Something was wrong.
Lily noticed it on Monday.
Confirmed it on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, it was unbearable.
Aarav was avoiding her.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Not in a way anyone else would notice.
But she did.
No unnecessary calls.
No sarcastic comments.
No “Lily, fix this mess.”
Just… distance.
Clean.
Intentional.
At first, she told herself—
Good.
Finally, peace.
No chaos.
No arguments.
No, him.
But by the third day—
The silence is unbearable.
And she hated it.
“Where’s Aarav?” she asked casually, flipping through her script like she didn’t care.
A coworker shrugged.
“Busy.”
“He’s always busy.”
“Then… extra busy?”
Lily rolled her eyes.
“OH, thanks for the info.”
But her fingers stilled on the page.
Because she hadn’t heard her name from him all day.
Not even once.
By evening, Rahul was leaving.
Suitcase beside him.
Calm.
Like always.
“Flights in a few hours,” he said lightly.
Lily nodded.
“Big author now. Don’t forget us small people.”
He smiled.
“You’re the last person I’d call small.”
A small pause.
“You’ll be, okay?” he asked.
She frowned.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Rahul hesitated.
Then—
“…because you look like … Lost.”
She scoffed.
“Don’t start analysing me.”
“Too late.”
Her gaze shifted away.
“…I’m fine.”
Rahul studied her, then nodded.
“Alright.”
He picked up his suitcase.
Then paused.
“And Lily?”
She looked at him.
“You don’t miss noise unless it meant something.”
And then—
He left.
That line stayed.
Annoyingly.
Because everywhere she looked—
Something was missing.
No one is arguing over timing.
No one is correcting her formatting.
No one was saying her name like it was a problem to solve.
She found Aarav eventually.
Across the set.
Talking to someone else.
Calm.
Focused.
Unbothered.
“Busy?” she asked.
“Yeah.” And walk away from her.
That was it.
And somehow—
That hurt more than any argument ever had.
Later that evening—
Lilly visits the storage room for her old manuscripts.
“Why is this my job…” she muttered.
“Because you write them.”
She froze.
Aarav.
Of course.
“Great,” she sighed.
“Aren’t you busy?”
Then—
“…ouch—”
A paper cut.
A thin line of red.
Aarav was beside her instantly.
“Let me see.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m okay.”
“Lily.”
That tone.
She gave in.
His fingers wrapped around hers.
Warm.
Steady.
Familiar in a way that made her chest tighten.
He cleaned the cut carefully with his handkerchief.
” Can’t you just stay still?” he muttered.
“You always cause problems. What are you, a child?”
” Ha ha ha, so funny, Lilly said sarcastically.
Click.
Lock.
(A staff lock the door because he thought no one was inside)
They both froze.
“Did… Did the lock us unknowingly?” she said.
“I noticed.”
“Fix it.”
“I’m not a magician.”
“Disappointing.”
“Noted.”
Silence.
No escape now.
Just them.
And everything between them.
“Say it.”
“…what?”
“Whatever your problem is.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Liar.”
A pause.
Then—
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Aarav exhaled.
“I heard Rahul.”
Everything stilled.
“…you what?”
“I heard him confess.”
Her breath caught.
“I didn’t stay to hear your answer.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want to hear you say yes.”
Her heart skipped.
“…why?”
He looked at her.
Honest.
Vulnerable.
“I don’t know when it happened… but you became important.”
The air shifted.
“I thought you were annoying.”
“I still am.”
“You are.”
A faint smile.
“But when you stopped talking to me… it was worse.”
A step closer.
“I didn’t like you with him.”
Another.
“I didn’t like not being the one you argue with.”
Her voice softened.
“I missed you.”
That stopped him.
“You what?”
“I missed you.”
Simple.
Real.
“When Rahul left… he said something.”
A pause.
“You don’t miss noise unless it meant something.”
Her eyes met his.
“And you… meant something.”
Silence.
Not empty.
Full.
