From Sunrise To Starlight ✨

Him ...and something else!

I was busy adoring the snaps that i took of the beautiful moon when i saw it,

I saw him.

A faint twitch in the muscles, lifting the corners of his mouth, and then a rise in his cheeks causing subsequent smile lines to appear at the corner of his eyes.

He was grinning.

His head was down, his knees folded and he rested both his hands on his knees as he sat beside me trying to suppress it but miserably failed at it.

His was a smile that reached his eyes, as they glowed in the dark. Like the only source of moonlight to my darkness.

Something churned inside me. And my stomach did a double back flip.

Aakarsh is smiling!? Full fledged!?

But then he was back to being his older self as his face muscles relaxed back perfectly fitting into his skin the way they were before.

That lasted not more than 5 seconds but it felt like an eternity. I just wanted to bottle up that smile and get drunk on it for the rest of the night.

Too dramatic Aarohi! Too dramatic.

But what could i possibly do, you don't see a smiling Aakarsh everyday.

And then he looked at me.

Instant death! He caught me OGLING him.

I quickly turned my gaze away and snapped out of it.

He smiled.

Again.

What's wrong with the universe today? Or am i hallucinating?

"Quite observant today,are we?" He said in a sweet sarcastic tone gesturing towards himself raising an eyebrow at me.

Definitely hallucinating!

Aakarsh talking sarcasm. Ofcourse! he knew I wasn't busy observing the stars but was clearly busy OBSERVING him like he's a new found planet.

I knew. I so knew he saw me looking at him like a kid looks at his favourite toy and that he didn't rub it off in my face and it made me feel like all of this is a dream that's going to end soon.

But it didn't.

So i took my shot.

"Quite blithesome today, are we?" I cocked my left eyebrow at him smirking.

He smirked back and i waited for him to do what he does best.

He eyerolled.

Ah! Talk about pleasure.

"Weirdo!" He spoke.

"Huh! Sure" i said laughing at his bad nick name.

"Ahem-" with that he once again was back to square one.

Back to being the the most poker faced man he was.

To be honest i was missing this face too.

"So uh... You like stargazing?" He asked in his cool voice.

"Like? I just love it to the moon and back" i said placing a hand on my heart in a dramatic way.

More like over-theatre-dramatic way

"You can never stop being weirdly overdramatic, huh!?." Aakarsh narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head from side to side in a you can never change way.

This time I eyerolled in reply.

And smiled at my own self feeling elated of a sudden.

And then i stared at the enormous star-studded sky in front of me.
And so did he.

We sat there staring in silence.

Although it didn't feel awkward. At all.

But you just can't keep your bloody mouth shut,can you?

"You must definitely love them too for looking at them like THAT!-" i continued

"- minus your murderous glares!" I chuckled.

No reaction.

Shit. Shit. Why can't you shut up, Aarohi? What? Did you expect a small talk? A normal talk? Just anything? Cut the crap!

As my anxiety shot up embarrassment gushing all over my body. I heard a hesitated voice speaking to me.

"Hmm. Yeah" he spoke still staring at them lost in thoughts.

I hummed in response acknowledging his words and thanking the universe for not letting me embarrass myself yet again.

And making a mind note for stop acting like a complete smitten kitten!

And i let myself take in all the beauty that the sky beheld.

Still a little conscious about his mysterious presence right beside me.

I could feel a strange warmth unlike everytime we had our encounters. He had always been irritatingly cold,distant, and annoying eye rolling poker faced bloody... Gosh! Out of insults.

But there was something different about him today. He looked relaxed yet tensed. But that didn't affect me.

As far as he is not trying to prove that I'm a mad cave woman and me trying to eat his guts out.

I guess, I'm fine.

We're fine.

I stole a glance at him and let out a sigh of relief. Assuring myself that maybe...
We're all about awkward silences.

Awkwardly comfortable silences

And not about awkward conversations.

I wrapped my hands around my arms as the temperature dropped and cold air suddenly made me tingle with goosebumps.

My eyes travelled across the shining stars looking at each one of it as it kept travelling down and down until it stopped near a dry area just at a walkable distance from my place where there was only but an old lamp which was lit up.

My eyes adjusted to the very dull lighted place.
Something near that dark space came into my vision.

I focused my attention on some source of light coming straight out of there.

But that was not what caught my attention.

There was a strange shining light staring right back at me.

No!

I Froze in my place. My breathe hitched and my heart almost jumped out of my body. My eyes narrowing with fear or recognition i didn't know.

Those were not just two shining beads.

They were a pair of eyes staring back at me.

Two GLOWING EYES staring right through my soul.

HOLY CRAP!