Solace

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"I wasn't interested. I preferred staying at home," I replied. He looked at me skeptically, turning his neck to face me with a questioning expression.

"Well, she never liked it, and I never asked her to take me along. Anyway, I was more comfortable at home," I elaborated.

"So, you used to reside in that grand house all by yourself?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

I smiled wistfully, lost in thought. "Not exactly alone," I clarified. "Priya had become an integral part of my life, making herself comfortably at home there, just as she had in my heart."

"We've been friends for over a decade now, actually more than that," I added, missing the warmth of his hand, which had always been so comforting.

"Sometimes I wonder how two different personalities became such deep friends," he mused,

"In a very odd way," I replied, recalling a memorable moment from our past when I got my first period and Priya's thoughtful gesture.

"Means?" he inquired.

"You know, even Priya's parents are like Mausi and Mausaji, very cool and harmonious together," I remarked, chuckling.

The closer we got to the shore, the stronger the breeze became. My hair was flying backward, and even my dupatta was fluttering, clinging to my body and making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I pulled the dupatta in front of me to cover my front.

Suddenly, I felt his warm hands on my wrist, causing my heart to race. I tensed up slightly, wondering if he could feel my pulse. As he released my wrist and instead held my fingers, I felt a rush of nervousness. Despite having hugged this man many times already, his touch still felt new and different.

As we reached the wet sand near the shore, he suggested, ''Shall we venture further?'' I hesitated, my grip on his arm tightening with apprehension.

''What if we drown?'' I expressed, my voice laced with concern. He turned his face towards me. His face looked beautiful under the glow of moon.

''That won't happen,'' he said, taking a step forward.

I cautioned, ''Even you shouldn't,'' grasping his arm to halt his progress.

''Come on, we aren't going to swim,'' he insisted, his eyes sparkling with persuasion. I wavered, struggling with the concept of trust - in him and in general.

Taking a leap of faith, I clutched his T-shirt near his torso with one hand while he held the other.

''Don't let go,'' I requested, my voice barely above a whisper, as the waves caressed our feet.

''Never,'' he promised, his words wrapping around my heart like a warm embrace."

As the shore lapped at my knees, the cool water enveloping my feet, we came to a standstill. What struck me as remarkable was that he never relinquished his grasp on my hand, his grip intensifying as the waves surged forward with increasing ferocity. With each successive wave, I felt the ground beneath me shift and dissolve, only to be replaced by an influx of fresh sand, as if the ocean itself was reshaping the terrain.

"We should come here more often," he suggested as we stood side by side amidst the waves.

"Hmm, we should," I agreed.