16-07-2025, 07:36 PM
Later that afternoon – Outside Flat 203
Varnika stood outside Abhi’s door.
Her heart fluttered once, but she didn’t let it linger.
She knocked.
The door opened, and there he was. A bit surprised. Coffee mug still in his hand.
“Hey,” he said, carefully.
“Hey,” she replied. “No, I’m not here to cry. Or blame. Or be awkward.”
“Then… what are you here for?” he asked, half-smiling.
“To prove to myself that I can stand in this apartment, in front of you, without turning into a confused mess.”
He stepped aside wordlessly and let her in.
She looked around.
It was clean.
A little too clean. “You cleaned up. Were you expecting me?”
He laughed. “I clean every Saturday.”
“Oh right,” she said,
Wandering in slowly. “Mr. Disciplined.”
There was a moment of pause.
Then she turned and faced him.
“I meant what I said earlier,” she said seriously.
“You and Meghana… I knew what indoor yoga meant. I even encouraged it. I was just… not prepared to see how deep it became.”
“I’m sorry you saw us like that,” Abhi said quietly.
“No,” she interrupted, holding up a finger.
“Don’t be. If anything… it reminded me that what you both have is real. It’s not some silly game or casual tension. It’s grown into something meaningful. That matters.”
Abhi nodded slowly. “And where does that leave us?”
Varnika walked closer and looked up at him, just for a beat longer than necessary.
“That depends,” she said with a small smile.
“Do I still get a scooty ride once in a while? Or is that off-limits now?”
He grinned, something easing inside him.
“You’ll always have your seat. Back hugs and all.”
“Hmm,” she teased, brushing past him to the window.
“As long as you don’t dip the front wheel into potholes just to feel my chest.”
Abhi choked on air. “You still think I did that on purpose?”
“Oh, I know you did.” Her eyes sparkled now. “But hey… I didn’t say I minded.”
They both burst into a soft, warm laugh.
The tension had cracked.
The simmering fire had cooled,
Not extinguished,
But tempered into something she could live with.
Varnika stood outside Abhi’s door.
Her heart fluttered once, but she didn’t let it linger.
She knocked.
The door opened, and there he was. A bit surprised. Coffee mug still in his hand.
“Hey,” he said, carefully.
“Hey,” she replied. “No, I’m not here to cry. Or blame. Or be awkward.”
“Then… what are you here for?” he asked, half-smiling.
“To prove to myself that I can stand in this apartment, in front of you, without turning into a confused mess.”
He stepped aside wordlessly and let her in.
She looked around.
It was clean.
A little too clean. “You cleaned up. Were you expecting me?”
He laughed. “I clean every Saturday.”
“Oh right,” she said,
Wandering in slowly. “Mr. Disciplined.”
There was a moment of pause.
Then she turned and faced him.
“I meant what I said earlier,” she said seriously.
“You and Meghana… I knew what indoor yoga meant. I even encouraged it. I was just… not prepared to see how deep it became.”
“I’m sorry you saw us like that,” Abhi said quietly.
“No,” she interrupted, holding up a finger.
“Don’t be. If anything… it reminded me that what you both have is real. It’s not some silly game or casual tension. It’s grown into something meaningful. That matters.”
Abhi nodded slowly. “And where does that leave us?”
Varnika walked closer and looked up at him, just for a beat longer than necessary.
“That depends,” she said with a small smile.
“Do I still get a scooty ride once in a while? Or is that off-limits now?”
He grinned, something easing inside him.
“You’ll always have your seat. Back hugs and all.”
“Hmm,” she teased, brushing past him to the window.
“As long as you don’t dip the front wheel into potholes just to feel my chest.”
Abhi choked on air. “You still think I did that on purpose?”
“Oh, I know you did.” Her eyes sparkled now. “But hey… I didn’t say I minded.”
They both burst into a soft, warm laugh.
The tension had cracked.
The simmering fire had cooled,
Not extinguished,
But tempered into something she could live with.
-- oOo --
.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)