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I heard a loud, slightly irritating voice from behind me.
“Oh, Vihaan, you’re here?”
Meera.
She stood there grinning like a maniac, her eyes fixed on Vihaan, not blinking once.
She was wearing a black top paired with white pants, a gold leaf pendant around her neck, and her messy bun, she looked pretty.
“What a pleasant coincidence,” she said, stepping toward Vihaan.
Correction- an unpleasant coincidence.
She tried to sit beside him, but Raj immediately shifted closer to Vihaan, making sure there was barely any space for her.
Meera looked at Raj in confusion and a little bit of irritation but huffed and ended up sitting on the very edge of the bench.
Vihaan didn’t even bother looking at her.
“Hi,” she replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes dropped to the floor as a silly grin spread across her face.
“Hi,” he said, his voice flat, and his annoyance obvious.
I smiled tightly at her, forcing a cheerful “Hiiiiiii!” to get her attention and remind her that I am also here.
She glanced at me, clearly irritated by my presence.
Still, she replied, her tone dripping with annoyance.
“Oh, you’re also here,” she said, her face contorting in a way that made it clear she didn’t care.
I rolled my eyes, not at all surprised by her attitude.
“Let’s go, I think your order is getting ready”, Vihaan then spoke up, trying to change the subject as Raj had ordered a chocolate shake for his cousin sister.
Meera, however, said “Ahh if you don’t mind Vihaan can please stay a little bit, it will be great to spend more time, together with you,” she said, picking up the pace to walk beside Vihaan.
She ignored Raj, who was holding his hand, and focused entirely on Vihaan.
Meanwhile Raj glaring at her, “Didi, it’s bad manners to come uninvited. Bhaiya isn’t going to pay for your Chocolate shake,” he said.
Meera’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Vihaan glared at Raj, the little kid just shrugged it off and kept walking ahead.
“Ah, don’t worry, kiddo. I’m very close to your bhaiya, he won’t mind me being uninvited” she said, exaggerating the word close as she looked at me with a smirk.
I reminded myself of the rule- Ignore her, Ruhii.
“I don’t remember you being my close friend,” he remarked sarcastically, making Meera’s eyes widen in surprise.
Raj and I burst into fist of laughter.
She looked embarrassed.
I walked behind them, trying to ignore Meera’s presence. I could feel my irritation building up, and the last thing I wanted was to engage in any conversation with her.
But then, Vihaan stopped walking and turned to me with a questioning look.
“Why are you walking so slowly?” he asked, signaling for me to come and walk beside him.
I grinned, moved closer to him, as I moved between them, and slightly nudged Meera, to push Meera aside just a little to slide next to me.
As I did, I couldn’t resist flipping my hair back. I didn’t know why, but I learned it from Vani, She said that it gave her some kind of confidence.
“Wait, I need to go to the washroom,” Raj told Vihaan, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“But when I asked earlier, you told me, No” Vihaan asked him putting his hands on the torso.
“Yes. But now I really need to go,” he said, a little impatiently.
Just then, his phone buzzed, and he looked at the caller ID. It was Neeta Aunty.
“I need to take this call,Can you help him out” Vihaan asked.
I nodded, and grabbed Raj’s hand to take him to the washroom.
As we walked, I saw Meera standing nearby, waiting for Vihaan.
I just sighed and walked Raj to the men’s washroom, then stepped back to wait in the corridor for him.
I tried not to pay attention, but I couldn’t help it. There was something about their interaction that bothered me.
A few moments later, I saw Raj coming out of the washroom, looking a little hesitant.
“All done? Let’s go” I said with a smile, but Raj shook his head.
I frowned.
“What happened, baby? Do you need help with something?” I asked, bending down to his level. His cheeks turned red as he looked down, avoiding my gaze.
“Main aapko nahi bata sakta, mujhe sharm aa rahi hai,” he whispered, his voice soft and embarrassed.
(I can’t tell you, I am feeling shy)
“Aap Bhaiya ko bula dijiye, nnn)
(Call the brother please )
I raised an eyebrow, concerned. What could be bothering him?
“Raj, you can tell me anything. I’m here to help, I promise,” I said, trying to comfort him. “I’m here for you, okay?”
He shook his head, “Nahi, Bhaiya ko bula dijiye. It’s a boy’s secret,” he told me and I nodded in understanding.
(No, call the brother)
I glanced over at Vihaan again, I saw him still talking to Meera. What were they even talking about? I couldn’t focus on anything else.
