The more you explore one another the more you discover about each other.

Arya laughed at Nimrit while eating cookies and said, "I like her. She is fun. Say more na." Rudra also grinned and Nandini eyed them to keep quiet.

Nandini detangled Nimrit's loose strand and said, "Girls are so innocent. Aren't they? Nimrit you are right, we won't let you go. Not because we are too kind and all those adjectives you have in your head, but because we are too selfish to give away the time we got as a bonus to spend with an amazing girl, like you."

"Amazing? I feel like I am a curs..." Nimrit didn't complete the word "curse" because she knew Nivedya's parents saw the world with refinement in their eyes. They overlooked flaws in people. "I am overwhelmed by your words and your hospitality. But it is for the benefit of everyone. If anything happens to anyone because of me, I will not be able to forgive myself."

"And what if, all this is happening because of us? Because of me?" Rudra said in a low voice and got up from the sofa. He turned his back and continued, "Nimrit, all this mess in our life is all because of some untimely and selfish decisions. Some conspiracies and some dark stories of revenge."

"Mamu, she is a small girl who is stressed with whatever happened. No need to take her seriously. Nimrit, you want to increase the trouble for your parents?" Arya questioned Nimrit in seriousness, and she nodded her head in a strong 'no'. "Good then. Just stay here and don't get worked up. Who gets a chance to stay with their boyfriend with their parent's permission? I mean you guys should make the most of this time."

Nimrit widened her eyes and Nandini suppressed her smile because Nimrit wasn't used to the liberal Singh family. The beautiful shade of red crept on her skin, and she breathed deeply to hide it. Nandini and Rudra were totally in awe of the girl their son had chosen.

"Arya, stop making her conscious. Nimrit don't blame yourself for anything. It's just a matter of some time. Reet is recovering well. Till then don't bother your father with these things. He has a lot to deal with, already. What happened today will never happen again, I assure you." Rudra tried to persuade and explain to Nimrit, but she didn't reply to him. She was worried about her parents, but she couldn't let anything happen to Nivedya too.

"I just do not want Nivi to suffer because of me," Nimrit said in a very low voice, but everyone heard her.

"Nimrit, this is too much love for Nivi. I doubt he can digest it." Nandini hit Arya's arm playfully for his comment and Rudra went away nodding his head in disapproval of the situation.

"The definition of "too much" is too personal, Dr Arya. My father says one should limit the limit to love. Besides, with a fine doctor like you, by his side, Nivi need not worry about digestive problems." Nimrit gave a smile to Arya, but he couldn't return it. His heart was filled with emotions. The little girl standing in front of him looked like a spitting image of Swarnima who was the epitome of love and sacrifice, and he didn't want Nimrit to suffer like her. When Arya didn't respond Nimrit added, "sorry. Did I overstep my boundaries?"

"Lovers know no boundaries, sweetheart. And there is no, I and you in love, just a beautiful 'us'. So, play like a team and overcome the obstacles." Rudra coughed hard hearing Arya speak words of wisdom. He was the clown of the family and talking wise was not his territory.

"Hail Dr Arya." Rudra bow his head in front of Arya, and everyone shared a good laugh.

Nimrit was convinced everything was alright and she shouldn't worry. She took permission from Nandini and entered Nivedya's room for the first time. She saw him sleeping peacefully and touched his cheek with love. She inhaled the air filled with his aroma and thanked God for keeping him safe. She kept staring at him and observed how he slept. His mouth was a little open and he snored softly. Probably the painkiller had kicked in. Nimrit was crushing over her boyfriend, again. She couldn't believe how someone so handsome had marked her his and loved her so profoundly.

Nimrit shifted closer to Nivedya and moved her fingers in his hair. She was amazed by the quality of his hair which was better than most of the girls. Nimrit put her head near Nivedya's heart to listen to the instrument that played so rhythmically. She intertwined her hand with his and closed her eyes. She didn't know when she dozed off, but she got up to the most beautiful sight in front of her eyes. Nivedya was grinning wide and that made her smile.

"I love you, Nimrit." Nivedya kissed Nimrit's palm which was intertwined with his.

Nimrit didn't try to drink her tears anymore and let them fall freely. She had never felt so happy as she felt at that moment. Nivedya got up and hugged her, and she reciprocated with equal fervour. Nivedya's dizziness evaporated like water vapours into the air, and he pulled her closer.

Nimrit couldn't stop her tears and Nivedya could feel his shirt getting wet. He wanted her to vent out her pent-up feelings because it wasn't often she cried. Crying was healthy and an act of the brave. "Nim says, whatever happens, happens for the good, and look, you overcame your fear today. You reacted, you protected, you fought."

Nimrit stopped crying and looked at Nivedya with astonishment. "I wanted to overcome my phobia but not like this. Not by you getting hurt in the process." Nivedya found Nimrit rather cute talking childishly amidst her crying session.

"Who says I am hurt? I just wanted to sleep and bunk tuition. So, I came up with an excuse. Ain't I too good?" Nivedya wanted to cheer up Nimrit, but her tears were not stopping. "Okay, now your tears are troubling me."

"That is the problem. Once they start they do not stop." Nimrit came out of the hug and looked for a tissue to blow her nose. "I need a tissue."

