"फिर कुछ यूं हुआ कि,
बिना कुछ बोले वो सब बोल गए।"

✿✿✿✿

At that moment, when Aarav held her wrist, Kiara's heart raced like never before. A strange sensation fluttered in her stomach-unfamiliar yet oddly pleasant. And the way her name sounded when he called her...

The playground was nearly empty, with only a few distant figures-students engrossed in their conversations. The setting sun painted the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink.

Aarav didn't know why he held her hand. His fingers had instinctively wrapped around her wrist as if refusing to let her leave today. Her skin was smooth-like silk beneath his touch. He felt her pulse quicken under his fingertips. As she turned to face him, their eyes met-her honey-brown gaze locking with his deep ocean blue. It was like sunlight hitting the ocean waves, setting them aglow.

His heart skipped a beat.

For a moment, everything else faded. He forgot why he was even there. And yet, he was still holding her wrist.

As Kiara looked into his eyes, she felt a strange spell settle around her, pulling her toward him. A charged silence hung between them, making the moment feel both heavy and exhilarating. But then, she blinked, breaking the trance, and quickly averted her gaze.

Determined to break the silence, she finally spoke.

"Ah... mera... haath," she fumbled, her face turning redder with every passing second.

"Hmm?" Aarav was too lost in her presence to register her words.

"My... hand," she repeated, this time gesturing toward her wrist-the one he was still holding as if it were something precious.

His eyes followed her gesture, and the moment realization struck, he immediately let go.

"Oh... s-sorry," he mumbled, surprised by his own actions and feeling an unfamiliar wave of embarrassment.

Kiara stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He looked hesitant, running his fingers through his hair multiple times-clearly struggling with his thoughts.

"I... I want to ask you about something," he finally said, lifting his gaze to meet hers.

Kiara nodded, unable to trust her voice as her heart pounded in her chest.

Taking a deep breath, Aarav finally asked, "Do you love me?"

Kiara's heart flipped in her ribcage. She hadn't expected such a direct question-not after all the silence. And now, in just one sentence, he had asked everything.

Her toes curled inside her shoes, her fingers fidgeting as an unfamiliar nervousness took over.

Aarav noticed her hesitation and cursed himself for being so blunt.

"I mean... if you love me, bura nahin lga mujhe, thoda thoda accha lga," he added quickly, his voice almost a whisper. He was staring at her, but the second she lifted her head, he looked everywhere but at her.

Kiara blinked in confusion. Did she hear him right, or was it just the loud drumming of her heart in her ears?

But what truly caught her off guard was Aarav's expression. His body language.

Tilting her head slightly, she studied him closely and then-she gasped.

Why?

Because, for the very first time, she saw Aarav blushing. A light red hue dusted his ears and crept onto his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly flustered.

Kiara couldn't help it-she giggled.

"Are you blushing?" she blurted out, still giggling.

Aarav coughed, quickly composing himself.

"Um... nahi toh," he replied with forced confidence, clearing his throat. "You didn't answer my question."

Now, it was her turn to blush. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

Aarav's lips curled into a slight smile. He couldn't resist. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he asked, "Are you blushing?"

Kiara's face turned an even deeper shade of red. Scratching her temple with her index finger, she stammered, "N-nahi toh. Bas... garmi... haan, garmi hai na, isliye." She smiled nervously.

"Ohh, haan," he said, amused.

"Do you have anything else to say? Can I go now?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"Haan..." Aarav stepped closer, his expression growing serious. "I know about your feelings; you like me, right?"

Kiara froze.

"But... at that time, I couldn't say or ask you anything because I was confused. Firstly, because of our families-your father, my father, and their relationship. And secondly... kaise koi kisi ko bina mile, bina baat kiye, saalon tak pyaar kar sakta hai?" He watched her reaction closely.

She lowered her gaze, feeling as though someone had poured cold water over her.

I never thought he would be this straightforward... she thought.

Noticing her flustered state, Aarav added, "Rihan told me everything."

"Aarav..."

The moment his name slipped from her lips, he froze.

Her melodic voice reached his ears, and something shifted within him. It wasn't the first time he had heard her voice, but it was the first time she had said his name. And now, he wanted to hear it again. Especially from her.

"Rihan already told you everything," she continued softly. "And yes, I do like you-not just for a few months, but for two years."

Aarav inhaled sharply.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. The way I feel for you... it's different," she admitted. "And about our families-honestly, I never thought about it. Because pyaar soch ke thodi hota hai. Wo toh kabhi bhi, kahin bhi ho jata hai. Aur agar sab soch ke pyaar karte, toh shayad kabhi kar hi nahi paate. If we think before falling in love, there will always be reasons to hold us back."

Aarav stared at her, stunned.

Her words made something clear within him-something he hadn't understood before.

She never expected anything from him in return. Her love for him wasn't conditional. It wasn't about wanting something back-it was pure. Divine. Something that came from the depths of her soul. 'Ruhani Ishq'.

