A few seconds after the familiar voice reached Ishika's ears. Aarav's whole body seemed to freeze.
“I...I… Ishika?” he stammered, his voice trembling as if caught between disbelief and hesitation.
It was only then that Ishika realized what she was doing — her arms wrapped tightly around him, holding him as if afraid to let go. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she quickly stepped back, putting a safe distance between them.
“I… I’m sorry,” she mumbled, her voice thick with embarrassment.
“No problem! … I— I mean… it’s okay,” Aarav replied, fumbling over his words. His face mirrored hers, equally flushed and awkward. Neither of them seemed to understand why the moment had unfolded that way.
Ishika’s mind raced. Why did I even do that? What on earth came over me? She had no logical answer. Something in that moment had simply made her want to hug him — an impulse she couldn’t explain.
“Are you okay?” Aarav asked after a beat, his tone soft but concerned.
She almost laughed at the irony. I should be the one asking that. I probably gave him a heart attack just now.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she assured, her voice steadier this time.
They stood there in silence for a while, the air between them heavy but not uncomfortable. Ishika shifted her weight from one foot to the other before speaking again.
“Hey… I’m sorry.”
“I told you, it’s okay,” Aarav said gently.
“No, not about this,” she clarified. “I’m talking about… your parents.”
His eyes flickered with a brief shadow before softening. “Oh… no, you don’t have to say sorry for that.”
“It must have been so difficult… without them,” she said quietly, her words careful, as if afraid they might hurt him.
“Yeah, a little,” Aarav admitted, his voice low. “But my grandma never let me feel like I was alone. She was always there for me.”
Ishika’s lips curved into a small, genuine smile. “I’m glad you have someone special in your life, at least.”
“Actually,” Aarav said, his expression brightening just a little, “I have two more special people other than her.”
“Oh? Is that so? Who are they?” she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
“You know them,” he replied, his gaze holding hers with quiet amusement.
“Wait… one of them is Vivan, right?” she guessed.
“Yup,” Aarav confirmed.
“And the other one?” she pressed.
“Can you guess?” he challenged with a faint smile.
Ishika tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… let me think.”
Ishika’s mind was still tangled in guesses, trying to figure out who Aarav had been talking about. But before her thoughts could settle on an answer, she noticed something that made her pulse skip — he was standing very close. Closer than before.
Her gaze slowly lifted, and she froze. Aarav was already looking at her, his eyes steady and unblinking, as though he had been studying her face for a while.
“A… Aarav?” she whispered, unsure if it was a question or an attempt to break the tension wrapping around them.
He didn’t respond. Instead, his steps carried him forward with a quiet determination, each one erasing the space between them. Ishika’s breath hitched when his hands reached out and gently took hers. His palms were warm, but she could feel a faint tremor in them — almost as if he was nervous.
“Wha… what are you…?” she began, but her voice faltered midway.
Aarav’s eyes locked on hers with an intensity that pinned her in place. The world around them seemed to go quiet. She could hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears. Her mind scrambled for answers, but one thought drowned out the rest: Oh god… is he going to do what I think he’s going to do?
He stepped even closer now, close enough that she could feel the whisper of his breath brushing her cheek.
“Ishika,” he said softly, her name rolling off his tongue with a tenderness that made her chest tighten.
She looked up at him fully this time, and his face was… different. There was no teasing smile, no guarded expression — only softness, laced with something fragile and uncertain. His voice shook when he spoke again.
“I… I want to tell you something.”
Her heart felt like it was trying to break free from her ribs. She could barely control the quick rise and fall of her chest. Her fingers trembled in his grasp, though she wasn’t sure if it was from fear or anticipation.
“Wha… what is it?” she managed to whisper, her voice thinner than she intended.
“I…” Aarav started, then stopped, swallowing hard as if the words were heavier than they should be.
“You?” she prompted gently, her own curiosity battling with the nervous flutter in her stomach.
His grip on her hands tightened slightly, as though anchoring himself. His eyes didn’t waver when he finally spoke.
“I… I think I really like you.”
The words seemed to hang in the air, suspended between them, too precious to be touched. Ishika felt as if time itself had paused — the weight of his confession settling into her chest like something warm and dangerous all at once.
He said it. He actually said it.
Am I dreaming? Ishika’s mind raced, her thoughts tumbling over one another. This has to be a dream. Any second now, my alarm will ring, and I’ll wake up to find none of this ever happened. Right? Right…? Her heart was still hammering in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.
“Ishika?” Aarav’s voice broke through the storm in her head, soft yet steady.
“Ye… yes,” she managed to whisper, feeling like her own voice was too small, too fragile for the moment.
“You didn’t… say anything?” he asked, a faint crease forming between his brows, and a hint of worry flickering in his eyes.
Nervousness threatened to swallow her whole. She fidgeted with her fingers, unsure whether to look at him, look away, or just run. Then she noticed something that made her chest lurch — his expression. Aarav looked as if he were expecting her to slap him. And just like that, the tension inside her shifted into something else entirely: amusement.
“Don’t worry,” she said, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “I’m not going to slap you.”
“Huh? H… how do you know I was thinking that?” he asked, surprise coloring his voice.
Ishika smiled, teasingly. “It’s written all over your face, idiot.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Oh… wait. Did you just call me an idiot?”
“Yeah. Why?” she asked, a playful lift in her tone.
“No… it’s… it’s the first time you’ve ever called me that. That’s why,” he said, looking somewhere between shocked and embarrassed.
