2024

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Navya slowly stirred awake, her body feeling comfortably warm, cocooned in the embrace of the night before. 

She stretched slightly, still half-asleep, until her senses fully kicked in and she became acutely aware of something—or rather, someone—next to her.

She blinked and froze, her breath catching in her throat as she took in the scene before her.

Shubman was lying next to her, his body curled close to hers. His arm was draped over her waist, his legs tangled with hers in an unconscious but intimate embrace. 

But it was his position that had her heart racing. His head was resting against her chest, tucked in so closely that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, the soft rise and fall of his chest as he slept soundly.

It was an intimate position, one that spoke volumes, and for a split second, she felt herself held in a mixture of warmth and panic. 

His face was so peaceful, so serene, that it made her heart flutter with something she hadn't fully realized before. 

He was there, beside her, completely unaware of just how close he had gotten.

A small, almost imperceptible laugh escaped her lips as she looked down at him. 

She couldn't help it—there was something so endearing about the way he was completely unbothered by the closeness as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be curled up against her. 

She knew he didn't realize how close he was, but at that moment, the intimacy of it all made her chest tighten.

She carefully reached down, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead, trying not to disturb him. 

Her fingers lingered in his hair for a moment, feeling the softness of it, as if she were memorizing this quiet, private moment between them.

Her heart was racing—not from panic, but from the surge of emotions she hadn't quite expected. Over the years, they had shared so much, but this... this was something different. 

A vulnerability, an unspoken trust between them that felt deeper than it ever had before.

Shubman stirred slightly, his face scrunching up as if he were waking up from a deep sleep. He shifted, his hand moving slightly, and in that instant, he realized where he was. 

His eyes snapped open, and his body tensed for a moment as if he were startled by the situation.

But when his gaze met hers, he blinked, disoriented for a split second before a sheepish smile crept onto his face.

"Navya," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep and something else—embarrassment, maybe? "I... uh, I didn't mean to..."

She couldn't help but smile softly, her hand moving to gently cup his cheek, brushing away the awkwardness between them. 

"It's okay," she said, her voice steady, even though her heart was racing. "You were just tired. No harm done."

His eyes softened, and he gave a small, bashful laugh. "I must've really been out of it last night, huh?"

"Seems like it," she teased gently, her fingers still lingering on his skin. "But honestly, you could've put your head anywhere else."

Shubman let out a quiet laugh at her teasing tone, the tension melting away between them. "I don't know why, but it just felt... right, I guess. With you."

Her heart fluttered at his words, and for a brief moment, the world outside their bubble of warmth and intimacy seemed to disappear. 

She couldn't help but smile softly, her fingers trailing across his jaw.

"It's fine, Shubman," she said again, this time her tone more gentle. "We've been through so much, haven't we?"

His gaze softened even more, and for a brief moment, the weight of the years and the distance between them seemed to dissipate. 

It was like they had never been apart like nothing had ever gotten in the way of this connection they shared.

"I guess we have," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "And I don't want to let go of this again, Navya. Not after everything."

She looked at him, her heart filled with a mix of affection and something deeper, something that had been there for years but had never quite been voiced until now. 

She didn't need to say anything. The unspoken understanding between them was enough.

He shifted slightly, lifting his head from her chest, but this time, instead of pulling away completely, he simply leaned in, his forehead gently resting against hers. 

She closed her eyes, taking a steady breath, feeling the warmth of his body against hers once again.

For a moment, the world outside seemed so distant, so irrelevant. There was only the quiet between them, the shared space of two people who had been through everything together, and who were finally allowing themselves to be vulnerable in a way they hadn't before.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting hers with a softness she hadn't seen in a long time. 

"Navya, I don't know what the future holds, but... I want you in it. I want to be there for you, no matter what."

Her heart swelled at his words, and she nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek despite herself. "I want that too, Shubman."

Shubman's arms instinctively wrapped around Navya once again, pulling her closer to him, as if he couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. 

The warmth of his embrace was comforting, like coming home after a long, cold journey. His head found its place once more, resting against her chest, his ear pressed to her heartbeat. There was no rush, no need to talk further. 

The simple act of being this close, of feeling each other's presence, was enough.

Navya's heart skipped a beat as she felt the steady rhythm of his breathing, the way his body seemed to mould perfectly into hers. 

She could feel the heat of his body through the fabric of their clothes, his fingers gently tracing the contours of her back as if trying to memorize the feel of her. 

She let out a soft sigh, content and a little overwhelmed by the intimacy of the moment.

For a while, neither of them spoke. They simply held each other, finding comfort in the silence, in the closeness. 

Shubman's voice broke the stillness after a few minutes, his words low and muffled against her chest.

"I never realized how much I needed this," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. 

"How much I needed you. All these years... I've always thought about you, Navya. Even when we were apart. And now... I don't want to let go."

She stroked his hair gently, her fingers tangling in the soft strands, and smiled softly, feeling the weight of everything unsaid between them. 

"I never let go either, Shubman," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Not really. You were always there, even when I didn't know how to reach you."

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of doubt. 

But there was none. Only love, only trust.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with regret. "For everything. For not coming back that night. For not being there when you needed me most."

Her fingers gently touched his lips, silencing him for a moment. "It's okay," she whispered, her gaze soft. 

"We've both been through a lot. But I'm here now. And you're here. That's all that matters."

He let out a shaky breath, leaning in to kiss her forehead, tenderly, almost reverently. "I don't deserve you, Navya," he murmured. "But I'm not letting you go. Ever again."

She smiled through her tears, wrapping her arms around him tighter, holding him just as close. "You don't need to deserve me," she replied softly. "You already have me."

For a few more minutes, they stayed like that—wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside fading into nothing. 

It was as though they had found a place where time didn't matter, where the only thing that mattered was the unspoken promise between them: that they would never be apart again.

soup rants!!!

the twenty-third chapter is here!
did we like it?
do comment your favorite part
what do you think will happen in the next chapter?
until then
yours lovingly,

soup <3