Maybe I was just overthinking it. It was probably because I wasn’t used to seeing Vihaan with another girl.
But then I felt it, this strange, uncomfortable feeling in my chest. Could it be…jealousy? I had never felt that way before, especially not with Vihaan. I didn’t even know what to do with this emotion.
“Bhaiya toh idhar dekh hi nahi rahe,” Raj said, pouting. He tried calling Vihaan, but he was so caught up in his conversation with Meera that he didn’t notice.
I muttered to myself, “Aapke bhaiya na ekdam khilte hue phool ki tarah hai, isliye bhawre aas pass bhatakte rehte hai. I should make sure to protect my khilta hua phool.” I scrunched my eyes, watching the scene unfold in front of me, feeling my blood boil.
(Your brother is like a blooming flower, that’s why the bees keep buzzing around him. I should make sure to protect my blooming flower)
I walked over to them and grabbed Vihaan’s arm. He looked at me, a little confused.
“Are you here with your family?” I asked, forcing a tight smile. She glared at me, clearly irritated, but quickly put on a fake smile, an infamous million-dollar.
“Yes,” she replied shortly.
“Oh, cool. Then I’m sure your family is waiting for you, you should go, rather than sticking to him like a magnet,” I said.
I gave her a billion-dollar fake smile and said, “Bye, take care….It was not so nice meeting you,” muttering the last part under my breath.
But Vihaan heard me because he chuckled lightly and fixed my hair, which had fallen over my face.
I sighed in relief as I saw her leave. Just then, I felt Vihaan getting closer.
I instinctively tightened my grip on his arm as he leaned toward me and whispered, “I thought you were the brand ambassador for good manners – never talk rudely to anyone,” as I saw him smirking at me.
I gave him a tight lipped smile and rolled my eyes.
Even, I didn’t know why I reacted this way.
Dadu always told me to be polite and respectful to everyone, even if I don’t like them. But here I was, breaking all those rules.
“Ruh,” he cleared his throat and pointed at my hand still gripping his arm.
I immediately let go of his arm and said, “Raj needs your help.”
Vihaan chuckled and gently patted my head, caressing my hair as we walked over to Raj.
There he was, pouting, looking up at Vihaan.
“Bhaiya, listen, I need to tell you something,” Raj said.
Vihaan bent down to his level to hear him out.
“Idhar chaliye, sabke saamne nahi kehna hai, meri tepuration kharab ho jayegi,” Raj whispered shyly into his ear which is audible.
(Come here, I can’t say this in front of everyone. My tepuration will be ruined)
Vihaan raised an eyebrow.
“Ahh you mean Reputation. By the way what’s the problem?”
Raj lowered his gaze, clearly embarrassed.
“Woh meri pant ki zip nahi khul rahi,” Raj told him, whispering in his ear, although his voice is audible to me.
(My pants zippers are not opening)
I couldn’t help but laugh but quickly covered my mouth, not wanting to embarrass Raj further.
Vihaan looked at him with amusement and facepalmed, “Let’s go, you tiny insect.”
He grabbed Raj’s hand and headed toward the washroom. I burst out laughing, shaking my head.
Why this kid is so adorable?
My phone rang, and I instantly knew it was my mom. She called me, and I answered her, telling her I was fine and would be home soon.
As I turned, I saw Raj and Vihaan in the middle of a heated discussion.
The two of them were always so chaotic, and it made me think that they could just for once be civil with each other?
Raj, with his usual mischievous grin, puffed out his cheeks in that way he always did. His chubby face, so endearing, made me want to squish his cheeks.
Vihaan, being so gentle, pinched Raj’s cheeks in response, and the gentleness with which he did it made me smile without thinking.
Raj shot him a cute glare.
He muttered something under his breath to Vihaan, to which he laughed.
Vihaan’s laughter was infectious, his face illuminated by that smile of his, lingering long after the moment passed. I couldn’t help but get lost in it. His smile was so captivating, like something that could soothe all the chaos in the world. I felt myself freezing for a second, like his smile spelled some magical words that had froze me in place.
Without even realizing it, my fingers had unlocked my phone, and the camera app opened on its own.
Clicked.
I clicked a picture of his smile. His smile, so effortlessly bright, so real, it made my heart race. I didn’t want to lose his smile, ever, the way it made everything feel at peace, happier, more alive inside me.
He should know there’s someone out there who treasures it, who wants to capture every essence of it, and keep it hidden, close to her heart, never letting it fade away.
Wait…What am I doing?
I gulped hard as the realization slowly hit me in.
