Chapter 66

Two days had passed since they had returned home. The last day of the trip had gone by quickly—Mayank had spent it with the uncles, going golfing and then to a bar, while Niharika had been with the moms, dragged into shopping and long conversations over chai. They hadn't chosen to separate, but it had happened, and neither of them had done anything about it.

Now, it was Sunday afternoon. There was still plenty of time before work resumed the next day, but the unsettled feeling inside Niharika hadn't left her. Mayank had been acting different—distant, almost hesitant. Not once had he been rude or dismissive, but something had changed. The way he had kept to himself, not teasing her like before, not making conversation unless necessary—it wasn't like him. She had tried to ignore it, telling herself not to overthink, but the silence between them was too loud to ignore.

She had to ask.

Taking a breath, she walked to his room and knocked. There was a pause before the door opened.

Her words caught in her throat.

Mayank stood in front of her, fresh out of the shower, his hair damp and slightly messy. A towel was hanging loosely around his neck, water still dripping from the ends. Her gaze faltered for a second, taking in the way his sharp collarbones led down to his toned chest, the faint outlines of his abs flexing slightly as he shifted. A single drop of water trailed down his skin, disappearing beneath the waistband of his sweatpants.

She didn't realize she had been staring until she forced herself to blink, quickly looking away, her face warming up.

Mayank, noticing the shift in her expression, tilted his head slightly before speaking.

"Niharika?"

Niharika hesitated for a second before finally speaking.

"Can I talk to you?"

Mayank's brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Of course." He stepped back, opening the door fully for her. She walked inside, glancing around the room, feeling oddly nervous.

"Sit," he said, gesturing toward the edge of his bed before turning toward his cupboard. He pulled out a black t-shirt, about to slip it on when she suddenly reached out and grasped his wrist, stopping him.

His head turned instantly, his light brown eyes locking onto hers.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Niharika swallowed. "Mayank, are you fine?"

He blinked. "I am. Why?"

"I don't know... you seem off ever since..." She trailed off, unable to say it out loud.

Mayank exhaled slowly, realizing exactly what she meant. The kiss. How was he supposed to tell her that he had been holding back because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable? That he had overthought everything, assuming she needed space when, in reality, she had been overthinking just as much as him?

Running a hand through his still-damp hair, he sighed. "Niharika, I—" He stopped himself, then walked closer, standing right in front of her. "I thought you seemed a bit uncomfortable after that night. After we kissed. So I thought I'd give you space."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What? No, I..." She fumbled for words before sighing, her fingers tightening around his wrist before she finally admitted, "I wasn't uncomfortable, Mayank. I was just... digesting it. It's almost like my first kiss."

Mayank's eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"You thought I regretted it?" he asked, his voice softer now.

She hesitated before nodding. "I thought I did something wrong... that I repelled you."

His grip on her wrist tightened ever so slightly.

"No way," he said firmly, shaking his head. "I loved it." A small, almost breathless chuckle left him as he admitted, "And you didn't do anything wrong, Niharika. I was the idiot who overthought it instead of just asking you directly." He exhaled, feeling the weight on his chest lift as he added, "I'm sorry for wasting a day thinking you needed space."

She looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his. "I don't need space."

Mayank felt a slow smile tug at his lips.

Finally.

With the tension melting away, he turned back to put on his shirt. Niharika, feeling lighter, took a step toward the door.

But just as she reached for the handle, his voice stopped her.

"Wait."

She turned around.

His expression was unreadable, but there was something teasing in his tone as he folded his arms and leaned against the cupboard. "What did you mean by 'it's almost like your first kiss'?"

She blinked. "Oh." A bit embarrassed now, she rubbed her neck, avoiding his gaze. "Well... my ex and I... we never really kissed much."

Mayank's brows lifted slightly, intrigued. "Never?"

She hesitated before sighing. "We did kiss—once ow twice, but there was no... physical attraction or chemistry, I guess."

A slow smirk tugged at Mayank's lips as he stepped closer. His voice dropped to a husky whisper as he leaned down, his breath fanning over her ear.

"Well," he murmured, "your ex was clearly blind... because I see a lot of reasons for physical attraction here."

A sharp gasp left her lips, her eyes widening as heat rushed to her cheeks.

Mayank pulled back slightly, watching her reaction with amusement, his smirk deepening as he took in her flustered state.

Niharika, still blushing furiously, opened her mouth to say something—anything—but no words came out.

He chuckled, stepping back fully and finally slipping on his shirt. "Just something to think about," he said casually before walking toward his desk, acting as if his words hadn't just turned her entire brain into a mess.

Niharika swallowed, heart racing, before quickly mumbling, "I—I should go."

She turned, gripping the doorknob, but as she stepped out, she caught a glimpse of Mayank's knowing smirk.

And she hated how much she loved it.

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