Set in Alternate Universe. Don't ask what this is, I myself don't know! But, I want to know everything you guys think about this one.
***
The first time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, it never occured to him that she would become such an integral and life-altering part of his being. He had no inkling that God sent him his miracle while he was still busy looking at the world wide eyed.
Three years later, in retrospect, he realized with a particular sense of calm that it was always meant to be. He was just frivolous and carefree, young and blind to see through the signs the universe sent him. Now, the blindfold was removed and a life without her seemed certainly accomplished but incomplete. He wished, she could see it too, the possibility of an us for them...
He never wanted something this much.
Shravan reminisced the day he met her, being a rainy monday. He hated mondays, they always ruined the sundays for him, the anticipation of going back to the mundane life bogged him down. And, he hated rains for the simple fact that his mess of a hair never survived the heavy downpours.
He didn't quite luck out in this department, mondays and rains were frequent in The Granite City.
He peddled through the accumulating puddles of water, praying that he would make it on time, at least today. And it's then, that he saw her for the first time, she passed swiftly through the gates of the school, umbrella in hand and waved at the guardian who was freezing under the cloudburst, but managed to smile at her.
She walked ahead but stopped and turned back to look towards the guardian. She approached him and after some push and pull, she thrust the purple umbrella in the guardian's hand and ran inside, getting soaked to the bones.
Despite himself, Shravan smiled. He didn't know whether to laugh at her or admire her for her gesture. How could someone be this insane and selfless, both at the same time?
It was their second day of tenth standard.
The second time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari was at a party, she was standing among common friends and laughing her heart out - he was taken aback by the sight, so much that his cold drink almost fell from his hand.
It had been six months, since they were in the same class and for him, she was the reserved and shy kid who never spoke unless spoken to, focused on her work and always kind to people around her. He never really paid attention to her, never really noticed her.
Until now.
He went to greet her like they usually do in western communities, to say hello with pecks on the cheeks, but she backed off almost immediately, surprising him. He stood there, hanging awkardly, not knowing what to do when she forwarded her hand for a handshake. "Hi."
"Hi." He took it with some reluctance. That never happened before.
During the whole party, he kept observing her. True to her nature, she didn't interact with just anyone and mostly sat down but took everyone by surprise as she set the stage on fire, during one quirky Bollywood song. He was left amazed by her level of energy and wanted to join her for the next one. As soon as the song ended, she was back in her shell and the traces of the wild girl he had seen moments ago, was gone.
During one of their get-togethers, one of his best friends, Eric was on the verge of committing suicide. Staring into the void and the darkness of the night, he was seconds away from carrying out the irreparable. No matter how comforting and encouraging he tried to be, Shravan felt like Eric's lifeline was slipping from his hands and there was absolutely nothing he could do.
And then, she came and saved them all. She was the one, who knew what to say, which words to use, how to mend broken hearts and nurse old wounds. She was the one, who made him and every person present there, realize how much of a gift life was. She was the one, who made not only him but all of them realize how loved and cherished they were.
Sometimes, when sleep decided not to greet him goodnight and his demons were round the corner, ready to pull him in a chasm of obscure thoughts, Shravan liked to remember her words, from that night.
"You are needed, you are loved and cherished more than you'll ever know. Even at your worst, even at your lowest. Especially, when you touch the bottom. One day, the pain in your chest, those voices in your head, it will all be gone, I promise. Give me your hand. Give life, a second shot, for us and for yourself. Don't give up."
After that, all was a blur in Shravan's rioting mind, he remembered waiting outside as the doctors took care of Eric. One by one, all their friends left except for her. He was fiddling with his thumbs anxiously as he relived the most terrifying night of his life. A shudder went through his spine when the possibilities of what could have happened, if she hadn't been there, registered with his mind.
The first time Suman Tiwari laid eyes on Shravan Malhotra, she thought him to be obnoxious, too loud and proud. God forbid, he would reach on time, one day in his life - she didn't like him one bit. He hovered around girls, flirted with them unabashedly and was everyone's favorite for no apparent reason.
In retrospect, she never really gave him a fair chance and she was quick to judge.
In the last few weeks, she got a better grasp of who Shravan Malhotra really was and if she was honest with herself, he wasn't that bad. He made outlandish jokes that always managed to crack up people, he messed her hair to rile her up or wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she felt her face grow warm at his touch, and silently berated herself for her reaction.
Recently, he found a new way to get on her nerves and named her 'Sumo' because 'Suman' didn't quite go with her reputation of a cold, strong and uptight person. She would never tell him but she kind of liked the sound of it.
Waiting beside him, she took the time to assess him. He looked beyond exhausted, almost broken as he looked between the palms of his hand and yet he didn't move an inch, since the last three hours. And while she peeled the surface, what she found out was that he was an admirable friend, a sensitive soul who loved too much and was not scared to say it out loud.
He was a man of words and actions.
Suman slid the sandwich and the coffee towards him, but he was still looking down. She cleared her throat to draw his attention but his gaze was fixed on the floor. And that's when she saw a tear splash against his feet on the cold marble and all her armors collapsed to the ground.
She placed a shaking hand on his shoulder and smiled when her sad eyes met his heartbroken ones. "Hey, he's going to be okay."
He shook his head in agreement and smiled in return but it turned out to be a very teary smile and he had to look down, so he could shed some more tears. "It's just that...He...He is family to me."
Her heart broke. She never thought that Shravan Malhotra could look this small.
"You are not losing him, he is going to be just fine," She whispered, patting his shoulder like a parent would pat the back of a child.
Her hand was solid and warm and he never told her but he believed it to be the reason why he was able to get through everything, that day. He was appreciative of the rare gesture of affection she bestowed him with - she was not keen on affection and yet, somehow, she held him together.
"I am going to have to go, it's quite late," She informed as she got up from the small bench and gathered her belongings. He nodded, he would stay here until Eric's parents arrived, they were across town.
"Sumo, I am sorry..." He rebuked himself - he knew how much she hated that nickname. "I mean, Suman, I really wanted to say thank you for-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Malhotra," She warned slowly, lifting a finger to stop him from saying whatever he was about to say but was quick to reprimand herself as she saw his eyes grow wide with surprise.
She sighed, she was a little too harsh on him. "He's my friend too and whatever I did, I would have done it for anyone and I refuse to take a thank you for that."