I had never felt this way before, and I wasn’t sure how to align these erupting feelings. Could I be…?
I sighed deeply, trying to shrug the thought, not wanting to feel something that felt both too real and too impossible at the same time.
I looked at the photo one last time, that smile still glowing on my screen, before I put my phone away. The smile on my face plastered for a second before I quickly composed myself.
“Bhaiya, can we go home? I’m feeling sleepy,” Raj said to Vihaan, feeling the exhaustion of the day.
Vihaan turned to me, glancing at the clock.
“It’s already 7:30 p.m. We should head back,” he replied with a nod.
“But don’t you want to go on the Ferris wheel?” he asked, remembering Raj and I both had mentioned it earlier.
But Raj shook his head in no and his eyes were closing.
He looked at me and I also shook my head in no.
“Maybe next time,” I said softly, smiling at Raj, who had just yawned.
Poor guy, he is really exhausted.
Raj smiled at me, that wide grin he always had.
“Thank you, Ruhii ji, I enjoyed it a lot” he said with his usual chirpy tone.
Then, without missing a beat, Raj turned to Vihaan, who was slightly taller than him, and motioned for him to bend down.
Vihaan scrunched his eyebrows in confusion but eventually bent to his level, and Raj wrapped his tiny arms around Vihaan’s neck in a big, tight hug.
“Bhaiya, thank you soooo much! You are the best” he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
Vihaan hugged him back, his arms wrapping around Raj, holding him close.
It was one of those rare, soft moments between them, and I couldn’t help but melt a little inside.
As Vihaan called Neeta aunty to let her know we were on our way, I looked down at Raj, who had somehow fallen asleep already.
He looked so peaceful, his tiny, serene face, as he lay there in the quiet of the cafe.
I gently collected his bag and belongings, making sure to clean the caramel stains from his mouth which he gets from the candy he had been eating.
“Let’s go,” Vihaan said as he finished his call, his voice laced with a quiet chuckle.
He looked at the little sleeping figure sleeping on the chair, and his expression softened.
“He’s a little demon when he’s awake, but when he’s asleep, he looks so cute,” he said, tenderly holding Raj’s tiny hand.
“Do I have to carry him?” Vihaan asked, raising an eyebrow.
I rolled my eyes, at his stupidity.
“Definitely not. He has wings that will carry him home,” I teased him.
Vihaan gave me an annoyed look and sighed, shaking his head. Then carefully, he picked Raj in his arms, making sure to support his little head as he continued to sleep soundly.
Raj wiggled a little in his sleep, but Vihaan gently patted to which he soon soothed him back into deep slumber.
I took Raj’s bag, and together we made our way to Neeta aunty’s house.
The chilly November air hit us as we stepped outside the cafe. The cool breeze was refreshing, and I loved how the coldness of the night gave a feeling of peace.
As we walked, I realized the weather so I took off my jacket and wrapped it over Raj, who was resting his head peacefully on Vihaan’s shoulder.
The night felt peaceful all around us as we walked together. It was a simple silence, a silence that could say more than words.
I noticed, whenever there was the slightest change in directions, Raj would start stirring in his sleep, his little body shaking restlessly. Vihaan, always gently stroking Raj’s back until he fell into a deep sleep.
I like the way Vihaan handled Raj, so carefully, so tenderly. It made my heart soften, the more I saw it. The way he held Raj so carefully, like something precious.
When we reached Neeta aunty’s house, we knocked on the door, and she greeted us warmly.
She took Raj from Vihaan, thanking us for looking after him, and handed me back my jacket with a smile.
We thanked her in return, and began our walk home.
As we walked, I slipped my jacket back on, but before I could fully adjust it, I felt Vihaan behind me. He reached over, brushing some stray hair that had gotten stuck inside the collar of my jacket. His gesture makes my heart flutter.
We continued walking side by side, the night growing colder. Neither of us said much. There was something about the silence that felt right.
I could tell he was tired, I could see it in the way he moved, the way his shoulders shrugged a little. He sighed, and I knew it was just from exhaustion.
His left hand was still busy, constantly brushing his hair as he walked, something he always did. I couldn’t help but smile at this little habit of his.
Him and his obsession with his hair.
I didn’t realise, I had been thinking about him nonstop. About how he moved, how he talked, how he looked when he was serious, or when he smiled at me. It was like he had slowly and quietly crept into my heart. I never saw it happening, but now I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him. It felt both comforting and confusing me at the same time.
