18-06-2025, 02:49 AM
A Sweet favor
“If it’s not trouble.”
He looked mildly surprised. “You trust me with directions?”
“I trust Google Maps,” she said sweetly. “But mostly, I trust you’ll keep me from getting bored.”
Meghana returned just then, wiping her hands with a towel. “Don’t ask him to babysit you,” she said, almost too quickly.
“It’s not babysitting,” Varnika grinned. “It’s city orientation. And breakfast buddy duties.”
Abhi laughed. “That I can handle.”
There was a pause. A soft one.
Then Meghana added, not looking directly at him, “Also... if it’s not raining tomorrow, we could do yoga on the terrace again. If you’re up for it.”
He looked at her, something catching in his chest. “Always.”
And then Varnika, ever the troublemaker, added lazily, “And if it does rain, you’ll just have to stick to indoor yoga.”
A beat passed.
Meghana shot her a subtle warning glance.
Abhi just smiled. “I’ll be here either way.”
The air grew still—not silent, just still. The kind of pause that made the sound of the rain outside feel like part of the conversation.
Meghana didn’t speak again for a while. She moved to the sink. Varnika stretched and stood, yawning theatrically.
“I’m going to crash,” she said. “Someone’s making me wake up early.”
She disappeared into the bedroom, but not before giving Abhi one last sideways look—a little mischievous, a little knowing.
Then it was just him and Meghana, both moving slowly, neither eager to break the spell.
“I’ll leave,” he said eventually, rising. “You’ve been very kind.”
Meghana stepped closer. “It’s never about kindness with you, Abhi.”
That sentence sat in the air like a held breath.
He hesitated. Then, “What is it about?”
She met his eyes—steady, deep, a little vulnerable. “It’s about how I feel when you’re around.”
He didn’t respond right away.
Because words didn’t feel big enough anymore.
And neither did distance.
But he stepped back all the same. With a soft smile, he nodded. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
As he walked out into the corridor, he didn’t look back.
But inside him, something had shifted again.
And somewhere behind the closed door, Meghana leaned against the wall and let the silence settle.
The kind of silence that only comes after wanting to say something… but not yet.
Not tonight.
“If it’s not trouble.”
He looked mildly surprised. “You trust me with directions?”
“I trust Google Maps,” she said sweetly. “But mostly, I trust you’ll keep me from getting bored.”
Meghana returned just then, wiping her hands with a towel. “Don’t ask him to babysit you,” she said, almost too quickly.
“It’s not babysitting,” Varnika grinned. “It’s city orientation. And breakfast buddy duties.”
Abhi laughed. “That I can handle.”
There was a pause. A soft one.
Then Meghana added, not looking directly at him, “Also... if it’s not raining tomorrow, we could do yoga on the terrace again. If you’re up for it.”
He looked at her, something catching in his chest. “Always.”
And then Varnika, ever the troublemaker, added lazily, “And if it does rain, you’ll just have to stick to indoor yoga.”
A beat passed.
Meghana shot her a subtle warning glance.
Abhi just smiled. “I’ll be here either way.”
The air grew still—not silent, just still. The kind of pause that made the sound of the rain outside feel like part of the conversation.
Meghana didn’t speak again for a while. She moved to the sink. Varnika stretched and stood, yawning theatrically.
“I’m going to crash,” she said. “Someone’s making me wake up early.”
She disappeared into the bedroom, but not before giving Abhi one last sideways look—a little mischievous, a little knowing.
Then it was just him and Meghana, both moving slowly, neither eager to break the spell.
“I’ll leave,” he said eventually, rising. “You’ve been very kind.”
Meghana stepped closer. “It’s never about kindness with you, Abhi.”
That sentence sat in the air like a held breath.
He hesitated. Then, “What is it about?”
She met his eyes—steady, deep, a little vulnerable. “It’s about how I feel when you’re around.”
He didn’t respond right away.
Because words didn’t feel big enough anymore.
And neither did distance.
But he stepped back all the same. With a soft smile, he nodded. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
As he walked out into the corridor, he didn’t look back.
But inside him, something had shifted again.
And somewhere behind the closed door, Meghana leaned against the wall and let the silence settle.
The kind of silence that only comes after wanting to say something… but not yet.
Not tonight.
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