Guilty

Chapter 15 - Friends?

Aadhya hesitated for a moment, torn between her reluctance to accept Aditya's offer and her desire to escape the relentless downpour. In the end, practicality won out, and she nodded curtly, accepting his offer. "Fine," she muttered, her tone terse as she gathered her belongings and stepped into the shelter of the car.

As they drove through the rain-soaked streets, a tense silence settled between them, broken only by the rhythmic patter of rain against the car windows. Aadhya couldn't help but steal glances at Aditya out of the corner of her eye, noting the furrow of his brow and the tight set of his jaw. Despite her irritation towards him, she couldn't deny the unexpected surge of gratitude she felt towards him for coming to her rescue.

Aditya, on the other hand, was acutely aware of Aadhya's presence beside him, her damp hair clinging to her face and her clothes plastered to her skin. He couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort that washed over him, a mixture of guilt for intruding on her privacy and a strange sense of protectiveness that he couldn't quite rationalize

As they drove in silence, Adi couldn't help but steal glances at Aadhya from the corner of his eye. She was engrossed in her phone, typing away with a furrowed brow. His thoughts involuntarily went to Vikram, and a surge of anger rose within him. He didn't want her beside him, yet he couldn't bring himself to let her go.

As Aadhya finally set her phone down, they continued to stare ahead, the tension between them palpable. Adi broke the silence with a hesitant attempt at small talk, wanting to keep the conversation professional. "So, how's work going?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral. Aadhya muttered a response, barely audible. "Good. Work's good," she replied, her tone distant. Adi nodded in acknowledgment, unsure of what else to say. Aadhya then shifted the conversation, asking about Keerthi."Vadhina's good. She's just occupied with work," Adi replied, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. Aadhya nodded in response, the unspoken tension between them growing with each passing moment.

Just as Adi was about to say something else, a notification flashed on Aadhya's phone, startling her. Before she could react, her phone began to ring, and she answered hesitantly. "Yes, Prerna?" she said, her voice betraying her unease. On the other end of the line, Prerna's voice was filled with urgency and concern. "Can you at least now understand what he's up to? He left you stranded on the road," she said, her words cutting through the air like a knife. Before Aadhya could respond, the call disconnected abruptly.

A sense of strange disappointment and discomfort washed over Aadhya as she stared at her phone, her thoughts racing. Adi noticed the sudden shift in her demeanor and made a split-second decision. Pulling the car over to the side of the road, he quickly stepped out, holding his hands above his head to shield himself from the rain

Aadhya remained seated, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, lost in her own thoughts. The rain continued to fall, a somber backdrop to the tumultuous emotions swirling between them.

As a few minutes passed by, Aadhya remained lost in her thoughts, unaware that Adi had stepped out of the car. It was only when she heard the sound of the car door opening that her gaze shifted, and she saw Adi hurriedly climbing back inside, two brown bags in hand, completely drenched. She furrowed her brows in confusion as he handed her one of the bags.

"What are you doing? Why are you drenched?" she asked, puzzled by his sudden appearance.

Adi chuckled, shaking his head. "Looks like someone finally noticed," he quipped, offering her a sheepish smile.

Aadhya shot him a glare, unamused by his teasing. "Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologized, handing her the bag. "Here, I got us some food."

Aadhya raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "naaku odhu," she replied curtly.