Chapter One

You want me, I want you, baby

My sugarboo, I'm levitating

The Milky Way, we're renegading

Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah...

"Ugh, for god's sake." Mashal slammed her book close in anger, her ears were feeling numb with how loud the song was played. She walked towards her windows and pulled her curtains open as she stared at the house across theirs. It was a beautiful two-story house. They lived in a dead-end of the street and theirs was the last two houses. Others were situated a few minutes away.

How cool. Mashal thought when they first moved in here a week ago. She loved her peace and silence. And had sighed in relief thinking she had gotten rid of all those gossip aunties they used to have back at their old home. But she certainly did not expect to get this annoyingly loud neighbour though.

Was he deaf or what?

Gossip aunties seemed much better... No, that might be an exaggeration. Gossip aunties are never better but she might as well consider them to be one in front of these insensitive ones, who had no consideration of others. What did he think? Playing songs in such high volumes? She could hear it from there to here. How the heck was she supposed to prepare for her interview if he's going to be so loud and annoying?

Having enough of the nonsense, she marched downstairs and shut her ears close as the noise invaded her ears more and more.

Meher, her sixteen years old sister was singing along with the neighbour's song, which has now changed into, Charlie Puth's; we don't talk anymore.

Her 5'5 figure looked funny as she swayed her hips to the rhythm, making her ponytail bounce along.

"We don't talk anymore..." Her sister screamed like a pig, "like we used to do." The voice was even louder this time. Gross.

"You sound so awful, stop." Mashal made a face before walking out of the main door. Meher followed her behind, curiously.

Her mother has gone shopping something and father was at work, leaving them both alone, otherwise, she'd have asked her father to go and have a nice little chat with that insensitive neighbour, who has still not stopped playing loud music. She must have hummed along, if and only if there wasn't an important interview tomorrow regarding which she was hell nervous.

"God, I feel like breaking his speakers down." She grumbled annoyedly while wearing her slippers and stridden towards the opposite house.

"How do you know it's a he?" Meher asked, with raised brows while walking along with her.

Mashal turned pink at that question. She may or not have peeked out of her bedroom windows at times and watched her neighbour. Especially that guy, who looked too good for his own good. If she blushed for a second, she hid it well and made a poker face instead.

"Go back to home, what if someone came in our absence. Where is your dupatta? Papa is not going to like it if he sees you coming out looking like this." She told off her sister, instead of admitting how she creepily knows a little too much about the handsome neighbour, no scratch that, he's an annoying neighbour now. But hot nevertheless.

Meher just rolled her eyes in response. Yes, rolled her eyes.

The audacity of kids these days. Mashal shook her head at the disrespect.

"Fine, grandma. I'll go. Don't get beaten up or something," her sister joked mockingly and ran off into their home and stood at the threshold of the door, eager to see what Mashal was up to. Little Meher was a gossip queen herself and she's always eager for dramas.

Mashal gave her the stink eye before trying to look intimidating, he may be a handsome dude but he's going on the black list if he plays such loud songs. Her ears are feeling like they'd lose the power to hear anytime soon as she stood outside the neighbour's door. She was sceptical about her spontaneous decision of coming here like this, before finally ringing the bell.

I've been running through the jungle

I've been running with the wolves

To get to you, to get to you

I've been down the darkest alleys

Saw the dark side of the moon

To get to you, to get to you...

Selena Gomez' wolves song played loudly as someone opened the door, staring down at her. The distance from her window failed to make her realize how tall this dude in front of her was.

Because oh my freaking god, he's so tall. Mashal gulped before bringing back that poker face. Which she highly doubt was poker anymore. Handsome guys made her fluster. This one looked too good. She waited so long to have a closer look at his face, now that she has seen him, her heart began to act weird.

With just his khaki pants and black checked shirt, which fit his body oh so perfectly, he looked like someone straight out of the runway. Did she mention the first two buttons were undone? Also the muscles. Gosh, so many muscles.

Astaghfirullah, she told her off inwardly for the hundredth time and cleared her throat, trying to act intimidating in front of this 5'11 handsome guy. Regretting her decision of not listening to her mother's advice of jumping the rope.

It probably helps you grow taller it seems. She was too lazy to do that in the younger days and still was. Ha, who cares if she was just 5'3? But at this moment she certainly did.

"Are you going to talk something or not?" The guy interrupted her inner thoughts annoyedly, flustering her more.

I've been running through the jungle

I've been running with the wolves... Continued to blaze in the background, reminding Mashal of why she came here in the first place.

"How about toning it down a little, mister? Are you freaking deaf or what? You're disturbing the whole neighbourhood. Hello? Eyes up here," she told him off as he eyed her from head to toe with his gorgeous black eyes. From when did black eyes begin to look so good? Her cheeks turned more bright.

"Who are you?" Mashal opened her mouth and closed it again, feeling slightly speechless because God damn, he sounded so good. Like one of those soothing male singers. Why didn't she noticed it before?

Because you were too busy ogling at him. Again. Mocked her inner self. Clearing her throat, she frowned at him slightly, "your neighbour." How could he not notice her in the past one week?

All she did was only notice him!

"I live across you, and you're disturbing me. I'm studying something and can't concentrate much with such loud music," she slightly glared at him for the effects. Trying to maintain the intimidating role. Otherwise, a 5'3 feet woman, yelling at you would certainly look funny. At least she thought she would. But her pink cheeks made all her efforts to go in vain.

Mashal expected him to do many things at that moment, but not slam the door on her face, she blinked twice before opening her mouth to argue but what the freaking hell? She couldn't believe his audacity. She felt hurt!

How can one be so damn rude? But the music died down almost immediately. He did turn it down after all. With a huff, she turned around and walked towards her house in disbelief, only to watch her sister burst out laughing at her,

"Yeah, enough. Remember, I am the one giving you rides to school. Behave!" Meher just laughed more before walking inside the kitchen while Mashal was still in astonishment, no one has ever been so rude with her. Leave about rude, it was humiliating if anything. Who does that?

And why are all handsome guys the douche ones?

Frustrated, she walked upstairs and slammed her door just like how he did to her. And kicked the baseball that lied on her way, "Harry, how can he do like that?"

Her sister's Persian white cat blinked twice before playing with the baseball and running along with it, almost not giving a damn to her. Cats just don't care about you unless they want something. Mashal huffed feeling furious.

How can he do that?