Despite herself, she smiled and he was left speechless at that.
"And - what?" She asked when she noticed that he was staring at her, sort of in awe, in recognition.
"I didn't you know, you had it in you to smile." His lips curved upwards as he pointed out something, he, often taunted her about and even his spontaneous remark wasn't enough to dim the smile she tried to hide behind the hand on her chin.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart and I do smile." She chuckled and he loved the sound of it.
"Now, please eat something and get some sleep." She ordered sternly and sensed that he was about to retort, so she tilted her head and arched a brow that had him shut up almost instantly.
"You need to take care of yourself to take care of others," She told him with a soft smile on her face and he realized that she was not that ordinary. She was the kind of girl who purposely drowned in the crowd and despite herself, stood out among all.
And just before, she turned round the corner, she told him something he would abide by for the rest of his life. "For you, it's Sumo."
The third time Shravan Malhotra truly laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, was during their eleventh standard and it felt like the first time. He was in the boys' bathroom, washing his hands with soap and water when he felt her standing behind him.
He smiled to himself, thinking that she wanted to pursue the argument, she left midway when her phone rang and had to distance herself to attend it. It's happened more than once that they both had to excuse themselves from their friends to have a full fledged argument in the hallways, so he was not surprised that she tracked him down to validate her point.
"Sweetheart, I know you are a little confused in that pretty head of yours but this is the gents' bathroom," Shravan teased mockingly and started a mental countdown as he anticipated an insult or a punch coming his way, but such was his surprise when he was met with nothing but sniffles filling the quiet space.
"Hey, what happened?" Shravan reached out to her almost instantly, but stopped when she shifted away from his touch. She was quick to wipe away the tear tracks that made way down her face, but the sadness in her eyes glistened and his chest felt tight in a way that only occured when his mother cried - her tears were an unbearable sight to him.
"Sumo," He whispered softly, he had never seen her cry before, she was the strongest person he came across, to see her breaking so bad and that too silently was unsettling.
"Please, don't cry," Shravan said and this time he did reach over to wipe her tears and to his astonishment, she let him, or perhaps she was too far gone to put up a fight with him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He prodded curiously as his head bent down so he could gauge her expression. Slowly, she shook her head in negative and looked to the side so she did not have to meet his gaze.
Taking in her posture, her arms crossed over her chest, her shoulders quaking with emotion and yet her chin held high almost in defiance to herself. He was definitely taller than the walls she had built, but she needed time and he would give her plenty.
"I am okay, it's nothing, I just..." She said finally but had trouble finishing her sentence that ended in a mere whisper. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she kept a hand on her mouth to swallow her sobs but he was quick to muffle the sound as he held her tight against his chest and she hid herself in his arms.
"Shh, it's okay..." Shravan sighed and rubbed her back in an up and downright motion and the front of his shirt was clenched into two solid fists resting over his heart. The only sounds that resonated through the bathroom were her occasional sniffles and her name leaving his mouth followed by a shhh.
"Sumo," He called out after she quietened a bit after a few minutes but she didn't say anything. He pulled back and slowly, she looked up at him, almost embarassed to meet his eyes.
"Holy sh*t, that's a new shade of red you nose has to offer!" He exclaimed in an attempt to break down the seriousness which served its purpose as her first intinct was to touch her nose and then to hide her face in his chest, shaking her head.
"Don't wipe your nose into my shirt, it's a clean one." Her laugh tickled his chest and a secret smile of relief graced his features. The next moment, her fist met his stomach and he gasped in mock hurt. She pulled back, his arms were still around her.
"What was that for?" He questioned, if she didn't know him any better, she would say that he sounded amused.
"My way of saying thank you, I guess." She shrugged half-heartedly and his eyes grew soft, once again.
He brushed away the hair from her face and tucked a strand behind her ear. "There is no need to say it, I get you, Sumo. It's okay." He assured.
"And Sumo, I don't know about you, but, I wouldn't want the school warden to see us like that, I have a virtue to protect..." The words had hardly left his mouth that she entangled herself from him but missed the weight of his strong arms around her. She smiled sheepishly and ran away. The tight feeling in his stomach was non existent.
The fourth time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, was their last day of 12th standard. Summer holidays were waiting for them and after that, every person would be occupied in their higher studies, this was probably one of the last time they would meet before life gave them another opportunity.
She walked towards him and opened her arms to give him a hug but he was quick to take a step back and her hands fell to her sides, and she looked up at him, confused and uncertain. That never happened before.
He stretched his hand for a handshake and smiled expectantly at her as though waiting for her to retrieve a memory. "Goodbye, Ma'am."
Then Suman remembered and rolled her eyes to the ceiling at his weird timing and took his hand in a firm grip.
"Goodbye, sir."
And when she was about to leave, he pulled her into his embrace and she squealed in happiness and surprise as he buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed her in.
She smelled like the flowers his mother loved so much, she smelled like sugar and sweets, she smelled like home.
She pulled back, she always did and he held her small hands between his large ones, his thumbs caressing the soft skin. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed to confess to her.
Little things. Little things, like the fact that he really liked her perfume, he never told her but he loved inhaling her scent whenever she was in breathing vicinity.
He thought that she had beautiful hair, soft and silky and he looked forward to the day, she would let them down, so he could play with the stubborn strands while she was busy solving her sums.
Little things, like when he would mess with her hair, she would return the favor and instead of messing with his hair, he was so peculiar about, she would simply run her fingers through the soft strands.
Little things, like how much she cared for him but was never vocal about it. How, she was always arranging his dressing or zipping his bag in case of any 'mishap'. How she would offer him, her bottle of water when he arrived late, running and huffing.
Little things, like her attraction for him that was clear like daylight. How her head would rest against his shoulder when they would sit by side by side but then she would grow conscious and straighten herself as if nothing happened. How her face flushed and her lips parted when he touched her or pulled her close. How she wouldn't hesitate to wipe the corner of his mouth with her thumb but shied away if his gaze lingered for a second too long.
"Thank you for three years," He mumbled weakly and she could swear, she saw him swallow all the sadness balled up in his throat.
"And counting," Suman retorted weakly, her eyes filling up. It was a bittersweet separation.
"And counting," Shravan chuckled soundly and the sound was loud with emotion.
He kept staring at the union of their hands with a soft smile on his face and she nudged her chin in question at him. He looked up at her and searched the right words to tell her what he had on mind.
