Her Only Saviour

42. Moment by moment

𝕳𝖆𝖑𝖐𝖊 𝖚𝖏𝖆𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖓 𝖒𝖊𝖎𝖓
𝕳𝖆𝖑𝖐𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖓 𝖒𝖊𝖎𝖓 𝖏𝖔𝖍

𝕴𝖐 𝖗𝖆𝖆𝖟 𝖍𝖆𝖎
𝕶𝖞𝖚𝖓 𝖐𝖍𝖔 𝖌𝖆𝖞𝖆 𝖍𝖆𝖎 𝖜𝖔𝖍

𝕶𝖞𝖆 𝖍𝖔 𝖌𝖆𝖞𝖆 𝖍𝖆𝖎 𝖐𝖊
𝖂𝖔𝖍 𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖆𝖟 𝖍𝖆𝖎

𝕬𝖞𝖊 𝖗𝖆𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖙𝖓𝖆 𝖇𝖆𝖙𝖆
𝕿𝖚𝖏𝖍𝖐𝖔 𝖙𝖔𝖍 𝖍𝖔𝖌𝖆 𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖆

𝖄𝖊𝖍 𝖍𝖆𝖎 𝖌𝖚𝖒𝖗𝖆𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖓 𝖐𝖆 𝖗𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖆

~~~~~~~~~~~

The day trickled on like honey—slow, warm, and oddly comforting.

The Oberoi mansion, still buzzing with family chatter and leftover party vibes, carried a strange peace.

The kind that comes after a storm.

Nandini stood by the balcony, sipping her coffee as the wind teased strands of her hair.

She’d been quieter today, watching people from a distance like she didn’t belong to them.... or maybe like she belonged too much and didn’t know how to feel about it anymore.

She felt… seen.

Broken.

A bit betrayed.

But mostly confused.

Behind her, the glass door slid open.

“You’re doing that again,” came his voice—low, teasing, familiar.

She didn’t turn.
“Doing what?”

“Staring like a philosophical poet who lost her pen.”

That made her huff a tiny laugh, but she didn’t let it win.

Anirudh came beside her, holding his mug lazily.
“You know… you really suck at being cold. You have this little pout when you're annoyed.”

“I do not.” She turned, frowning.

He smirked.
“There it is.”

She rolled her eyes, fighting a smile.

“Why are you not with your precious files and meetings?” she asked, sipping again.

“They’re busy plotting against me in business."

Nandini shook her head.
“Typical businessman.”

“Yeah? And what about you, Mrs. Oberoi?” He tilted his head.
“Why so serious?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m really not.”

“Then prove it.”

She raised an eyebrow.
“What are you, five?”

“Emotionally? Probably.”

She laughed—a real one this time—and he looked at her like it was the best thing he’d seen in days.

He didn’t say it aloud, but she was healing.

Bit by bit.

Moment by moment.

And even if she wouldn’t admit it—she was starting to trust him.

They stood there, sharing silence and sips of warm coffee.

Neither said anything else, but their eyes held a hundred unspoken words.

He didn’t push. She didn’t run.

Just two broken people learning to breathe in each other’s presence.

𝙇𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮,

the rain had come uninvited—torrents of it slapping against the Oberoi Mansion like drums of mischief.

Inside, most of the family had retreated to their rooms, wrapped in warm blankets and sleepy yawns.

But Nandini, restless and drawn to solitude, wandered toward the library.

Books calmed her.
Their silence was loud in a way that didn’t hurt.

She reached up to grab an old poetry book from the top shelf.

Just as her fingers brushed it, the ladder slipped a little, making her heart skip.

“Woah, careful!” came a voice—one she didn’t need to turn to recognize.

Anirudh.

Before she could react, he had already grabbed her waist from behind, steadying her as the book tumbled and hit the floor.

Her breath hitched.

She wasn’t falling anymore, but the way he held her—firm, close, protective—made her feel like she still was.

Just into something far deeper.

His hands lingered a second too long.
Her heartbeat was so loud she was sure he heard it. He probably did.

“You always appear out of thin air, don’t you?” she whispered, not turning around.

He leaned in, his voice brushing her ear.
“Only when it’s you.”

That made her freeze.
Not because of fear, but because of the way her name—unspoken yet understood—felt heavier in the room than the rain outside.

They stood like that, seconds stretched, heartbeats misbehaving.

“I was just getting a book,” she said finally, turning slightly. Her face was inches from his.

He could see the flicker in her eyes—walls not quite gone, but softer now.

“I know,” he said softly.
“But maybe you need something more than pages today.”

“And what would that be?”

“Someone who doesn’t leave.”

Silence.

And just like that, the air changed—so charged and thick with meaning, they both forgot about the fallen book.

Then, as if reality reminded them they weren’t in a movie, thunder cracked and Nandini blinked away.

She moved back.
“You’re... annoying.”

“And you’re confusing,” he said, smiling.

She turned, walking off with the book clutched to her chest.

But she didn’t miss the warmth still lingering where his hand had been.

Neither did he.

And maybe—just maybe—something had shifted.

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Excited for the next chapter. Something's changing🥹

They're finally getting close ahhhh.

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