≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Sameer watched her behaving much quieter than she was the previous day. He glanced at her as they had their breakfast together. "I should get going to my house." She mumbled not sparing a glance at his direction.

"The keys aren't yet made. He is still making it." He said pointing at the person who was making a new key.

"I will wait for him, see, he's almost done." She said wiping her mouth with a cloth and stood up, picking her handbag placed on the table. Sameer too walked towards the door and leaned against the wall as she wore her heels.

"Thank you for letting me stay at night." She mumbled and turned to leave.

He held her hand and pulled her towards himself. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, looking straight into her eyes. She pursed her lips and looked aside.

"No, you didn't."

"Then why are you behaving so wierdly today?"

"I am not! I have to go to my house." Her voice raised as she pushed his hands off.

"Don't use that tone with me. Just tell me why are you behaving so different. That's all I’m asking you to do.”

"It's nothing to do with you. I am grateful that you let me stay last night. The thing is I am being too easy. I... I don't know how to put this into words." She shook her head in annoyance. Sameer sighed and leaned to her height. He placed his palm on either side of her cheeks, making her look towards him.

He stopped for a beat. In the dim half-light of the tent his face was all stark shadows, but his liquidy dark eyes glinted as if lit from within. He took a few breaths, then said in a soft murmur,
"You are overthinking, pretty girl. Whatever happened last night, those kisses we shared happened in the heat of moment. It didn't happen because you were too easy to get. It happened because both of us wanted to. If you think you got whipped too easily, that implies to me too likewise."

The intensity in his gaze settled, like he’d burned through every spark he had. Her lips tugged a bit as she nodded her head in a way of understanding. She looked into his eyes which was warm and quiet. "I must leave." She murmured which sounded more like a whisper.

The dimple in his right cheek appeared, as he dipped his head pressing his lips above her brow and then on her forehead. "Naina?"

"Yes?"

His mouth moved over hers. “I will miss you.”

A smile on her face grew as her heart did skip a beat and giggle escaped her lips, "I am your neighbour, not someone who lives too far off." He made a rough, rumbling sound. Placing his palm under her head, he pulled her closer to claim her lips focusing on how his tongue moved in rhythm.

She held onto his shirt while a hand wrapped around his neck. Her mind wandered over to their first kiss under the night sky, which made her feel dizzy. She shifted a bit and rested her head in his nape. He held her, running his fingers through her hair. When her breathing evened out and their heart rate slowed, Naina pushed him a bit to look register where they had landed up. She  was straddling Sameer on his couch, her arms were wrapped around his shoulders while her chest pressed to his.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Everything," She whispered, trailing my finger across the starched collar of his dress shirt.

“You are afraid of me?" He asked brushing his finger against her cheeks. She shook her head in a way of no swiftly.

"I am afraid of happenings. Bhaiyu is never wrong."

"Did you tell him about us?"

"No, he will kill you if I do so. He said that I shouldn't trust strangers." Sameer smiled which made her frown.

"I don't know how to comfort you because he is right. You shouldn't trust strangers."

"That means even you aren't trustable?"

"That's not what I mean, Naina. I want you to take your time to know me. I really want to know more about you too." He said, voice heavy as he carressed her cheeks.

"You look good." He complimented with a smirk which made her  tilt her head in confusion. Her face flushed in a deep crimson shade as she realised he was speaking about his t-shirt which she was wearing.

"I... I always look good." She uttered and pushed herself away from him, standing straight.

"I should leave." She said and stared at her feet as if she was still unsure about it. Titling her head towards him she found him staring at her. "Want to say something more, pretty girl?"

Naina pursed her lips before speaking, "I don't want to leave. It feels so lonely in there." Her voice raised as if she was complaining. A deep chuckle left this throat. He held her hand and pulled her closer to him. She stood in between his legs, "What about we go somewhere? An ice cream parlour? "

"In the house now, Naina. Both of you—up. You’re coming with me." Naina gaped seeing Arjun at the corridor with the keys in his hand. His jaw was tightened while his fists were curled.

"Bhaiyu. It's not as it-" She ran towards him but he interrupted her.

"In the house now." He said looking straight at Sameer and held Naina's hand taking her from there. Naina looked at Sameer who passed an assuring smile towards her.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵

Naina shuffled her feets, a sinking feeling already forming in the pit of her stomach. She held onto Arjun palm.

"What's going on between you two?"

"No-thing, Bhaiyu. Yesterday, I forgot to take my keys."

"So he is the friend who's house you stayed at?"

"Ye-Yes."

