A/N: Kabir's POV of the previous chapter... plus some things...

Warning : Auto corrects and typos are always behind my back so please forgive me for any mistakes. And please don't get mad at my attempt at typing Hindi, it is NOT my First or Second language so I am prone to make mistakes.

Days passed and Kabir watched as Khalid started to fit seamlessly into the team almost as if they'd known each other for a long time. The team had taken an instant liking for him, his personality being a breath of fresh air in the usually stern and serious environment.

And it seems like his energy and zeal was infectious, as since the day he joined, he'd noticed a change in his team... All of them seemed to have a new vigour, a sort of joy and childishness that radiated from Khalid which slowly spread to the team, making them laugh and relax, forgetting their present for a moment.

And Kabir would be lying if he said that it hadn't affected him also. He would loath to admit but... the innocence and somewhat carefree attitude had an effect on him to loosen up just a little and not be that serious all the time.

It did feel a bit strange that he was getting close to the son of a person who'd back stabbed him and the country but... it was impossible not to take a liking to Khalid, not when he looks so cute whenever he blushes... 'Wait cute?' Kabir thought as he looked at Khalid while they were dancing during Holi but brushes it off as a one time thing... but not for long.

The mission, a simple plan that went horribly wrong as they had been stupid enough to underestimate their target and fall into a very cleverly laid trap, Kabir might grudgingly admit if asked.

And that's how he's now tied up to a chair tightly, tortured by people to let out some information, his teammates being dragged in one by one in hopes that Kabir will open his mouth if they are harmed. But Kabir's mouth only opened to swear against them for hurting his family and how there will be a payback, which only aggravates them more and in turn beat him up.

This process goes on, Kabir slowly reduced to slurring out his swears from the repeated hits to his head and the chest and a sudden fear grips his heart when he realised that it was either Aditi or Khalid who will be brought in next and he tried to get out of the bonds even more vigorously for reasons he didn't know why, causing them to give him a nice cut on his leg that slowly oozed out blood.

There was a sudden commotion outside, lots of yelling and shouting could be heard but before anyone could go and investigate about it, the door slammed open and Khalid had come in, guns blazing as he shot down everyone. All Kabir could do was just blink in surprise as he felt his bonds being cut open and he slumped to the ground as he couldn't handle the sudden shift in weight.

He blinked again as he saw a hand stretched out in front of him and looked up to see Khalid with a literally bloody smile on his face... and probably a dislocated finger by the looks of it. The look in his eyes, a mix of fire, anger, softness and... love? was so intense that it sent shivers down his spine and he had to control the emotions that were trying to overwhelm him as he let out a silent breath to steady himself got up with the help of Khalid.

He tried not to wince at jolting the wounds and pain shot up his leg via the recent cut, making it difficult to find his bearings again as he shifted around unsteadily. He suddenly felt a hand on his, slowly slinging it onto the other man's shoulders before he shifted slightly so that Khalid was supporting Kabir.

"Mujhe yahi chhod do, I'll manage" he slurred, forcing down a blush of embarrassment as he realised that this will only cause Khalid to slow down. "Yeh team ek family sir, nobody is left behind" Khalid confident said in reply before passing on a gun towards Kabir before picking up another gun and a knife.

And so the fight began. Kabir was glad that he was on Khalid's right side and therefore, wasn't technically leaving him unguarded but at the same time, he knew that he was slowing Khalid down and forced himself to stand on his legs and fight alongside Khalid, each of them having the other's back.

The others around had started to stir from the commotion and Kabir shot at the ropes to free them and they quickly joined the fray and soon, they'd subdued everyone and panting for breath. Kabir could feel his body aching and he probably has a concussion, judging the way he is still feeling unsteady and the throbbing from his head.

He glanced around at everyone, all of them sporting cuts and bruises and some bleeding and was sure that they will need to visit a hospital son. But then his eyes landed on Khalid, who was starting to sway and stagger and Aditi cried out in alarm, causing Kabir to step forward to look at what was wrong. But before he could even reach him, he had his arms full if the said person, unconscious. It was then he noticed the stab wound that was slowly bleeding out and well... he was in a really bad shape and needed medical help immediately.

Kabir swore as he called out to Saurabh, asking him to help support Khalid's weight as he knew he definitely wouldn't be able to carry him out on his own. Aditi supported Kabir from the other side, the rest of the team standing either in front of them or behind them. He vaguely heard one of them calling for evacuation and reporting the situation but was more concentrated on supporting Khalid and walking without tripping over.

By the time the evac team had arrived, Kabir was fighting blackspots and was struggling to stand upright even with the support of Aditi. His thigh was covered in blood and was throbbing badly and it gave out all of a sudden, he could hear Aditi's panicked shriek at the sudden shift in weight and Saurabh's cursing as he swiftly caught Khalid, who'd started to fall towards Kabir without the support on that side. The exhaustion hit him hard right then and he passed out as the shuffling of feet and shouts grew closer.

Line Break

Khalid was standing in front of him, his hand reaching out to him, his face still keeping that charming smile on his face, even though it was bloody, eyes alight with rage and relief and maybe love as he took in Kabir's situation, the gentle touches that seemed to send sparks across his body, the fluidity with which he moved while taking care that he was supporting Kabir and not letting him loose his balance.

The concern and care in his eyes when Kabir had silently shifted away to fight on his own, the protectiveness that showed through as they fought back to back. That trust when he saw him close his eyes as he slipped out of consciousness, his breath slowing down and then...

"Khalid" he shouted as he woke up suddenly, breathing ragged and his head throbbing and mushy, something was beeping in the background and soft voices that was saying something and Kabir tried to concentrate on that voice.

"...right sir, still hasn't regained consciousness but the docs say that he will soon. Khalid is fine sir, breathe slowly, that's it. Kuch nahi hua kisi ko. Everyone is hale and hearty" a feminine voice was telling him slowly and he slowed down his breathing and opened his eyes and groaned at the brightness of the place.

"Aditi?" he asked, his voice quite rough from the dryness. "You've been out for a day sir. All of us are faring better, with the exception of Khalid. Usko toh do hafte ka bed rest chaahiye. You're suffering from a concussion and a minor fracture in your arm... got seven stitches for that gash in your leg. Doctors say that you shouldn't strain yourself right now par... main jaantha hoon ki woh nahi hoga..." she said.

"Khalid wouldn't know what would hit him." Kabir said as a nurse entered to check his vitals and the other formalities... yeah, Khalid wasn't prepared at all for what was going to git him.

A/N: Damn... my somewhat toughest chapter yet... the pre and post mission parts were tough to sketch out so... yeah. Hope you all liked it! All comments and criticism accepted and appreciated! Any prompts accepted!

Thank you all for reading!

Rasi10 signing off

Published on 27 April 2020