Shuttles And Stars

Sia

It was late afternoon when I finally woke up, the soft light of the setting sun filtering through the curtains. My body ached from being in one position too long, and I felt disoriented. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I realized the living room was eerily quiet. I rubbed my eyes and looked around, but Neeraj was nowhere to be found.

For a moment, I felt an irrational pang of... something. Worry? Disappointment? Why hadn’t he woken me up before leaving?

I sat up, pulling the blanket off me. My thoughts raced. Did something happen? Just as I was about to grab my phone, Meera walked in from the hallway, towel still wrapped around her hair.

"Hey, you’re finally awake," she said with a grin. "How’s the nap?"

"It was fine," I muttered, still glancing around as if Neeraj would magically reappear. "Where’s Neeraj?"

Meera raised an eyebrow, catching the tension in my voice. "Oh, he left a while ago. They were running late, and he didn’t want to wake you up."

I felt a wave of relief mixed with mild frustration. He could’ve at least said goodbye. But then again, maybe it was better this way. I was still figuring out what all of this meant.

Meera seemed to be observing me closely. "What’s going on, Sia? You seem... off. Is it because Neeraj left?"

I hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much. But Meera had a way of getting things out of me, no matter how hard I tried to keep them in.

"It’s nothing," I said, but Meera wasn’t buying it. Her gaze narrowed, and she sat down beside me on the couch, waiting.

I sighed. "Okay, fine. We were talking before you guys came back, and... he did the dressing for my wound, and we—" I paused, feeling the awkwardness settle in. "We almost kissed. But then Netra came home and interrupted. And later... he whispered something to me in the kitchen."

Meera’s eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter. "You and Neeraj! Almost kissing? Oh my god, this is getting juicy."

I rolled my eyes, even though I couldn’t help but smile. "It’s not funny, Meera."

"Oh, it’s hilarious," she said between giggles. "But seriously, it happens, you know? You’ve both been through a lot. You’re close. It’s natural that you’d have moments like that. But don’t stress over it."

"I’m not stressing," I lied. "I just... don’t know what to think."

Meera’s expression softened. "Take your time. You don’t have to rush into anything. Just because you almost kissed doesn’t mean you have to make some big decision about what you two are. Get to know each other first. And if you find out you don’t like him that way, that’s okay too. No pressure."

I nodded slowly, absorbing her words. She was right. I needed to breathe. It was easy to get swept up in the moment, but I wasn’t ready to deal with the emotional fallout of rushing into something with Neeraj.

"But," Meera added, her tone serious now, "just be careful around Col. Rajput. If he catches wind of anything between you and Neeraj, things could get... complicated. You know how strict he is. Best to keep things low-key for now."

A chill ran down my spine at the mention of Col. Rajput. His reputation preceded him—strict, unbending, and very watchful. I couldn’t afford to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, especially while I was still recovering. I gave Meera a quick nod, understanding the weight of her warning.

That’s when the door opened, and Netra walked in, her face glowing with excitement. "Guess what, guys?"

Meera and I both looked at her, curious. Netra grinned widely. "Vikram and I are dating now! And... I’m going out for dinner with him tonight!"

A burst of joy lit up the room as Meera and I cheered, congratulating her. Meera pulled Netra into a hug, and I clapped my hands in excitement. It felt good to have a moment of lightness after everything that had been going on.

"Finally!" Meera teased. "It was about time you two made it official."

Netra blushed, clearly happy. "Yeah, I know. It feels... right."

"Enjoy your dinner," I told her with a wink. "You deserve it."

---

Later that evening, after Netra left for her date, Meera convinced me to go for a walk. It had been a while since I’d gone outside properly, and she was right—it felt good to get some fresh air.

We walked slowly, side by side, talking about everything and nothing. But then Meera turned to me with a question that had been on her mind.

"So, have you told Neeraj about the attack?"

Her words hit me like a sudden gust of wind. I looked away, shaking my head. "No. I don’t want to burden him with that. I’m trying to keep him... separate from that part of my life."

Meera nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. But you know he’ll find out eventually, right? He cares about you. You can’t shut him out forever."

"I know," I said softly, "but for now, I just want to keep him away from everything that’s messy in my life. He deserves better than to be dragged into my chaos."

Meera didn’t press further, respecting my choice. We walked in silence for a bit until her phone buzzed. She glanced at it and grinned.

"Neeraj’s interview is tomorrow night, 9 PM on Aaj Tak," she said, showing me the notification. "We should watch it."

I shrugged, pretending not to care, though a part of me was curious. "Maybe. I’m not that interested."

Meera gave me a knowing look. "Yeah, right. Let’s see how long you can pretend not to care."

---

As we headed back to the quarters, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions swirling inside me. My life felt like it was at a crossroads. Neeraj, the attack, my recovery... everything was tangled, and I wasn’t sure how to unravel it all.

But one thing was clear—I couldn’t avoid Neeraj forever. Whether I liked it or not, he was becoming a part of my life, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing yet.

For now, I’d take Meera’s advice: take my time, figure things out, and not rush into anything. And tomorrow night... maybe I’d watch that interview after all.