every time she saw him doing something—whether it was helping an old lady with her bags, laughing with his friends, or simply reading a book—her mind spiraled into these adorable, romantic fantasies. Like the time she saw him holding the door open for a teacher; she immediately imagined him doing all sorts of chivalrous acts for her, from carrying her books to walking her home under an umbrella on a rainy day.

And then there were the not-so-innocent thoughts that made her cheeks flame. She'd catch a glimpse of his muscular arms when he rolled up his sleeves, and she'd wonder what it would feel like to be held by them, to have those strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close. She'd seen him stretch after soccer practice, his shirt riding up slightly to reveal a hint of abs, and she couldn't help but imagine running her fingers over those hard planes of muscle.

Heck, she even imagined him declaring his undying love for her in the rain, like Mr. Darcy did to Elizabeth while she read. It probably wouldn't happen, but a girl could dream.

"Meerab! You're staring off into space again!" Ajiya snapped her fingers in front of her eyes.

Meerab sighed, "sorry," she muttered sheepishly before looking at her watch, realizing lunch was almost over. "Oh, before I forget, I am tutoring someone after school today so you can walk home without me."

Ajiya nodded before turning to her boyfriend. "I guess you're walking me home today." She said with a smile

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Meerab's heart felt like it was trying to find its way out of her pericardial cavity when she walked into the calculus classroom that afternoon.

In the middle of the room sat Murtasim, he was leaning back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling, his red backpack resting on the desk. He had taken off his hoodie, and she always loved when he did because the white long-sleeved t-shirt looked really good on him. He clearly had a very athletic build – when he lifted his shirt to wipe his face at soccer games, it did something to her body.

He also had a habit of rolling his sleeves up to his elbows on warm days and she had spent a Physics class just starting at his arms and hands when it first happened. His hands were so big, his fingers long.

She shook herself out of it. Focus, Meerab!

"Murtasim?" She said to catch his attention and held back a gasp when he turned towards her and smiled, a genuine one that crinkled his eyes.

His face was so perfect. Why? She had a feeling she was going to have a hard time breathing for the next hour.

"I guess you are my tutor?" He smiled and she felt her heart start beating faster as she nodded.

She hadn't signed up for this! How was she going to teach him anything when all she wanted to do was kiss him and have him hold her...like he usually did in her dreams. She knew she should have said something to start a conversation but her mind was drawing a blank.

"Uh, I guess we should start by going over your test to see where you went wrong." She said, figuring that if she got straight to work she wouldn't be distracted by him. But her heart felt like it was doing somersaults in her pericardial cavity as she sat down next to him, the smell of his cologne surrounding her and the heat from his body seeping through her own thin shirt. She looked up at him to see that his eyes were closed.

"Murtasim?" She nudged, she needed him to get the test now before she said something really stupid to him, like I want to lick your jawline.

"Sorry, just trying to think where I put my test." He said sheepishly digging through his really messy backpack, it almost made her flinch.

She felt like buying a binder and organizing his stuff, it was something she would have been able to do if she was his girlfriend, organize the papers with color-coded dividers, maybe leave him cute notes on heart-shaped stickies that he would read and smile about.

"Found it!" He said putting the test on the desk and bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Perfect." She shifted her attention to the paper in front of her, it was safer. "So, it looks like you missed a few steps here," she said, pointing to the first problem, it was quite easy. She wondered why he had gotten it wrong, she thought he was good at math, he had previously scored well. "Did you try using integration by parts?"

"Uh, yeah, I think I just got confused about which parts to integrate," he said.

She nodded, looking up at him to find him looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes of his, she looked away immediately before she did something stupid and went back to flipping through the test.

She flipped through the sheets, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion as she looked through his answers. "It's almost like you wrote down the wrong thing purposely." She said. He seemed to do the required steps for the wrong questions, he used the method they learnt for logs when doing trig questions and then subbed in random things they learnt the previous year.

"What?" He asked in that deep rumbly voice of his that had her stomach tightening.

"Mr. Raza explicitly said that we can't use this formula, and that you can't cancel out stufff in this way, you have to use the tables and sub in the values." She explained, looking up at him, she ost her train of thought, did he have to look at her like that?

"Oh, did he?" He said nonchalantly.

"Okay then, I guess we'll start from there. Maybe you should pay attention in class." She mumbled, it was quite hypocritical of her, because she didn't really listen in class since it was one that she shared with him. Her gaze seemed to go towards him more than the blackboard, it was a good thing that she was naturally good at math and that her uncle could explain things that she didn't understand to her.

For the next hour she sat next to him, closer than she had ever been. Her heart continued trying to find a way out of her body - it just wouldn't slow down. Her lungs were also screaming at her because her breath hitched every time his body brushed against hers, which was a lot.

