Intensely Twisted Fate

Chapter : 12

Laranya’s POV

I don't know what got into me. I saw some kind of pain in his eyes when he talked about the girl he has in his mind. But in the evening, when we had a tiny moment—him, so close to me, then preparing dinner, having an actual practical thought why only women should cook and not men... something... something has definitely changed. I don't know, but suddenly, I felt a tug at my heart when he mentioned someone who’s in his mind.

I stood there, heart pounding in my chest. The night was cool, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of jasmine. Shravan and I were about to part ways, yet something held me back. As he turned to leave, I impulsively grabbed his arm, spinning him around. Before he could react, I pulled him into a deep hug. My hand slipped up, unconsciously tracing the soft strands of his hair. He froze, his body stiffening slightly. I could feel his heartbeat quickening under my palm. For a moment, we stood there, lost in the intensity of the moment. It was as if the world had stopped turning, leaving only us and the soft glow of the moonlight.

I held onto him, my heart pounding in my chest. The feeling was both exhilarating and terrifying. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I knew I couldn’t let go. As I stood there, wrapped in his arms, I realized that I was starting to feel something for him, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was yet. Was it friendship? Or was there something more? I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the warmth of his body against mine.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally pulled away from Shravan. His eyes were wide, a mix of surprise and something else I couldn’t quite decipher. I looked away, feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks.

“I... I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I don’t know what came over me.”

Shravan smiled, a gentle expression that softened his features. “It’s okay,” he said. “It was... nice.”

I could feel my heart race. “Really?”

He nodded. “Really. I didn’t expect it, but I’m glad it happened.”

A wave of relief washed over me. I had been so afraid of his reaction. But he seemed to have taken it in stride.

As I walked back to the house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed between us. The hug had been more than just a physical gesture; it had been a connection, a moment of intimacy that had drawn us closer together. And as I looked at Shravan, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was starting to fall for him. But again, he had someone else in his mind... I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe talking to Dad would help? I’ve always shared my feelings with him or Preeti.

I think Preeti would be better, though, because Dad might get all angry when I tell him about our tiny moment together. I looked back to see Dad still talking with them, Lord knows about what. I sprang towards my home and reached out to Preeti. I walked in and went straight to Preeti’s room. She was doing something on her phone when I went and sat beside her in full speed. She nearly dropped her phone out of shock and widened her eyes at me.

“What happened, Di? Are you okay? Why—”

“Yes, I mean no! I don’t know what’s going on! I—I just don’t know what came into me and why I did that!” I was stammering and fumbling, not able to form even proper sentences.

“Di, what are you talking about? What did you do? You’re scaring me.” She sat straight, firmly gripping my shoulders and making me look at her.

“Preeti, before coming here…” And I started with everything—from the moment we had until my ‘I-don’t-know-why’ hug felt like the most right thing to me at that moment. She stood up and rotated me, gripping my shoulders in excitement. She just has her ways with Lord knows what.