21-07-2025, 06:42 PM
And Neetu… she was something else entirely.
Ravi stepped into his room, dimly lit by the hallway bulb leaking in through the window blinds.
He sat at the edge of his bed, fingers interlaced.
A part of him still felt the warmth of her gaze.
The way she looked at him when he complimented her food, was it just teasing?
Or was there something under the smile?
Something daring?
Her words had been playful, sure, but her eyes… they had a weight.
“That means no girl will fight me when I flirt.”
It was meant to be a joke.
But Ravi had seen the way her expression paused.
How her tone softened.
How Sirisha had giggled nervously, like someone who sensed a line was being danced around.
Neetu was dangerous in a way that didn't raise alarms, just quiet curiosity.
Married.
Beautiful.
Confident.
And warm in a way few women let themselves be around men they weren’t supposed to notice.
He leaned back slowly onto the bed, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
And yet, none of them, not even Neetu or Sirisha, could replace what Priya meant.
Not her warmth.
Not her presence.
Not even her silence.
She was the one his eyes searched for when he laughed.
The one he wished would sit near him, just a few inches closer than necessary.
The one he kept falling for, no matter how many reasons the world would give him not to.
Tonight had been full of laughter, food, and attention.
But it only reminded him of the woman who wasn’t around to see it.
He turned to his side, eyes open to the dim ceiling.
A message buzzed on his phone.
A ping of a memory, a possible distraction.
But he didn’t check it right away.
For now, he let himself lie there. In the quiet.
Thinking of her.
Ravi stepped into his room, dimly lit by the hallway bulb leaking in through the window blinds.
He sat at the edge of his bed, fingers interlaced.
A part of him still felt the warmth of her gaze.
The way she looked at him when he complimented her food, was it just teasing?
Or was there something under the smile?
Something daring?
Her words had been playful, sure, but her eyes… they had a weight.
“That means no girl will fight me when I flirt.”
It was meant to be a joke.
But Ravi had seen the way her expression paused.
How her tone softened.
How Sirisha had giggled nervously, like someone who sensed a line was being danced around.
Neetu was dangerous in a way that didn't raise alarms, just quiet curiosity.
Married.
Beautiful.
Confident.
And warm in a way few women let themselves be around men they weren’t supposed to notice.
He leaned back slowly onto the bed, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
And yet, none of them, not even Neetu or Sirisha, could replace what Priya meant.
Not her warmth.
Not her presence.
Not even her silence.
She was the one his eyes searched for when he laughed.
The one he wished would sit near him, just a few inches closer than necessary.
The one he kept falling for, no matter how many reasons the world would give him not to.
Tonight had been full of laughter, food, and attention.
But it only reminded him of the woman who wasn’t around to see it.
He turned to his side, eyes open to the dim ceiling.
A message buzzed on his phone.
A ping of a memory, a possible distraction.
But he didn’t check it right away.
For now, he let himself lie there. In the quiet.
Thinking of her.
-- oOo --
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