Chapter 12
424 Words
As they stepped back into the house, a strange silence settled between them.
The past week had changed everything. The careful distance they once maintained had blurred, and now, neither of them was sure what came next.
Ishaan hesitated at the bedroom door. He glanced at his side of the room, suddenly feeling uncertain. "I’ll move my things to the downstairs room," he said, though there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Arohi looked at him for a moment before speaking. "You don’t have to move anything… we can just stay here together. Unless you're not comfortable with it."
Ishaan’s eyes flickered with surprise before softening. He hadn’t expected that, but he was relieved—more than he cared to admit. "I’m okay with it… if you are."
Arohi gave a small nod, and just like that, the tension melted away.
Things slowly returned to normal, but something had shifted between them.
They spent more time together, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Movie nights became a regular thing, and late-night coffee runs turned into deep conversations about life, dreams, and everything in between.
They even started blending their social circles. Arohi introduced Ishaan to her friends, and Ishaan brought her along to hang out with his. It felt effortless—like they had known each other forever.
One evening, while they were out with friends, Ishaan noticed something amusing—Aman couldn’t take his eyes off Nina, Arohi’s best friend.
A smirk formed on Ishaan’s lips. "You’re staring, bro."
Aman immediately snapped out of his daze. "No, I’m not."
Arohi, catching on, exchanged a knowing glance with Ishaan. Later that night, she casually brought up Aman’s name while talking to Nina.
To her delight, Nina blushed. "He’s really sweet… and kinda cute."
That was all Arohi and Ishaan needed.
The two of them plotted together, setting Aman and Nina up on a blind date. Ishaan, of course, couldn’t resist teasing Aman the whole time as payback for his meddling.
The plan worked—Aman and Nina hit it off instantly and soon started dating. Seeing their best friends happy brought Ishaan and Arohi closer in ways they didn’t expect.
As they watched Aman and Nina steal glances at each other, Ishaan nudged Arohi playfully. "Look at us, playing cupid."
Arohi laughed. "Who would’ve thought we’d make such a great team?"
Ishaan glanced at her, a small smile forming. "Yeah… who would’ve thought?"
And for the first time, he started wondering if their story was only just beginning.
- Writer