He started affecting my heart and mind, and now I can’t stop thinking about him. It feels like I’m losing myself. His name is always in my thoughts, and now it feels like every part of me is whispering his name, like it’s permanently etched in my heart.
There’s this different feeling whenever he’s around. It’s totally weird because I used to hate him before not because of anything personal, but because he always annoyed me.
But now, I find myself liking him.
I like the way his veins pop out when he’s serious. I like how he cares for me.
I like the flowers he gave me, even though they’re already dead. I’ve kept them, and I just don’t know why, because I don’t want to lose anything connected to him.
I like his smile.
I like when he holds my hand.
I like when he calls me Ruh.
I used to hate that name, but now it’s the only one I remember. I’ve even forgotten my own name. All I know is that he calls me Ruh.
Is this the kind of feeling I read about in books, or is it something else?
“Ruh, I know I’m too handsome for you to handle,” he teased, breaking the silence, his voice dripping with that familiar smirk.
“You can look at me as much as you want, but for now, look at the road while walking, i don’t want you to get hurt.”
I rolled my eyes, at his statement
Him and his self-obsession never ends.
He chuckled, holding my hand, pulling me gently toward him as the space between us disappeared. Our hands were now intertwined, our steps perfectly in sync as we walked side by side.
I liked the way his hands fit perfectly in mine.
Am I really starting to feel different for him?
But as I looked at him, my mind started flooded with questions. I remembered the things I had heard in school, about him and Meera.
I don’t hate her, I just don’t like her presence around him.
What is she to him? Were they together? I heard they had something. I heard a girl from another class would make a great pair. She’s pretty, no doubt.
But something stirred in my heart.
Ahhh, stop, Ruhi… stop. Your mind will explode with this constant thinking.
As I looked at him, our intertwined hands, before my mind could overthink, I don’t know what happened, but I said, “Do you and Meera have something, like, before?”
My eyes widened as I realized what I’d just said. He looked at me with no emotion, but confusion definitely lingered in his dark brown eyes.
No way, Ruhii. Can’t you control your damn mouth. Definitely not a great choice of words.
“Meera?” He asked, stopping and looking at me.
“Oh, I just heard something in school…” I started to explain, but then I saw him move closer, his eyes never leaving mine.
He came closer and whispered in my ear, “What did you hear, Ruh?”
Then he pulled back, smirking at me.
I tried to calm myself and replied,
“That you and Meera…”
“NO,” he interrupted, adjusting my sling bag that was slipping off my shoulder.
I looked at him, confused.
“Whatever you heard is not true. Me and Meera didn’t have a thing before,” he reassured me.
“Oh,” I muttered, lowering my head and walking ahead.
Although my mind was still filled with questions, I remained silent, not wanting to seem desperate in front of him.
“Do you want to know?” He said, and I involuntarily nodded.
“It was during our 10th grade, about a month before the final exams. You know, our senior had a big crush on her, like, a huge one, and she turned him down. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so as a fellow classmate, I didn’t want her to be distracted during her exams, so I helped her out by pretending to be her boyfriend. The senior wasn’t happy, but eventually, he stopped,” he explained.
“But Meera thought I had feelings for her that’s why I helped her. I’ve told her, like, 46 times that I don’t have feelings for her, but she doesn’t seem to get it. That’s how the rumors started, and you know how people love to spread rumors.”
I nodded silently.
“But what if she genuinely likes you?” I didn’t mean to ask, but the words slipped out.
He looked at me thoughtfully, sighed, then spoke.
“If she genuinely likes me, she should respect my feelings, too. But i know she doesn’t like me that way, it’s just Infatuation.”
I nodded again.
Although a part of me has little uneasiness, another part of me felt relieved, knowing that he wasn’t with her.
These walks felt peaceful, you know, when you’re with that one person who makes everything feel right in your life.
“Oh no, it completely slipped my mind!” he said, suddenly stopping.
“What?”
“I have something for you,” he said, pulling something out of his pocket.
It was a set of sage green bow clips, small and cute, with pearls and a little golden chain hanging from them with a little charm at the end of the chain. They looked even more beautiful under the streetlight.
I raised my eyebrows, confused, and he noticed.
“Ahh, I played a ring toss game and won these for you,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.
“You won?” I asked, sounding excited.
“No,” he smiled, a bit awkwardly, as he chuckled at my fading excitement.
“I won a toy train set, but someone else won the clips, and his kid wanted a toy, so we exchanged it, and luckily I got it for you,” he explained.
I admired the clips, thinking they were really sweet.
