Hearts In Harmony

36 | My heart.

| AUTHOR |

"Ack!"

Vikram groaned as Kiara dabbed the alcohol-soaked cotton on the cut on his cheekbone, pressing down harder than necessary. "Ahh! Be gentle, bandar!" he yelled.

Kiara gave him a look, rolling her eyes. "Man up, can’t handle a little pain?" she muttered, blowing lightly on the cut.

Vikram's gaze shifted to Reshmi, who was watching him with a soft expression. His eyes dropped to his bruised knuckles, still processing how he’d crossed that line today—for her.

"Are men not human? We feel pain too... we aren't machines," he murmured, his words more for Reshmi than Kiara.

Reshmi shifted in her seat, her eyes never leaving Vikram’s battered form. She bit her lip, then finally spoke, her voice soft but laced with concern.

"If you knew you'd get hurt, then why did you fight with Prateek?" she asked, her eyes searching his face.

Vikram's gaze flicked toward her, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything. Kiara continued tending to his cuts, but Vikram barely noticed. He sighed, leaning back against the wall, his bruised knuckles resting on his lap.

“Yeah, why did you pick a fight with him?” Kiara questioned.

"He couldn’t just stand there and listen to him talk about you like that," Angad said, looking at his reddened knuckle with a small pout.

Kiara’s head snapped toward Angad, eyes narrowing. "Wait, what did he say about Reshmi?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

Angad, unfazed, simply shrugged, casually flexing his sore knuckle. "I don’t know the details, man. Vikram's the one who heard it all."

Kiara's eyes widened as she turned her attention back to Vikram, ready to grill him. "What did Prateek say about Resh—"

But before she could finish, Vikram abruptly stood up, yanking his arm away from Kiara's grasp. His jaw tightened, and without saying a word, he started walking away, his posture tense.

"Vikram!" Kiara called after him, frustration evident in her tone.

He didn’t stop, though. Just before he reached the door, he threw one last glance over his shoulder at Reshmi—his eyes dark with emotion—before turning away completely and disappearing out of sight.

Reshmi sat there, stunned, her heart thudding in her chest. Something twisted inside her, knowing that Vikram had fought, gotten hurt, all because of something someone said about her. But what exactly? And why wouldn’t he just tell her?

Kiara let out an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands up. "Great. Now I’m curious, and he’s all moody!"

Angad chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Moody or not, the guy’s head over heels. That much is obvious." He gave Reshmi a pointed look, raising an eyebrow.

Reshmi lowered her gaze, unsure how to respond, her thoughts a jumbled mess of guilt, confusion, and something deeper she wasn’t ready to admit.

Reshmi suddenly stood up and ran out of the room without saying a word, leaving Kiara to glance at Angad, confused. "Who's head over heels here?" she asked, frowning.

Angad rolled his eyes dramatically. "Tu abhi bachi hai, akal ki thodi kachi hai," he said with a smirk, getting ready to lie down on the bench.

Before he could relax, Kiara grabbed his swollen knuckles, and Angad’s eyes widened in panic. "W-wait, what are you doing?" he stammered, trying to pull his hand back, but she tightened her grip, that mischievous smirk plastered on her face.