Siri's POV
As we reached the gate, the familiar chaos of home wrapped around us like an old shawl—comforting, a little worn, and loud as ever. Voices floated in from the terrace, snippets of overlapping conversations. Someone laughed like they'd just heard the world's funniest joke. Plates clinked. Amma's sharp tone cut through the air, warning someone not to spill tea again. Everything was exactly as we'd left it.
Except… maybe we weren't.
I glanced at Bhargav from the corner of my eye. He still hadn't let go of my hand. And I didn't want him to.
The warmth of his palm, the quiet confidence in the way he held me—not too tight, not unsure—was new. But it felt like something I'd been waiting for. Something that made sense.
He didn't speak. Just smiled softly, like whatever pain had crumpled him earlier had been replaced with this gentle glow. And I… I could get used to that smile.
As we stepped onto the terrace, the scene was hilariously unchanged.
Rakesh and Indu were in what looked like an aggressive negotiation over a single Frooti packet. Both were tugging at it like it was a million-rupee lottery ticket.
"No, Rakesh, I opened it first—"
"You didn't even drink it yet!"
"It was in my hand—"
"I swear on Amma's chai, you're cheating—"
I blinked. "Do they realise they're in their twenties and fighting over mango juice?"
Bhargav grinned. "Apparently not."
He raised his voice just enough to be heard across the terrace. "Will the two of you please behave like adults for once?"
They both looked up in unison, about to fire back something witty. But instead… they froze.
Eyes wide.
Jaws slightly slack.
It was like someone had hit the pause button on their drama.
"What?" I asked, confused.
They pointed.
No words.
Just fingers. At us.
At—oh.
Bhargav and I looked down at the exact same time.
Our hands.
Still clasped.
Still holding each other like we were out on a private stroll and not, in fact, standing in front of both our families and half the neighborhood.
My heart jumped.
We immediately let go, springing apart like school kids caught copying in an exam.
Rakesh was the first to recover. "Aiyo! Amma! Look at this! Bhargav and Siri were HOLDING HANDS!"
Indu gasped dramatically. "What in the Shahrukh Khan movie is happening here?!"
Bhargav groaned. "Can you two not yell like street dogs over a biscuit?"
Their yelling, of course, summoned the entire assembly of elders within seconds.
My mother appeared, wiping her hands on her pallu. "Now what is this racket?"
Uncle narrowed his eyes. "Why are you two howling? Did someone die?"
"Did Bhargav fall again?" Amma asked, concerned.
Rakesh opened his mouth to rat us out. I could see it forming on his tongue. The drama. The teasing.
Bhargav and I gave them both a silent but deadly glare.
Don't you dare.
Synchronized, deadly, full-eye-contact glares.
Indu caught on first.
Her eyes darted to mine, then to Bhargav, then back to the elders.
"A… a lizard!" she exclaimed suddenly.
"A what?" my mom asked.
Indu nodded furiously. "Yes, yes! A HUGE lizard jumped right in front of us. Scared the life out of us!"
Rakesh blinked. Then quickly nodded. "Yeah. It—uh—it ran between my feet. I think it even winked at me."
Bhargav muttered under his breath, "Smooth."
The elders, thankfully, didn't press.
Uncle laughed. "Still scared of lizards, Rakesh? You're twenty-three!"
Amma shook her head. "This generation. Brave with phones, cowards with reptiles."
One by one, they went back to their conversations, some still chuckling.
As the terrace slowly emptied and the cool breeze returned, Rakesh edged closer to Bhargav and jabbed a finger into his stomach.
"Oye. You. Gym. Tomorrow. I want the full story. Don't skip any juicy details."
Bhargav tried to dodge the poke, but Rakesh got him square in the side.
"Ow—what the hell!"
"That's for hiding secrets," Rakesh said with a grin. "You love-bird."
Meanwhile, Indu looped her arm through mine, pulling me a few steps away.
"You're telling me everything," she whispered. "I want the hug details. The confession. The tears. Did he cry? Please tell me he cried."
I blushed, which only made her squeal quietly. "Oh my god, he did, didn't he? I knew it. He's a puddle when it comes to you."
I rolled my eyes, but I didn't deny it.
Bhargav and I caught eyes again—this time with a smile that said we survived this part.
Rakesh turned to the elders, waving a hand. "Alright, I'm heading out. Don't forget to invite me when the actual wedding gets announced."
Uncle raised a brow. "When you bring sweets, maybe we'll talk."
"Aiyo," Rakesh sighed. "Tough crowd. Bye, aunties. Uncles. Love you all, even though none of you gave me Frooti."
They waved him off, amused and distracted again.
As the last bits of daylight faded and the first stars peeked out, I looked at Bhargav one more time.
He mouthed the words thank you across the space between us.
And even though we were standing apart, surrounded by teasing cousins and nosy aunties...
Like we weren't just surviving the noise anymore.
Together. One look. One laugh. One held hand at a time.
To be continued...