Ishika’s heart warmed at the thought of this little connection forming between them. She tilted her head, grinning. “I thought I could call you anything now that you’re my boyfriend. Is there a problem?”
“No… absolutely no…” Aarav began, then abruptly stopped, staring at her with a mix of surprise and something else she couldn’t quite name.
“What… did you just say?” he asked, his voice cautious now.
“That ‘I thought I could call you anything,’” she repeated softly, watching his reaction carefully.
“No… no… after tha… well, never mind,” he muttered, his cheeks reddening slightly, a frustrated frown tugging at his lips.
Ishika laughed quietly, the sound trembling with relief and joy. She could feel the warmth of the moment lingering between them, fragile but real.
“Let’s go. It’s already late,” Aarav finally said, though the softness in his tone betrayed how flustered he still was.
Aarav turned to leave, his steps slow, as if savoring the moment. But before he could move too far, Ishika’s hand shot out, catching his. He froze, and when he turned toward her, surprise was written all over his face.
“Sorry,” she said softly, her eyes flicking down for a moment before meeting his again.
“Why?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
“For teasing you,” she replied, a small, mischievous smile playing on her lips.
“Huh?”
“You’re really an idiot,” she added, leaning closer than before.
He opened his mouth to protest, but she beat him to it, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. When she looked up, his face was impossibly red, his dark eyes wide and flustered. She couldn’t help but chuckle at how utterly adorable he looked.
“You’re really so cute,” she said softly, letting her amusement linger in her voice.
Aarav’s blush deepened, but there was a slow, shy smile tugging at his lips. Ishika reached out, holding her hand toward him.
“Should we head back?” she asked.
He took her hand in his, warm and steady, and squeezed it gently. “Yeah,” he said.
As they walked together, hand in hand, the world seemed to shrink around them, leaving only the two of them in that quiet bubble of happiness. Aarav’s heart was racing; he could hardly believe it — Ishika had said yes. Every laugh, every glance shared, every small touch felt magnified, beautiful, and unforgettable. He wanted to shout it to the world, to tell everyone how happy he felt, but he held his excitement in, treasuring the intimacy of the moment.
Ahead, their friends — Vivan, Shreya and Khushi — were waiting. The instant they saw the two of them holding hands, smiles spread across their faces. No words were needed; their happiness and quiet approval were evident, and it made the moment even sweeter.
That night, walking back from the trip, every step was filled with a gentle joy that neither of them could fully explain. It was a night that felt suspended in time, the kind of memory that would linger in their hearts forever. Even the next day, as they returned home, the warmth of that night — the shared laughter, the stolen kiss, the quiet comfort of each other’s presence — stayed with them, unspoken yet perfectly understood.
It had been three weeks since Aarav and Ishika had officially started dating. Strangely enough, Aarav didn’t feel like anything had changed. Their conversations were still the same, their teasing hadn’t lessened, and the comfortable friendship they shared carried on as though nothing new had happened. Sometimes he wondered if it was supposed to feel different — if being in a relationship meant there should be some big shift. But for him, everything was just… the same.
That thought was nagging at him again during class, his mind drifting further and further away from the lecture, until—
“Aarav!”
His name rang out sharply across the classroom. Aarav’s head jerked up, startled, and he realized the entire class was staring at him. His teacher was glaring from the front, tapping her pen against the desk impatiently.
“Y–yes, ma’am,” Aarav stuttered, straightening in his seat.
“Where on earth are you? Were you even listening?”
“I… I’m sorry,” he mumbled, heat rushing into his face.
“Sit down and pay attention,” she ordered firmly before resuming the lesson.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said quickly, lowering his head as a few of his classmates snickered under their breath. Aarav wished he could sink into the floor.
When the lecture finally ended, he was still shoving his books into his bag when Vivan walked up to his desk, concern and curiosity mixed on his face.
“What happened to you back there?” Vivan asked, leaning against the desk.
“Nothing,” Aarav replied too quickly.
“Don’t lie. You were totally spaced out,” Vivan pressed, narrowing his eyes playfully. “Come on, tell me.”
Aarav sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Well… I was just thinking. It’s been three weeks since I started dating Ishika, but… I don’t feel any change. I mean, everything’s the same as before. It doesn’t feel… different, you know?”
Before Vivan could answer, another voice joined in.
“I know exactly why you’re feeling like that,” someone said confidently.
Both boys turned around to see Shreya standing a few steps away, her arms crossed, a knowing smile on her lips.
“Why?” Vivan asked, raising a brow.
“Because,” Shreya began, tilting her head at Aarav, “it’s been three whole weeks, and you haven’t taken her on even one proper date.”
Aarav blinked, stunned. He opened his mouth to protest, but the truth of her words sank in immediately. She was right. Completely right. He hadn’t done anything to make their relationship feel different. No dinner, no outing, not even something small to mark the beginning of them.
“Oh god…” Aarav muttered, realization hitting him like a wave. “I really am an idiot.”
Vivan chuckled, slapping a hand on his shoulder. “Finally, you realize it! You should definitely take her out on a date. That’s what’s missing.”
Shreya smirked, satisfied that she had made her point. “Exactly. If you don’t do something special, then of course it’ll just feel the same as before. She’s your girlfriend now, Aarav — treat her like one.”
Aarav nodded slowly, determination building inside him. They were right. Both of them. It wasn’t enough just to confess and hold her hand. He wanted Ishika to feel special, wanted her to know that she meant more to him now than ever before.
And just like that, Aarav knew what he had to do. His first proper date with Ishika.