Nivedya pointed at a drawer and Nimrit blew her nose and wiped her tears. She took in a puff of air before going back to Nivedya. He was standing right behind her and kissed her forehead. He could understand what she must be feeling, so he confessed to her, "Nimrit, you complete me. We are two halves of one entity. I love..."

Nivedya's words were completed on mute because a pair of lips stopped him from confessing his love. He couldn't believe Nimrit would kiss him, like that. She had just glued her lips to his and fresh tears kept falling from her eyes. It wasn't how lovers usually kissed, but it was her version of a kiss, and he embraced her beautifully in his arms as a reward.

Nimrit broke the kiss and closed her eyes to store the moment in her memory, permanently. Nivedya couldn't take his eyes off her face that was glowing like the sun-kissed sand. "I am sorry I didn't ask you before kissing. I just felt it right so I took the liberty and..."

Nivedya bent a little and weaved Nimrit's lips in his. At that moment, Nimrit understood the meaning of the adjective 'euphoria' which her romance novels used to describe the feeling post a kiss.

If Nimrit had basic bookish knowledge, Nivedya had seen quite a few movies (not meant for those under 18) with his friends, to develop a soul-searing kiss, that he imagined several times. He tried to paint the picture in his head like it was real.

"Nivi!" Nimrit whispered breaking the kiss. "We should not. I should..." Nimrit wanted to tell him it wasn't appropriate, but she could not because in her heart she knew it was correct and blissful. Her eyes were beaming. Nivedya killed the urge to tease her because he felt ecstatic. He joined his forehead with hers and looked into her eyes. She was radiating love, and he was diving in passion.

Nivedya pulled Nimrit from her waist and questioned her, "Can you fall in love with the same person, again, and again, and again?"

"Love is a feeling and feelings keep changing. Love is no exception if it chooses to travel with diversions." Nimrit quoted the words of her father and Nivedya frowned. He wasn't expecting such a reply at a moment so beautiful.

Nimrit took Nivedya's hand between her soft, warm palms and explained, "Nivi, we are quite young right now. With us, everything is so unpredictable. Our fathers were holding each other at gunpoint and that made us fight so bad. The next moment, I am staying at your place because my father trusted your father with my safety and now, we are making out like grownups. No matter how much we try, our family issues will come between us and govern our feelings. We may grow apart or come so close that we never part. The probabilities are infinite. After what happened today, I held myself responsible and wanted to run away. I guess, that will not happen because I plan to stick with you for a long, long time. So, in sickness and health, in thick and thin, in bitterness and happiness, in the gloom or sunshine, at all points high or low, I will be by your side, Nivi."

"Then stick to me how I like it." Nivedya gave a quick kiss to Nimrit making her blush so hard that even her ears turned red. "Damn! You look so pretty when the reason for your shine is my love."

"You are my seraph, Nivi."  Nimrit stood on her toes and pressed her lips on Nivedya's forehead, making his soul luminous. "Let us go downstairs. Everyone must be so worried about you."

Nimrit suggested and they headed to the dining room. It was always difficult for Nivedya to look elsewhere when Nimrit was there and after the beautiful kiss and her glorious speech, he was zoned out in most of the part of the conversation.

Rudra was irritated with Nivedya and his weird attitude so, he requested Arya, to check him properly.

"You don't always think from the head, mamu. Sometimes, it's the heart that is responsible for your absurd answers." Arya teased the couple who were eating their food in silence.

"Are you even a doctor, Arya? Those Instagram poets talk like that." Nivedya countered his brother and Nandini giggled at the comparison.

For Rudra, Nandini's giggles and laughter were like the sacred bells of a temple. He stopped eating and touched her cheek with love. Nandini eyed him to stop because she knew where things lead from there.

"I am done, guys. I am feeling giddy watching all the romance." Arya switched to his favourite channel which was comedy but he secretly prayed for the happiness of his family. Before leaving, he suggested Nivedya take an off from school and rest. "I am advising a holiday because you never know with wounds of the head. Take proper sleep and no exercise tomorrow. Okay? Bye," Arya hugged Nandini before leaving and told her not to worry. It was an indirect message for Nimrit too and she smiled to assure him.

Nimrit wanted to read the love story of Rudra and Nandini. She didn't want to compare but if Nivedya was half as romantic as his father she would float in a stream of amor, she knew.

Nivedya was prohibited from playing on his PlayStation that night and go to bed, immediately. Nandini dragged Nivedya to her room while Nimrit stayed back to talk to her father.

She dialled her father's number and he picked it up in one ring. Before she could ask him how Reet was, he asked her how she was. She didn't want to lie to him but she couldn't tell him about the incident either. She told him she was more than fine and he should not worry.

"Nimrit, I know what happened today. Don't lie to me." Amber told her and Nimrit looked at Rudra who was reading a book. She knew Rudra wouldn't have told him but then she knew her father had several sources.

"Pap...  Papa but I am fine. They couldn't kidnap me again. I reacted today. I hit them with stones and came out of their grip, papa. I think I can overcome my phobia. For the first time, I have hope." Nimrit's words made Amber happy but he had to take action. He briefed Nimrit about Reet and told her to keep safe. She hung up the phone and wished "goodnight" to Rudra before leaving for her room. Nimrit said prayers for her and Nivedya's family and wanted everyone around her to be happy and safe.

Sometimes, prayers are answered in a way not meant for humans to understand.
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Dear Readers
The much-awaited first kiss is delivered. Drop heart for the writer it would mean so much to her.
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