Under The Same Moon

episode 7

UNDER THE SAME MOON

Episode 7 — One Night, One Truth 🌙🖤

Love changes people quietly.

Not all at once.

Not dramatically.

It happens slowly.

In midnight calls becoming the best part of your day.

In memorizing someone’s coffee order accidentally.

In searching for them first in every crowded room.

And somewhere between heartbreak and healing…

Kiara Deshmukh had fallen hopelessly in love with Aarav Malhotra.

Which was terrifying.

Because loving Aarav felt like holding fire in bare hands.

Beautiful.

Warm.

And dangerous enough to destroy her completely.

—

The rain hadn’t stopped in Mumbai for three days straight.

Thunderstorms covered the city while cold winds shook hostel windows all night long.

Kiara sat cross-legged on her bed staring at her phone screen.

One unread message.

From Aarav.

Aarav:

Come outside.

She checked the time.

12:47 a.m.

Absolutely not.

Kiara typed immediately.

Kiara:

Are you mentally stable?

Seen.

Typing…

Aarav:

Never claimed to be.

A smile betrayed her instantly.

Stupid boy.

Another message appeared.

Aarav:

Please.

Her chest softened.

And unfortunately…

That one word from him always weakened her.

Twenty minutes later, Kiara quietly sneaked out of the hostel wearing an oversized hoodie while Sana watched dramatically from bed.

“If you die,” Sana whispered, “I’m deleting your browser history.”

“Love you too.”

The streets outside glistened under rainwater and neon lights.

And there he was.

Leaning against his black car beneath a streetlamp.

Hands inside his pockets.

Dark hair slightly wet.

Looking like every bad decision wrapped into one beautiful human being.

Kiara crossed her arms immediately after approaching him.

“You kidnapped me emotionally.”

Aarav looked calm.

“You came willingly.”

“That’s not the point.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

God.

That rare smile still ruined her completely.

“Come with me,” he said softly.

Kiara narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“This is how murder documentaries begin.”

“You talk too much.”

“And you avoid therapy.”

Aarav opened the passenger door silently.

Kiara sighed dramatically before sitting inside.

Because apparently self-control no longer existed around him.

—

The city lights blurred beautifully through rain-covered windows as Aarav drove quietly through midnight Mumbai.

Soft music played in the background.

For once, neither teased each other.

The silence felt intimate tonight.

Comfortable.

Kiara rested her head lightly against the window while watching rain slide across the glass.

Then suddenly—

“Why me?”

Aarav glanced at her briefly.

“What?”

Kiara looked at him quietly.

“There are millions of girls obsessed with you.” Her voice softened slightly. “So why me?”

The question lingered heavily between them.

Aarav stayed silent for a long moment.

Then finally—

“Because you look at me like I’m human.”

Her heartbeat slowed painfully.

Aarav’s fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

“Everyone else sees fame. Or damage. Or someone they created in their head.” His voice lowered quietly. “You see me.”

Kiara felt tears threaten unexpectedly.

Because no one had ever spoken to her so honestly before.

The car finally stopped near Marine Drive.

The sea crashed violently against the rocks while rain poured endlessly across the empty streets.

Mumbai looked heartbreakingly beautiful at night.

Aarav and Kiara walked silently beneath the stormy sky.

No umbrellas.

No destination.

Just each other.

Kiara laughed softly as rain soaked through her hoodie.

“We’re going to get sick.”

“Probably.”

“That’s your solution?”

Aarav looked at her.

“You still came.”

Again.

Again with those answers that made her heart weak.

They finally stopped near the edge overlooking the ocean.

Waves crashed loudly below while cold wind wrapped around them.

Kiara hugged herself slightly.

Without a word, Aarav removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders carefully.

The gesture felt so gentle it almost hurt.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He nodded once.

Then silence returned.

But tonight the silence felt emotional.

Heavy.

Like both of them knew something important was about to happen.

Kiara looked out toward the ocean quietly.

“When did you realize it?”

Aarav’s voice came softly behind her.

“Realize what?”

“That you loved me.”

Her breath caught instantly.

No teasing.

No sarcasm.

Just truth.

Kiara looked down slowly.

“I think…” she smiled faintly through nervousness, “the night you laughed in the café.”

Aarav looked surprised.

“That early?”

“You hide sadness behind arrogance,” she said softly. “But when you laughed… you looked peaceful for the first time.”

His chest tightened painfully.

Because nobody noticed things like that.

Nobody except her.

“And you?” she whispered.

Aarav stared at her silently for a long moment.

Then stepped closer.

Close enough for her heartbeat to lose rhythm completely.

“The studio,” he admitted quietly.

Kiara blinked.

“What?”

“The first night.” His eyes stayed locked on hers. “You walked into my life soaked in rain and started arguing with me immediately.” A faint smile appeared. “I think a part of me was gone after that.”

Her heart physically hurt.

Because no matter how hard Aarav tried to act distant…

Every word he spoke to her carried devastating honesty.

Rain poured harder around them now.

Neither noticed.

Neither cared.

Kiara looked up at him slowly.

And suddenly…

Everything became too real.

The city disappeared.

The noise disappeared.

It was just him.

Just her.

And feelings neither could hide anymore.

Aarav lifted his hand carefully toward her face.

This time she didn’t pull away.

His fingers brushed gently against her cheek while rainwater slid down her skin.

“Kiara…”

The way he said her name sounded almost broken.

Like prayer.

Like weakness.

Like love.

Her eyes dropped briefly toward his lips.

Aarav noticed instantly.

The tension between them snapped painfully tight.

And slowly…

Very slowly…

He leaned closer.

Kiara’s breathing stopped completely.

The world blurred around them.

Rain.

Thunder.

Ocean waves.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Only him.

Only this.

Aarav’s forehead rested softly against hers first.

Giving her time.

Giving her choice.

But Kiara closed the distance herself.

And finally—

He kissed her.

Softly.

Like something fragile.

Like he was terrified she’d disappear if he touched her too hard.

Kiara melted instantly.

Because no one had ever kissed her like this before.

Not rushed.

Not careless.

This kiss carried emotion inside it.

Longing.

Pain.

Love.

Aarav’s hand moved carefully against her waist while the rain soaked them completely.

And somehow the storm around them felt quieter than the chaos inside her heart.

When they finally pulled apart, both breathed unevenly.

Kiara stared at him speechlessly.

Aarav rested his forehead against hers again with closed eyes.

And for the first time in years…

He felt calm.

Actually calm.

Kiara smiled shakily.

“Well.”

Aarav opened his eyes slightly.

“Well?”

“You ruined my life.”

A soft laugh escaped him.

The real one.

The beautiful one.

And God…

She would spend her entire life protecting that sound if she could.

But neither of them noticed the black car parked across the street.

Or the man silently taking photographs through the rain-covered window.

Watching them.

Smiling coldly.

Because sometimes…

The universe destroys beautiful things right after they finally become real. 🌧️🖤