Whispers Behind Closed Doors.
946 Words
The days after that unforgettable second night felt heavier than ever. Arav carried Ishika’s voice inside him like a flame. Every word she had whispered, every fantasy they had painted together, every promise… it all burned in his chest.
But that fire had no air. Because Ishika had suddenly gone silent.
Arav checked his phone every few minutes. No calls. No messages. He waited in his dorm, in the cafeteria, even during lectures—but nothing came. His heart sank deeper with each passing hour. Maybe she regrets it… maybe she decided to end everything.
On the fourth day, just when despair was crushing him, his phone buzzed. It was a single message from Ishika:
“He’s home. I can’t talk. I miss you.”
Arav read it again and again. His eyes stung. She hadn’t left him. She was trapped again, caged by her duties, her family, her husband’s presence.
He typed a reply—“I miss you too”—but then deleted it. He wanted to say more, to pour his heart out, but fear stopped him. What if her husband saw?
---
Restless Heart
That entire day, Arav couldn’t concentrate. His friends joked, professors scolded, but he sat there lost, doodling her name on the corner of his notebook. At night, he lay on his bed, staring at the phone.
The hostel was noisy, boys laughing and chatting, but for Arav, silence screamed louder.
Will she call? Can she?
Midnight came. Nothing. He closed his eyes, pain stabbing his chest. But just when sleep was about to pull him down, the phone buzzed again. A call. Ishika.
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Risky Call
“Hello…” Arav whispered, as if afraid the whole hostel would hear.
“Arav…” Her voice came, soft, shaky, filled with both excitement and fear. “I can’t talk long. He’s in the other room.”
Arav’s heart leapt. “Ishika… God, I missed you. Every second felt like a year without you.”
“I missed you too,” she admitted. Her voice was trembling, as if she was hiding in some corner of the house. “Do you know how hard it is? I wanted to hear your voice every night. But he’s always here. Always.”
Arav swallowed. He imagined her standing in her dark kitchen, phone pressed to her ear, whispering while her husband slept in the next room. The thought made his blood race. This wasn’t just romance anymore—it was dangerous. Forbidden.
“Then don’t risk it,” Arav whispered. “I don’t want you in trouble.”
But Ishika’s reply shook him. “I don’t care. Even if it’s a minute, even if it’s just your hello… I need it. I need you.”
---
Whispers in the Dark
For a few seconds, both stayed silent, just listening to each other breathe. The silence was heavier, hotter, than words.
Finally, Ishika said softly, “Arav, tell me… what did you think about me these past days?”
Arav smiled painfully. “I thought about your laugh. About your dimples. About your saree slipping off your shoulder. About your navel… how it would feel if my lips touched it. About your eyes… Ishika, I thought about everything. I can’t stop.”
Her breath quickened. “Stop… don’t say more. You’ll make me weak.”
“Then be weak,” he whispered, his voice raw. “Be weak with me. Just once, Ishika.”
She sighed, almost a moan. “Arav, you’re dangerous.”
“And you’re irresistible,” he shot back.
---
The Sudden Fear
Just then, Arav heard a noise through the phone—someone’s footsteps. Ishika gasped.
“Oh God, he’s coming… I have to—”
The line went silent. Arav’s heart pounded as if it would burst.
A minute later, the call resumed. Ishika’s voice was shaking. “Arav… he asked me who I was talking to.”
Arav froze. “And… what did you say?”
“I lied,” she whispered. “I said it was Veer, asking about some family work.”
Arav exhaled, relief flooding through him. But also guilt. “Ishika, this is too risky. What if he finds out?”
Her reply stunned him. “Then let him. I don’t care anymore. I can’t stop myself. I tried to… but I can’t.”
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The Dangerous Promise
Arav’s chest burned with emotion. “Ishika, listen… I don’t want to ruin your life. But I swear, every day without you feels meaningless. I don’t just want to hear you—I want to see you.”
Ishika’s heart skipped. “See me? Arav, that’s impossible…”
“Nothing’s impossible,” he whispered fiercely. “I’ll find a way. Even if I have to come to your village, I will. Just one look at you, and I’ll survive months without your voice.”
Her silence was long, filled with fear and longing. Then finally she whispered, “If you come… I won’t stop you.”
Arav smiled through the tears in his eyes. “Then it’s decided. Next time, I won’t just hear you. I’ll see you.”
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Cliffhanger
The call ended abruptly when her husband’s voice echoed in the background: “Ishika? Kis se baat kar rahi ho?”
Her breath hitched, then silence.
Arav sat frozen in his bed, phone pressed to his ear, his whole body shaking. The thrill of her words, the danger of being caught, the fire of their desire—it all mixed into one forbidden storm.
He knew this was no longer just a secret friendship. This was something else. Something they couldn’t turn back from.
- Writer
