You own my heart ( short story series)

Part-3

Toh... third chapter padh liya kya? 😬 Nahi? Padho padho! Jaldi se! 😜

Aur haan, comment karna mat bhulna bas... tumhare comments ka intezaar kar rahi hoon! 😇 I'm dying to know what you think! 😁

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Bondita took a deep, shaky breath, her fingers trembling as she clutched her saree. Anirudh's heart pounded in his chest.

Finally, she whispered, almost too quietly for him to hear, "I... I don't feel the same anymore, Barrister Babu."

Anirudh's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean shona?"

Her chest heaved as she gathered her courage, her voice filled with shame. "I... I don't see you the way I used to. You're not just my teacher anymore. Not just my friend..."

His confusion deepened, "Bondita....

"I can't stop thinking about you. I... I want to see you. All the time. I wait for moments when you're nearby. And when you're not..." she swallowed, "...when you're not, I... I miss you. It's not the same as before. It's not innocent anymore Barrister babu."

His eyes widened at the realization about what she was trying to say.

"I... I don't know when it started," she continued, "I notice things about you. Your... your eyes, your voice. It's not just your voice anymore, Barrister Babu. When you speak, I... I feel it," she whispered, her voice catching. "It's like... like your voice touches me... inside."

His heart stopped for a moment. The way she said it all, so softly, so intimately... it sent a jolt through his chest, and he didn't know whether to step back or move closer. He swallowed, trying to keep his composure.

Her eyes glistening with new tears. "I... I want you to see me. As more than... than a little girl. As a woman."

Anirudh blinked, completely thrown off by her words. More than a little girl? His Bondita... his Bondita was standing here, speaking in a way he never imagined. His mind was at war with itself-part of him screamed that he needed to stop this, but another part... that other part wanted to hear more.

Her eyes flicked to his for a moment before darting away again, her cheeks flushing. "When... when you're near, I... I can't breathe properly. I... I want to be close to you... really close," she admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Anirudh swallowed hard, his body tensing. He wasn't used to hearing her like this, wasn't used to seeing her like this. Vulnerable, yes, but... this? It was too much, and yet, not enough somehow.

"It's not just that," her voice cracking. "It's everything. I look at you, and I... I notice things I didn't before. Your smile... the way your shirt fits. I... I shouldn't, but I do. And when you take off your shirt-" she stopped, covering her mouth. "It's not casual anymore."

He felt the blood drain from his face, his throat suddenly dry. She was noticing things like that?

"I've been having... dreams." Her voice, filled with shame. "In my dreams, we're together... not like teacher and student, not like friends. We're together... like... like a husband and wife."

Anirudh's eyes widened. His breath left him in a sharp, almost pained exhale. He tried to say something, anything, but his throat was tight, his body frozen in place. He could barely process what she was saying, let alone form a response. The idea of her dreaming of him like that-intimately-sent a rush of heat through his whole body, a reaction he fought desperately to control.