The days after that walk felt different.
Not louder.
Not dramatic.
Just… warmer. ☀️
Aarav and Meera still sat under the same tree 🌳, still shared notes, still argued over silly things.
But now, their fingers found each other naturally. 🤝
Like they had memorized the way they fit together.
One evening after school, the sky was painted soft orange and pink 🌆. Most students had already left. The campus felt quiet… almost secret.
Meera stood near the gate, watching the sunset.
“It’s pretty,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” Aarav replied.
But he wasn’t looking at the sky.
He was looking at her.
The way the light touched her face.
The way the breeze moved her hair gently.
He realized something right then.
He didn’t just like her laugh.
Or her teasing.
Or the way she leaned on his shoulder.
He liked her.
All of her. 💛
“Meera…”
His voice was steady this time.
She turned toward him. “Hmm?”
There was no nervous crowd.
No festival noise.
Just the quiet hum of evening. 🌙
“I don’t want to pretend anymore,” he said honestly.
Her heartbeat quickened. She could feel it.
“Pretend what?”
“That you’re just my best friend.”
The words hung between them.
Soft. Vulnerable. Real.
She didn’t speak.
So he continued.
“When you’re not around, my day feels incomplete. When someone talks to you, I get jealous. And when you held my hand… I didn’t want to let go.”
Her eyes shimmered.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he added quickly. “I just… needed you to know.”
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then she stepped closer.
Close enough that he could hear her breathing.
“You’re really slow, you know that?” she whispered gently.
His heart nearly stopped.
“I’ve been waiting,” she admitted. “I thought maybe I was the only one feeling this way.”
“You weren’t,” he said immediately.
She smiled — not playful, not teasing. Just honest. 🤍
“You’re my favorite person,” she said softly. “Not just my best friend.”
That was it.
That was all he needed.
Aarav slowly lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her face ✨. His fingers trembled slightly.
“Can I?” he asked quietly.
She nodded.
He leaned forward and pressed the softest kiss on her forehead. 💋
Gentle. Respectful. Full of meaning.
Her eyes closed for a second.
Then she wrapped her arms around him tightly 🤍.
Not rushed.
Not dramatic.
Just a hug that felt like home.
“I guess we’re not just friends anymore,” she murmured against his shoulder.
“I guess not,” he replied, smiling for real this time.
They pulled back slowly, but their hands stayed together. 🤝
No fireworks.
No background music.
Just two hearts finally saying what they had felt all along. 💛
As they walked toward the gate, fingers intertwined, Meera squeezed his hand lightly.
“Race you tomorrow morning?” she asked, her playful tone returning.
He smirked. “You’ll lose.”
“Dream on.”
And together, they stepped forward—
Not just as best friends.
But as something deeper.
Something softer.
Something theirs. 💛
To be Continued............
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