"Why were you dancing with him?" His voice slurred with alcohol and aggression, his grip on Jeia's arm tightening
Jeia's eyes blazed with defiance as she shook off his hold."Aapko kyu fark padta hai Mr. Singhania?,You don't control me,I can dance wi...
My heart skipped a beat as I saw Jeia descending the stairs, clumsily holding her luggage. She was wearing a yellow sundress that ended just above her knees. Today, she had done subtle makeup, something she only did on rare occasions. I couldn’t take my eyes off her—the way her hips swayed as she walked, her dainty earrings catching the light, and the white bow scrunchie perfectly matching her white sandals and tote bag. The contrast between the white and yellow created such a vibrant color scheme, it made her look even more radiant than usual.
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What was happening to me? I struggled to understand my feelings toward her. Just a few months ago, I had found her insufferable, but now everything felt… different. The dynamics between us had shifted in a way I couldn’t quite grasp.
“I’m sorry I got late,” Jeia said, standing next to Saniya. I noticed how they were twinning, both in sundresses.
“So, you finally decided to dress like a girl for once,” I teased, unable to resist.
“For once? Bro, I always wear girlie clothes—jeans, kurtis, tops,” she scoffed, clearly getting riled up.
“I meant a sundress, silly,” I said, playfully flicking her forehead. She looked cute when she got all worked up. Wait, did I just think she was cute?
“Oww,” she winced, rubbing her forehead.
“Always the drama queen,” I chuckled.
I glanced around at everyone. "Alright, so everyone’s here now—Jeia, Pari di, Saniya, Vihaan bhai, Shasha, and finally Sameer. Let’s go. The minibus is waiting," I said.
We all took blessings from Dadi and made our way to the minibus. As I watched Jeia and Saniya struggle with their luggage, I felt an urge to help. But before I could reach out to assist Jeia, Sameer beat me to it.
“Let me,” he said in that gentlemanly way of his.
I clenched my jaw a bit but then decided to help anyway, even if it was with Saniya’s luggage. I walked over, trying to hide my reluctance.
"Let me help you," I said to Saniya and grabbed her heavy bag, my fingers brushing lightly against hers.
Why did I want to be close to Jeia so badly? I couldn’t quite place it. Perhaps I just didn’t want to acknowledge that it was more than a simple desire to help. Even if it involved assisting her best friend, I was okay with it. I mean, I was still a gentleman, wasn’t I?
As we walked Saniya beside me, I couldn’t help but glance over at Jeia again. She was smiling as she talked with Pari di and Shasha, her eyes crinkling at the corners the way they always did when she was genuinely happy. Something about that smile—it wasn’t just the brightness of it, but the way it seemed to light up her entire face—made it hard for me to focus on anything else. She pulled Saniya closer, making sure she wasn't left out of whatever conversation the girls were having.