“Can you try them on, please?” he asked nervously.
I looked at him and, without thinking, said, “Why don’t you put them on my hair?”
I stared into his eyes.
He hesitated but then took a deep breath.
He gently took off my white clip and replaced it with the sage green one. His fingers brushed my hair as he did it, and he was so close. I’m not that short, but I only reached up to his chin. I could smell his cologne, and it made me close my eyes for a second. His cologne hit my nostrils, a strong, sweet fragrance that I could drown in. I couldn’t help but get a little flustered.
I’ll definitely ask him what perfume he uses.
‘Seriously Ruhii, at this moment your mind is driving to what kind of perfume he uses,’ my mind mocked me.
Once he was done, he adjusted the clip and tucked the loose strands of my hair behind my ear.
I felt all the jittery inside.
My heart was racing, and I felt warm inside as he stepped even closer.
But then he stumbled, and I lost my balance. He quickly grabbed me around my waist to steady me. I could feel his warmth in the cold air, and my heart was beating so fast as I looked into his eyes. My hands automatically went to his shoulders to stop us from falling.
It was one of those classic or cliche moments, but I couldn’t help the faint blush spreading across my face.
“Are you okay? Sorry, I stumbled,” he said.
I stood up, trying to calm myself down, and noticed his ears were turning red. I smiled at his shy reaction.
“I’m okay,” I said, his hands still on my waist.
We just stared at each other for a moment, and then I heard a cough.
We quickly stepped back, putting some distance between us.
I looked up and saw my dad and brother standing there.
My dad looked at me normally, but my brother, as usual, was glaring at Vihaan.
What’s his problem with Vihaan? Why can’t he just be nice? I mentally noted down to talk to him.
“Oh, hello, uncle,” Vihaan greeted my dad, nervously.
My dad greeted him back.
“Shall we go inside?” my brother asked me.
I looked at Vihaan and said, “Bye,” to which he replied, and my brother came over, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
As we walked back to our house, I quickly went to my room.
After taking a nice, warm shower, I felt so relaxed.
I joined the family for dinner, and I saw everyone already sitting at the table.
I noticed my dad clear his throat.
“Ruhii, your exams were two weeks ago,” he said.
I nodded.
“How did they go?” he asked.
“Uh, it went well. I scored 93,” I said, lowering my head.
Ahh, now he will definitely scold me.
I was ready for him to scold me, but what he said next surprised me.
“You did well,” he smiled and went back to eating.
I blinked a few times, not sure if I heard him right.
I looked at my brother, Kunal, and he gave me a thumbs up.
Then, my mom, sitting beside me, patted my shoulder.
Kunal bhai, asked about my day, and
I told him everything, like from starting to everything I blabbered to him…and…uhmm…except for a few details.
After dinner, I quickly went to my room and took out my diary.
I wrote about how my dad praised me. It made me so happy when he said, “You did well.” I let out a few giggles.
Doesn’t it always feel like you are on cloud nine when your parents praise you. For me I feel like I am flying, my smile never disappears from my face.
My eyes went to my phone remembering that I took a picture of Vihaan.
I opened my laptop and saved his picture in a secret folder on my laptop.
This folder had all the smallest to biggest things of my life that were important to me, and even though I didn’t know why I saved his picture. I just felt like keeping his picture there.
Then I put my diary back on the shelf.
As I lay on my bed and my mind on a serious thought.
Isn’t it strange how you feel when things inside you start to change. You feel happy, nervous, giddy, and like there’s something incomplete in your heart but now it feels completed.
I was about to close my phone when I saw a message from Varun an hour ago.
Varun: Reminder…!!! You know we have to go the day after tomorrow. Be ready after school, I need to tell you something important!
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Finally Chapter 35…!!
So how was the chapter??
Tell me your favourite scene?
Dont you all think Ruhii’s new erupting feelings are too pure and innocent ππ©·
This whole scene was supposed to be in the last chapter but damn i write about 4000+ and guess what! I write about 4400+ words in this chapter. π
Even though it was supposed to be such a small sceneπ
It’s just i can’t stop writing about them.
Hmmmmm…!!! The last chapter has less comments…π₯Ί Koi baat nhi…iss par bahut saare comments kr do…!! (and yes no spam comments π)
And I don’t know when I will be able to upload the next chap as I have my tests lined up for this week. Please Vote and Comment πβ¨
Waiting for your pyaare pyaare comments π€
Enjoy Reading β₯οΈ
Staying Tuned for further updates…!!
Bye Cutiepies….!!!π
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