27-11-2025, 06:25 PM
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She pulled back ever so slightly, though it hurt.
She maintained a small, controlled space between them, a clear line that she couldn’t let herself cross, no matter how much her body longed for the closeness.
“This is for the best. I need to be strong. For me. For him. For everyone. No matter how much my skin burns for him, no matter how much my heart races…”
Priya smiled gently.
“So nice to have a break,” she murmured.
Her voice soft.
Calm.
But beneath it, warmth.
Soft warmth that made Ravi’s chest pull tight.
“Yes… a short break is good,” he managed.
But he heard the tremble in his own tone.
The vendor returned with the snacks.
He handed the popcorn to Priya.
She settled it in her lap delicately…
This time, even when her shoulder could have brushed his again, she consciously held herself straighter, maintaining a small, careful space, a quiet barrier she hoped he would understand.
They placed their drinks in the cup holders, Ravi on the left, Priya on her left, Amit on her other side, forming a neat, quiet arrangement.
Simple.
Ordinary.
Yet it felt like a tiny, enclosed world.
Priya adjusted her saree.
Her elbow brushed his.
A tiny movement.
Barely intentional.
But enough to send another flicker through him.
But she pulled back instantly this time.
Subtle, controlled, almost defiant, reinforcing the distance she was trying so hard to rebuild.
“I can’t… I can’t give in to this. I need to be strong. I don’t want to hurt him... I don’t want to hurt myself. I need to hold back. Just a little more. Just a little longer.”
The lights dimmed again.
The theater hushed.
The screen brightened.
The movie resumed.
But Ravi barely noticed it.
Not at first.
Because all he could feel was—
Her warmth beside him.
Her breath.
Her soft movements.
The slight rustle of fabric.
The tiny tremble in her fingers as she reached for the popcorn.
Even in her effort to distance herself, every little movement of hers reached him… whispering things he shouldn’t feel anymore.
He pretended to watch the screen.
But it blurred in front of him.
All he truly saw
all he truly felt
was her…
Beside him.
Close.
Warm.
Real.
Every heartbeat echoing in the darkness.
Priya inhaled softly.
Barely.
Almost silent.
But he heard it.
Felt it.
The rhythm of it settling into him again.
She held the space…
but the air between them still ached with everything they almost allowed.
The world outside their row faded.
The crowd vanished.
Only the two of them remained suspended
in quiet breath,
quiet longing,
quiet distance trying to repair itself,
quiet anticipation of a closeness that terrified them both…
and yet neither fully escaped.
-- oOo --
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