With every passing week, the slow burn became undeniable. Gunnu’s innocence danced in the halls while Abhinav’s intensity shadowed her path. He didn’t touch her unnecessarily; yet his gaze lingered, his small gestures of protection grew louder than words.
She left sweets on his desk. He left tea prepared for her in the mornings. She teased him about shirts folded perfectly; he wordlessly picked up her scattered dupattas and folded them too.
One evening, when the generator failed and the house sat in candlelight, Gunnu laughed nervously. “Scary soldier, don’t you dare vanish into the dark. I’ll cry.”
His hand brushed hers in the dim glow. For once, he didn’t pull away. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She froze, her breath stuttering. Their eyes locked—candles flickering between innocent sunshine and iron soldier.
Only in that moment, Gunnu realized: he had fallen first, and far harder than she had imagined.
And for the first time, she wasn’t so unwilling to fall with him
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