INSEPARABLE HEARTS 2

Chapter 124

Happy Reading

The kitchen was filled with the warm scent of coffee and toast. Isabella hummed softly as she flipped through the morning paper, still in her satin robe. Elena padded in, hair messy, hoodie oversized, looking every bit like a teenage daughter who didn’t sleep well.

Isabella (smiling): “Good morning, sunshine.”

Elena: “You bribed me with coffee, remember?”

Isabella (pushing a mug forward): “And you showed up. That’s progress.”

Elena took the mug, wrapping her fingers around it, warming her hands.

Isabella (gently): “You were quiet at dinner last night.”

Elena (after a pause): “Yeah… I was processing.”

Isabella: “Too fast?”

Elena: “No. I mean, yeah. But not in a bad way. It’s just… Dad’s been gone so long. I never thought about you dating again. Not really.”

Isabella looked at her daughter, eyes softening.

Isabella: “I didn’t either. Until I met Dev.”

Elena: “He makes you happy.”

Isabella (nodding): “He really does.”

Elena took a breath, fiddling with the rim of her cup.

Elena (quietly): “Then I’m okay with it. With you two. I mean, I don’t want to walk in on anything gross, obviously…”

Isabella (laughing): “Boundaries noted.”

Elena (grinning): “But I want you to be happy. That matters most.”

Isabella reached over and squeezed her daughter’s hand.

Isabella: “Thank you, sweetheart.”

There was a shared silence. Comfortable. Real.

_______

Caroline’s house was lit up again that evening — not with chaos, not with drama, but with warmth. Fairy lights. Scented candles. Music that wasn’t too loud. A lowkey movie night was underway.

The core gang gathered: Stefan on the floor with Elena’s legs thrown across his lap. Damon, surprisingly not brooding, was playfully arguing with Caroline over movie picks. Abeer and Dharshi sat close on the beanbags, quietly sharing popcorn. Keerthi leaned against the wall with a pillow on her lap, and Angad was beside her, just enough space between them to act like they weren’t together.

Caroline (grinning as she passed a soda): “This is my peace treaty event. No fights. No drama. Just vibes.”

Dharshi (smirking): “That’ll last until Damon picks a horror movie.”

Damon: “Guilty as charged.”

Elena (playfully): “You literally just said no drama!”

Damon (mock serious): “Horror is art. Drama is unnecessary tension.”

They all laughed.

A moment later, Keerthi caught Elena’s eye across the room. She nodded subtly, a silent thank you. Elena returned it with a soft smile.

Keerthi leaned closer to Angad and whispered:

Keerthi: “Things feel… good.”

Angad (teasing): “That’s dangerous. Want me to ruin it?”

Keerthi (smirking): “Try. I dare you.”

They didn’t hold hands. But their knees brushed under the blanket draped across them. It was enough.

_________

The night had settled like velvet around them, stars blinking lazily in the sky. Caroline’s rooftop — usually just a hangout for drying laundry or sneaking smokes — was transformed into something else tonight.

Quiet. Peaceful. The world below muffled.

Dharshi leaned against the low wall, her hair gently tousled by the breeze. Abeer stood beside her, one hand in his pocket, the other nervously clutching a soda bottle he hadn’t opened.

They’d slipped out of the movie night unnoticed. No excuses. No drama. Just a soft exchange of glances before they both headed upstairs like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Dharshi (smiling slightly): “Do you remember this place?”

Abeer (looking around): “You brought me here when I said I hated everyone.”

Dharshi (laughs softly): “Yeah. You looked like a kicked puppy.”

Abeer (grinning): “I felt like one. You… you’ve always known how to find me.”

There was a pause. The kind that wasn’t uncomfortable — just heavy with meaning.

Dharshi (gazing at the sky): “Everything’s so messy lately. But this — this feels… safe.”

Abeer (quietly): “With you, it always does.”

He stepped closer, and she didn’t move away. The distance between them, both emotional and physical, had been slowly shrinking since they found their way back to each other.

Abeer: “I keep thinking about the times I messed up. The stupid things I said. The things I didn’t say.”

Dharshi (softly): “We were hurting. We hurt each other.”

Abeer: “But I never stopped loving you.”

That stopped her breath for a second.

He turned to face her fully now. The city lights shimmered behind them, but his entire world was right in front of him.

Abeer: “When I saw you crying at the principal’s office, standing up for me… I thought, how did I get so lucky to have someone like her still fight for me?”

Dharshi (blinking back emotion): “Because you deserved to be fought for, Abeer.”

He smiled faintly.

Abeer: “I want to be worthy of you. For real this time.”

Dharshi: “Then don’t try so hard to be someone else. Just be you. The one who cares. The one who makes terrible tea but always brings it anyway.”

Abeer (laughs): “Hey! My tea’s gotten better!”

Dharshi: “Barely.”

They both laughed then, and in the middle of the rooftop, where the air felt lighter, Abeer leaned in.

Their kiss was slow, unhurried. Not desperate or fiery. It was the kind that carried forgiveness. The kind that says: we’re still learning, but we’re still here.

When they pulled away, foreheads resting against each other, Dharshi whispered:

Dharshi: “Let’s not let go this time.”

Abeer (nodding): “Never again.”

From a little window below, the faint sound of the movie and Caroline's laughter carried up.

But for Abeer and Dharshi — the world was quiet. It was just the two of them and the stars.

To be continued