"For a cold person, your hands are surprisingly warm." He placed their intertwined hands against his chest and she felt his heartbeat, loud and strong, trying to tell her something. She looked up at him and the sparkle he loved so much made way into her dark brown eyes.
And then, he let her go.
The fifth time Shravan Malhotra laid his eyes on Suman Tiwari, was the night of their reunion, six months after their last day of school. Six months, since he heard her voice and held her hand. Six months, since he remembered her, every minute of every day...
Sure, they were still in touch thanks to text messages and snapchat but to be able to hold someone who is a chunk of yourself is something out of this world. All the stress, all the second thoughts, they just vanish into thin air, the moment, eyes meet and words are exchanged.
He entered into the reunion party and the next second, he perceived her through the crowd. Her back faced him and he could tell that she was having an animated conversation with Eric - most probably over books with the way her head was tilted to the side. The first thing he noticed about her was that her hair were shorter, the last time he had seen her, they reached her back or perhaps it was because she was wearing curls.
A sigh left his mouth as his friends spotted him and one by one they all came to greet him with hugs and huge pats on the back. She stood behind and waited patiently for her turn to come, smiling and laughing as every time he tried to reach her, someone engaged him into a conversation.
With each step he took, her smile kept growing and then he swept her off of her feet and her laughter bubbled up unexpectedly as she yelled out over his neck and beat his back for him to put her down.
"Shravan Malhotra, you can never do normal, can you?" Suman breathed harshly as he put her down and punched against his shoulder to reprimand him.
"I don't do normal, you, out of all people should know that," A husky chuckle escaped his mouth, his breath hitting her face made her shiver and suddenly, she was very much aware of how close they stood.
"Suman! Is that you?!" Preeti exclaimed as she observed her friend from head to toe and she was pleasantly surprised by what she saw.
"You look absolutely stunning!" Preeti gushed over her outfit and her hair, Suman looked like a real woman, like the picture of feminity herself.
It's only when Preeti pointed it out that he let his gaze wander over her svelte form. Her dark brown eyes were heightened with dark brillance that made her gaze more scorching and her full pink lips were colored with a darker shade than she would usually go for and her hair were curled to perfection and he wished, he could run his fingers though it and mess it up for her.
She looked absolutely beautiful, breath-taking even, he suspected black to be her color, it complemented her ivory skin quite well but there was something more to her tonight, she was radiating warmth and pure happiness and he liked to think that he'd contributed to that, in some way.
'Thank you for all the smiles, you were the reason behind more than one.' These were her own words, he remembered, smiling to himself. She wrote him a lovely message for his 18th birthday - she went to India for the holidays and couldn't be there for the actual day but her text more than made it.
"You do look really nice," Shravan tripped over his own words as he stared at her in absolute awe, she made the perfect picture of subtle seduction.
"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself," She remarked and smiled wide when the tips of his ears went red. Shravan Malhotra being flustered was a rare but pleasant sight to the eye.
"Won't you introduce us to this pretty lady, boy?" One of his teachers from law school had been invited by the director himself, they were old friends from college. The old man was intrigued by the young woman, his valedictorian only seemed to have eyes for.
"She's my date for tonight," He said nonchalantly and Suman choked on her cold drink, surprised by the answer.
Shravan rubbed a hand over her back, covering almost the entire expense of it and warmth spread throughout her body and she still didn't get why his proximity and his words affected her so much.
"So, how's the man in your life doing, Sumo?" Eric asked teasingly, they all considered Suman to be the quite essential 'saanskari' girl. They loved to tease her about her 'forever single' status.
"Quite fine, he wanted to come tonight but already had something planned, so couldn't bring him," She answered calmly, shrugging her shoulders as she took a sip of her cold drink, not realizing that they were all gawking at her as if she had grown horns.
"SUMAN TIWARI HAS GOT A MAN!" Pushkar shouted at the top of his voice drawing attention from every corner of the room.
Shravan remained stiff and his shoulders that were quaking with silent laughter at a joke thrown by their director, dropped but that was only for a second before he wore his brillant smile and joined everyone into enquiring about the man in her life.
She could not hold the pretense for too long and doubled over with laughter as they all looked on quizzically before realization dawned upon them and they felt like absolute fools for even conjuring such an idea.
No one noticed, not even her, that one of them let out a sigh of relief and his heart that felt too heavy for his chest, seconds ago, now beat regularly and soundly.
"I should go," Suman said as she checked the time on her wristwatch. It was past ten pm and she didn't want to bother her parents by staying out, too late.
"Stay," He held her wrist, refusing to let her go. "I'll drop you," Shravan offered when he felt her about to retort.
"No, you don't have to -"
"I am taking your mom's permission." He fetched out his phone and in minutes, he got an approval from her highness.
"How did you that?" She asked genuinely impressed, her mother was a tough woman to convince.
"Law school pays off," Shravan said smugly and pulled on the collar of his shirt.
"Ever so modest, Malhotra," She taunted and reached over to arrange the collar of his shirt, her nimble fingers brushing against the skin of his strong neck and he felt like he had been burned.
Around midnight, they left the party and she walked ahead of him. Once again, she was stuck in the dilemma between 'push and pull' and that's exactly what happened, she pulled the door instead of pushing it.
"Why do girls always have a problem with this push and pull thing?" Shravan asked incredulously, laughing as she hid her face between her hands, she tended to do a lot of that when she was embarrassed or simply too shy to make eye contact, but was quick to give him a befitting answer.
"Because, we don't like to be told what to do." She flipped her long hair in his face and he was left groaning for he had no retort, for a change.
As she walked towards his car, she almost tripped over her own feet, but he was there to hold her.
"You still can't walk with heels, can you?" He arched a brow at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.
"Go ahead, laugh all you want!" She pretended to be mad at him but looped her arm around his when he offered.
One moment, they were walking and the next, Shravan backed her against the car and trapped her between his arms as each rested against every side of her.
"What are you doing?" She whisper-yelled and gulped when he leaned in towards her. Her breathing labored.
"I need some answers from you," He said, not moving an inch away from her.
"What is the question?" Somehow, she asked.
He looked up for a moment as if pondering hard over it when in reality, he only wanted to make these last moments worth remembering.
"From a scale to 1 to 10, how much do you love me?" He asked very seriously, every trace of humor gone as he tried desperately to reign in his anxiousness.
