That night, the rain still hadn't let up. It had been a long day for Ruchika, filled with work, distractions, and a heavy dose of irritation from her neighbor. As much as she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but feel the tension between her and Abhishek. The annoying, loud, distracting, yet somehow intriguing guy who always found a way to get under her skin.

Diya was still out, hanging with some friends, leaving Ruchika alone in the apartment. The quietness of the place felt like a luxury, especially after the morning chaos. Ruchika had been meaning to get some more work done, but her mind kept drifting back to everything—Abhishek, the rain, her frustrations, and the undeniable pull she felt whenever he was around.

She had to admit it to herself—there was something about him that made her heart race. It wasn't the way he looked (though, let's face it, that didn't help). It was the way he always seemed to know exactly what to say, exactly how to get under her skin, and exactly when to show up at the most inconvenient times.

She was in the middle of sketching when the doorbell rang.

Ruchika groaned, already knowing who it was. "Abhishek, seriously?" she muttered to herself, annoyed. She opened the door, ready to send him away as usual, but instead, she was met with him standing there, holding two steaming mugs of chai.

"I thought you might need this," he said with that infuriatingly charming grin, his eyes twinkling in the dim light of the hallway. He was dressed in a tight black t-shirt this time, his chest— oh God, his chest—barely contained in the fabric, and Ruchika had to look away before her thoughts went too far.

"You're insane," she said, trying to sound irritated, but the truth was, there was a tiny part of her that was more than a little intrigued by his presence. She stepped aside to let him in, mostly out of habit.

As soon as he walked in, the atmosphere shifted. The air between them had always been charged, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe it was just the fact that they were both so tired of pretending they didn't notice the chemistry.

He handed her the mug, and their fingers brushed for a second. It was electric. She felt it all the way down to her toes, the heat of his touch lingering. Her breath hitched, and she quickly looked away, trying to focus on anything but him.

"So," Abhishek said casually, leaning against the counter as he sipped his chai, his gaze not leaving her. "How's the sketching going? Still drawing those imaginary men?" he teased, his voice lowering just slightly, as if he knew how to play the game.

Ruchika shot him a look, rolling her eyes, but her heart was racing. "You're annoying" she muttered, trying to stay focused on the conversation, even as the tension grew thicker between them.

And then, without warning, he pushed off the counter, closing the distance between them. He was so close now that she could feel the heat of his body radiating toward hers. She took a step back, but he was already right there, his hand gently pressing against her waist to steady her.

"What's the matter, Ruchi?" His voice was low, almost a growl. "You can't handle a little bit of me?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She was trying to fight it. She was trying to be mad at him, to keep her distance. But something about the way he was looking at her, his eyes dark and full of something that made her pulse race, made it impossible to resist.

Before she could even think, his lips were on hers. It wasn't a soft kiss. No, it was desperate, hungry, as if they had both been holding back for far too long. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. Her body responded without hesitation, her hands gripping his shirt and tugging him closer, needing more.

Abhishek's lips were insistent, coaxing hers apart, and she couldn't stop herself from giving in. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she felt every part of her body come alive. She pressed herself against him, feeling the solid heat of his body against hers, and that only made it worse.

He pulled away for a second, his breath ragged, his lips swollen. "You're not going to pretend like you don't want this, are you?" he murmured, his voice thick with desire.

Ruchika was breathing heavily, her mind completely clouded. She should've stopped this. She should've pushed him away and slammed the door in his face. But instead, she found herself pulling him back to her, kissing him again, this time with an urgency that matched his.

Their mouths moved against each other with a fiery intensity, and it was like the world outside had ceased to exist. All she could focus on was the heat, the passion, the way his body pressed against hers with an undeniable need. She wanted him. No matter how much she hated to admit it, she wanted him.

He broke the kiss again, his hands trailing down her back as he whispered against her lips, "Are you sure you want to stop?"

Ruchika's mind was a blur. There was no stopping now. She didn't want to stop. Her hands found their way to his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles, feeling the warmth of his skin as she pulled his shirt off. He didn't need any more encouragement. The moment she touched him, he was kissing her again, harder this time, his hands roaming down to her waist, pulling her closer.

They were both lost in the moment, their hearts pounding in sync, their bodies reacting to the chemistry neither of them could control. It was messy, it was hot, and it was everything she had been trying to avoid. But at that moment, nothing mattered except the way they felt in each other's arms.

Somehow, in the chaos of it all, Ruchika didn't care. She didn't care that Diya was going to be furious if she found out. She didn't care that this was wrong. All she could focus on was the way Abhishek made her feel alive in ways no one else ever had.

Abhishek's lips moved down her neck, his hands gripping her waist as he pressed her back against the wall. His touch was intoxicating, his lips leaving a trail of fire on her skin. Ruchika was trying to focus on anything but the way her body was responding to him, but it was impossible. Every part of her wanted this—wanted him—and it was driving her insane.

But then, in the middle of the chaos, her brain decided to rebel.

"Wait," she murmured, pressing her palms against his chest to stop him.

He groaned, pulling back just enough to look at her, his lips swollen and his hair a mess. He looked ridiculously good, and that only made it harder for her to form a coherent thought. "You're killing me, Ruchika," he muttered, his voice rough and laced with frustration. "What now?"

She bit her lip, trying to ignore the way his eyes darkened at the gesture. "So, uh... why'd you ask out Diya?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. She didn't even know why she brought it up now, but the thought had been nagging at her ever since Diya came home all blushy and giddy.

Abhishek froze, his brows furrowing as he stared at her. "What?" he asked, his tone caught between confusion and disbelief.

"You know," she said, trying to sound casual even though her heart was pounding. "You asked her out for coffee or whatever."

His expression shifted from confusion to exasperation, and he stepped back slightly, running a hand through his hair. "Seriously? That's what you're thinking about right now?" he asked, his voice tinged with amusement and annoyance.

"Well, yeah," she said, crossing her arms defensively. "It's kind of weird, don't you think? One minute you're asking her out, and the next, you're—" She gestured vaguely between them, her face heating up.

Abhishek let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "First of all, I didn't ask her out," he said firmly. "I said I'd buy her a coffee because I accidentally broke one of her mugs."

"Same thing," Ruchika shot back, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not the same thing," he countered, stepping closer to her again. His voice dropped slightly, his eyes locking onto hers. "If I wanted to ask her out, I'd make it pretty damn obvious. And trust me, I haven't asked her—or anyone else—out."

Her breath hitched as he closed the distance between them, his fingers brushing against her cheek. "So why are you even bringing this up?" he asked softly, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "You jealous or something?"

"Pfft, no," she said, her voice a little too high-pitched to be convincing. "I'm just... curious."

He smirked, leaning in until his lips were barely an inch away from hers. "Curious, huh?" he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "Well, let me make one thing clear, Ruchika. If I'm spending my time thinking about anyone, it's you. Not Diya. Not anyone else. Just you."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and before she could respond, his lips were on hers again, silencing whatever sarcastic remark she had been about to make. His kiss was slower this time, more deliberate, as if he wanted to prove his point without words.

And for once, Ruchika didn't feel the need to argue.