And today, for the first time, he could see it.

The love she carried for him was reflected in her eyes.

And it was real.

Aarav stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. He was about to say something when a little boy, no older than a first or second grader, suddenly bumped into Kiara and ran off.

She stumbled forward, but before she could fall, Aarav caught her. Her hands instinctively fisted his school blazer, while his hands hovered over her back, hesitant, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. She lifted her head just as he lowered his, their wide eyes locking. At that moment, they could hear nothing but the sound of their own heartbeats, pounding like thunder in the night sky.

Slowly, she loosened her grip on his collar and took a step back. Aarav immediately let go, clearing his throat as he ran his hand through his hair. Kiara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking everywhere but at him, flustered.

She offered him an awkward smile before turning to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"Kiara," he whispered.

She froze but didn't turn around.

"If you ever need help with anything-notes, studies, or just an excuse to see me-I'm always here."

With that, he took a step back, his gaze lingering on her with something new-something different. Then, he turned and walked away, leaving with a feeling he had never quite experienced before.

Kiara turned to watch his retreating figure, her heart hammering in her chest. Had he just said what she had been hoping to hear? A wide smile spread across her lips as she, too, walked away.

✿✿✿✿

In the school mess, the group sat together, chatting, laughing, and enjoying their food.

Neil was sitting beside Vani, engrossed in their conversation when a boy walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned his head and found a little boy, Veer, standing there with a wide grin on his face. Raising an eyebrow, Neil waited for him to speak.

"Bhaiya, jo aapne bola tha, Maine kar diya," Veer whispered in his ear, ensuring that no one else at the table could hear.

"Very good," Neil replied with a smile, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a chocolate. He handed it to Veer, whose eyes lit up with excitement. Without wasting a second, the little boy unwrapped the chocolate and took a bite, then thanked Neil before running off toward his friends.

Neil straightened up, only to realize that everyone at the table was staring at him. He flashed them an innocent smile.

"Yeh kya tha? Aur usne kya kiya?" Vedant asked, his curiosity mirrored by the others, who raised their brows expectantly.

Neil chuckled before explaining. He had instructed Veer to "accidentally" bump into Kiara while he hid behind a tree, watching from a distance. Aarav had been standing with her at the time, and as planned, he had caught her before she could fall. Neil smirked as he finished recounting the incident, while the others praised his cleverness-until Trisha spoke up.

"Unke beech aise humein nahi aana chahiye," she said seriously. She didn't want to interfere in a way that could cause problems.

"Shuru shuru mein unko paas laane ke liye thoda bohot karna padega," Neil replied with a firm expression.

"Why? You don't even like her, and she doesn't like you either. Tum dono ek doosre ko ek nazar nahi dekh sakte. Then why are you helping?" Rihan asked, his curiosity piqued.

Neil sighed before replying, "Because I know what it feels like when someone you love doesn't even acknowledge you. I understand Kiara's situation very well. That's why, as a brother, I'll always help her in this." He shrugged as if it was no big deal, but deep down, he knew he had developed a soft corner for her-like a protective sibling.

Vani, who had been silently listening, lowered her gaze, guilt washing over her. She regretted the time she had wasted in confessing her feelings to Neil. He had waited for her, yet she had hesitated.

Neil noticed her sudden silence and frowned. Under the table, he gently held her hand and asked, "What happened?"

"I wasted so much time confessing my feelings," Vani admitted in a trembling voice.

Before Neil could respond, Aarav arrived and sat down with them. His expression gave away his emotions-he was beyond happy.

Trisha smirked and coughed, trying to suppress her amusement.

"I'm not your friend anymore! You guys didn't even bother to tell me anything," Vedant complained, pretending to be hurt.

"Tu busy tha, toh kaise batate?" Rihan said, patting his shoulder.

"Haan haan... whatever. Ab toh aise hi bolenge sab," Vedant huffed. Then, pointing at Aarav, he added, "Aarav, I didn't expect this from you!"

Aarav chuckled. "I'll tell you everything later," he promised.

Vedant only rolled his eyes. He already knew about Neil and Vani too, but he let them tell him again. When they finished, he simply grinned. "I knew it all along. And honestly, I'm happy for you both."

Neil glanced at Vani, who was quietly eating her food. Ever since her dance performance, they hadn't had a chance to talk, and he had been waiting for the right moment. Smiling, he gently grasped her wrist as she finished her meal and stood up.

"Excuse us. We need to talk," he said, looking at the others. "Thanks to all of you, we haven't had a moment alone."

The group exchanged glances, some smirking, some rolling their eyes. Vedant, however, shot daggers at Neil with his glare. But Neil didn't care-he simply walked away with Vani, who was blushing furiously.

Just then, Kiara arrived with Yuvan. It was clear to everyone that Kiara was trying to convince him of something, but Yuvan remained sulky, his expression firm. He sat beside Vedant, glaring at his brother, Aarav.

*********"************************

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