It was meant to be playful but the stunned look on her face and the softened look in her eyes revealed a reality that was ignored by her, for far too long.
She didn't speak and he leaned in even closer. He was in such immediate proximity, that even in the darkness of the night, she could see his smiling brown eyes framed by impossibly long lashes.
Why did a man need such fine lashes?
Shravan drank in every line and every imperfection of her face as if they were only his to witness, only his to enhance. He was staring at her far too intensely for her liking and she tore her gaze away, incapable of sustaining coherent thoughts. Shravan's eyes flit down to her lips and he wondered just for a moment if they would feel as soft as they looked.
"Honk!"
"Did you just honk my nose?" Shravan stared at her in shock, his hand holding onto his nose as she smiled in defiance and put both her hands on his shoulders.
"I did and if you ever ask such stupid and baseless questions in this lifetime, I will not only honk your nose..." She spoke slowly making sure that her warning was entirely understood. "But, tickle you to death!" She blurted out as he squirmed furiously under her torture, she was very well aware of how ticklish he was.
"Sumo, stop, please!" His laughter came out strangled as he tried to hold her hands to prevent her from causing more damage, but she turned out to be quite strong. "Okay, stop now!" Suman saw him breathing harshly as to calm himself from all the laughing he had done and realized that a laughing Shravan was a rare but surely her favorite sight.
Subconsciously or otherwise, as he tried to calm down, he bent forward and rested his forehead on hers, the remnants of laughter stayed at the corners of his mouth, revealing the dimples that aggravated her so at one point and now attracted her to him in a strange way.
His fingers encircled her wrist and he felt her pulse thrum. Her breath hit him squarely on the lips and it was a quiet reminder of how dangerous this was. They parted away. It was enough to send his pulse hammering.
"It's weird to see you driving," Suman blurted out her thoughts.
"Good weird or bad weird?"
"A mix of both," She mumbled, he deciphered a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
"It's a reminder of how fast time flies."
He nodded wordlessly.
"Oh, there is a shooting star." Shravan beamed, pointing a finger towards the sky, one hand maneuvering the steering wheel with great expertise, although it had only been a couple of months since he started driving.
Suman laughed at the excitement in his voice, he was such a child at heart. "Go ahead, make a wish."
"Ten years from now..." Shravan said in a faraway tone. "I wish you to be the permanent holder of the front seat of my car," he spoke after what seemed so long but were just probably mere seconds.
Suman froze, she waited for him to complete his sentence, to finish his confession with a teasing remark or a grotesque pleasantry that would nullify the underlying meaning behind his words but he did not say anything and she understood how silence could speak louder than words.
Gathering her bearings, she laughed and clapped her hands as if it was his best performance. "That's one thing that is not gonna happen in this lifetime," She managed to say between fits of giggles.
He seemed to crumple at her words, his hold on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw hardened as he blinked, once, twice.
"We wouldn't last three days, together..." Suman fumbled for words in her mind - she never considered the possibility of an us for them. They were poles apart.
"Why though?" He asked, suddenly his eyes glinted as if challenging her to answer that. His eyes shifted from the road to her face, the moonlight filtered through the window and it seemed like shadows danced on her beautiful visage.
"Shravan," She croaked, stammering pathetically. "We are too different, I know you very well and I know myself, we wouldn't be happy together, what I don't understand is why are we even speculating over something that will never happen," she raised her voice wanting to end this conversation, she didn't imagine a car ride to be this eventful.
"So, you don't have faith in me?" The question snapped her out of her thoughts like a sudden splash of cold water. She wanted to retort with something nasty, she hated it when he put words in her mouth. But when he refused to meet her eyes, she realized what it cost him to ask even that and she took a calming breath.
"It doesn't have to be necessarily you, it can very well be me." The answer was firm.
"So, you don't have faith in yourself?" The question hung in the air.
Suman tore her gaze away from to road to his face, their eyes met. She looked into his eyes and saw the flicker of hope waiting to draw oxygen from her words. It was a mistake. She wanted to say so much but words were clogged in her throat, she was still unsure about her own feelings, how was she supposed to let something materialize when she had no clarity of where they stood.
Instead she said, "I wouldn't want my best friend to board a sinking ship." She sounded more unconvincing that she bargained for.
His lips lifted at the corner in a heartbreaking smile. "When there is love, there is no chance of sinking."
Suman's heart thudded.
The rest of the ride was completely silent, save for the few indications, she gave him while they neared her house. He parked in front of her house and turned off the engine.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she unbuckled her seat belt and retrieved her belongings.
There was a moment of silence and they kept looking at each other, unsure of what to do or say. The moment turned into two and Shravan released a long sigh and unbuckled his own seat belt. "Get out of the car."
"What?" She looked up at him shell-shocked. That never happened before.
"Get out of the car," Shravan repeated softly as he climbed out of the driver's seat and the door slammed heavily behind him. She followed him and now they stood in front of the entrance.
His large hands placed themselves on either side of her jaw, brushing away her hair and cupping her face with his warm palms. He leaned in and her cheek grazed her stubbled face and he felt her tense under his hands.
"I felt at home, after a very long time, tonight" He said, lips ghosting the rim of her ear, nose buried in her hair.
"Shravan..." the warning ended in a whisper when he traced the shell of her ear. Her eyes fluttered closed.
The temptation was too great. He pressed his lips to her forehead, her sigh reassuring and heartbreaking, all at once.
She kept her hands over his chest to increase the distance between them and didn't miss the flicker of disappointment clouding his eyes as he let her do so.
"I'll wait for the day, your fear of drowning vanishes away," He whispered more to himself than to her.
"Goodnight."
He walked back to his car but turned one last time to see her. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed to be fighting with herself for a few seconds, standing stock still, before she turned back around, expression inscrutable.
She walked up to him slowly and pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his neck, forcing him to bend down. He was clearly not expecting that, if the way he froze and took a moment to reciprocate, as he held her to his height was any indication.
Arms tight around her middle and breathing dazedly into her shoulder as she dropped the softest touch against the side of his neck was the physical manifestation of how they made each other feel safe.
"Text me, when you reach home," She mumbled against his neck, his scent was addictive.
"I am already home." He smiled with all his heart, she couldn't see it but felt the stretch of his lips against her temple.