Oh, she was in trouble. Big trouble. Massive, colossal, world-ending trouble.

His hands kept brushing hers as he pointed out problems on the test, and each time, it sent electric jolts up her arm. She tried to focus on explaining the concepts, but her mind kept wandering. How was she supposed to concentrate when all she could think about was how his hands would feel holding hers, or better yet, wrapped around her waist, pulling her close?

She imagined what it would be like to have him lean in and whisper in her ear, his breath warm against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Or how his lips might feel if he ever decided to kiss her, soft and demanding at the same time. She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts, but they just wouldn't go away.

At one point, he leaned in closer to see her notes, her head spun, and she had to grip the edge of the desk to steady herself. How was she supposed to survive this?

Every time she glanced at him, he seemed to be looking at her, and she wondered if he could hear her heart pounding. She prayed he couldn't see the blush creeping up her neck. She felt like she was in a scene from one of those romantic comedies where the girl is hopelessly in love with the guy, but he has no idea. Except this was real life, and she couldn't just script a happy ending.

Meerab bolted out of the room like her pants were on fire, fumbling with her phone as she frantically dialed Ajiya's number. Her fingers trembled so much she almost dropped the phone.

"It's him, it's him, it's him!" she blurted out as soon as Ajiya picked up.

"What?" Ajiya said, sounding equally distressed.

"Murtasim! I am tutoring Murtasim!" Meerab's voice wobbled with a mix of excitement and sheer panic.

Ajiya's laughter echoed through the phone. "Oh finally! Just climb into his lap and start kissing him and everything will be okay."

"AJIYA! Not the time!" Meerab whined, her face heating up at the thought.

She wanted to, though. Climb into his lap, feel his arms wrapping around her, cup his jaw, feel the slight roughness of his beard against her hands, and press her lips against his. But this was not the time for daydreaming!

"Did you say something stupid?" Ajiya asked, clearly enjoying the situation.

"No, but it was so hard," Meerab was hyperventilating now. "I'm not going to last. I'm going to say something stupid and it'll be over. He'll think I'm a complete idiot."

"Babe, relax, he's—"

"Oh my god, he might not even be single! Am I going to be a home-wrecker? Ajiyaaaaaa, I'm coming over!" she interrupted, now power-walking down the street with the determination of someone escaping a zombie apocalypse.

"I'll wait by the door. My parents aren't home, so we can talk," Ajiya said, her voice tinged with amusement.

Meerab barely noticed the curious looks from passersby as she speed-walked her way to Ajiya's house. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Murtasim. How was she going to survive tutoring sessions with him? She'd need a crash helmet for her heart.

Her phone buzzed with a new message from Ajiya: Remember to breathe, babe. It's just Murtasim.

Meerab rolled her eyes. Just Murtasim? He was the epitome of perfection! She could imagine herself slipping into a coma of awkwardness right in front of him. She needed a plan, a strategy, a miracle!

She arrived at Ajiya's house, barely out of breath from her sprint. Ajiya opened the door with a grin, clearly enjoying Meerab's misery. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Worse. I've seen Murtasim," Meerab said dramatically, throwing her hands in the air as she walked inside.

Ajiya led her to the living room, and they plopped down on the couch. "Okay, tell me everything."

Meerab recounted every excruciating detail of their interaction, her hands flying around animatedly. "He's just so...so...ugh! Perfect! And he smells good! And his eyes, Ajiya, his eyes! I could drown in them!"

Ajiya laughed. "You're hopeless. Seriously, though, he's lucky to have you as a tutor. Maybe he'll fall madly in love with you by the time finals come around."

"Yeah, right. He's probably already madly in love with Mahnoor or some other mean bitch," Meerab said, slumping back on the couch, "shit, I sound so bitter, I am sure she has her reasons."

"Screw her. Stop selling yourself short. You're amazing, and if he can't see that, he's blind," Ajiya said firmly. "Now, what's the game plan?"

Meerab groaned. "I have no idea. Maybe I should just pretend to be sick forever."

Ajiya snorted. "Nice try. You're not getting out of this. Just be yourself. Don't overthink it. And if you feel like you're about to say something stupid, just imagine he's one of those kids you tutor who has a crush on you. Treat him like any other student."

"Easier said than done," Meerab muttered. "But I'll try."

"And if all else fails, you can always pretend you have an emergency and run out of the room," Ajiya suggested with a grin.

Meerab laughed despite herself. "Thanks, Ajiya. You always know how to make me feel better." She said sarcastically.

"That's what friends are for," Ajiya said, teasing her. "Now, let's plan how you're going to make him fall head over heels for you."

"As if." Meerab sighed, dramatically flopping back on the couch.

