Published on 9th March 2025.
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Hello beautiful people!
Another chapter is here.

Do share your lovely comments.

♡ Kal aane wala kyun mujhse pooche,
Main tera kya banu? ♡

– S H L O K –

The party had gone on longer than I expected, and by the time we stepped out, the night air was cool against my skin. Akriti walked beside me, silent as ever. She had been polite at the party, professional even, but I knew she hadn’t particularly enjoyed herself.

She was good at hiding things, keeping herself guarded, but I had spent enough time around her to notice the small things — the way she tightened her jaw when someone made an unnecessary comment, how her fingers tensed slightly around a glass when a conversation dragged too long.

I didn’t push.

If she wanted to talk about it, she would. And knowing her, she wouldn’t.

I unlocked the car and she slipped into the passenger seat without a word. I got in, started the engine and pulled onto the road.

The city had quieted down. Most of the traffic had thinned, leaving behind only a few scattered vehicles. The distant hum of the city still lingered, but it wasn’t as chaotic as it had been earlier.

For a few minutes, we just drove in silence. The road stretched ahead, smooth and uninterrupted. I risked a glance at Akriti. She was staring out of the window, her face partially illuminated by the soft glow of passing lights.

She looked… tired.

Not the kind of tired that came from lack of sleep. This was deeper. Like something had been sitting heavy on her shoulders for too long.

I kept my eyes on the road, deciding against asking her about it. She wasn’t the type to spill her thoughts just because someone asked. And honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

Then, just as I was settling into the drive, the car jerked.

A second later, it let out a horrible sputtering noise and then— nothing. The engine died.

"Shit," I muttered, gripping the steering wheel.

Akriti turned her head slowly. "Again?"

I exhaled through my nose. "Looks like it."

"This is the second time." She pointed out, deadpan. "You should really get your car checked."

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the steering wheel for a second before leaning back. "Noted."

She crossed her arms, waiting while I tried the ignition again. The car made a weak, struggling noise before completely giving up. No use!

I pulled out my phone and called Rajiv. He picked up on the second ring.

"Sir?"

"My car broke down. Send another one to—" I checked my location on the map before continuing, "—somewhere near the highway tea stalls. I'll send you the location."

"Right away, sir."

I hung up. The silence in the car stretched.

Akriti didn’t say anything. She wasn’t fidgeting or complaining. Just waiting. She was good at that, at being still, at letting silence do the talking.

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel before glancing out. That’s when I noticed a small tea shop just a little ahead, it's dim yellow light glowing in the darkness.

"We should go there." I said, nodding toward it.

She looked at me, then at the shop. "For what?"

"For tea." I replied simply, already unbuckling my seatbelt.

She hesitated for a second, then sighed. "Fine."

We stepped out into the night. The cold air wrapped around us immediately, and I saw Akriti tuck her hands into the sleeves of her blouse, rubbing them together. It was colder than I expected.

The tea shop was small, the kind of place that existed on every roadside. A few plastic chairs, a makeshift counter, an old radio playing some forgotten song. The vendor, an elderly man with a kind face, looked up as we approached.

"Two teas." I said.

He nodded and got to work.

I turned to Akriti. She was rubbing her hands again, trying to warm them. Her fingers curled into small fists before stretching out again, and even in the dim light, I could see the goosebumps on her arms.

Without thinking twice, I shrugged off my coat and placed it over her shoulders.

She stiffened. "What are you doing?"

"You’re cold."

She stared at me, like she was trying to figure something out. For a second, I thought she might push it off. But then, slowly, she pulled it tighter around herself.

"Thanks." She murmured.

I gave a small nod and looked away. The vendor handed us two cups of tea and I took them, passing one to her. She held it carefully, blowing on it before taking a small sip.

The warmth seeped through my fingers as I held my cup, but I wasn’t paying attention to the tea. Instead, I found myself watching her.

She was still holding onto my coat, her fingers gripping the fabric. The steam from her cup curled in the air, rising into the night.

"You didn’t enjoy the party." I said after a while.

She looked at me over the rim of her cup. "It was fine."

"That’s not an answer."

She sighed, setting her cup down. "I don’t really like these events."

"I noticed."

She gave me a look, unimpressed. "You dragged me there."

