OPEN ARMS: SHUBMAN GILL

8

The air between them felt charged with something new, something thrilling, and as they stood there, leaning against each other, a new kind of tension began to settle in.

Kundavai took a deep breath, her mind still spinning from the kiss, and stepped back slightly, though she kept her gaze locked on Shubman. His eyes were still full of that confident glint, but there was something softer there now—something that made her heart flutter despite herself.

"Was that part of your dare?" she asked, her voice teasing, though her lips still felt warm from the kiss.

Shubman raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a grin. "Maybe," he replied, leaning in again just enough to make her breath catch. "But you know me. I don't do anything halfway."

She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. He was cocky, sure, but there was something undeniably charming about it. Something that made her want to give in, even when she tried not to.

"So," Shubman continued, his voice low, "what happens now?"

Kundavai glanced down at the ground for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts, but there was no denying the electricity between them. No escaping the way her heart raced every time he looked at her like that. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the warmth of his hand still lingering near her arm, and it made it hard to think straight.

"Now?" she said, looking up to meet his eyes, her voice teasing but with an edge of uncertainty. "Now we act like nothing happened."

Shubman chuckled, and the sound sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Sure, sure. Like that's going to work." He reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, the touch lingering for just a moment longer than necessary. "But we both know that's not how this works, Kundu."

She leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms, though her stance was anything but defensive. "We'll see," she said, her smile small but challenging. "I'm still not convinced this changes anything."

Shubman's eyes darkened slightly, the playful glint replaced with something more intense, something that made her pulse race all over again. "I think you're lying," he said quietly, his voice low and smooth. "But we'll see, won't we?"

Before she could reply, they heard footsteps in the distance. They both froze, eyes widening as they realized they might've been caught.

Shubman's lips curled into a smirk as he stepped back. "Guess we'll have to continue this later," he said, his voice teasing, but with that same undeniable warmth. He gave her one last lingering look, a promise hanging in the air between them.

"Later," Kundavai echoed, her heart still beating faster than she was willing to admit.

As Shubman turned and walked away, she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness bubble up inside her. This was only the beginning, she knew. But for once, she was okay with that.

The next morning, Kundavai was already halfway through her warm-up when she spotted Shubman walking toward her, a playful smile already dancing on his lips. She hadn't expected to see him so soon after their encounter last night, but the way he looked at her made everything feel like it was still just between the two of them.

He stopped in front of her, casually leaning against the fence, and as his eyes locked with hers, a spark of mischief flashed. Without a second of hesitation, he said it.

"Hi, beautiful."

Kundavai's breath caught in her throat. It wasn't like he hadn't said things like that before, but this time, there was something different in his voice—something genuine, and yet teasing, making her pulse quicken in an instant.