Falling Softly

DINNER

Kavya's POV

The guard stood in front of the elevator. I wondered how long he had been standing there. I felt a touch on my fingers and looked down to see Aaryan wrapping his fingers around mine, holding my hand tightly. He stepped out of the elevator, leading me with him, our hands still connected. His eyes fixed on the guard as we walked past, making it feel like a scene straight out of a movie.

I couldn't help but wonder why the guard hadn't told us sooner that the door was open. Was he peeking while we were in each other's arms? I pushed the thoughts away. The day had already been exhausting, and I didn't want to add more overthinking to my plate.

We reached our apartment door, and I searched for the key in my pocket. I bent slightly towards the door and started unlocking it. The lock was stubborn, taking longer than usual, so I stole a few glances at Aaryan. He looked away, and a smile curled up on my face, my cheeks turning red for a moment. I continued unlocking the door, thinking, Why does he always have to look away? We're not strangers anymore, after all.

I was lost in thoughts, replaying the way he had wrapped his fingers around mine and pulled me gently, like a hero saving his girlfriend from a villain. I couldn't stop thinking about it, replaying the scene in my mind over and over. Once inside, I closed the door and placed the key on the table before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. But even there, my mind was busy reliving the moment in the elevator and everything that had followed.

When I came out of the bathroom, the doorbell rang. I went to answer it, and to my shock, Aaryan was standing there. I looked behind, confused as to why he wasn't already inside. He stood there looking puzzled. I felt like I had lost my mind-maybe I was so lost in love that I had completely forgotten to let him in before locking the door. A small chuckle escaped me.

"I'm so sorry," I said in a soft voice, grabbing his bicep and pulling him inside. "Why didn't you knock earlier?"

"I've been knocking for the past few minutes," he explained calmly. I was surprised that he wasn't mad at me for leaving him outside. If it had been me locked out, I would have screamed at least a couple of times.

I felt really bad, tapping my forehead and shaking my head to remind myself to be present and not get lost in my thoughts every single time. "Would you like some juice?" I offered, but Aaryan wasn't in the living room. My eyes widened. Did I zone out again? He must have gone to the bathroom. I headed to the kitchen.

I heard the doorbell ring again. My brain jolted to attention, trying to keep me active. I widened my eyes and shook my head. Was I dreaming? I questioned myself. Didn't I just let Aaryan in? I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. Had I gone mad? I seriously wondered. I was snapped out of my thoughts when the door knocked again.

"Kavya, can you get the door, please?" I heard Aaryan call from the bathroom. My heart settled a bit, and I took a deep breath. Okay, so Aaryan is already inside, and someone else is knocking. I said it out loud to clarify things to myself, then headed towards the door.

When I opened it, I saw Nishit and Natasha standing there. Before I could blink, Natasha hugged me tightly as Nishit entered the living room and settled himself on the sofa.

"How are you guys doing? Sorry for the surprise visit," Natasha said as we ended the hug. I blinked, processing what had just happened within a second.

They brought a lot of energy, and the house immediately felt more lively. I smiled back at them. It felt good to see them after our trip.

"We're good, and you're welcome anytime," I smiled, and we settled on the sofa.

"What a surprise," I heard Aaryan say as he came out of the bathroom. He joined us on the sofa.

"Let me get us some coffee," I offered, about to stand up, but Natasha placed her hand on mine and said, "We brought dinner with us. I hope you guys haven't eaten yet."

I sat back on the sofa. "No, we haven't, but this is not fair. You should let us host dinner properly next time."

"Sure, but we came with good news!" Natasha chuckled, her smile widening. "We got your offer letter. You can continue your job from tomorrow itself." She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag and held it in the air.

I felt so relieved, a smile spreading across my face. I was thrilled because I knew how much that job meant to Aaryan. He was speechless. When I looked at him, he gave a short smile before grabbing the paper, and as he read through it, excitement was evident on his face.

"Thank you so much," he said.

"Oh, come on, Aaryan. What good am I if I can't help my own friends?" Natasha replied with a bright smile.

"Well, I'm getting hungry," Nishit said, starting to unpack the dinner packages. They brought four packages, so we settled at the table and enjoyed our dinner. It was delicious, and we laughed and talked a lot. After dinner, we returned to the living room.

"How about a game of truth and dare?" Natasha suggested excitedly. She looked super pumped up as always.