Our Burning Desire

Chapter 26

(Ashwin up there)

AUTHOR'S POV

Shriya hesitated, her fingers hovering over the bouquet Ashwin had just handed her. "You don't have to," she murmured, her voice uncertain.

Ashwin looked up, taking a sip of the water she had brought him

In those small, quiet moments they shares-those tender gestures, the words exchanged in whispers, the soft glances shared, and eye contact-there was an undeniable beauty. Each instant held a kind of secret satisfaction, like a language only they spoke.

"Why? Don't you love flowers?" he asked, his voice soft.

Shriya lightly smiled, a touch of nervousness in her expression, her gaze lingering on the delicate petals of the bouquet. She wasn't sure why she hesitated.

Maybe it was because Ashwin always seemed to know exactly what she needed, even before she did. From her deepest fears to the smallest joys, he knew.

"I do," she admitted quietly, her fingers brushing over the flowers. She avoided his gaze, her voice soft but sure.

"But-"

"If this brings a smile to your face, then 'but' has no place in my heart."

Ashwin interrupted, putting the glass away, trying to look into her eyes, but their gaze met only for a brief second before she looked away.

Ashwin grew restless. All he wanted was to talk with her while looking into her eyes. He longed to share yet another heavenly moment of eye contact with his lady, but Shriya remained unaware of his desire, wrapped in her nervousness.

'Na dil milati hi na aankhein... hey Prabhu! Itna kyun pareshan karti hai meri shrimati mujhe?'

("Neither our hearts meet, nor our eyes... oh God! Why does my lady trouble me so?")

Shriya's hand clutched the bouquet tighter, her heart racing. Ashwin never missed an opportunity to make her feel special, whether through his words or actions. Somewhere deep inside, Shriya's heart urged her to look into the depth of his affection, but she refused to go there.

"Ashwin, still, you don't have to-"

"It's your happiness that matters, Shriya, and there's nothing I wish for more than to see an authentic smile on your face.

So, to remove that fake smile you carry, I HAVE TO... I love it"

Shriya looked out of the window, her heart skipping a beat. Every moment they shared until now replayed in her mind-the first day they met, the staring of their living, the out of blue night out, the ice cream, the dinner, their talks, their tender eye contact, the brush of touches... every little thing.

'We want your happiness only, beta. Your mumma and I just want to see you smile from your heart.'

Her father's words echoed in her mind. She had lost her smile, her voice, her everything that day... Today, she realized that with Ashwin, she had learned to smile again, to speak out again.

"What if, one day, I no longer smiled?"

She locked eyes with him, her grip on the white rose bouquet firm, revealing the true depth of her character-purity and innocence.

Ashwin held her gaze, the moment his heart had been waiting for since stepping into this home... in fact, now, he felt like he had finally stepped into his home.

"Do you really think I'd let that happen?"

The sincerity in his eyes never failed to bloom a flower inside Shriya. Everything around her felt so special, as if the air existed only for her.