The Heart's Unexpected Twist

•||CHAPTER 25||•

The day had unfolded like a soft breeze, gentle but with an undercurrent of something unspoken. Shruti had finally managed to peel herself away from the suffocating deadlines of her internship-keyword research, blog posts, article designs, scripts-things she had buried herself in for days, trying to catch up with time that always seemed to slip away. And today, she had promised herself a break. Not just from work, but from the thoughts that chased her, thoughts of being enough, of doing enough. Today, she had Sahil.

They met at the corner of their usual spot, the fast-food joint that was always alive with the buzz of people and the scent of fries sizzling in oil. The sky overhead was painted in shades of orange and pink, the kind of evening that made everything feel a little more possible, a little lighter. Sahil stood there, his usual calm demeanour grounding her as she walked toward him, dressed in her maroon top and white jeans. She felt the weight of the day lift slightly, though the back of her mind still buzzed with thoughts of what to get for Riddhi's birthday.

A dress, she had thought. But lately, earrings had crossed her mind-something delicate, something that would remind Riddhi of their sisterly bond every time she wore them. But Shruti couldn't decide, and it nagged at her.

Sahil seemed to notice her distracted thoughts. As they sat down with their burgers, fries, and a single cold drink with two straws poking out of the top, he grinned at her. "Hey, stop overthinking. You're doing great," he said, nudging her arm lightly.

She smiled, but it was a fleeting thing. She took a sip of the cold drink, her lips touching the straw, and before she could put it down, Sahil leaned in and took a sip from the same straw, making her blush slightly. There was something sweet in the simplicity of it, in the closeness that didn't need words.

But then Sahil, sensing she was still lost in thought, decided to distract her in his usual playful way. His fingers reached out, tickling her side without warning. Shruti jumped, her laugh breaking the quiet concentration she'd been stuck in.

"Sahil! Stop!" she yelped, swatting at him, but the laughter bubbling up from her chest was too strong. He didn't stop, though, and in her fit of giggles, she twisted herself around, pulling him into a back hug, wrapping his arms around her waist to stop the tickling. "There. You're not going anywhere now," she declared, triumphant, as his arms encircled her.

He laughed softly against her shoulder, and for a moment, they stood there like that, the world outside the two of them fading into something distant. The bustling fast-food joint seemed miles away as they held each other, and Shruti felt something deeper than just the playful teasing between them. It was as though in that hug, she had found an anchor.

After finishing their food, they decided to take a walk to the nearby park. The air had cooled, and the trees cast long shadows across the path. Hand in hand, they walked, their fingers interlaced, a quiet comfort between them. As they reached a secluded bench, Shruti stopped. Her heart raced slightly, and before she could talk herself out of it, she turned to Sahil and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him close.

For the first time, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, the gesture small but filled with more than she could ever put into words. Sahil, surprised but smiling, hugged her back, his cheek brushing against hers. His hand reached up to her face, tilting it slightly as he kissed her cheek in return, planting not one but a few playful kisses, and then, with a grin, he nipped her cheek lightly with his teeth. "You're too cute," he said, his voice soft but teasing.

Shruti felt her face flush, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she laughed, the sound full of happiness. There was something freeing in that moment, in being with Sahil, in knowing she didn't have to be anything other than who she was.

They continued their walk, their steps slow and unhurried. The evening had settled into a comfortable rhythm around them, and the park felt like a small haven, just for the two of them. As they walked, Sahil kept their hands intertwined, swinging them slightly between their steps.

But then, Shruti spotted something on the path in front of them-a snail, moving sluggishly across the pavement. Without thinking, she let out a loud shriek. "Mummy!" she yelped, jumping back instinctively.

Sahil burst into laughter, doubling over at her reaction. "Shruti, it's just a snail!" he teased, his laughter ringing through the quiet park.

She pouted, still eyeing the creature with a mixture of disgust and horror. "I don't care. Those things are creepy!" she shot back, crossing her arms defensively.

Sahil wiped away a tear of laughter and shook his head. "You know," he said, trying to hold back another laugh, "you look like a total RAW agent in that maroon top and white jeans, but then you scream at a snail? Really?"

Shruti couldn't help but laugh, despite herself. "Shut up, Sahil," she said, nudging him with her shoulder. But there was no malice in her words, only affection.

As the evening stretched on, they continued walking, hand in hand, their conversation easy and light. The sky above them deepened into a twilight blue, and for a while, everything felt perfect. But beneath the surface of their laughter, of their shared moments, there was a quiet feeling-an unspoken sense that something had shifted between them. Something new, something uncharted.

And as they left the park, walking side by side, Shruti felt that pull again-the one she couldn't quite name, the one that whispered of possibilities, of the unknown. Tomorrow, perhaps, she will understand it. But for now, she let herself be content in the mystery of the moment.