𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

Chapter 40 - The dance

❝Aankho Mein Aankhe Teri
Bahoo Mein Bahe Teri
Mera Na Mujh Mein Kuch Raha
Hua Kya❞

Akshit's Pov

I stood on the dry terrace, watching her stand under the rain. She closed her eyes, her face turned up toward the sky. Despite the discomfort the rain brought me, I couldn't look away. It was clear how much she loved it, how alive she seemed in the downpour. I stood frozen, watching droplets clinging to her hair, her clothes molding to her skin as if the rain itself adored her. She was beautiful-too beautiful for someone like me.

My heart ached with a quiet longing-I hated the rain, but for her, I would stand in the storm. The rain poured down around her, drenching everything in its path, but she didn't seem to mind. If anything, she welcomed it.

Suddenly she turned to face me, eyes squinting against the relentless rain and it made my heart stutter. She took a step closer, still in the downpour, and the sound of her voice, soft and a little breathless, reached me through the rhythm of the storm. "Will you dance with me?," her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, as though she feared rejection.

My feet were rooted in place. Part of me wanted to move, to step into the rain and join her, but the other part of me hesitated. There was something about this moment-her vulnerability, the way she asked, the way she looked at me-that made it feel heavier, like more was at stake than just a simple dance.

Despite the tug war inside me and all the memories trying to come forward of my mind, i decide to fulfill her wish. Without a word, I stepped forward, out from the shelter, feeling the cold drops immediately soak through my clothes, goosebumps spreading around the body with a sick feeling. She noticed me then, her eyes widening in surprise, as if she hadn't expected me to follow.

I stopped just inches away, close enough to feel the warmth of her despite the cold rain between us.

My hand brushing the wet strands of hair from her face. I didn't need words to express how out of place I felt in this moment, but something in her eyes pulled me in.

My lips curve into the faintest smile, and without thinking, I reach for her hand. "I can't dance," I murmured, almost apologetically.

She smiled at that, her hand slipping into mine with ease. "Then just hold me and sing for me. Will you?" she asked, her voice soft and inviting.

The rain pattered softly against the terrace, a rhythmic sound that should have soothed me. "Akshit," she called, holding my hand. Her eyes sparkled, not a trace of hesitation in them, just trust. It scared me how easily she pulled me into her world. She gives me a smile, her smile undid every last bit of resistance.

The rain soaked through my clothes, cold and biting against my skin, and memories I'd rather forget flooded back. I hated the rain-had hated it ever since that day. But here I was, stepping into it for her. Always for her.

She rested her head on my chest, my hand trembling slightly as I placed it on the small of her back. Her warmth fought against the cold seeping through my bones, grounding me when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

I start humming the song "tum se hi." It was a song I had once heard her hum absentmindedly during a rainy day.

"Tum se hi din hota hai..."

The words came naturally, each note heavy with the weight of a thousand unspoken feelings. I could feel her heart beating against mine, her breath steady and calm as she moved with me, swayed in my arms.

"Tum se hi raat aati hai..."

Tears threatened to escape, and I let them fall. The rain would hide them, after all. But I couldn't hide the ache in my chest, the way my throat tightened with every word. My tears mixed with the rain, the drops rolling off my face but Tiara-she wouldn't know. She couldn't. Only the burning in my eyes betrayed me, the heaviness that hung between us growing unbearable.