Meant to be

LOVE

Saina tossed and turned under her blanket, her mind clouded with images she couldn't control. The dim light filtering through her curtains painted the room in soft shadows, but in her dream, everything was sharp, vivid.

She stood in a deserted street, rain pouring down. It was cold, the droplets soaking through her saree, but that wasn't what sent shivers up her spine. It was him—Ashish.

He was there, just a few steps away, his shirt clinging to his chest, hair dripping with rainwater. The usual smirk that drove her crazy—no, infuriated her—was missing. Instead, his eyes were fixed on her, intense and unreadable.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shaky, not as sharp as she intended.

Ashish didn't answer. He stepped closer, the distance between them closing with each step. Saina's heart pounded, her pulse quickening in a way she hated. She should push him away, tell him to back off. They weren't friends, let alone anything more. But her body refused to move.

Suddenly, his hand reached out, brushing a wet strand of hair away from her face, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. The heat of his touch burned despite the cold rain.

"You drive me insane," he murmured, his voice low, rough.

Saina swallowed hard. Her breath hitched as he leaned in, his lips barely inches from hers. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to wake up, to end this... but instead, she found herself leaning forward, closing the gap.

The kiss was soft at first,  but quickly turned desperate, full of the unspoken tension that had always simmered between them. She felt the warmth of his body against hers, the world fading as her hands found their way to his damp collar, pulling him closer. His hand started to move in upward direction from her waist to her breast he pinched her breast harder hearing a moan from her his hands started to roam all over her skin ,him giving her hickeys all over her neck,  sensually he started to remove her blouse's  strings

Then suddenly, she woke.

Her eyes snapped open, her heart still racing as if she had run a marathon. The soft sheets around her felt like chains, holding her down as she stared at the ceiling, trying to catch her breath. Her mind struggled to shake off the dream, but the feeling of Ashish's lips lingered.

She sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair.

She glanced at her phone, groaning at the realization she had to see him this night. 

ON THE OTHER SIDE

Saina stood across from him, her back turned, her long hair flowing in soft waves, the way it always did when she wasn't paying attention. She was wearing a loose, flowing dress, the fabric clinging in all the right places, revealing just enough to make his pulse quicken. There was something about the way she moved—graceful, unbothered, like she didn't even know the power she had over him.

But she did. She had to.

Ashish's hands clenched into fists, his breathing uneven. She was always just out of reach, always taunting him, always making him feel like he was the one losing control. And he hated it. Or at least, he told himself he did.

Without thinking, he took a step toward her. The sound of his shoes on the hardwood echoed through the room, and she turned. Her eyes met his, that same piercing gaze that always cut right through him, as if she could see the mess he was underneath the cool exterior. But this time, there was no smirk, no challenge. Instead, her eyes softened, the corners of her lips curving into a smile that made his heart stutter.

Saina took a step toward him, and suddenly, the space between them vanished. Ashish couldn't stop himself anymore—he reached out, his fingers grazing her arm. The warmth of her skin sent a jolt through him, and before he knew it, he had her pulled close, his hands gripping her waist tightly, possessively.