The next morning was a disaster.
Not the loud, chaotic kind Lily was used to.
No.
This one was quiet.
Awkward.
Dangerously silent.
Lily walked onto the set, pretending everything was normal.
Like she hadn’t almost kissed Aarav in a locked room.
Like her heart hadn’t been doing unnecessary cardio since last night.
Like she didn’t replay that moment at least twenty-seven times before sleeping.
“Morning,” someone greeted.
“Define ‘morning,'” she replied automatically.
Good.
Sarcasm still intact.
And then—
She saw him.
Aarav.
Standing near the monitors.
Looking… normal.
Too normal.
Their eyes met.
For half a second.
Then both looked away.
At the same time.
“Wow,” Lily muttered under her breath.
“Professional. Very professional.”
The problem wasn’t the almost kiss.
The problem was—
He didn’t say anything after that.
No confession.
No “be mine.”
No “let’s date.”
Nothing.
Just—
“Still annoying.” “Still rude.”
And then… they walked out.
Like two emotionally confused idiots.
“Unbelievable,” she whispered, flipping through her script aggressively.
“Man kisses me and then forgets how words work.”
*****
Enter: Meena (The Only Sensible Person)
That evening, Lily stormed into Meena’s house without knocking.
Meena looked up from the kitchen.”…should I be scared?”
“Yes.”
“Tea or coffee?”
“Tea and some snacks too, I’m hungry.”
Five minutes later, Lily was sitting dramatically on the couch, staring into nothing.
Meena placed a cup in front of her.
“Alright. Who did what?”
Lily took a deep breath.
“…we kissed.”
Meena blinked.
Then—
“WE WHAT?”
“Lower your volume!” Lily hissed.
“I don’t want your parents to hear. This.”
“Hear what, that you kiss a boy?” “Meena….” Lily said with her eyes popping open, like giving a silent warning.
Then Meena sat down immediately.
“Start from the beginning. No, wait—start from the kiss.”
“It was just a kiss!”
“And then what?”
Lily groaned, burying her face in a cushion.
“And then he just—did nothing!”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing!”
Meena frowned.
“Not even a ‘let’s date’?”
“No!”
“A ‘I like you’?”
“…technically yes.”
“And?”
“And then nothing!”
Meena stared at her.
Then slowly—
“Lily… did you say anything?”
Lily froze.
“…that’s not the point.”
“That is exactly the point.”
Meena leaned back, arms crossed.
“So let me get this straight—you both confessed, and kissed, and now you’re mad because he didn’t file an official relationship application?”
Lily sat up. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“YES.”
Meena tried not to laugh.
Failed.
“Oh my God,” she covered her mouth.
“You’re both useless.”
“I am not useless!”
“You are romantically illiterate.”
“I write love stories!”
“And yet you can’t live one.”
“Rude.”
“Accurate.”
Lily glared.
“He should say it first.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s the man!”
Meena raised an eyebrow.
“And you’re Lily Verma. Since when do you follow rules? Aren’t you the one who talks about equality!”
“…don’t use my personality against me.”
“I will always use your personality against you.”
A confusing silence.
Then Meena softened.
“Maybe he’s just nervous.”
Lily scoffed.
“He argues with me daily, but can’t say one sentence?”
“Arguing is easier than confessing, you idiot.”
That… made sense.
Annoyingly.
“So what do I do?” Lily muttered.
Meena smiled.
“Why not ask him first?”
Lily choked.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then suffer.”
“Meena!”
“I’m serious! Either you wait and overthink… or you just tell him.”
Lily stared at her tea.
“…I hate that you’re right.”
“I know. It’s my talent.”
Meanwhile: Aarav’s Existential Crisis
Across the city—
Aarav was pacing on his terrace.
Phone in hand.
Mind in chaos.
“Just say it,” he muttered.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Pause.
“…it’s a big deal, you fool.”
He groaned, running a hand through his hair.
“I literally handle production disasters daily, but this—this is where I panic?”
He opened her contact.
“Don’t ignore.”
Yeah.
Very subtle.
“What if she thinks I’m rushing?” he whispered.
But if I don’t confess, then she thinks
“I’m not serious?”
“What if she—”
He stopped.
Exhaled.
“…what if she says no?”
Silence.
That possibility sat heavily.
But then—
Her voice in his head.
“I missed you.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
“…okay. Fine. I’ll ask.”
The Office Terrace
Night.
Cool breeze.
Sky scattered with quiet stars.
Lily stepped onto the terrace first.
Because, of course, Meena had forced her.
“Go. Before I drag you there myself,” she had said.
Lily crossed her arms.
“I’m not nervous.”
She was.
Very.
And then she heard the footsteps. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
She turned.
Aarav.
“…you called?” he asked.
“…yeah.”
Silence.
They stood there.
Same place.
Different tension.
“Say it,” Lily blurted.
Aarav blinked.
“What?”
“Whatever you’re thinking.”
“…Why don’t you say it first?”
She frowned.
“Why me?”
“Because you called me!”
“Because I think you forgot to say it yesterday!”
“I was distracted!”
“By what? Oxygen?”
He stared at her.
Then— laughed.
Soft.
Real.
And just like that—
The tension eased.
The Confession (Finally)
Aarav stepped closer.
“This is harder than I think,” he admitted.
“Yeah, you are right.”
He exhaled.
Then, steady—
“I like you. Not just… a set of arguments like you. Not just ‘you’re annoying, but I’ll deal with it’ like you.”
A small smile touched her lips.
“I mean… I want you.”
Her breath caught.
“I want to call you for no reason,” he continued.
I want to argue with you and still be the one who walks you home.”
Another step closer.
“I want… you. No, I mean us…. No, I mean…”
Lily swallowed.
Her turn.
“You talk too much,” she said softly.
He sighed.
“Is that your response?”
She stepped closer.
“No.”
A beat.
Then—
“I want you too.”
Silence.
Beautiful.
Full.
At the same time, both of them asked-
“So…” Aarav hesitated.”…will you be my girlfriend?”
Lily said, “Do you want to be my boyfriend?”
They both froze.
They stared at each other.
Then— laughed out loud.
“Wow,” she shook her head.
“It feels like we are in a K-drama.”
“Yes, it really does”, he agreed.
Under a sky full of quiet stars—
They stood closer than ever.
No confusion now.
No distance.
“Official?” he asked softly.
“Official,” she replied.
And then he leaned in—
There was no door.
No interruption.
No hesitation.
Just—
Finally, the KISS.
To Be Continued… 👀
Wait a little because something special was coming