𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

DHRUVI

I leaned against the bathroom wall, the cold tiles grounding me as my thoughts spiraled. Atharva's proposal lingered in my mind, a storm cloud ready to burst. I've been avoiding him, not because I don't care, but because I care too much. The fear of hurting him, of disappointing him with my inability to express myself, is paralyzing.

What if he sees me as a replacement for Nandini? She was everything I'm not-open, expressive, unafraid. How can I compete with that? Every time I think of Atharva, doubts flood my mind. Does he truly love me for who I am, or am I just filling a void left by someone else?

I want to believe in our future, but the fear of failure, of not meeting his expectations, keeps me at a distance. People often mistake my silence for indifference, my reserve for a lack of effort. Aisha and the others are right-I'm hard to read. But beneath my quiet exterior lies a storm of emotions, waiting to be unleashed.
Exiting the bathroom, I felt a gentle yet firm grip on my wrist, pulling me into a room. Before I could comprehend the situation, Atharva locked the door behind us. Confusion clouded my mind, and before I could gather my thoughts, he demanded an answer. Typical of me, I had already forgotten his initial question. Did I mention my propensity to forget things?

"I... I don't know what you asked me," I stammered, meeting his intense gaze.

His expression hardened, a silent reproach evident in his eyes. "Answer me, Dhruvi. Why are you avoiding me?"

I froze, realizing we were back to this conversation. Panic surged within me, and I attempted to step away, but he blocked me, his hands firmly on either side. Surprisingly, I found myself oddly proud of my smaller stature as I tried to wriggle free, only to be met with an unexpected move. Atharva pressed his body against mine, our chests touching, his leg gently sliding between mine.

"This isn't fair," I managed to murmur, the proximity overwhelming.

"What's unfair is you avoiding me," he retorted, his voice tinged with frustration. "You accuse me of confusion, but have you ever considered your own actions? One moment, you're sweet and affectionate, and the next, you shut me out. I'm not a toy, Dhruvi. I have feelings, and you've hurt them before. But this time, I'm not letting you walk away."

His words pierced through me, stirring a mix of guilt and longing. He was right-I had been inconsistent, unsure of how to navigate my own emotions. Atharva held me firmly, demanding honesty, his proximity making it impossible to evade his scrutiny.

"Why did you say yes to that guy and tell me you were sick?" he pressed, his voice softening slightly, betraying the hurt beneath his frustration.

I swallowed hard, meeting his gaze with a mixture of reluctance and resignation. In that moment, with his warmth enveloping me and his unwavering gaze piercing through my defenses, I knew there was no escaping the truth-or the consequences of my silence but still
I tried to pull away, my stubbornness as rigid as ever. "Let me go. I don't want to answer anything," I snapped, frustration mixing with my own conflicted emotions. Despite my anger, a part of me was bewildered at my own reactions-growing increasingly agitated by the second.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me," Atharva insisted, his tone firm and unwavering.

I shot him a defiant glare. "How long are you planning to keep me here? Even if you hold me for an hour, I won't say a word. And I doubt anyone will let us use this room. We didn't even book it-"

"Who said we didn't book it?" he interrupted with a smirk.

"What?" I exclaimed, caught off guard by his unexpected response.

"Yeah, while you were in the bathroom, I was here booking this room for us. So, forget about escaping that way. I can have this room for the whole day, or longer if I want. Your only way out is to tell me the reason," he asserted confidently.