Shuttles And Stars

Neeraj

The mall was buzzing with weekend activity when I spotted Sia. She was here for shopping, and from the way her face lit up when she saw me, I knew this was going to be an interesting day. Meera, being Meera, gave Sia a teasing nudge before wandering off to enjoy her time with Abhimanyu. It was clear she was pushing us together on purpose, but I didn’t mind.

Shopping with Sia turned out to be... well, revealing in more ways than one. She practically breezed through the store, but I noticed something strange: she wasn’t picking anything for herself. Instead, she was piling up gifts for her family—her mom, her younger sister, her dad, even her younger brother. She didn’t stop there either. She got something for Meera and Netra too. The amount of thought she put into each gift showed just how much she cared about the people in her life.

“Are you going to buy anything for yourself?” I asked, watching as she picked up a dress, admired it for a second, and then placed it back on the rack.

Sia shook her head. “No, I’m good. I don’t need anything.”

I frowned. “But you liked that one, didn’t you?”

She smiled a little, but her reply was firm. “Maybe, but it’s not important.”

As she moved on, I quickly doubled back and grabbed the dress she liked. There was no way I was letting her leave without it, but I wasn’t going to give it to her just yet. Instead, I had it wrapped and tucked away, hidden from her view. It was a small gesture, but something told me it would matter to her later.

The shopping spree was fun, and for the first time in a while, I saw Sia genuinely relaxed. It was like a weight had been lifted from her. And when she suggested we go to the club later, I was all in. It had been a long time since I’d seen her in such high spirits, and I wanted to make sure the night stayed fun.

The club was packed, but the four of us—Meera, Abhimanyu, Sia, and I—found our own corner to enjoy the night. Sia and I stuck to non-alcoholic drinks, but Meera and Abhimanyu decided to go all in. We laughed and chatted, and everything was going smoothly... until I noticed Sia giggling uncontrollably after finishing her orange juice.

“Sia... you okay?” I asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She blinked at me with wide eyes, her smile crooked and slightly mischievous. “Neeraj... why is the floor spinning?”

My stomach dropped. “Oh no. Did you... drink something else?”

She giggled again, swaying a little. “Nope! Just orange juice... I think.” She raised an eyebrow, looking confused but happy.

That’s when it hit me. Someone had spiked her drink. Whisky. Dammit.

“Sia, you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk,” she protested, her voice loud and bubbly. “I’m just... floating!”

She was like a little kid—wild and carefree. It was kind of adorable, in a way, watching her stumble around, pointing at random things, laughing at jokes that didn’t make sense. She even tried to dance at one point, though it was more of a chaotic shuffle than actual dancing. I spent most of the time making sure she didn’t trip over her own feet.

When it was clear that Sia had no control over herself, I decided it was time to leave. Abhimanyu and Meera were already asleep in the backseat, oblivious to the chaos that was Sia in her drunken state. As we drove, she kept poking me, asking random questions and then giggling like it was the funniest thing ever.

Suddenly, she growled and pointed at the window. “Stop the car!”

I pulled over in front of the Red Fort, worried something was wrong. Before I could even ask what she was doing, she bolted out of the car, running towards the majestic building. I quickly followed, not sure what to expect.

“These buildings... this sky... they want me,” she declared dramatically, waving her arms at the vastness above us. “I’m part of them!”

I chuckled, catching up to her just as she turned and threw her arms around me, catching me completely off guard.

“And you,” she said, her voice soft but full of emotion. “These skies... they’re colorless without you.”

My heart skipped a beat. Her words, though spoken in a drunken haze, felt oddly genuine. She held onto me for a second longer before pulling back, her eyes sparkling under the night sky. In that moment, I saw a different side of Sia—the side she hid so well behind her tough exterior. She wasn’t just strong, she was vulnerable too, and she had this bubbly, almost childlike side to her that rarely came out.

We walked for a bit, her energy still high, and at one point, she tried to climb a bench, nearly tripping over her own feet. I caught her just in time, and she burst into laughter, not at all embarrassed. There was something so freeing about seeing her like this, carefree and happy, even if it was just for a little while.

Eventually, I managed to get her back in the car and drive her home. I carried her to her room and laid her down gently, making sure she was comfortable. Abhimanyu and Meera were out cold, so I crashed on the couch, my mind still reeling from the night.

As I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help but smile. Sia’s drunken confession, her bubbly antics... everything about tonight had made me realize something. I didn’t just like her. I was falling for her, hard.

But for now, I was content to let her sleep, knowing that when she woke up, she’d probably have no memory of calling me her sky. And maybe, that was for the best. For now.