Nothing In This World

|5| The First Warmth

Arya

The bus rumbled to life beneath us, and I sank back into my seat, feeling equal parts excitement and nerves. It was my first time taking a bus this far-three whole hours on a triple-seater. I had the window, which felt like a small victory. Beside me sat Ishaan, and beside him, his best friend, Veer, who had the calmest expression I'd ever seen. Veer was the complete opposite of Ishaan: cool and composed, with a quiet confidence that was hard to miss. The way he carried himself made him seem older than us, almost like he was somehow above the fray of college life.

As the bus lurched forwaard, I tried to settle in, taking in the dusty streets and the flashes of color from the storefronts we passed. The boys were chatting about school, recalling moments that were so vivid, it felt like they were reliving them right there in the cramped seats. The way they bantered, slipping in and out of memories, made me feel like I'd known them both forever.

The bus had barely left the station when Ishaan nudged me, pointing out the crowded market we passed. "Hey, remember when we went to the food fest last year and you almost fell over trying to grab that pani puri?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help laughing. "Correction, you knocked me into the stall, and I barely survived the assault of pani puri water everywhere!"

Veer chuckled beside him, shaking his head. "Do you guys always fight like this? Always in some kind of chaos."

"Please," Ishaan snorted, leaning back and crossing his arms, a smirk on his face. "Arya's the one who creates the chaos. I'm just there to pick up the pieces."

"Oh, right," I replied, raising an eyebrow, "like the time you 'accidentally' swapped our backpacks and nearly got me in trouble?"

Veer grinned, looking between us with a bemused expression. "I'm starting to think it was Ishaan who got into trouble more often because of you, Arya."

"Oh, absolutely," I said, matching Veer's smirk. "I kept him on his toes all through school. He owes his stamina to me."

We all laughed, and for a moment, it felt like old times, with no tension or weight between us. But then Ishaan's face softened, and he turned to me, a little more serious this time.

"Hey, Arya... can I tell you something?"

I raised an eyebrow, expecting another joke or tease. "What is it?"

Ishaan hesitated, glancing at Veer, who gave him a small nod. He took a breath, and his gaze shifted back to me, softer and more vulnerable than I'd ever seen."You know, Arya, when you left, I was..." He trailed off, glancing down as if searching for the right words. His usual grin replaced by something deeper, more honest. "I was really, really scared."

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. I tried to shrug it off, to keep the moment light. I laughed lightly, trying to keep things casual even as my heart skipped. "Scared? Seriously, Ishaan? It was barely twenty-four hours," I teased, giving him a nudge with my elbow. But inside, I was wondering-Did I really mean that much to him?

"You don't get it."

"Oh, come on, Ishaan. You're making it sound like I deserted you on a deserted island or something."

Veer, though, leaned in, his face calm but his eyes serious. "She's right, Ishaan, it was just one day-"

He looked at me, unamused. "No, Arya, you don't get it." His voice was softer now, quieter. "When I found out you'd left, I panicked. Like, real panic. It felt like everything was upside down. I didn't know what to do. I was really freaking out."

Like... I didn't feel like myself. Even my classmates noticed I wasn't... me."

I swallowed, feeling my face flush. The realization hit me hard, and I couldn't help the small, stunned smile that tugged at my lips. "Wait... you're serious?"

Just as I opened my mouth to voice my realization, Veer chimed in, his tone steady but kind. "He's not exaggerating. The guy wasn't himself all weekend. Our classmates noticed, too. He was... well, he wasn't Ishaan."

I looked at Ishaan, his face now a mixture of embarrassment and something deeper. "You were really that upset?"

"Yeah," Ishaan's face flushed in a deeper shade of pink and lips curved in a small smile like he's embarrassed about the things he's going to say next except he feels proud too.

Ishaan's expression softened even more, and he nodded. "I even called your mom, Arya. Begged her to send you back to college. I didn't want you to miss out, but... I also needed you here. A lot. I didn't realize how much till you were gone."

Veer clapped him on the shoulder. "It's true. The guy wouldn't stop pacing and staring at his phone. None of us recognized him that weekend."

His confession hit me like a gust of wind. My stomach fluttered, and for a second, I couldn't find my voice. I hadn't thought he'd notice my absence, let alone be... heartbroken over it. He was the last person I'd have expected to be affected by something like that. I swallowed, feeling suddenly vulnerable in a way I didn't fully understand. "I'm sorry," I managed to say softly. "I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal."

He smiled faintly, almost sheepishly. "Well, it was."

A warm, giddy feeling bubbled up inside me, and I couldn't hide my smile. The bus jostled along the road, but I was lost in Ishaan's words. He'd missed me that much? The thought made my heart race in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

My chest felt warm, and a small smile crept onto my face. I couldn't help it. Something shifted in that moment, like the air had become charged. This was Ishaan, the boy who'd always been in my life in some casual, taken-for-granted way. But now, sitting here, close enough to feel his warmth and hear the softness in his voice, he felt different. Almost... essential.

As the bus continued down the winding road, the boys' chatter grew quieter. Veer leaned his head back and drifted off to sleep, his calm breathing a soft rhythm against the hum of the engine. I was left alone with Ishaan and the realization of how deeply I was starting to feel.

A comfortable silence settled between us, our shoulders just barely brushing. I could feel his presence, steady and real, and with every second, I was acutely aware of him in a way I hadn't been before. I didn't want to ruin the moment, so I didn't speak, just watched as the scenery blurred by in muted tones of green and brown.

Out of the blue, Ishaan shifted, his head leaning softly onto my shoulder. My heart gave a wild, traitorous leap. I froze, unsure what to do or say, unsure if he even realized what he was doing. But he didn't move, didn't pull away. Instead, he seemed to relax even more, his breathing slowing as he fell asleep.

I swallowed, my pulse racing. His head was warm, and the faintest scent of his shampoo drifted up, a mix of something fresh and woodsy that made me feel... safe. He was so close, his face inches from mine, and for the first time, I felt the pull of something deeper, something that went beyond here and now. My gaze softened as I looked at him, taking in the way his hair fell messily across his forehead, the slight curve of his lips as he slept peacefully.

Before I could second-guess myself, I leaned down, just the slightest bit, and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head. It was quick, barely a brush of my lips against his hair, but my heart hammered as though I'd done something wildly scandalous.

The flutter in my stomach was undeniable, this warm, dizzying feeling that seemed to settle right in my chest. I couldn't stop myself from smiling, feeling both terrified and exhilarated. Ishaan, my best friend, my go-to for everything, the guy who has been in the background of my life for the last 2 years... and suddenly, I didn't know how to look at him without feeling this strange, overwhelming urge to reach out, to hold him close, to make sure he never felt scared or alone again.

The bus bumped along, and I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. But it was no use. I couldn't shake the feeling that something big had shifted, something irrevocable. I glanced down at him again, at the peaceful look on his face, and felt my heart tug in a way I couldn't ignore.

In that moment, I knew I wanted to protect Ishaan and take care of him the way he did for everyone else in the world.