"You were invited." I corrected.

"Same thing."

"Not really."

She shook her head and took another sip of her tea. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt… easy.

A breeze passed, rustling her hair. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear, still looking at the city in front of us.

"You should really get your car checked." She said again.

I huffed out a laugh. "I will. Eventually."

She gave me a knowing look, and I held up a hand. "I mean it this time."

"We’ll see."

I didn’t know how long we stood there, drinking tea in the middle of the night, but somehow, the breakdown didn’t seem so bad anymore.

I pulled out my phone and scanned the QR code pasted on the tea stall’s counter. The transaction went through with a soft beep and the vendor gave me a small nod of thanks before turning to serve another customer.

Akriti was still holding her cup of tea, her fingers wrapped around it, soaking in the warmth. She had stopped shivering, but my coat still draped over her shoulders. The wind had picked up, making the loose strands of her hair sway slightly. She didn't push them back or tuck them behind her ear like she usually did — just let them be.

I took a slow sip of my own tea, the warmth spreading through my chest, and glanced at her. The silence between us wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t light either.

"We still have some time before the car arrives." I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket. "Wanna take a walk?"

She turned her head slightly, studying me. Maybe she was trying to figure out if I was just making conversation or if I actually wanted to walk.

After a moment, she shrugged. "Sure."

We started walking down the empty road, the night air crisp and cool. It was late, but not too late, just that quiet stretch of the night when most people had already gone home, and the city had begun to slow down. The streets weren’t completely deserted, but the traffic had thinned, and the occasional headlights in the distance felt like distant flickers instead of the usual chaos.

The tea in my hands was still warm, and I took a sip, letting the mild sweetness settle on my tongue.

For a while, neither of us spoke. The only sounds were our footsteps on the pavement and the occasional rustling of leaves. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it carried a weight, like there were things left unsaid, lingering between us.

I decided to break it.

"You know," I said, glancing at her, "If someone sees us right now, we might end up in the news tomorrow."

Akriti looked up, her eyebrows pulling together. "What?"

"Paparazzi," I said simply, taking another sip of tea. "They’re always around."

She frowned slightly. "Here?"

"Maybe." I said, smirking. "They have a way of showing up when you least expect them."

She looked around at the quiet, almost deserted road, then back at me, skeptical. "I doubt anyone’s hiding in the bushes for you."

I let out a low chuckle. "You’d be surprised."

She shook her head, taking another sip of tea, but I could tell she was waiting for an explanation.

"They’ve done this so many times last year, I’ve lost count." I continued, my voice turning a little dry. "Random pictures, headlines, speculation. Half the time, I wasn’t even related to the women they linked me with."

Akriti raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Some were business acquaintances, some were just…" I exhaled, shaking my head. "Women who happened to be in the frame when a camera clicked." I sighed. "You just need to be a woman standing next to me for them to create a story."

She exhaled sharply, a half-laugh escaping her lips. "That sounds... exhausting."

"It is."

She didn’t ask me for details. Didn’t probe or make any judgmental remarks. Just nodded, sipping her tea, as if she understood.

I appreciated that.

We kept walking, the quiet stretching again, but this time it felt lighter. The night air had a certain stillness to it, the kind that made everything feel a little slower, a little calmer.

She pulled my coat tighter around herself, and for some reason, I found myself glancing at her again. There was something about the way she carried herself — calm, unbothered, but always so guarded.

"So." She said after a while, breaking the silence, "What’s the worst rumor they’ve spread about you?"

I huffed out a short laugh. "That’s a long list."

She tilted her head, waiting.

I thought for a second. "Probably the one where they said I was engaged to some actress."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Engaged?"

"Yeah. Never even met her."

She let out a laugh, shaking her head. "And people actually believed it?"

"Oh, they had pictures," I said dryly. "Some woman sitting a few tables away at a restaurant, and suddenly, we were engaged."

She snorted. "And you never even spoke to her?"

"Not a word."

She shook her head again, amusement clear in her eyes. "People really believe anything, don’t they?"

"Yep."

We walked a little further, the road stretching ahead of us. The city felt quieter at this hour, almost peaceful.

"Ever thought about clearing the rumors?" She asked after a moment.