And, he let her go.
***
The first time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, it never occured to him that she would become such an integral and life-altering part of his being. He had no inkling that God sent him his miracle while he was still busy looking at the world wide eyed.
Three years later, in retrospect, he realized with a particular sense of calm that it was always meant to be. He was just frivolous and carefree, young and blind to see through the signs the universe sent him. Now, the blindfold was removed and a life without her seemed certainly accomplished but incomplete. He wished, she could see it too, the possibility of an us for them...
He never wanted something this much.
Shravan reminisced the day he met her, being a rainy monday. He hated mondays, they always ruined the sundays for him, the anticipation of going back to the mundane life bogged him down. And, he hated rains for the simple fact that his mess of a hair never survived the heavy downpours.
He didn't quite luck out in this department, mondays and rains were frequent in The Granite City.
He peddled through the accumulating puddles of water, praying that he would make it on time, at least today. And it's then, that he saw her for the first time, she passed swiftly through the gates of the school, umbrella in hand and waved at the guardian who was freezing under the cloudburst, but managed to smile at her.
She walked ahead but stopped and turned back to look towards the guardian. She approached him and after some push and pull, she thrust the purple umbrella in the guardian's hand and ran inside, getting soaked to the bones.
Despite himself, Shravan smiled. He didn't know whether to laugh at her or admire her for her gesture. How could someone be this insane and selfless, both at the same time?
It was their second day of tenth standard.
The second time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari was at a party, she was standing among common friends and laughing her heart out - he was taken aback by the sight, so much that his cold drink almost fell from his hand.
It had been six months, since they were in the same class and for him, she was the reserved and shy kid who never spoke unless spoken to, focused on her work and always kind to people around her. He never really paid attention to her, never really noticed her.
Until now.
He went to greet her like they usually do in western communities, to say hello with pecks on the cheeks, but she backed off almost immediately, surprising him. He stood there, hanging awkardly, not knowing what to do when she forwarded her hand for a handshake. "Hi."
"Hi." He took it with some reluctance. That never happened before.
During the whole party, he kept observing her. True to her nature, she didn't interact with just anyone and mostly sat down but took everyone by surprise as she set the stage on fire, during one quirky Bollywood song. He was left amazed by her level of energy and wanted to join her for the next one. As soon as the song ended, she was back in her shell and the traces of the wild girl he had seen moments ago, was gone.
During one of their get-togethers, one of his best friends, Eric was on the verge of committing suicide. Staring into the void and the darkness of the night, he was seconds away from carrying out the irreparable. No matter how comforting and encouraging he tried to be, Shravan felt like Eric's lifeline was slipping from his hands and there was absolutely nothing he could do.
And then, she came and saved them all. She was the one, who knew what to say, which words to use, how to mend broken hearts and nurse old wounds. She was the one, who made him and every person present there, realize how much of a gift life was. She was the one, who made not only him but all of them realize how loved and cherished they were.
Sometimes, when sleep decided not to greet him goodnight and his demons were round the corner, ready to pull him in a chasm of obscure thoughts, Shravan liked to remember her words, from that night.
"You are needed, you are loved and cherished more than you'll ever know. Even at your worst, even at your lowest. Especially, when you touch the bottom. One day, the pain in your chest, those voices in your head, it will all be gone, I promise. Give me your hand. Give life, a second shot, for us and for yourself. Don't give up."
After that, all was a blur in Shravan's rioting mind, he remembered waiting outside as the doctors took care of Eric. One by one, all their friends left except for her. He was fiddling with his thumbs anxiously as he relived the most terrifying night of his life. A shudder went through his spine when the possibilities of what could have happened, if she hadn't been there, registered with his mind.
The first time Suman Tiwari laid eyes on Shravan Malhotra, she thought him to be obnoxious, too loud and proud. God forbid, he would reach on time, one day in his life - she didn't like him one bit. He hovered around girls, flirted with them unabashedly and was everyone's favorite for no apparent reason.
In retrospect, she never really gave him a fair chance and she was quick to judge.
In the last few weeks, she got a better grasp of who Shravan Malhotra really was and if she was honest with herself, he wasn't that bad. He made outlandish jokes that always managed to crack up people, he messed her hair to rile her up or wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she felt her face grow warm at his touch, and silently berated herself for her reaction.
Recently, he found a new way to get on her nerves and named her 'Sumo' because 'Suman' didn't quite go with her reputation of a cold, strong and uptight person. She would never tell him but she kind of liked the sound of it.
Waiting beside him, she took the time to assess him. He looked beyond exhausted, almost broken as he looked between the palms of his hand and yet he didn't move an inch, since the last three hours. And while she peeled the surface, what she found out was that he was an admirable friend, a sensitive soul who loved too much and was not scared to say it out loud.
He was a man of words and actions.
Suman slid the sandwich and the coffee towards him, but he was still looking down. She cleared her throat to draw his attention but his gaze was fixed on the floor. And that's when she saw a tear splash against his feet on the cold marble and all her armors collapsed to the ground.
She placed a shaking hand on his shoulder and smiled when her sad eyes met his heartbroken ones. "Hey, he's going to be okay."
He shook his head in agreement and smiled in return but it turned out to be a very teary smile and he had to look down, so he could shed some more tears. "It's just that...He...He is family to me."
Her heart broke. She never thought that Shravan Malhotra could look this small.
"You are not losing him, he is going to be just fine," She whispered, patting his shoulder like a parent would pat the back of a child.
Her hand was solid and warm and he never told her but he believed it to be the reason why he was able to get through everything, that day. He was appreciative of the rare gesture of affection she bestowed him with - she was not keen on affection and yet, somehow, she held him together.
"I am going to have to go, it's quite late," She informed as she got up from the small bench and gathered her belongings. He nodded, he would stay here until Eric's parents arrived, they were across town.
"Sumo, I am sorry..." He rebuked himself - he knew how much she hated that nickname. "I mean, Suman, I really wanted to say thank you for-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Malhotra," She warned slowly, lifting a finger to stop him from saying whatever he was about to say but was quick to reprimand herself as she saw his eyes grow wide with surprise.
She sighed, she was a little too harsh on him. "He's my friend too and whatever I did, I would have done it for anyone and I refuse to take a thank you for that."
Despite herself, she smiled and he was left speechless at that.
"And - what?" She asked when she noticed that he was staring at her, sort of in awe, in recognition.
