Him

The moment I stepped inside, I froze, my mind refusing to accept what I was seeing. Tara. She was standing there in the middle of the living room, hands behind her back, just as if nothing had changed. For a brief second, my first instinct was to turn around, walk straight back out of the house, and slam the door behind me. Maybe I had completely lost it - maybe I was imagining her there. After all, it had been six months.

I shook my head, my heart racing in my chest, and took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding pulse. I opened the door again, hoping that when I stepped back in, reality would be more... grounded. Nope. She was still standing there, her smile wide, teasing.

"Mr. Grump," she teased, her voice a sweet, familiar melody that I'd missed more than I cared to admit, "Still don't believe I'm here?"

I couldn't respond, couldn't move. I was completely paralyzed by the shock of seeing her standing in front of me. Was this real? Had I finally gone off the deep end?

And then, in one smooth motion, she was right in front of me, so close I could feel the warmth of her breath. Her smile was soft, almost like she was enjoying watching me struggle to wrap my head around the moment.

"How about this?" she murmured, and before I could even process her words, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick, gentle kiss to the corner of my lips.

My entire body went still, electricity coursing through my veins at the simple touch. It was as if the world stopped moving, and all I could focus on was the feeling of her lips against mine-warm, soft, and full of that quiet affection I had missed so much.

I didn't wait a second longer. The moment she pulled away, I was there, my hands on her waist as I pulled her towards me, lifting her off the ground. The kiss was fierce this time, full of hunger and longing that I couldn't keep contained any longer. I kissed her like I needed it to be the last kiss of my life, my lips moving with a desperate urgency, my heart slamming against my ribcage, her taste as intoxicating as I remembered.

She responded immediately, her arms winding around my neck, her body melting against mine as I deepened the kiss. My head spun with the sweetness of her, and I couldn't get enough of her-of the way she fit perfectly in my arms, the way she made everything feel... right.

Finally, we broke apart, both of us breathing heavily, our chests rising and falling in time with each other's. Our foreheads touched, and I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to regain some semblance of control over my racing heart.

"Missed me?" she whispered softly, her breath mingling with mine.

"You can't even imagine," I murmured, my voice thick with emotion, my fingers gently tracing the side of her face. I set her back down, her feet lightly touching the ground, but I still couldn't bring myself to let go of her.

"Would you like-" I started, my brain scrambling to catch up, "Water, coffee, tea, do you-"

"Shh..." Tara gently placed her finger on my lips, stopping me mid-sentence. Her touch was soft, her gaze warm and calming.

"Calm down..." she whispered, her eyes holding mine. "I'm not hungry."

I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders at her quiet reassurance. She always knew how to make me feel like everything would be okay. But as I looked at her, standing there in my arms, I realized I had no idea how I had managed to live without her for so long.

"I'm just glad you're here," I whispered, pulling her back into a hug, unable to let go just yet.

She rested her head against my shoulder, her voice muffled but still clear: "Always, Mr. Grump. Always."

Her

The atmosphere at Dante's place felt light and comfortable, even with Ma and Bhaiya joining us. Of course, Bhaiya barely spared Dante a glance, which wasn't surprising. His silent treatment had become almost routine now, but that didn't make it any less awkward.

We sat in the living room, sipping tea and chatting about mundane things-work updates, family gossip, and Ma's garden back in Kolkata. I caught Dante stealing glances at me every now and then, his curiosity evident. He'd been acting quieter than usual, which I figured was because he was still processing my sudden appearance in London.

As Ma was recounting a story about our neighbor back home, she suddenly paused, her face lighting up with excitement. "Of course, now that we'll be staying in London, maybe I should invite her over!"

My stomach dropped. Gosh, not like this....

I quickly turned to her, giving her a sharp look. The kind only a daughter could give her mother when she just blurted out something unplanned. Ma, bless her soul, immediately realized her slip-up, her lips pursing in a guilty smile. Bhaiya kept staring at his tea like he wanted to drown in it.

Dante, on the other hand, frowned, looking between Ma and me. "Wait, staying in London?" he asked, his tone careful.

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice casual. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a little change of plans."

Dante's eyes narrowed slightly. "A little change of plans?"

I sighed, realizing I wasn't going to get away with vague answers. "Fine," I said, giving Ma another pointed glance before turning to Dante. "I've been meaning to tell you. The truth is, my salary back home has been... stagnant for a while now. My company kept piling on responsibilities without increasing my pay. They thought my 'passion' for the work would make up for it." I couldn't help the sarcasm in my tone.

Dante's jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. "So, what did you do?"

"I applied for a job here," I said softly. "And... I got it. So, yeah. I'll be moving to London."

Dante stared at me for a moment, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "You'll be moving to London?" he repeated, as if needing to hear it again to believe it.

I nodded, keeping my gaze steady. "Yeah, well, I guess so."

A slow, almost disbelieving smile began to creep across his face, lighting up his features in a way that made my chest tighten. "You're serious? No more waiting months or years just to see you for a few days?"

I nodded again, unable to stop my own grin. "No more waiting."

Dante's excitement was palpable. He reached out, grabbing my hand, his thumb brushing against my knuckles. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that."

Before I could respond, Ma clapped her hands together. "Alright then, it's getting late. Time for us to head back to Arjun's house," she said, standing up and smoothing down her sari. "Tara, come along."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Dante cut in, his hand still firmly holding mine. "Actually, Mrs. Basu," he said, his tone almost pleading, "why don't you let Tara stay here for the night? She's already settled in, and it's been a long day."

Ma raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to suppress a laugh. "Oh? And what's the rush to keep her here, Dante?"

Dante's ears turned red, but he didn't back down. "She's tired, and she just got here. It'll save her the trouble of unpacking tonight. Right, Tara?"

I stifled my own laugh, watching the two of them go back and forth. Finally, Ma gave in, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "Fine. But only because I'm too tired to argue. Goodnight, Dante. And Tara," she added, giving me a pointed look, "be good."

I saw them off at the door, hugging Ma and Bhaiya tightly before waving them goodbye. As I closed the door and turned around, I found Dante seated on the couch, his gaze fixed on me.

"What?" I asked, smiling.

"You're too far, Petardo" he said simply, his voice low and inviting.

"Oh," I murmured, my heart skipping a beat. Slowly, I walked toward him, stopping just in front of where he sat. I straddled his lap, looping my arms around his neck, our faces inches apart. "How about now?"

"Perfect," he whispered, his hands settling on my waist.