I glanced at her. "What’s the point? People believe what they want to believe."

She hummed in response, as if she understood exactly what I meant.

I looked away, taking another sip of my tea, but for some reason, I found myself glancing at her again. She had a small smile on her lips, the kind that wasn’t really there but softened her face just a little.

And suddenly, I didn’t mind the silence anymore.

We walked in silence, the last few steps toward the car stretching longer than they should have. Maybe it was the quiet of the night, or the warmth lingering between us, but neither of us seemed in a hurry to get in.

Akriti reached the car first, and instead of opening the door, she leaned against the hood, her body relaxing against the cold metal. She exhaled softly, tilting her head back to look up at the night sky.

I watched her for a second, then did the same — placing my tea cup on the car’s roof before leaning against the bonnet beside her. The cool surface pressed through my shirt, but I barely noticed.

She glanced at me, the dim streetlight catching the edges of her face. "You ever do this?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"

She gestured upward. "Just… stop and look."

I followed her gaze, the sky stretching above us. The city wasn’t great for stars —too many lights, too much movement— but there were a few, scattered and faint. I hadn’t really paid attention in years.

"Not really." I admitted.

She hummed, pulling my coat tighter around her. "You should."

A breeze rolled through, lifting the loose strands of her hair, and she turned her face slightly to the side, towards me. Her knee barely brushed against mine, but even that slight touch felt like something bigger.

It was quiet. But the kind of quiet that buzzed.

The kind of quiet that made me hyper-aware of how close we were.

I looked at her, really looked at her. The way her lips were slightly parted, the slow rise and fall of her breath, the way her fingers absently gripped the fabric of my coat around her.

She didn’t move away.

I didn’t either.

The space between us felt too small, and somehow, not small enough.

Her eyes flickered to my lips for the briefest second. A hesitation. A thought. A silent question neither of us said out loud.

I felt my heart pick up speed.

And then, like it was inevitable, we leaned in.

It was slow.

A moment stretched into another.

And then—

Our lips met.

Soft, unhurried, but certain.

Her breath hitched, and for a second, she stilled, as if surprised by her own reaction. I almost pulled back, but then she didn’t move away. Her grip on my coat tightened, just enough to tell me she wasn’t running.

She leaned in further.

My hand found the edge of the bonnet beside me, gripping it for balance, for control, because the warmth of her, the softness of her— it was enough to make me forget where we were.

The kiss wasn’t deep. It wasn’t rushed.

But it was… something.

Something that made my pulse thrum in my ears.

Something that made the rest of the world fade into the background.

I deepened the kiss, slow and careful, letting her set the pace. She responded, just a little, but enough. Enough to make my fingers twitch, enough to make me want more.

When we finally broke apart, our foreheads stayed pressed together, our noses brushing, caught in the moment neither of us had planned for.

Neither of us spoke.

Our breaths mixed in the cool air, too fast, too uneven.

My fingers twitched against the metal of the car.

Her grip on my coat loosened just a little.

And just as I parted my lips to say something—

My phone rang.

Loud, sharp, cutting through the moment like a blade.

We both froze.

The spell broke.

For a second, neither of us moved. My forehead was still against hers, our noses still touching, but reality had crashed in too fast, too sudden.

My jaw clenched. A slow exhale left her lips.

Reluctantly, I pulled back just enough to reach into my pocket, glancing at the screen.

The driver.

The new car was here.

I pressed my lips together, then answered. "Yeah?"

Akriti straightened, stepping back, and the absence of her warmth was instant.

"Sir, I’ve reached."

I exhaled slowly, running a hand over my jaw. "Alright."

The call ended.

I lowered my phone, but neither of us moved. The air between us had shifted — still charged, but now filled with something else.

Something unnamed!

✿ ❀ ✿

AUROUS CHARMS ✨

Your views on the chapter?

They finally kissed!!!!

Okay, so, I gave my CA Intermediate Group 1 in January and was really sceptical about passing it. Not because of failing but because I'd have to study taxation again (there were major changes in syllabus of direct tax from Jan to June). I didn't want to go through that same stressful enviornment again 😭🙏. Thankfully, I passed. It feels so good! I don't have to study all of that again.

Signing off.
Bye.