When Hearts Collide

|•Chapter 16•|

**Naina’s POV**

Walking back toward the house with Ekansh felt like walking toward the edge of a cliff. The weight of the conversation we had overheard still hung in the air between us, making my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation. We had spent years carefully avoiding any romantic implications in our friendship, and now our parents were casually planning a future we hadn’t even begun to consider.

But now, there was no turning back. We had made the decision to tell them the truth—our truth. That whatever was happening between us wasn’t something they could control or plan. It was something that needed time, something that had to unfold naturally, on our own terms.

As we stepped back into the living room, the hum of conversation continued, oblivious to what we had just overheard. Our parents sat around the coffee table, discussing business as if they hadn’t just been talking about us like we were some kind of arranged deal.

“Naina, Ekansh! You’re back,” my mother said with a smile. She looked so serene, completely unaware of the storm brewing in my chest.

I glanced at Ekansh, who gave me a small nod. It was now or never.

“Actually, Maa, we need to talk to you all,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. My mother’s smile faltered, and the room grew quiet as all eyes turned to us.

“What is it, beta?” my father asked, his tone cautious.

I looked at Ekansh again, silently asking him if he wanted to start, but he gave me a reassuring look as if to say we were in this together.

“Dad, we overheard your conversation,” Ekansh said, his voice calm but firm. “About Naina and me.”

The expressions on our parents’ faces shifted from confusion to realization. My mother and father exchanged nervous glances, while Ekansh’s parents shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“What do you mean, overheard?” Ekansh’s father asked, his brow furrowing.

“We heard you talking about… about the idea of us being together,” I said, my voice softer now. “As if it’s something you can plan, like a business decision.”

There was a stunned silence. I could see the shock on their faces, as if they hadn’t realized we might have our own thoughts and feelings about something so personal.

“Naina, beta, it’s not like that,” my mother began, her tone gentle. “We weren’t trying to push anything on you two. We just… we’ve seen how close you are, and we thought—”

“With all due respect, Maa,” I interrupted, my heart pounding, “this isn’t something you can decide for us. Yes, Ekansh and I are close. But whatever is happening between us, it’s not something you can force or plan. We need to figure it out for ourselves.”

Ekansh stepped forward, his hand brushing mine briefly, a silent show of support. “We’re not saying there isn’t something between us,” he added, his gaze steady on his parents. “But we need time to figure out what that is, and we don’t want the pressure of everyone else’s expectations.”