“So, what does that mean?” he asked.
She tilted her head.
“I like you.”
No sarcasm.
Just truth.
He let out a breath.
“I like you too.”
Something shifted.
Something softer.
Warmer.
Closer.
Too close.
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
He didn’t move away.
“Still annoying?” he murmured.
“Right now… no.”
His gaze dropped—
To her lips.
She noticed.
Didn’t stop him.
The room felt impossibly small, like the walls had quietly moved closer just to trap this moment between them.
The air was thick, heavy with everything they hadn’t said, every glance they had avoided, every feeling they had tried to ignore.
Even the faint hum of the lights seemed distant now, fading into nothing— because all that existed was the space between Lily and Aarav.
Or rather—
The lack of it.
She was still close.
Too close.
Close enough to feel the warmth of him, to notice the uneven rhythm of his breathing, to realise that her own had betrayed her long ago.
Her fingers rested against him, hesitant yet unwilling to let go, like they had found something they didn’t want to lose again.
And this time—
She didn’t pull away.
Aarav noticed.
Of course he did.
His gaze softened, something unguarded slipping through for the first time.
When he spoke, his voice wasn’t sharp or teasing—it was quiet, almost fragile.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lily’s lips parted slightly, but no clever reply came.
No sarcasm.
No deflection.
Just honesty, raw and unfamiliar.
Her eyes held his, steady and unflinching.
“Do I really need to say something? Hmmm!”
He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to steady something inside himself.
His eyes dropped for a fleeting second—to her lips, to the small distance that separated them—and then back again, searching, asking without words.
“Lily…” he whispered, near her ear.
Not a warning this time.
Asking permission.
She didn’t answer.
But she didn’t step back either.
Just her eyes staring at his lips.
And somehow—
That was everything.
He moved closer—and closer and closer.
Her breath hitched, barely there—but enough.
Enough for him to notice.
Enough for him to understand.
Their foreheads almost touched, a whisper of closeness that sent something warm and unfamiliar rushing through her chest.
The world outside faded completely—no noise, no people, no expectations.
Just this moment.
Just him.
Just her.
Her fingers tightened slightly against his arms, instinctive, like her heart had reached out before her mind could stop it.
His hand stilled, then shifted—just enough to hold her waist a little more firmly and pull her closer to him.
Their breaths mingled.
Warm.
Uneven.
Close enough to blur the line between hesitation and surrender.
Then their lips met—soft at first, almost hesitant, like they were both testing if this was real.
A quiet, stolen moment that felt too fragile to exist.
But then it deepened, just slightly—warmth spreading, something unspoken finally finding its way through touch instead of words.
Her fingers curled tighter into his shirt, pulling him closer without thinking.
His hand moved instinctively, steadying her, holding her like he had been waiting for this without even realising it.
It wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t perfect.
But it was real.
And for a second—
Everything else disappeared.
He moved, just a little, like he was about to deepen the kiss, like he was about to lose himself in it completely.
And then—
The sharp click of the door unlocking tore through the moment like a crack in glass.
They pulled apart instantly, too fast, too aware, reality crashing back in all at once.
The warmth lingered, the closeness refused to fade, but the moment itself—
Paused.
Interrupted.
Incomplete.
Lily turned away first, brushing her hair back with her fingers.
“Wow,” she muttered, trying—and failing—to sound normal.
“Perfect timing.”
Aarav let out a quiet breath, running a hand through his hair, his expression somewhere between disbelief and something softer.
“Yeah… couldn’t have been worse.”
But neither of them moved far.
Not really.
Because something had already crossed that invisible line.
Something that couldn’t be undone.
Later that night, Lily stared at his contact’s name, her thumb hovering over the screen.
The silence around her felt different now—not empty, not lonely anymore.
A slow smile touched her lips, softer than anything she’d allowed herself before.
And then she changed it.
“Almost Kiss.”
To Be Continued… 👀 what is the next step?
What are we now?