Her words hit me like a jolt. I go still, my hands trembling just enough for her to feel it. I want to pull her close, kiss those lips, and show her she’s anything but weak. That I need her just as much as she needs me. Damn, how desperately I want to help her forget, even if it’s just for a while. To take her mind to a place where only peace exists… where none of this darkness can ever reach her.
Don’t be a fucking idiot, Sidharth. Don’t dress up your need to claim her as some noble act of comfort. Own it. Control it.I bark at myself internally.She doesn’t need this. She needs a friend.
But can I just… just once?
Before I can yell at myself again, my body moves on its own as my hand finds the back of her neck, brushing against her skin. Her breath hitches, her chest rising sharply against mine, and something tells me she feels it too. I can see it in her eyes, the reflection of everything that’s burning in me—the ache, the pull, the unspoken want.
Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, and that single motion becomes the final nail in the coffin of my restraint. All rational thought vanishes in a breath. My head dips, slow but certain, and I press my lips to hers, driven by everything I’ve been holding back, and everything I shouldn’t do, yet can’t resist.
She gasps softly, her fingers clutching at my shirt. But she doesn’t pull away, not even a little. That’s all the permission I need. I deepen the kiss, my lips tracing hers slowly, trying to memorize the shape of her mouth and the way it fits perfectly against mine.
My other hand slides to her waist, pulling her closer,needingher closer. Her breath quickens, but I keep kissing her, devouring her like I’ve been starving for this. Her taste, her softness… it floods my senses.
I’m completely lost in her. But then, suddenly, she jerks back, her hands dropping from my shirt as if I’ve burned her. Her breathing is uneven, her eyes wide, caught somewhere between panic and confusion.
Damn. I rushed the kiss. It must’ve caught her off guard. I should’ve eased her into it, not gone at it with reckless, teenage urgency. I owe her an explanation, not for the kiss itself, but for how fast I crossed the line. But one look in her eyes tells me she’s not yet ready for that conversation, and that’s okay. We’ll get there… just not now.
“I… I need to go,” she whispers, standing quickly, looking anywhere but at me.
“I’ll take you,” I say, keeping my voice calm as I stand too. Every nerve in me is coiled tight, like I’m holding myself back from reaching for her again.
She shakes her head and brushing the strands of hair from her face. “I can go on my own.”
“I’m dropping you,” I say flatly. This isn’t up for debate, it’s a decision. She’s not walking out. Not after what just happened.
She stiffens but doesn’t argue. Just nods.
Without a word, she turns around and starts walking towards the door. Grabbing my car keys and tucking my phone into my pocket, I follow her.
Outside, I step ahead and open the passenger door for her. She hesitates for a beat, then slides in without meeting my eyes. I close the door, walk around to the driver’s side, and pull the car out of the parking spot.
The drive to her house is silent. She stares out the window, her eyes distant, and I let her have that space. I don’t push.I don’t even glance at her. Not because I don’t want to, but because I know she needs this.
When I finally pull up outside her house, she moves to open the door. But before she can step out, I speak.
“Nisha, until I figure out what the hell that mail meant, you’re not going anywhere without telling me. You got that?”
She pauses, her hand frozen on the door handle. Then, she gives a small nod, still avoiding my gaze. She opens the door and steps out, and I watch her as she walks all the way to her house, never once looking back at me.
When I see her disappear inside safely, I finally let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
I don’t start the car right away. My hands stay clenched around the steering wheel, knuckles white, as my mind races miles ahead, replaying everything that just happened. The kiss. Her discomfort. The line I crossed.
And through all the chaos, one thing cuts through with brutal clarity.Whatever this is between us, it’s only just begun.
The ring of my phone jolts me back. I reach down and pull it from my pocket, my brows furrowing when I see Viraj’s name flashing on the screen. I was about to call him, but seeing his name there first twists something in my gut. Instinct kicks in hard. This isn’t good. Still, I swipe my finger across the screen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the moment I answer, my voice already edgy.
There’s a beat of hesitation on the other end, just long enough to make my chest tighten, before he drops the bomb. “Prakash has escaped from jail.”
“What?” I snap, sitting up straighter in my seat, the blood draining from my face only to be replaced by a rush of white-hot fury. “How the hell did that happen?”
Viraj exhales, and I can hear the tension in his voice. “We believe one of the constables helped him. It was a clean break.Someone from the inside gave him everything he needed. And now he’s gone.”
I slam my palm against the steering wheel, the sharp thud of impact echoing through the car. My jaw locks as rage crawls up my spine.Of course. Of fucking course. That email wasn’t a random warning.
“Not a word of this gets out,” I growl into the phone. “No leaks. Not to Reyansh. Not to Kavya. No one. Especially not Nisha. I’ll be the one to tell her. You hear me?”
