Days later, they sat near the old fireplace during a family vacation in the hills. Rain poured outside. Gunnu sat curled in a blanket, cheeks glowing from the warmth, while Abhinav slowly stoked the fire.
“Why do you do this?” she asked suddenly.
“Do what?”
“Hide so much. You look at me like I’m your whole world, but you never say it. And then you protect me like a soldier guarding his queen.”
He didn’t answer for a long time. Finally, he set the poker down and met her gaze. His eyes were darker than the storm.
“Because I fell for you long before you even noticed me. And when you fall as hard as I have… words don’t seem enough.”
Her lips parted, trembling. Gunnu, the sunshine, the childish gummy, was for once speechless. Slowly, she reached across the rug and laid her hand over his. “Then don’t stop falling. Because… maybe I’m starting too.”
For the first time, the fire wasn’t only in the hearth. It lived in the space between them.
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