16-07-2025, 04:45 PM
She looked away, eyes on the pickle jar, but something inside her… shifted.
As the plates emptied and the laughter mellowed,
Vamsi leaned back and said, “This was nice. This is what weekends are for.”
Amit agreed. “Yup. We should do this more.”
Sirisha stretched her arms. “Next time, maybe rooftop dinner?”
“Yes!” Neetu said. “Candles, fairy lights, and Ravi can bring the music.”
“Me?” Ravi asked, laughing.
“Of course. You look like you have good taste in sad songs.”
Even Priya laughed at that, a short, melodic laugh she didn’t try to hide.
As they cleared the table, Ravi offered to help but Neetu shooed him away.
“Sit, sit. You’re still a guest tonight. Next time, you can wash the dishes.”
The group moved back to the living room, tea glasses in hand.
Sirisha brought out a small Bluetooth speaker and played light instrumental music,
A soft flute number that seemed to wrap around Ravi’s senses like silk.
And there, in that ordinary room with four new people he barely knew a month ago, Ravi felt something extraordinary.
He belonged.
Even Priya, distant as she’d been, no longer looked at him like he was a mistake to avoid.
Tonight, her silence wasn’t cold.
It was cautious. Curious.
Something like… trust.
And sitting across from her, Ravi realized that of all the beauty tonight
Sirisha’s youthful fire, Neetu’s polished charm, even the warmth of this household
Nothing filled his heart more than the quiet, anchored grace of his Priya Didi.
As the plates emptied and the laughter mellowed,
Vamsi leaned back and said, “This was nice. This is what weekends are for.”
Amit agreed. “Yup. We should do this more.”
Sirisha stretched her arms. “Next time, maybe rooftop dinner?”
“Yes!” Neetu said. “Candles, fairy lights, and Ravi can bring the music.”
“Me?” Ravi asked, laughing.
“Of course. You look like you have good taste in sad songs.”
Even Priya laughed at that, a short, melodic laugh she didn’t try to hide.
As they cleared the table, Ravi offered to help but Neetu shooed him away.
“Sit, sit. You’re still a guest tonight. Next time, you can wash the dishes.”
The group moved back to the living room, tea glasses in hand.
Sirisha brought out a small Bluetooth speaker and played light instrumental music,
A soft flute number that seemed to wrap around Ravi’s senses like silk.
And there, in that ordinary room with four new people he barely knew a month ago, Ravi felt something extraordinary.
He belonged.
Even Priya, distant as she’d been, no longer looked at him like he was a mistake to avoid.
Tonight, her silence wasn’t cold.
It was cautious. Curious.
Something like… trust.
And sitting across from her, Ravi realized that of all the beauty tonight
Sirisha’s youthful fire, Neetu’s polished charm, even the warmth of this household
Nothing filled his heart more than the quiet, anchored grace of his Priya Didi.
-- oOo --
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