Devansh felt sunlight and squinted his closed eyes. He groaned and slowly peeled his eyes open only to see himself tangled up against Rishika.

He saw her looking at him with dazed eyes. A smile formed on his lips and kissed her forehead before turning to lay on his back.

“Good morning.”

Rishika felt tingles down her body. His morning voice! She’d never heard that before and it was so damn hot!

“G-good morning.”

“Kitne bje tak nikalna hai yaha se?”

(When do we leave from here?)

He asked and she looked at the time. A few minutes short of 8. She turned back to him and said.

“Breakfast krke ek do ghanto mai nikal jaayenge.”

(We will leave after having breakfast.)

He nodded and closed his eyes again.

“Tu ready ho jaa pehle. Mai baad mai naha lunga.”

(You get ready first. I will have a shower later.)

He mumbled and hugged the pillow to himself, dozing off again. Rishika shook her head with a smile and started her morning routine.

She had opted for a simple short kurti with denim jeans. She looked at the time. It was a few minutes after 9 and she called Devansh’s name to wake him up.

He groaned and stirred. He lazy walked towards the bathroom, still rubbing his eyes of sleep and Rishika shook her head at his lazy ass. 

Devansh came out after a hot shower. He had assumed that Rishika would be downstairs by now so he skipped his t-shirt.

But he stopped short when he saw her sitting on the bed, cross-legged, scrolling through her phone.

She looked up to smile at him but froze. They have been best friends since childhood but she had never seen him shirtless and that too just after a shower.

She bit the inside of her lip as her eyes trailed down his chest. Devansh raised his eyebrow and wiped the water droplets that travelled down his chest, making her gulp.

“Tu neeche kyu nhi gyi?”

(Why did you not go downstairs?)

He asked but she was too lost. Devansh frowned and called her name louder.

“Ishi!”

“Huh?”

She looked into his eyes as a red hue covered her cheeks.

“Neeche kyu nhi gyi tu?”

(Why did you not go downstairs?)

“Maine socha ki…saath chalenge.”

(I thought…we will go together.)

He hummed and she lowered her eyes. She stared at the floor, lost deep in thought. Why was she feeling all these things for him? This could ruin their friendship.

Devansh kept looking at her while buttoning up his shirt. He brushed his hair and looked at her again. She was still lost in deep thought.

He walked towards her and sat in front of her, making her eyes snap up to his.

“Kya baat hai? Tabiyat thik hai teri? Itni khoi khoi kyu hai?”

(What happened? Are you okay? Why are you so lost?)

He looked genuinely worried and concerned. Rishika gulped. He could see the conflict on her face.

“Oyee! Tujhe pata hai na mai kabhi tujhe judge nhi krunga. Tujhe kuch bhi share krna ho tu kr skti hai.”

(You know I will lever judge you. You can share whatever you want to.)

She leaned against him and played with his shirt’s button unconsciously.

“Tu pehle promise kr ki tu hasega nhi aur na hi freak out aur na hi awkward hoga.”

(You promise me first that you will not laugh or freak out or go awkward.)

He looked at her with amusement.

“Kya?”

(What?)

“Promise kr na Dev!”

(Promise me Dev!)

“Ok! Promise! Ab bta kya baat hai?”

(Now tell me what happened?)

She took a deep breath and lowered her eyes again.

“Ajeeb si feeling hai. Jabse mummy ne hamari shaadi ki kahani sunai hai na…mai…pata nhi kyu mere dimaag se jaa nhi rhi hai.”

(It is a weird feeling. Since mummy has told me our wedding story…I…it is not leaving my mind.)

Devansh was very still. Trying to process her words and what she meant. She could feel his heartbeat accelerate and a smile formed on her lips involuntarily.

“What do you mean?”

He asked. His voice came out as a whisper. Was she finally going to say what he had been waiting for, for years?

“Kuch nhi. Ghar chalke baat krte hai. Not here.”

(Nothing. We will talk after going home.)

She mumbled and he nodded. Ok. That was better. He didn’t want them to get into any incident if he couldn't concentrate on driving because of whatever she had to say.

It had been two weeks since that day and Rishika had still not told him what she was feeling. She was scared. Scared to lose the bond and the relationship they shared because of her newly developed feelings.

Or well, maybe not newly developed. The feelings were always there, just hidden behind the friendship. Devansh had tried asking her multiple times but each time she made some or other excuse and delayed it.

Today, their parents were out for a wedding of someone from their colony. Rishika was alone and Devansh had decided to accompany her, knowing how much she hated being alone at home. Especially at night.

Rishika smiled hearing the doorbell, knowing who it must be. She saw Devansh leaning against the doorframe and smiling at her when she opened the door.

She sat back on the couch, without bothering about the door, knowing he would shut it. Devansh sat beside her, a little too close.

She looked at him for a second, before going back to the novel she had been reading.

Devansh looked at her for a few minutes. When he realised that she wasn’t going to leave her book and entertain him, he snatched it from her.

“DEV!”

She yelled, already feeling embarrassed when his eyes started moving across the pages. His eyes cut to her and he smirked, putting the book away.

“Smut padh rhi hai! Naughty girl!”

(You are reading smut!)

He teased and she groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

“Tujhe kitni baar kaha hai ki meri books pr nazar mat daala kr.”

(How many times have I told you not to touch my books.)

“Kyu? Mujhe pata chal jaayega ki tu kitni tharki hai?”

(Why? I will know how perverted you are?)

Rishika hit his arm, making him laugh. She huffed and looked away, pretending to be mad at him. 

“When have you decided to tell me?”

He said suddenly, making her look at him with confusion.

“Tell you what?”

“Jo tu uss din bolne wali thi but nhi bola. Aur tabse bas taal rhi hai usse.”

(What you were about to tell me that day but did not. And you are deflecting it since then.)

She avoided his eyes, yet again and started to get up. But Devansh was adamant this time and held her wrist to stop her from leaving and hiding.

“You’re not running this time. Sach bata mujhe Ishi.”

(Tell me the truth.)

She sighed and said.

“Why do you want to know so bad? Jaane de na!”

(Leave it!)

“It’s about me! About us! Of course I want to know.”

She bit her lip and took a deep breath.