16-06-2025, 02:45 AM
The Corridor Outside the Hall
After the photos and a light round of snacks, Madhavi pulled him gently by the wrist. "Come... just five minutes. It’s too noisy inside."
They stepped out onto a corridor lined with potted plants. Afternoon light streamed in through the jali windows. The murmur of the crowd softened behind the closed door.
Madhavi leaned on the low railing, her back to the courtyard, her expression a little softer now. "Too many women for you?" she teased.
Abhi laughed. "I'm not used to being this... visible."
She looked at him sideways. "But you liked it, didn’t you?"
He smiled but said nothing.
Madhavi turned toward him, crossing her arms. The sunlight danced across her exposed shoulders and collarbones, the gold threads in her blouse catching the light. A strand of hair had fallen across her face. She made no effort to tuck it back.
"I noticed the way you looked at that girl in the green half-sari," she said softly.
Abhi looked surprised. "I didn’t mean to."
"No harm," she said, stepping closer, eyes playful. "She was pretty."
Her nearness made his breath hitch. She wasn’t flirting obviously, but something in her tone, in the way her fingers grazed her own arm as she spoke, stirred the air between them.
She held his gaze for a moment too long. "You didn’t expect this from a boring Sunday morning ride, did you?"
"No," he said, voice low.
The corridor was quiet. The light, golden. Her perfume lingered faintly.
A child called out from inside. Madhavi broke the moment with a soft exhale. "Come... we should go back in. But thank you, really, for today."
He nodded, eyes still on her.
As she turned to go, the edge of her pallu brushed against his hand.
He didn’t move.
She paused just slightly—as if she felt it too—then walked on.
After the photos and a light round of snacks, Madhavi pulled him gently by the wrist. "Come... just five minutes. It’s too noisy inside."
They stepped out onto a corridor lined with potted plants. Afternoon light streamed in through the jali windows. The murmur of the crowd softened behind the closed door.
Madhavi leaned on the low railing, her back to the courtyard, her expression a little softer now. "Too many women for you?" she teased.
Abhi laughed. "I'm not used to being this... visible."
She looked at him sideways. "But you liked it, didn’t you?"
He smiled but said nothing.
Madhavi turned toward him, crossing her arms. The sunlight danced across her exposed shoulders and collarbones, the gold threads in her blouse catching the light. A strand of hair had fallen across her face. She made no effort to tuck it back.
"I noticed the way you looked at that girl in the green half-sari," she said softly.
Abhi looked surprised. "I didn’t mean to."
"No harm," she said, stepping closer, eyes playful. "She was pretty."
Her nearness made his breath hitch. She wasn’t flirting obviously, but something in her tone, in the way her fingers grazed her own arm as she spoke, stirred the air between them.
She held his gaze for a moment too long. "You didn’t expect this from a boring Sunday morning ride, did you?"
"No," he said, voice low.
The corridor was quiet. The light, golden. Her perfume lingered faintly.
A child called out from inside. Madhavi broke the moment with a soft exhale. "Come... we should go back in. But thank you, really, for today."
He nodded, eyes still on her.
As she turned to go, the edge of her pallu brushed against his hand.
He didn’t move.
She paused just slightly—as if she felt it too—then walked on.