"I didn't you know, you had it in you to smile." His lips curved upwards as he pointed out something, he, often taunted her about and even his spontaneous remark wasn't enough to dim the smile she tried to hide behind the hand on her chin.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart and I do smile." She chuckled and he loved the sound of it.
"Now, please eat something and get some sleep." She ordered sternly and sensed that he was about to retort, so she tilted her head and arched a brow that had him shut up almost instantly.
"You need to take care of yourself to take care of others," She told him with a soft smile on her face and he realized that she was not that ordinary. She was the kind of girl who purposely drowned in the crowd and despite herself, stood out among all.
And just before, she turned round the corner, she told him something he would abide by for the rest of his life. "For you, it's Sumo."
The third time Shravan Malhotra truly laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, was during their eleventh standard and it felt like the first time. He was in the boys' bathroom, washing his hands with soap and water when he felt her standing behind him.
He smiled to himself, thinking that she wanted to pursue the argument, she left midway when her phone rang and had to distance herself to attend it. It's happened more than once that they both had to excuse themselves from their friends to have a full fledged argument in the hallways, so he was not surprised that she tracked him down to validate her point.
"Sweetheart, I know you are a little confused in that pretty head of yours but this is the gents' bathroom," Shravan teased mockingly and started a mental countdown as he anticipated an insult or a punch coming his way, but such was his surprise when he was met with nothing but sniffles filling the quiet space.
"Hey, what happened?" Shravan reached out to her almost instantly, but stopped when she shifted away from his touch. She was quick to wipe away the tear tracks that made way down her face, but the sadness in her eyes glistened and his chest felt tight in a way that only occured when his mother cried - her tears were an unbearable sight to him.
"Sumo," He whispered softly, he had never seen her cry before, she was the strongest person he came across, to see her breaking so bad and that too silently was unsettling.
"Please, don't cry," Shravan said and this time he did reach over to wipe her tears and to his astonishment, she let him, or perhaps she was too far gone to put up a fight with him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He prodded curiously as his head bent down so he could gauge her expression. Slowly, she shook her head in negative and looked to the side so she did not have to meet his gaze.
Taking in her posture, her arms crossed over her chest, her shoulders quaking with emotion and yet her chin held high almost in defiance to herself. He was definitely taller than the walls she had built, but she needed time and he would give her plenty.
"I am okay, it's nothing, I just..." She said finally but had trouble finishing her sentence that ended in a mere whisper. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she kept a hand on her mouth to swallow her sobs but he was quick to muffle the sound as he held her tight against his chest and she hid herself in his arms.
"Shh, it's okay..." Shravan sighed and rubbed her back in an up and downright motion and the front of his shirt was clenched into two solid fists resting over his heart. The only sounds that resonated through the bathroom were her occasional sniffles and her name leaving his mouth followed by a shhh.
"Sumo," He called out after she quietened a bit after a few minutes but she didn't say anything. He pulled back and slowly, she looked up at him, almost embarassed to meet his eyes.
"Holy sh*t, that's a new shade of red you nose has to offer!" He exclaimed in an attempt to break down the seriousness which served its purpose as her first intinct was to touch her nose and then to hide her face in his chest, shaking her head.
"Don't wipe your nose into my shirt, it's a clean one." Her laugh tickled his chest and a secret smile of relief graced his features. The next moment, her fist met his stomach and he gasped in mock hurt. She pulled back, his arms were still around her.
"What was that for?" He questioned, if she didn't know him any better, she would say that he sounded amused.
"My way of saying thank you, I guess." She shrugged half-heartedly and his eyes grew soft, once again.
He brushed away the hair from her face and tucked a strand behind her ear. "There is no need to say it, I get you, Sumo. It's okay." He assured.
"And Sumo, I don't know about you, but, I wouldn't want the school warden to see us like that, I have a virtue to protect..." The words had hardly left his mouth that she entangled herself from him but missed the weight of his strong arms around her. She smiled sheepishly and ran away. The tight feeling in his stomach was non existent.
The fourth time Shravan Malhotra laid eyes on Suman Tiwari, was their last day of 12th standard. Summer holidays were waiting for them and after that, every person would be occupied in their higher studies, this was probably one of the last time they would meet before life gave them another opportunity.
She walked towards him and opened her arms to give him a hug but he was quick to take a step back and her hands fell to her sides, and she looked up at him, confused and uncertain. That never happened before.
He stretched his hand for a handshake and smiled expectantly at her as though waiting for her to retrieve a memory. "Goodbye, Ma'am."
Then Suman remembered and rolled her eyes to the ceiling at his weird timing and took his hand in a firm grip.
"Goodbye, sir."
And when she was about to leave, he pulled her into his embrace and she squealed in happiness and surprise as he buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed her in.
She smelled like the flowers his mother loved so much, she smelled like sugar and sweets, she smelled like home.
She pulled back, she always did and he held her small hands between his large ones, his thumbs caressing the soft skin. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed to confess to her.
Little things. Little things, like the fact that he really liked her perfume, he never told her but he loved inhaling her scent whenever she was in breathing vicinity.
He thought that she had beautiful hair, soft and silky and he looked forward to the day, she would let them down, so he could play with the stubborn strands while she was busy solving her sums.
Little things, like when he would mess with her hair, she would return the favor and instead of messing with his hair, he was so peculiar about, she would simply run her fingers through the soft strands.
Little things, like how much she cared for him but was never vocal about it. How, she was always arranging his dressing or zipping his bag in case of any 'mishap'. How she would offer him, her bottle of water when he arrived late, running and huffing.
Little things, like her attraction for him that was clear like daylight. How her head would rest against his shoulder when they would sit by side by side but then she would grow conscious and straighten herself as if nothing happened. How her face flushed and her lips parted when he touched her or pulled her close. How she wouldn't hesitate to wipe the corner of his mouth with her thumb but shied away if his gaze lingered for a second too long.
"Thank you for three years," He mumbled weakly and she could swear, she saw him swallow all the sadness balled up in his throat.
"And counting," Suman retorted weakly, her eyes filling up. It was a bittersweet separation.
"And counting," Shravan chuckled soundly and the sound was loud with emotion.
He kept staring at the union of their hands with a soft smile on his face and she nudged her chin in question at him. He looked up at her and searched the right words to tell her what he had on mind.