"I will speak to you later, Naina. Go to your room."

"Bhaiyu, Sameer isn't at fault. There's nothing between us."

"Sameer." He repeated the name and looked at Sameer.

"That's me. Sameer Maheshwari, her neighbour. Yesterday, we and my two other friends, Zayn and Alisha went to club. When we returned back Naina realised that she had forgotten her keys. She stayed at my place and we got the keys made this morning. There's nothing more to it." His voice is deadly calm irrespective of his inner state of mind. He didn't want to create a bad impression before her brother.

"I don't care who you are, it would be better that you back off and do not come near my sister. You could fool her but not me."

"Bhaiyu, you are overreacting." She said pulling Arjun's arm.

"Of course I am and I should after what I saw, right?"

"Wh-what d-did you see?" She asked, her lips quavared in fear. Sameer looked up at Arjun but then was quick enough to hide his expressions.

"Something which you didn't want me to see."

"Bhaiyu, can't I speak to any boy?"

"I have never stopped you for that, Naina. But you have never kissed any other boy you just speak to." She glanced at Arjun and then lowered her gaze. "This is not a good one Naina. I don't want to see you again going through all those things happened in past."

"Sameer isn't like him."

"I don't trust people when they are related to you that easily. Even you know that. How can you judge people on basis of a single day?" He sighed.

"Because I like him. I like staying with him. I know it's been just a day I have met him but I really like his company. Is following your intuition bad Arjun?" Sameer widened his eyes listening to him.

"It's not wrong but this isn't the right one, Naina."

"How can you be so assured of that when you yourself haven't spoken to him? Bhaiyu, you won't be speaking about this anymore. Let's go to eat some ice cream please." Arjun stared at her and palmed his face.

"Sameer, will you join us?" She asked him.

"I came here to meet you not this man."
Arjun said glaring at Sameer.

Naina walked towards Sameer and held his hand. "He is coming with us."

"He is already coming between us. Wait here, I will be in a minute." Arjun said and left towards her room. Naina heaved in relief and took her hand off Sameer's arm.

"What was that, Naina?" Sameer shrieked in horror.

"Thank me later for saving your life. If I wouldn't have said that I like you, you wouldn't have been standing on your feet now."

"He is scary as fu—" Sameer said ruffling his hair but he stopped speaking, receiving a glare from Naina. "Not a single word against him." She warned and went to her room. The door was open, so she walked in without knocking. She passed a smile seeing Arjun who turned to see who had come in.

"You are upset— because of me?" She asked taking baby steps towards him.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Its okay." His raw whisper clawed her heart. "It's okay unless you are happy.
Because you're it for me. Whether it’s today, tomorrow, a year, or decades from now, that'll never change." He said as he placed his palm on her head.

"I am sorry." Naina mumbled against her breath not sparing a glance towards his direction.

"Why?"

"I... I broke the promise made to you."

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵

Sameer tapped his feet as he watched Naina ordering for them at the counter. "So tell me about yourself," Arjun spoke as he rolled his sleeves, halting his elbow on the table.

"I am 25, pursuing music as my career." Sameer uttered, focusing on his voice not wanting to stutter.

"Past relationships?"

"I have never been in any relationship."
Arjun raised his brow and stared at him for a second.

"This is your first one?"

"Yes, first relationship. She's different, really different from girls I had met before." Sameer said, he glanced at Naina who placed their icecreams on the table. She stood before Arjun and buttoned up his shirt, glaring the woman who were oogling over her brother.

"So that means you have been in flings, before."

"No, my relationships lasted no more than a night. But, in our case, it's not going to be same. I understand your concern, if I had an younger sibling, I would have behaved the same way as you are. I am not going to hurt her, I promise. Not going to do something that she doesn't wish to." Sameer said genuinely as he held Naina's palm.

"I still don't trust you. It's not that I don't want to believe you but something doesn't feel right to me." Arjun said at which Sameer nodded his head in a way of understanding. For some reason he wanted to make Arjun believe he wasn't bad as he imagined. His mind stalled for a second as he felt, Naina's thumb rubbing against his knuckles. "He behaves that stern but he isn't. You don't have to be scared and Bhaiyu, you are being too harsh."

"I am just being honest. Whatever you say about him, I am still unconvinced that he is good for you. You met each other yesterday. You guys barely know about yourselves to understand any other person. You might feel I am being too protective or overreacting, but this doesn't make sense to me. This liking of yours is just an attraction and there's nothing more to it." Arjun said getting frustrated.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Hope you like it! 💜

Do not forget to comment down your views and suggestions.