Shuttles And Stars

Neeraj

The next morning, I woke up on Sia’s couch, the early sunlight filtering in through the curtains. The night before still felt like a blur, and I wasn’t sure how much Sia would remember. I stretched, my muscles sore from carrying her to her room, but I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my face. She’d been like a whirlwind—chaotic, fun, and completely uninhibited.

I walked quietly to the kitchen, making a cup of coffee. The place was peaceful now, but I could hear soft footsteps coming from Sia’s room. She must’ve been waking up, and I wondered how she was going to react to everything that happened. Would she remember hugging me? Telling me that the sky was colorless without me?

Soon, Meera shuffled into the room, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She saw me and raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Well, someone had a wild night."

I shrugged, trying to play it off. “You missed it. Sia was—”

“I know exactly how Sia was,” Meera cut me off, grinning. “I heard some of it before passing out. She must’ve been a handful.”

I nodded, sipping my coffee. “Yeah, she was... but it wasn’t bad. Actually, it was kind of... nice. She let loose a bit, showed a side of herself she usually hides.”

Meera smirked knowingly, like she was seeing something I wasn’t ready to admit yet. Before she could say more, the door to Sia’s room creaked open, and there she was, standing in the doorway, looking a little disoriented. Her hair was messy, and she had that confused, post-party look, like she was trying to piece together the events of the night.

"Morning," I said casually, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Morning," she replied, her voice slightly hoarse. She rubbed her head, wincing. "Ugh, what did I drink last night?"

Meera burst out laughing. "Oh, Sia. You accidentally drank whisky—mixed in with your orange juice. Neeraj here had to babysit you all night."

Sia’s eyes widened in horror as she looked at me. "I… I didn’t!"

I nodded, giving her a small smile. "You did. Don’t worry, though. It wasn’t that bad."

Sia groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Oh no... please tell me I didn’t do anything stupid."

I exchanged a quick glance with Meera, deciding to spare her the embarrassing details. "You were... funny, actually. Kind of adorable."

She peeked at me through her fingers, clearly mortified. "Adorable? What did I do?"

Meera chimed in, clearly enjoying Sia’s discomfort. "You ran out in front of the Red Fort and declared that the sky wanted you. Oh, and you hugged Neeraj, telling him the sky was colorless without him."

Sia’s face turned beet red as she stared at me in disbelief. "I said that?"

I just smiled, trying to ease her embarrassment. "Yeah, but don’t worry about it. It was... sweet."

She groaned again, burying her face in her hands. "I’m never drinking anything orange again."

Meera laughed, while I couldn’t help but feel a warmth spreading through me. Sure, she was embarrassed, but last night had shown me a side of her that I wanted to know more about. Beneath all her strength and stubbornness, Sia was vulnerable and funny, even if she tried to hide it.

After a bit more teasing from Meera, we all settled into the living room. Abhimanyu eventually woke up and joined us, his usual laid-back attitude in full force. It felt comfortable, being there with them, like we were all part of the same circle, even though Sia and I still had this unspoken tension between us.

As the day went on, I found myself thinking more and more about her. The way she’d acted last night—so carefree and open—was a side of Sia I hadn’t seen before. And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I wanted to see more of that side. I wanted to know her, the real her, not just the version she showed the world.

Eventually, when it was time for me and Abhimanyu to leave, Sia walked us to the door. She was still a little shy around me after last night’s antics, but she seemed more at ease.

“Thanks for... you know, taking care of me,” she said quietly, her eyes not quite meeting mine.

I smiled at her. “Anytime. You don’t need to thank me for that.”

She hesitated for a moment, and I could see there was something she wanted to say, but she didn’t. Instead, she just gave me a small smile before stepping back into the house.

As Abhimanyu and I headed back to the apartment, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. About how much she meant to me, and how much I was starting to realize it.

Abhimanyu, ever the observant one, nudged me as we drove. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

I glanced at him, pretending not to know what he meant. “Got what bad?”

He just grinned, shaking his head. “Man, you’re falling for her. And trust me, you’re not fooling anyone.”

I didn’t reply, but I knew he was right. I was falling for her. Hard.