YOU AND ME

Amina

Grandma's hands worked through my hair, massaging with a tenderness that only years of love and wisdom could offer. The scent of jasmine oil filled the room, soothing me despite the weight of everything swirling in my mind.

"You must clear your heart of worry, Amina. Only then will you find peace," Grandma said softly, her voice like a gentle breeze.

I sighed, leaning back into her comforting touch. "I wish I could, Grandma. It's just... everything with Priya, the engagement, the family pressure—it's overwhelming."

She paused, her fingers stilling for a moment. "There are battles you fight with your head, and there are those you fight with your heart. You know which one this is, right?"

Before I could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. Priya entered, her face pale and eyes red. She hesitated at the doorway, clutching her hands together.

"Can I come in?" she whispered.

Grandma gave me a knowing look and rose from her seat. "I’ll leave you both to talk," she said, patting my shoulder. As she left, she gave Priya a kind, encouraging smile.

Priya took a deep breath and approached slowly, sitting beside me on the bed. "Didi... I'm so sorry," she said, her voice trembling.

"For what?" I asked gently, though I already knew.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "For calling you a liar. I let myself believe Arjun’s lies... I was so desperate to think he was everything I needed that I ignored the truth." Her voice cracked. "You were trying to protect me, and I didn’t listen. I'm sorry."

I placed a hand on her knee. "Priya, it's okay. I understand. You believed someone you thought cared about you. It happens. But don’t ever doubt yourself again for the sake of someone who doesn’t deserve your trust."

She nodded, sniffling. "I just... I was so scared of disappointing everyone. I thought if I didn’t go through with the marriage, I would be letting the family down."

"Priya, the only person you need to make happy is yourself. You deserve a life that’s yours, not one decided for you by others."

Priya hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Didi."

After a few moments, she pulled away, wiping her tears. "I should go. You need rest."

She left quietly, leaving me in the room with a mix of relief and sadness.

Moments later, Ayush walked in. His eyes were clouded with guilt as he sat beside me, carefully unwrapping the bandage on my chest. The cut from the confrontation still stung, but I hardly noticed the physical pain anymore. It was the guilt in his eyes that hurt me most.

"I'm sorry, Amina. I should've protected you better," he murmured, his fingers trembling slightly as he applied a fresh bandage.

I placed my hand over his, stopping him for a moment. "It’s not your fault, Ayush. You were there when I needed you."

He shook his head, his voice low and thick with emotion. "I should’ve been stronger, should’ve stopped everything before it got this far."

He finished dressing the wound, but instead of pulling away, he leaned closer, his forehead gently resting against mine. His breath was warm, and I could feel the weight of his guilt in every exhale.

I smiled softly, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you kiss your exes this deeply?" I teased, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ayush let out a soft chuckle, his lips curving into a small smile. "Exes? I didn’t have time for any of that, remember? Between work and my mom’s idea of the perfect daughter-in-law, there wasn’t space for dating."

I blinked in surprise. "But you're so... good in bed."

He laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest. "At least we’re both each other's firsts then."

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "Not exactly. I dated before. Had a few exes."

He pulled back slightly, his brows furrowed in surprise. "Wait, but when we... you were a virgin."

I nodded, looking him in the eyes. "Yes, Ayush. I’m a Christian, remember? No sleeping with anyone before marriage."

He groaned, leaning back, a mix of jealousy and frustration crossing his face. "So you dated other guys, but never—"

"Exactly," I cut him off, placing a hand on his chest. "But you’re the only one I’ve ever been with, Ayush. No one else. It was always going to be you."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know... it’s just... I hate the thought of you with anyone else."

I smiled, pulling him closer again. "Well, you don’t have to worry about that. You’re stuck with me now."

Ayush looked at me with a soft, tender expression before closing the space between us, pressing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. His hands moved to cradle my face, and for a moment, the world outside our small, quiet room melted away. It was just him and me, bound together by love, guilt, and an unspoken promise to protect each other from the chaos beyond these walls.

Ayush is sitting on the bed, gesturing animatedly as he recounts an event from his college days. I lean against the headboard, watching him with a smile, completely absorbed by the way he talks. He’s telling me this hilarious story about the time he and his friends tried to sneak a goat into their dorm as part of some ridiculous prank.

“So, there we were,” Ayush says, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “We had no idea how to hide the goat, and it just kept bleating louder and louder.  Raj, starts freaking out, thinking the whole dorm’s going to catch us.”

I can't help but laugh as he continues. “And the goat, oh my god, the goat just stops dead in front of our room, like it knows it’s part of something big. Then it charges at Raj! He jumps on top of the bed, screaming like a maniac, and we’re all trying to hold in our laughter.”

I watch the way his eyes crinkle at the corners, the pure joy in his voice. Every word he says fills me with warmth, and I can’t stop staring at him. How did I get so lucky? To have this beautiful man in my life—someone who makes me laugh like this, who loves me so completely?

Ayush pauses, noticing how quiet I’ve gone, his head tilting in curiosity. “What?” he asks with a soft grin. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

I feel a blush creep up my neck, but I don’t look away. “It’s just… the way you tell stories. The way you light up when you talk about your past. It makes me so happy. You’re amazing, Ayush.”

He blinks, taken aback for a moment, then his grin grows wider. “You think so?” he teases, leaning closer.

I nod, biting my lip to keep from smiling too much. “Yes. You’re the most wonderful, beautiful man. And every time you talk, I fall for you all over again.”

Ayush’s expression softens, and suddenly, his playful teasing turns into something more tender. “You always know how to make me feel special, Amina.”

He moves closer, cupping my face with his hands before placing soft, gentle kisses across my cheeks, my nose, and my forehead. I giggle, swatting at him playfully, but the warmth in my chest grows as he pulls me into his arms.

“You’re the special one,” he whispers, tossing me gently onto the bed, laughter bubbling up between us. His kisses turn playful again as he showers them over my face, making me feel so deeply loved in this moment.