INSEPARABLE HEARTS 2

Chapter 123

Happy Reading

The restaurant buzzed with soft chatter and the clinking of cutlery, warm light casting golden glows across the dark wood furniture. Dharshi sat beside her father, dressed in a simple pastel salwar, her fingers nervously toying with the edge of her dupatta. Across the table sat Isabella, Elena's mother, poised and graceful in a floral saree, her smile steady though her eyes flickered with equal uncertainty.

Next to Isabella sat Elena, visibly tense. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the stem of her glass, and she was barely touching her food. The moment Isabella and Dharshi's father had announced they were dating, and suggested a family dinner, Elena had gone quiet. Not cold, just... restrained. Unreadable.

Dharshi glanced at her father, who looked more relaxed than she’d seen him in a while. He was laughing at something Isabella said, his eyes soft with something Dharshi hadn't seen in years: affection. Real, steady affection.

Still, something inside Dharshi couldn’t quite settle.

"So," Isabella said lightly, breaking a lull in conversation, "Dharshi, Elena told me you’re quite the scholar. Planning to apply for universities abroad?"

Dharshi nodded politely. "I was. But I might stay back, depends on a few things."

Elena looked up at that, something flickering in her eyes.

"And you, Elena," Dharshi’s dad added with a smile. "You’re into design, right?"

"Fashion," Elena corrected quickly, then softened her tone. "Yeah. Working on a portfolio."

There was a pause, one of those awkward silences that hovered when too many emotions sat quietly between people who once were only friends.

Isabella reached for the water jug, and Dharshi instinctively helped her.

"You girls used to be friends, didn’t you?"

The question was innocent. But both girls stiffened slightly.

"We still are," Dharshi said quickly.

Elena added, almost at the same time, "We just grew up."

The overlapping replies made them both glance at each other. Neither smiled.

After dinner, as they stepped outside, the warm breeze tangled Dharshi’s curls as she stood near the parking lot with Elena. Their parents were still talking by the cars, laughing too loudly.

"So... your mom and my dad," Dharshi said, breaking the silence. "Didn’t see that coming."

Elena shrugged. "She’s happy. That’s new."

Dharshi gave a small smile. "Same. Weird, isn’t it? To see them happy and feel... confused?"

Elena didn’t answer right away. Then she sighed, finally meeting Dharshi’s eyes.

"I’m not angry. Just... I don’t want to lose more people."

The words hit Dharshi somewhere deep. She nodded slowly.

"Me too."

They didn’t hug, but they didn’t walk away either. Just stood side by side under the soft glow of the streetlamp, two girls balancing history, family, and growing pains.

Meanwhile, Isabella glanced at Dharshi’s father.

"Do you think they’ll ever be okay with this?"

He gave a gentle chuckle. "They will. Eventually. They’re stronger than we were at their age."

As they all drove off into the night, none of them knew just how true those words would become.

________

The night air was crisp, the city skyline glittering in the distance. Damon and Elena sat on the rooftop of Caroline’s building — their usual spot when things got too noisy or too complicated downstairs.

Elena had been quiet for a while, her knees pulled up to her chest, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Damon sat beside her, arms resting on his bent knees, eyes scanning the stars.

Damon (softly): "You’ve been quiet for exactly twelve minutes and forty-two seconds."

Elena (smiling faintly): "Counting now?"

Damon (shrugging): "It's how I deal with awkward silences. Or... potential emotional breakdowns."

Elena (sighing): "My mom’s dating Dharshi’s dad."

Damon turned to her, raising an eyebrow but not saying anything. He waited.

Elena: "It’s not like I’m against it. I mean, I want her to be happy. She deserves that. It’s just… weird. Suddenly Dharshi’s my— I don’t even know. Step-sister in progress?"

Damon (teasing): "Could be worse. Could be Ruby’s mom."

Elena (chuckling): "God no."

A beat of silence.

Elena (quieter): "I keep thinking—what if they actually get married? Like, officially. Will I have to share a room during family vacations?"

Damon: "You’ll have to stop flirting with her boyfriend first."

Elena (smacking his arm): "Shut up."

Damon (grinning): "Hey, look. You don’t need to figure it all out right now. But if you ask me—and you didn’t, but I’m giving it anyway—it’s kind of nice. Two people who’ve been through hell… finding love again. Sounds like a win."

Elena was quiet again for a moment. Then she nodded, slowly.

Elena: "Yeah. You’re right."

Damon (mock gasping): "Wait, what? Run that back—"

Elena (laughing): "Don’t ruin it. It’s rare."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. He didn’t move, letting her stay there.

---

The hallway buzzed with morning chatter. Dharshi was at her locker when Elena approached, clutching a notebook.

They made eye contact.

An awkward pause.

Elena (softly): "Hey."

Dharshi (matching her tone): "Hey."

Another beat. A few seconds more, and both girls cracked faint smiles at the same time.

Elena: "So… dinner wasn’t a disaster."

Dharshi: "I thought it would be. But… your mom’s nice. Surprisingly."

Elena (grinning): "Don’t let her hear that. She’ll never stop bragging."

Dharshi (playfully): "She kind of already started."

They both laughed lightly. Something between them softened — the awkwardness fading.

Dharshi: "I’m okay with it. If you are."

Elena (nodding): "Yeah. I mean, if our parents are happy… we might as well not make it harder."

Dharshi: "Right. But if she starts asking me to braid your hair or call you 'sis'..."

Elena (mock serious): "I’ll burn every yearbook we’ve ever had."

They bumped shoulders and walked off together, more relaxed than either expected.

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To be continued