UNBOUND

Plot

It was a warm September afternoon
She had retreated to a quiet corner of her favorite café, a place she frequented to escape the noise of the city. Her fingers idly flipped the pages of her book her eyes lost in the book, though she wasn't really reading. She was lost in thought, reflecting on the string of relationships she had been through, dates before -countless ones
none of which had ever truly sparked the kind of passion she yearned for,
something had always been missing. She never felt that deep, undeniable chemistry she yearned for. They had all been good on paper, but something had always felt absent. Chemistry. Connection. A spark.

Kiana sat alone in the café, sipping her iced coffee and skimming through a book. She had no intention of meeting anyone that day.

Then, Aditya walked in.

He noticed her almost immediately, as if some invisible force was pulling him toward her. There was something about her-the way she sat there, effortlessly beautiful, lost in her own world-that made it impossible for him to look away. Aditya wasn't usually one to approach strangers, but something about Kiana felt different.
From the moment he laid eyes on her, he was captivated by her beauty-her soft, flowing hair, the way her lips curved ever so slightly as she read. Without a second thought, Aditya approached her. His heart quickened as he made his way across the café, his mind racing with thoughts of how to introduce himself.

Aditya approached her table with a casual smile. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked, his voice smooth and inviting.

Kiana looked up, surprised by his confidence. "Uh, sure," she said, hesitant but intrigued.

"I noticed you from across the room," Aditya began, his eyes locking onto hers. "And I just had to come over. You're beautiful."

Kiana blushed, feeling something unfamiliar-a spark. She wasn't used to this kind of instant connection.
He was charming, but not in the rehearsed way that some men are. He was genuine.

As the conversation deepened, Aditya looked into her eyes and said, "You're different. There's something about you... something that makes me feel like I've known you forever."

"Thanks," she said, trying to play it cool.

They chatted, Aditya complimented her in a way that felt genuine, not just superficial. "You're like a masterpiece, carved by spirits," he said, "even though I don't believe in gods or anything, but for you... I might start praying."

Kiana blushed, not sure how to respond. She had never been so immediately drawn to someone, but a part of her was cautious. She had been through this before-the butterflies, the excitement-only for it to fizzle out later. So she tried to establish boundaries.

"Let's just be friends," she said softly, though her voice wavered slightly. A part of her wanted more, but the rational part of her mind was in control.

Aditya leaned back in his chair, studying her for a moment. Then, with a small smile, he said, "Alright. Just friends." But the way he said it, with a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes, made it clear that he knew this was just the beginning.

Over the next hour, they continued talking, laughing about the absurdities of life and the quirks of the world around them. At one point, Aditya looked at her and said, "I'm not a believer but some power must've had a hand in creating you. You're too perfect for it to be a coincidence."

Kiana's heart raced, but she quickly brushed off the comment with a laugh, not wanting to let her guard down just yet. She thanked him for the compliment, but in her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about the intensity of their connection.

It wasn't just attraction; it was as if his words ignited something deep inside her, a fire she had never felt with anyone else.

As they parted ways that day, Kiana couldn't shake the feeling that she had just met someone who could change her life. And even though she had tried to keep things casual, there was an undeniable spark between them-something she had never felt before. Walking home, she wondered if her attempts to keep him at arm's length were in vain. Something told her that this was just the beginning of a story far more complicated, and far more beautiful, than anything she had experienced before.

Kiana smiled but kept her guard up. Love was a dangerous thing, and she wasn't ready to fall again. Yet, something about Aditya was different. Despite her fears, she agreed to be friends, setting the boundaries she felt she needed. To seal the promise, she took him to her church, where they swore before God to keep things platonic. Aditya, ever the gentleman, respected her wishes, though his eyes always lingered just a little longer than a friend's might.