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I'll leave my heart with your air

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The days following that night were different. Something between Nitish and Ishanvi had shifted, though neither of them dared to say it out loud. He found himself gravitating toward her more, his footsteps unconsciously leading him to her dorm after classes, his thoughts lingering on her laugh, her smile, the way her voice softened when she talked about the things she loved.

Nitish couldn't pinpoint when it started—when she became more than just his sister's roommate or a girl he happened to know. But now, every time he saw her, it was like the world quieted, and all he could focus on was her.

Tonight, they sat on the campus lawn under a canopy of stars. Ishanvi had dragged him out after dinner, insisting that the night was too beautiful to waste indoors. She was lying on her back, her hair spread out like a dark halo against the grass, her eyes tracing constellations.

"You know," she began, her voice soft, "when I was a kid, I used to think the stars were fireflies stuck in the sky."

Nitish chuckled, lying down beside her. "Fireflies, huh? That's... kind of adorable."

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes glimmering in the moonlight. "Don't laugh at me! I was six, okay?"

"I'm not laughing," he said, though the corners of his lips twitched. "I just think it's sweet. You always find a way to see beauty in everything, don't you?"

Her expression softened, and for a moment, she didn't respond. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the stars, her fingers absently brushing against the grass. "I guess I try to," she admitted. "It's easier than focusing on the things that hurt."

His chest tightened at her words, at the quiet vulnerability in her tone. He remembered the night in her dorm, the way her voice broke when she told him about her parents, the way she had cried in his arms. She had been so fragile, so open, and yet there was this quiet strength in her that left him in awe.

"You're stronger than you think, you know," he said after a while.

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I don't feel strong most of the time."

"Well, you are," he insisted, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her. "You're still here, still fighting, still finding beauty in things like fireflies and stars. That's strength, Ishanvi."

Her eyes met his, wide and searching. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he said, his voice firm.

There was a long silence between them, the kind that felt heavy and meaningful, as though the air itself was holding its breath. Ishanvi's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she smiled softly, her eyes lighting up in a way that made Nitish's heart skip a beat. She didn't say anything, but her quiet, genuine smile told him everything he needed to know.

In that moment, something shifted inside of him. It wasn't a sudden, earth-shattering realization, but more like the quiet dawning of an understanding he had tried to ignore. She was everything he hadn't realized he was searching for—gentle yet strong, bright yet grounded. And as much as he tried to push the thought away, the truth was undeniable: he was falling for her.

His chest tightened at the realization, the weight of it both thrilling and terrifying. He couldn't deny it anymore. Every moment he spent with her, every conversation, every laugh—they all wove themselves into the fabric of his heart.

"Ishanvi," he said, his voice a little softer now, the words feeling heavier as they left his lips.

She turned her head, her expression open and curious. "Yeah?"

"I... I just wanted to say something," he hesitated, unsure of how to say it, how to express what had been building up inside of him.

Her brows furrowed slightly, sensing the shift in his tone. "What is it?"

"I don't know when it happened," he started, his voice quieter, as if the words were taking shape with every passing second. "But I feel like... every time I'm around you, it's like I'm finally seeing things clearly. You make everything feel lighter, more alive."

She blinked, confusion flickering across her face, and he cursed himself for not being clearer. But before he could continue, she spoke again.

"You're talking about the stars, aren't you?" she asked, her voice a mix of playfulness and curiosity.

He laughed softly, his hand brushing through his hair. "I'm not sure. But... yeah. Something like that."

Ishanvi looked back up at the stars, her lips curving into a small, thoughtful smile. "You know," she began, her voice lighter now, "I think there's a place for all the feelings we hide, all the things we don't say. They just sort of... float up, like stars. And maybe... maybe the people who understand that are the ones who can make us feel at home."

Nitish's heart stuttered in his chest as he looked at her. Her words, so simple yet profound, seemed to wrap around him like a warm blanket. He could feel his own feelings for her swirling inside him, each one more vivid and undeniable than the last.

For the first time, he let himself admit the truth. He was falling for her, completely and deeply. He didn't have the words to explain it, but it didn't matter. It was as if every moment with her, every conversation, every laugh and quiet glance, had been leading him to this point.

"You're right," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think... I think you've become my home, Ishanvi."

Her eyes softened at his words, her gaze meeting his. And in that moment, with the stars above them and the world seemingly standing still, it felt like everything in the universe was aligned just perfectly.

She smiled again, this time with an understanding that didn't need to be said aloud. It was as if she felt it too. The quiet bond between them, the shared understanding that had grown over time, was becoming something more. Something deeper.

And in that moment, Nitish realized he had left his heart with her air—floating between the words unsaid, between the silence of the night, and in the space they shared together.