---
✨
Dinner that night was louder than usual.
The dining hall was buzzing with jokes, clinking plates, and the team's nonstop chatter. But for Haniya and Aarav, the atmosphere felt like a spotlight pointed right at them.
Vivaan wiggled his eyebrows dramatically the moment they both sat down.
"Well well well… look who's sitting together today."
Harsh smirked at Aarav.
"Bro, you look more relaxed than usual. Yoga? Meditation? Or something… romantic?"
Aarav shot him a glare, but it only encouraged them.
Kashvi rolled her eyes.
"Guys, leave them alone. You two tease more than you breathe."
Vivaan leaned forward.
"Look at their faces. SAME guilty expressions—like two school kids who got caught holding hands."
Haniya opened her mouth to retort, but Aarav casually dropped his hand under the table and brushed his fingers lightly against hers.
She froze.
And that was all it took.
Vivaan's eyes widened.
"Ohhhhhh? Something happened?"
Harsh gasped.
"Spill the tea, my children."
Aarav didn't even look at them. Cool as ice, he continued eating.
Haniya, however, turned red all the way to her ears.
"Focus on your food," she muttered.
Vivaan sighed dramatically.
"This is torture. Romance is happening and we are not allowed to know."
"Good," Kashvi snapped, smacking him lightly on the head.
The teasing continued through dinner, but beneath the jokes and laughter, something unspoken simmered between Aarav and Haniya—something new, warm, and impossible to ignore.
---
Late Night – Haniya's Heart Won't Rest
Back in her room, Haniya wrapped herself in her blanket, staring at the ceiling.
Her heart was too loud. Her mind was too full.
The deal.
Aarav's confession.
Her own feelings.
How his kiss made her forget every reason she had to stay away…
Her chest tightened painfully.
"What am I doing…" she whispered to the empty room.
She wasn't ready to hurt him.
She wasn't ready to confess everything.
But she wasn't ready to let him go either.
Her phone buzzed suddenly.
Aarav.
Her heart tripped.
AARAV: May I come in?
She blinked at the screen, tightening her grip on the phone.
HANIYA: For what?
His reply came instantly.
AARAV: I haven't finished my talk.
Her breath caught.
Before she could type anything more, there was a gentle knock on her door.
---
The Visit
She opened it slowly.
Aarav stood there, hands in his pockets, hair slightly messy, eyes soft but tense—like he had been holding his breath the whole time.
"Can I come in?" he asked quietly.
She stepped aside.
When he sat on the edge of her bed, she joined him, maintaining just enough distance… which he instantly closed by taking her hand gently.
"Haniya," he began, voice low, "you've been avoiding something. Not me—something inside you."
She swallowed.
"Aarav… it's complicated."
"I know," he whispered. "But I'm still not done talking."
He turned toward her slightly, his thumb brushing the back of her hand in a slow, soothing pattern.
"You think too much," he said softly. "And I'm not here to force anything. I just need to know… am I the only one feeling this?"
Her heart cracked open at his words.
Her voice trembled.
"Aarav… I—"
He leaned closer, eyes searching hers.
She forgot the deal.
She forgot the fear.
Everything blurred except him.
Aarav's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Haniya… let me show you what I couldn't say."
She didn't move.
Didn't stop him.
Didn't want to.
---
The Kiss That Changed Everything
He cupped her jaw gently with one hand and kissed her.
Soft.
Warm.
Slow enough to break her into pieces.
Her breath hitched at the first touch, and something inside her melted.
Then he kissed her again, deeper, fuller—pulling her closer until her hands slid up his chest and tangled into his shirt.
Their bodies edged closer without thinking, breaths mixing, their hearts racing so fast she felt dizzy.
Aarav tilted his head, deepening the kiss in a way that made her entire body shiver. Her fingers curled into his collar as he explored her mouth with soft, slow insistence, stealing every coherent thought she had.
He kissed her like he had been waiting.
Like he wanted her.
Like he had chosen her a long time ago.
Her lips parted, and the kiss grew even deeper—slow, passionate, breathtaking. His hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer gently, and she felt her heartbeat echo against his chest.
Everything burned.
Everything calmed.
Everything made sense.
She forgot the deal.
She forgot the pain.
She forgot the world.
There was only him.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, Aarav rested his forehead against hers, their noses brushing.
"Haniya…" he whispered, voice rough with emotion, "now I'm done."
Her eyes glistened.
"Why… why do you kiss me like that?"
His thumb brushed her cheek.
"Because I want you. And I'm tired of pretending I don't."
She couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
He stood slowly, giving her one last soft kiss on the forehead.
"Get some sleep," he murmured. "Goodnight."
She looked up at him, still breathless.
"Goodnight, Aarav."
He opened the door quietly, stepped out, and closed it behind him.
Haniya sank onto her bed, touching her lips—still warm, still tingling—and felt her heart flutter wildly.
The kiss had erased every lie she told herself.
She didn't know how long she sat there, dazed and glowing.
But one thing was certain:
She was no longer fighting her heart.
---