"Shut up!" Ajiya said, smacking her with a pillow. "Okay, here's one," she continued, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. "You're explaining a really complicated calculus problem, and he's totally lost. So, you lean in closer to help him, your faces almost touching. He looks into your eyes, and bam! Chemistry. You can practically hear the romantic music playing. And then you can kiss him, seduce him and lose your virginity."

Meerab burst out laughing. "Ajiya! How did you go from calculus to seduction?"

Ajiya shrugged. "It's a natural progression. You know, from math to making out. Meerab, Murtasim, math, making-out, all good M words."

"Right," Meerab said, rolling her eyes.

"Try it! A scenario you want to manifest!" Ajiya said, hitting her arm over and over again.

"Okay, uhhhhhh. What if he's having trouble with a problem, and I say, 'Don't worry, I'm here to help.' He looks up at me with those dreamy eyes and says, 'I've never met anyone like you before, Meerab.'" She swooned, fluttering her eyelashes for effect.

"And then you can seduce him, kiss him, and have sex," Ajiya finished, waggling her eyebrows.

"What is it with you and sex?!" Meerab groaned.

"Bitch, I am the one that has to listen to you moaning his name in your sleep when I sleep over," Ajiya whined.

Meerab looked away, her face turning beet red. "It's not moaning."

"Oh, it definitely is." Ajiya whacked her again. "Okay, my turn! What if during a session, there's a sudden power outage? It's dark, and you're both a little scared—"

"The sun is out when I am tutoring him—"

"Shut up! He reaches out for your hand to comfort you. You move closer for warmth, and before you know it, you're wrapped up in each other's arms. And then you can seduce him and lose your virginity."

Meerab rolled her eyes. "Of course, that is going to happen."

"You try it! Manifest it!" Ajiya cried, flailing her arms dramatically.

Meerab giggled. "You're crazy. But fine, if you insist – "

"Join the drama club too." Ajiya rolled her eyes.

Meerab rolled her eyes, continuing. "What if he asks for help outside of our tutoring sessions? Like, he texts me late at night, all vulnerable and needing support. We end up talking for hours, sharing our deepest secrets. Our bond grows stronger, and one night he shows up at my doorstep, confessing his feelings." She swooned, her hand over her heart.

"And then you take him up to your room and make out, and cross at least second base," Ajiya said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Meerab burst out giggling, both of them now laying on the couch, their heads at opposite ends. "What am I even doing, Ajiya? He's going to break my heart," she said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "I don't need a distraction like that, not right now." It was senior year, applications were due soon, she had to pick where she would end up for her undergrad.

"I'll break him if he breaks your heart," Ajiya promised, her tone suddenly serious.

Meerab sighed. "What if I turn into a bitter woman who won't fall in love ever again if it doesn't work out?"

"Like your mom," Ajiya muttered.

Meerab nodded. "She's still so in love with a man who didn't want her. She still cries over him some days. I don't want to end up like that."

"You won't. You're Meerab. You're not your mother. Even if it doesn't work out with Murtasim, there's probably someone out there that you'll love with all your heart and they'll be the luckiest person in the world."

"But it'd be nice if it was Murtasim," Meerab muttered, staring up at the ceiling.

"I think he does like you. You just need to take a risk and make a move if he won't," Ajiya said, nudging her foot.

Meerab hummed, lost in thought. "Maybe you're right."

"Exactly! Now, here's another scenario: you accidentally spill coffee on his shirt, and while you're helping him clean it up, you notice how close you are. Your hands touch, and sparks fly. And then you can seduce him and lose your virginity," Ajiya said, giggling uncontrollably.

Meerab laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

"That's why you love me," Ajiya said with a wink.

Meerab knew she was dreaming. She rarely had semi-lucid dreams, but when she did, they were always about him. Like right then, dream Meerab was staring at Murtasim from across the table in the library. He was looking right back at her with a smile over the top of his book. Under the table, they were engaged in an intense match of footsies.

She grinned when she won, her feet trapping his, and he pouted before getting up and moving his chair to her side of the table, sitting right beside her until their arms were touching. She laughed, a soft, melodic sound, and looked around before pulling his face to hers, placing a kiss on his pouting lips while calling him a sore loser.

He rolled his eyes but wrapped his arm around her waist as she got back to work and he started reading his book again. And then his hand was climbing under her shirt, his thumb rubbing circles into her lower back—innocent in a way, but dream Meerab didn't think so and she suspected the real her wouldn't either. Especially when his hands moved up her back, his thumb running under her bra strap.

She looked back at him and whispered a quiet, "Stop," but he just grinned at her and shook his head, continuing his ministrations. She tried to concentrate on her work, but goosebumps erupted all over her body, and her stomach clenched in anticipation. She looked around the library and got up, her chair scraping across the floor as his hand dropped.