"For a cold person, your hands are surprisingly warm." He placed their intertwined hands against his chest and she felt his heartbeat, loud and strong, trying to tell her something. She looked up at him and the sparkle he loved so much made way into her dark brown eyes.
And then, he let her go.
The fifth time Shravan Malhotra laid his eyes on Suman Tiwari, was the night of their reunion, six months after their last day of school. Six months, since he heard her voice and held her hand. Six months, since he remembered her, every minute of every day...
Sure, they were still in touch thanks to text messages and snapchat but to be able to hold someone who is a chunk of yourself is something out of this world. All the stress, all the second thoughts, they just vanish into thin air, the moment, eyes meet and words are exchanged.
He entered into the reunion party and the next second, he perceived her through the crowd. Her back faced him and he could tell that she was having an animated conversation with Eric - most probably over books with the way her head was tilted to the side. The first thing he noticed about her was that her hair were shorter, the last time he had seen her, they reached her back or perhaps it was because she was wearing curls.
A sigh left his mouth as his friends spotted him and one by one they all came to greet him with hugs and huge pats on the back. She stood behind and waited patiently for her turn to come, smiling and laughing as every time he tried to reach her, someone engaged him into a conversation.
With each step he took, her smile kept growing and then he swept her off of her feet and her laughter bubbled up unexpectedly as she yelled out over his neck and beat his back for him to put her down.
"Shravan Malhotra, you can never do normal, can you?" Suman breathed harshly as he put her down and punched against his shoulder to reprimand him.
"I don't do normal, you, out of all people should know that," A husky chuckle escaped his mouth, his breath hitting her face made her shiver and suddenly, she was very much aware of how close they stood.
"Suman! Is that you?!" Preeti exclaimed as she observed her friend from head to toe and she was pleasantly surprised by what she saw.
"You look absolutely stunning!" Preeti gushed over her outfit and her hair, Suman looked like a real woman, like the picture of feminity herself.
It's only when Preeti pointed it out that he let his gaze wander over her svelte form. Her dark brown eyes were heightened with dark brillance that made her gaze more scorching and her full pink lips were colored with a darker shade than she would usually go for and her hair were curled to perfection and he wished, he could run his fingers though it and mess it up for her.
She looked absolutely beautiful, breath-taking even, he suspected black to be her color, it complemented her ivory skin quite well but there was something more to her tonight, she was radiating warmth and pure happiness and he liked to think that he'd contributed to that, in some way.
'Thank you for all the smiles, you were the reason behind more than one.' These were her own words, he remembered, smiling to himself. She wrote him a lovely message for his 18th birthday - she went to India for the holidays and couldn't be there for the actual day but her text more than made it.
"You do look really nice," Shravan tripped over his own words as he stared at her in absolute awe, she made the perfect picture of subtle seduction.
"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself," She remarked and smiled wide when the tips of his ears went red. Shravan Malhotra being flustered was a rare but pleasant sight to the eye.
"Won't you introduce us to this pretty lady, boy?" One of his teachers from law school had been invited by the director himself, they were old friends from college. The old man was intrigued by the young woman, his valedictorian only seemed to have eyes for.
"She's my date for tonight," He said nonchalantly and Suman choked on her cold drink, surprised by the answer.
Shravan rubbed a hand over her back, covering almost the entire expense of it and warmth spread throughout her body and she still didn't get why his proximity and his words affected her so much.
"So, how's the man in your life doing, Sumo?" Eric asked teasingly, they all considered Suman to be the quite essential 'saanskari' girl. They loved to tease her about her 'forever single' status.
"Quite fine, he wanted to come tonight but already had something planned, so couldn't bring him," She answered calmly, shrugging her shoulders as she took a sip of her cold drink, not realizing that they were all gawking at her as if she had grown horns.
"SUMAN TIWARI HAS GOT A MAN!" Pushkar shouted at the top of his voice drawing attention from every corner of the room.
Shravan remained stiff and his shoulders that were quaking with silent laughter at a joke thrown by their director, dropped but that was only for a second before he wore his brillant smile and joined everyone into enquiring about the man in her life.
She could not hold the pretense for too long and doubled over with laughter as they all looked on quizzically before realization dawned upon them and they felt like absolute fools for even conjuring such an idea.
No one noticed, not even her, that one of them let out a sigh of relief and his heart that felt too heavy for his chest, seconds ago, now beat regularly and soundly.
"I should go," Suman said as she checked the time on her wristwatch. It was past ten pm and she didn't want to bother her parents by staying out, too late.
"Stay," He held her wrist, refusing to let her go. "I'll drop you," Shravan offered when he felt her about to retort.
"No, you don't have to -"
"I am taking your mom's permission." He fetched out his phone and in minutes, he got an approval from her highness.
"How did you that?" She asked genuinely impressed, her mother was a tough woman to convince.
"Law school pays off," Shravan said smugly and pulled on the collar of his shirt.
"Ever so modest, Malhotra," She taunted and reached over to arrange the collar of his shirt, her nimble fingers brushing against the skin of his strong neck and he felt like he had been burned.
Around midnight, they left the party and she walked ahead of him. Once again, she was stuck in the dilemma between 'push and pull' and that's exactly what happened, she pulled the door instead of pushing it.
"Why do girls always have a problem with this push and pull thing?" Shravan asked incredulously, laughing as she hid her face between her hands, she tended to do a lot of that when she was embarrassed or simply too shy to make eye contact, but was quick to give him a befitting answer.
"Because, we don't like to be told what to do." She flipped her long hair in his face and he was left groaning for he had no retort, for a change.
As she walked towards his car, she almost tripped over her own feet, but he was there to hold her.
"You still can't walk with heels, can you?" He arched a brow at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.
"Go ahead, laugh all you want!" She pretended to be mad at him but looped her arm around his when he offered.
One moment, they were walking and the next, Shravan backed her against the car and trapped her between his arms as each rested against every side of her.
"What are you doing?" She whisper-yelled and gulped when he leaned in towards her. Her breathing labored.
"I need some answers from you," He said, not moving an inch away from her.
"What is the question?" Somehow, she asked.
He looked up for a moment as if pondering hard over it when in reality, he only wanted to make these last moments worth remembering.
"From a scale to 1 to 10, how much do you love me?" He asked very seriously, every trace of humor gone as he tried desperately to reign in his anxiousness.
