Fragrance of love

36. TUMHARE HE RAHENGE HAM

SARANSH

Ikshit came back, balancing a bowl of popcorn in one hand and cold drinks in the other, a grin plastered across his face. “Alright, snacks are here! So, what’s the movie plan?”

I leaned back a little, trying to keep the mood light despite the tension hanging in the air. “How about *Stree 2*? Heard it’s got a good mix of horror and comedy.”

Everyone seemed to agree, even Shanaya, though she just nodded slightly without saying much. I tried not to let that get to me, but it was hard. Ever since that argument, there’s been this invisible wall between us. She wasn’t the same around me anymore—distant, guarded.

We settled in, and I made sure to sit just a little closer to her on the sofa than usual, hoping it wouldn’t be too obvious. Ikshit was on my other side, already munching on the popcorn like it was his job. Shruti, who was always the peacemaker, grabbed the remote and hit play.

The movie started, and I threw in a light comment, trying to ease the awkwardness. “You know, if a ghost shows up in real life, don’t count on me to save anyone. I’d probably run faster than all of you.”

Shruti laughed, and even Ikshit chuckled. But Shanaya? Nothing. She didn’t even look at me. I swallowed my disappointment and focused on the screen, hoping that by the end of this movie, maybe... just maybe, things would thaw between us.

Minutes passed, and while the others seemed invested in the movie, my mind wandered. I kept stealing glances at Shanaya. She looked so peaceful, yet so far away. I missed the way she used to laugh at my jokes, the way she’d look at me like I was the only one in the room. Now, all I could see was a distance I didn’t know how to close.

The movie rolled on, the comedy parts getting a few laughs out of everyone, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to do more—say more. But the truth? I wasn’t ready to dive into all of that right now. Not when things were so fragile between us. Not when I had already hurt her with my words before.

I tried to focus on the movie, but deep down, I knew this wasn’t going to be enough. Something had to change. I had to break through this wall between us before it was too late.

I glanced at Shanaya just as that scene came on, the one where Rajkumar Rao’s character, Vicky, was dreaming about his love. He was taking her measurements, everything looking romantic and sweet, when suddenly, he caught a whiff of something off.

“Apne daru pi hai? Apka bewda roop dekha nhi kabhi,” Vicky said, and just as he was about to kiss her, BAM—he got slapped, only to wake up and realize he was about to kiss Rudra Bhaiya instead!

The room exploded with laughter. Even I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and for a second, it felt like the tension melted away. But what really caught me off guard was Shanaya. She laughed too—like really laughed, her eyes crinkling at the edges in that way that always made my heart skip a beat.

I couldn’t stop myself. I admired her in that moment, like my whole world was in that laugh, in the way her smile lit up the room. She turned her head toward me, and for a brief moment, our eyes locked. It was like the world stopped. I could feel every second stretch into eternity.

But just as quickly as it happened, she broke the eye contact, turning back to focus on the movie. I did the same, but my mind was stuck on that one fleeting glance, wondering if there was still a chance for us, or if that distance between us would remain.

The movie played on, but my mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of Shanaya. The moment grew even more intense when the romantic song *Tumhare Hai Tumhare The Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum* began softly playing in the background. The melody felt like it was wrapping around us, the lyrics sinking into my heart.