She glared at him playfully and walked over to the shelves at the back of the library, to the section with the Foreign Language books that no one ever touched. She held back a smile when she heard his footsteps behind her. As soon as they were both in the dark corner of the library, his hands wrapped around her from behind, turning her and pushing her up against a shelf.

Dream Meerab let out a soft moan as their lips met frantically and his large, rough hands snuck under her shirt again, this time caressing her waist as their tongues tangled. She bit his bottom lip in surprise when his hands cupped her bra-clad breasts, her eyes opening and locking with his. His hands were still, and his eyes questioning. She nodded and then let out a moan when he squeezed the sensitive mounds lightly. He captured her lips with his as his fingers teased, and her body arched into his, her hands pulling at his hair as he pushed her further into the bookshelf behind her.

She wasn't sure who wanted more, the dream her, or the real her but she was suddenly pulling his shirt from his trousers, letting her warm hands travel over his back under his shirt, her nails digging into the soft skin making him groan against her mouth. She pushed her hips towards his, both of them groaning.

And then she woke up gasping for air, her alarm blaring in the background. She shut it off quickly and held her hand up to her lips, her fingers tracing as if she was trying to feel the evidence she knew wasn't there.

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She thought about her dream all day, her eyes covertly going to him whenever they could. Her dream kept running through her mind over and over again – it wasn't the first time she had a sexual dream about him, but it was the first time she'd have to face him after thinking about him like that.

She was lot quieter during their tutoring session that day, he noticed.

"Are you okay?" Murtasim asked, looking at her weirdly as she blushed for the tenth time that hour.

"Yeah, just a bit tired," she lied, trying to focus on the calculus problem in front of her. But all she could think about was his lips and how they would feel against hers.

Murtasim put his left hand on the table while scribbling away with his right hand, and Meerab held back a whimper, trying to get her mind to behave. His hands were perfect. Strong, yet gentle. The kind of hands that could handle anything but would be tender with her. She imagined those hands doing so many things—trailing softly over her skin, pulling her close, tangling in her hair as he kissed her breathless.

Her mind spiraled further into the fantasy. She pictured his hands sliding under her shirt, their warmth spreading across her back, his fingers tracing the curve of her spine. She imagined them gripping her hips, pulling her against him, feeling the firmness of his touch. The thought of his hands exploring her body, learning every curve and dip, sent shivers down her spine.

She bit her lip, trying to focus on the math problem in front of her, but all she could think about was the dream and the sensation of his hands on her. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin, touching her, holding her. She wanted to intertwine her fingers with his, to feel the strength of his grip, the reassurance of his presence.

She was so glad he couldn't read her thoughts or he would have gone running. The desire pooling between her legs was almost too much to bear. She squeezed her thighs together, trying to suppress the throbbing ache that had settled there.

Murtasim looked up, catching her staring. "Meerab, are you sure you're okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah, just... lost in thought," she managed to say, her voice wavering slightly.

He smiled, the kind that made her heart race and her breath catch. "If you need a break, just let me know. I don't want to overwork my favorite tutor."

She laughed nervously, nodding. "Thanks, Murtasim. I'm good, really."

But she wasn't. She was far from good. Every time she looked at his hands, she imagined them on her, and it was driving her insane. She wanted to reach out, to touch him, to feel his skin against hers. The fantasies played over and over in her mind, each one more intense than the last.

She imagined his hands cupping her face, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her. She pictured them sliding down her body, peeling away her clothes, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She wanted to feel the roughness of his palms against the softness of her skin, the way his fingers would explore her with an intimate knowledge.

As he continued to scribble notes, completely unaware of her internal turmoil, Meerab clenched her fists under the table, trying to keep her composure. She couldn't let him see how much he affected her. She couldn't let him know how desperately she wanted him.

"Alright, so for this part, I just need to remember the formula?" He asked, his voice breaking through her haze of longing.

"Right, the formula," she echoed, her voice distant.

She tried to focus, she really did, but her mind kept drifting back to his hands. The way they moved so confidently, the way they held the pen with such ease.

"Meerab?" His voice pulled her back to reality again.

"Yeah?" she asked, blinking rapidly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

She forced a smile, nodding. "Just tired. Long day."

"Alright, but let me know if you need anything," he said softly.

She nodded, trying to push the fantasies away. She needed to focus, to get through this session without losing her mind. But every time she looked at his hands, the desire flared up again, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

As they wrapped up the session, Meerab felt a mix of relief and disappointment. Relief that she had managed to get through it without embarrassing herself, and disappointment that she had to wait until the next session to see him again.

"Thanks for the help, Meerab. See you tomorrow?" he asked, packing his things.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

He left the room, and Meerab let out a long breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. This was going to be harder than she thought. Much harder.

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A/N: Tadaaaaa! So what do you think, what was your fave part? Whatever shall happen next, hehehe.