It was meant to be playful but the stunned look on her face and the softened look in her eyes revealed a reality that was ignored by her, for far too long.
She didn't speak and he leaned in even closer. He was in such immediate proximity, that even in the darkness of the night, she could see his smiling brown eyes framed by impossibly long lashes.
Why did a man need such fine lashes?
Shravan drank in every line and every imperfection of her face as if they were only his to witness, only his to enhance. He was staring at her far too intensely for her liking and she tore her gaze away, incapable of sustaining coherent thoughts. Shravan's eyes flit down to her lips and he wondered just for a moment if they would feel as soft as they looked.
"Honk!"
"Did you just honk my nose?" Shravan stared at her in shock, his hand holding onto his nose as she smiled in defiance and put both her hands on his shoulders.
"I did and if you ever ask such stupid and baseless questions in this lifetime, I will not only honk your nose..." She spoke slowly making sure that her warning was entirely understood. "But, tickle you to death!" She blurted out as he squirmed furiously under her torture, she was very well aware of how ticklish he was.
"Sumo, stop, please!" His laughter came out strangled as he tried to hold her hands to prevent her from causing more damage, but she turned out to be quite strong. "Okay, stop now!" Suman saw him breathing harshly as to calm himself from all the laughing he had done and realized that a laughing Shravan was a rare but surely her favorite sight.
Subconsciously or otherwise, as he tried to calm down, he bent forward and rested his forehead on hers, the remnants of laughter stayed at the corners of his mouth, revealing the dimples that aggravated her so at one point and now attracted her to him in a strange way.
His fingers encircled her wrist and he felt her pulse thrum. Her breath hit him squarely on the lips and it was a quiet reminder of how dangerous this was. They parted away. It was enough to send his pulse hammering.
"It's weird to see you driving," Suman blurted out her thoughts.
"Good weird or bad weird?"
"A mix of both," She mumbled, he deciphered a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
"It's a reminder of how fast time flies."
He nodded wordlessly.
"Oh, there is a shooting star." Shravan beamed, pointing a finger towards the sky, one hand maneuvering the steering wheel with great expertise, although it had only been a couple of months since he started driving.
Suman laughed at the excitement in his voice, he was such a child at heart. "Go ahead, make a wish."
"Ten years from now..." Shravan said in a faraway tone. "I wish you to be the permanent holder of the front seat of my car," he spoke after what seemed so long but were just probably mere seconds.
Suman froze, she waited for him to complete his sentence, to finish his confession with a teasing remark or a grotesque pleasantry that would nullify the underlying meaning behind his words but he did not say anything and she understood how silence could speak louder than words.
Gathering her bearings, she laughed and clapped her hands as if it was his best performance. "That's one thing that is not gonna happen in this lifetime," She managed to say between fits of giggles.
He seemed to crumple at her words, his hold on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw hardened as he blinked, once, twice.
"We wouldn't last three days, together..." Suman fumbled for words in her mind - she never considered the possibility of an us for them. They were poles apart.
"Why though?" He asked, suddenly his eyes glinted as if challenging her to answer that. His eyes shifted from the road to her face, the moonlight filtered through the window and it seemed like shadows danced on her beautiful visage.
"Shravan," She croaked, stammering pathetically. "We are too different, I know you very well and I know myself, we wouldn't be happy together, what I don't understand is why are we even speculating over something that will never happen," she raised her voice wanting to end this conversation, she didn't imagine a car ride to be this eventful.
"So, you don't have faith in me?" The question snapped her out of her thoughts like a sudden splash of cold water. She wanted to retort with something nasty, she hated it when he put words in her mouth. But when he refused to meet her eyes, she realized what it cost him to ask even that and she took a calming breath.
"It doesn't have to be necessarily you, it can very well be me." The answer was firm.
"So, you don't have faith in yourself?" The question hung in the air.
Suman tore her gaze away from to road to his face, their eyes met. She looked into his eyes and saw the flicker of hope waiting to draw oxygen from her words. It was a mistake. She wanted to say so much but words were clogged in her throat, she was still unsure about her own feelings, how was she supposed to let something materialize when she had no clarity of where they stood.
Instead she said, "I wouldn't want my best friend to board a sinking ship." She sounded more unconvincing that she bargained for.
His lips lifted at the corner in a heartbreaking smile. "When there is love, there is no chance of sinking."
Suman's heart thudded.
The rest of the ride was completely silent, save for the few indications, she gave him while they neared her house. He parked in front of her house and turned off the engine.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she unbuckled her seat belt and retrieved her belongings.
There was a moment of silence and they kept looking at each other, unsure of what to do or say. The moment turned into two and Shravan released a long sigh and unbuckled his own seat belt. "Get out of the car."
"What?" She looked up at him shell-shocked. That never happened before.
"Get out of the car," Shravan repeated softly as he climbed out of the driver's seat and the door slammed heavily behind him. She followed him and now they stood in front of the entrance.
His large hands placed themselves on either side of her jaw, brushing away her hair and cupping her face with his warm palms. He leaned in and her cheek grazed her stubbled face and he felt her tense under his hands.
"I felt at home, after a very long time, tonight" He said, lips ghosting the rim of her ear, nose buried in her hair.
"Shravan..." the warning ended in a whisper when he traced the shell of her ear. Her eyes fluttered closed.
The temptation was too great. He pressed his lips to her forehead, her sigh reassuring and heartbreaking, all at once.
She kept her hands over his chest to increase the distance between them and didn't miss the flicker of disappointment clouding his eyes as he let her do so.
"I'll wait for the day, your fear of drowning vanishes away," He whispered more to himself than to her.
"Goodnight."
He walked back to his car but turned one last time to see her. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed to be fighting with herself for a few seconds, standing stock still, before she turned back around, expression inscrutable.
She walked up to him slowly and pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his neck, forcing him to bend down. He was clearly not expecting that, if the way he froze and took a moment to reciprocate, as he held her to his height was any indication.
Arms tight around her middle and breathing dazedly into her shoulder as she dropped the softest touch against the side of his neck was the physical manifestation of how they made each other feel safe.
"Text me, when you reach home," She mumbled against his neck, his scent was addictive.
"I am already home." He smiled with all his heart, she couldn't see it but felt the stretch of his lips against her temple.
And, he let her go.
Writer: KitkitMKB
