And the drive back is even more comfortable, with the music playing low in the background. She is humming melodiously to a song I didn’t even know I liked until now. When the car stops at a red light, I turn to look at her. She’s smiling, and her face is relaxed, like she’s completely at ease. I just let myself soak it all in. Her presence. Her peace. The way she turns quiet into something that feels like home. Damn, it all feels good.
A few turns later, we pull up in front of her house. I kill the engine but don’t move, not quite ready for the night to end.
“I had a really good time,” I say huskily.
“Me too.” She looks at me, her expression tender. But in the next second, I catch the shift. Her fingers start to fidget in her lap, like something in her just tensed up. My brow furrows at the sudden change.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
She hesitates, opens her mouth, then closes it again, like she’s fighting with her own thoughts. She squirms in her seat and stumbles over the words. “Can I... can...”
“You’re scaring me, sweetheart. What is it, Nisha?” I ask again, my voice softer this time. My face is laced with concern as I search her eyes, trying to read what she’s struggling to say.
She exhales sharply, then blurts it out in a rush. “Can I kiss you?”
For a second, I forget how to breathe. I swear I do. The world just goes still at her words, and all I can do is stare at her, my heart kicking up a beat.
“What?” I ask, hoping like hell I didn’t just hear her wrong.
She looks down and shakes her head as if mentally kicking herself. “I just… I really liked it the last time. So I thought…” She trails off, her voice laced with embarrassment as she rushes to cover it up. “Forget it. I’m being stupid.”
“Hey,” I murmur, reaching out to cup her face and guiding her gaze back to mine, not wanting her to backpedal on what she just said. Her skin is warm beneath my touch, her breath shallow, lips slightly parted.
“You’re not stupid,” I whisper, my thumb brushing tenderly across her lower lip. “Not even close.”
I hold her gaze for a beat, then lean in and capture her lips with mine. Her hand grips the front of my shirt almost instantly, pulling me closer as she melts into the kiss. The kiss deepens naturally, slow at first, then hungrier, more certain. My hand tilts her head slightly, angling her just right as my tongue slides into her mouth. She lets out a soft moan, a mix of boldness and surrender, that sends blood gushing down my lower body. Every part of me reacts to her, my every nerve sizzling with desire. And when her tongue finally slips into my mouth, all the sane thoughts fly right out of my head. She tastes so damn sweet. God, she’s addictive, and now my whole body is lit up, demanding more.
But I pull back reluctantly before I lose control, my forehead resting against hers as I try to catch my breath. For a moment, neither of us moves. The air between us is charged, our hearts still racing in sync.
Once I’m able to breathe normally, I lift my head, only to see her lips still parted, her eyes soft and dazed, and damn, it takesevery ounce of my willpower not to lean in again and claim her lips once more.
“You need to go inside,” I murmur, my voice rough as my fingers trace gently across her cheek. “Before I do something you’re not ready for.”
Her face flushes, a soft pink creeping up her cheeks, but she nods slowly.
“Good night,” I whisper, brushing a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Good night,” she replies, her voice barely audible, then opens the door and steps out of the car. She pauses for a beat and then glances back at me with a sweet smile before turning and walking towards the house.
I continue to sit there in the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel, my heart still racing. I’m definitely screwed. But damn if I’d trade this feeling for anything else.
Chapter 19
Nisha
It’s been a week since that kiss, and every day since has felt like pure, unshakable happiness.
It still feels unreal, how quickly everything changed. One moment, I was drowning in worries, unsure of how I’d manage everything with all the lingering threats. And the next, I felt like nothing could ever break me. And that had everything to do with Sidharth.
Thinking back, I still don’t know what came over me that night when I asked him to kiss me. Maybe I wasn’t thinking at all. God, even now, just the memory makes my face heat up. All I wanted was to feel that flutter, that rush, those butterflies in my stomach. And when his lips touched mine, I felt them—every single one of them. A whole damn swarm of butterflies fluttered inside me, and my heart completely forgot how to beat normally.
And ever since that night, we’ve been spending more time together. Sidharth makes it a point to drop by every evening after work. The three of us, him, me, and Sunita Aunty, then have our dinner together. But we haven’t taken things beyond a few kisses. He completely respects that I need time to catch up,and he’s never rushed me. Instead, he creates this quiet sense of comfort, letting things unfold at my pace.
And though I know we’re more than just two people casually seeing each other, we’ve never really said it out loud. The truth is, I don’t even know what this is between us. I don’t know where it’s headed, or if I’m ready to give it a name. All I know is that whatever this is, it feels right. It feels like something worth holding on to. And for now, that’s enough.
Apart from that, I’ve finally started my online marketing MBA course. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be able to focus with everything going on, but strangely enough, I can. Maybe it’s because there’s a calm inside me now, a quiet sense of balance I haven’t felt in a long time.
In the back of my mind, I know it’s only a matter of time before this peace shatters. Prakash is still out there, along with whoever the hell is working with him. That part hasn’t changed. Sidharth, of course, hasn’t let his guard down even for a second. If anything, he’s gone overboard, making sure I’m protected at all times, going so far as to hire a personal bodyguard for me, no less.
