As she spoke, she lifted her hand and placed her palm over his chest, right over his heart, pressing gently against the fabric of his shirt. The gesture was too intimate, and it left him momentarily surprised.
“It proves that Karan Wadhwa has a heart of gold,” she continued, her eyes never leaving his. “Not a stone heart, the one you keep pretending to the world. I wish you would show this side of yourself more often.”
The effect of her words on him was immediate.
Karan froze, shocked first by her tender touch, and then by the affection in her words. Praise had never unsettled him before, but coming from her, spoken with such conviction, it struck far deeper in his heart. And lately, there was something else too. He had begun to notice the way her eyes changed when she looked at him. There was a softness there, a glow that had nothing to do with gratitude or respect.
But he did not want to name what he suspected it was.
Love.
He rebuked that thought, not wanting Mishti to fall in love with him, because he knew he would never be able to return it. And the last thing he wanted was to be the reason for another disappointment in her life.
Footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Abhimanyu came down, dressed and ready to leave for work, his usual energy intact. Mishti turned toward him immediately. Her face lit up.
“Congratulations, Abhimanyu,” she said, her voice bright with happiness. “Your Karan Bhai has given his approval for your marriage with Komal.”
Abhimanyu stopped short, stunned. He looked from Mishti to Karan, disbelief flashing across his face. Then joy burst free. He almost jumped, wrapping Mishti in a spontaneous hug.
“Really?” he exclaimed. “Did he say that?”
Mishti nodded happily.
Without waiting another second, he rushed to Karan and hugged him tightly. Karan, slightly taken aback, placed a firm hand on his back and patted it, controlling his own emotions.
“You are the best brother in the world,” Abhimanyu said fervently, pulling back only to hug him again. “Thank you, Bro. I love you.”
Then, already reaching for his phone, he added excitedly, “I have to tell Komal. She will be so happy.”
He walked away hurriedly, already speaking into the phone, his happiness filling the house.
As Karan watched him go, a rare smile touched his lips. Seeing his brother so happy brought a satisfaction that no victory or deal ever had.
But the moment he turned around, he found Mishti admiring him. His heartbeat quickened, loud enough that he was sure she could hear it.
Not wanting to give her any wrong signals that he had started to develop feelings for her, he turned away and marched toward the door.
Heading to work was once again his safest escape.
***************
Two weeks later
Two weeks slipped by quietly. Somewhere between shared breakfasts, fleeting glances and soft concerns, Mishti’s feelings for Karan had grown roots. She thought of him at odd hours, imagining words she had never planned to speak to any man. But confessing to Karan her feelings now had started feeling necessary.
Lately, she had sensed a shift in him and in his behaviour towards her. And that gave her the push she needed to take this forward on her own. She knew that even if he did not accept her feelings immediately, he might at least not crush them. She was hopeful that her confession of her feelings for him, of her growing love for him, might help bridge the distance between the two, if not now, then sooner.
This morning, in the kitchen, she shared this thought with Maria, who agreed happily and told Mishti to follow her heart. Sometimes that was all the encouragement a woman needed.
It was then that her phone rang. Divya’s name flashed on the screen. Mishti frowned slightly, surprised at the hour. Divya usually called in the evenings. She asked Maria to continue withthe breakfast and stepped out of the kitchen into the living room, answering the call.
“Bhabhi, you called so early,” she said. “Is everything alright there? Is Daksh bhai okay?”
At that exact moment, Karan was descending the stairs. He slowed without realising it when the name Daksh reached him. And his attention sharpened instinctively, as he continued downward, listening to her speak to probably to Daksh’s wife, Divya, he thought.
Suddenly, Mishti’s reaction changed. Her voice broke into laughter, almost like disbelief woven into joy. She clutched the phone tighter. Her face lit up in a way Karan had never seen before.
