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So let me fly with you

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The days seemed to blur into each other, a seamless rhythm of classes, laughter, and quiet moments spent together. It was as though time had slowed down for them, allowing Nitish and Ishanvi to find a rhythm in each other's presence that felt both new and strangely familiar.

Their friendship had deepened into something unspoken, something that hung between them like an unbroken thread. Each conversation felt more meaningful, each touch more intimate, though neither of them had admitted it out loud. The space between them had shifted, becoming less of a gap and more of a connection, something that existed in every shared look, every moment they held in silence.

One evening, after the sun had set and the last of the campus had quieted, Nitish and Ishanvi found themselves sitting on the edge of the campus rooftop, their legs dangling over the side, the cool night air brushing against their skin. They were alone, just the two of them and the star-filled sky stretching endlessly above.

"Do you ever feel like you're just...waiting for something?" Ishanvi asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as she stared out at the night.

Nitish turned to her, his heart skipping a beat at the way the moonlight caught her features—soft and serene, her expression contemplative. There was a quietness about her that felt like peace, like she had something important to say, but wasn't quite ready to.

"Waiting for something?" he repeated, leaning back on his hands, watching her. "Like what?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "For something that's meant to happen, but doesn't yet. For a moment that will change everything."

Her words struck a chord deep within him. The feeling was familiar—he had been waiting for something too, something he couldn't yet define. But now, sitting next to her, he realized what it was. It was her.

"I think I know what you mean," he said slowly, his voice quieter than usual, as if he were testing the weight of his own thoughts. "Sometimes, it feels like the world is just... waiting for us to figure things out. Like we're on the edge of something, but not quite there yet."

Ishanvi turned to face him, her gaze soft but intense. "Do you ever feel like you're ready to jump, to let go of everything holding you back?"

Nitish felt his pulse quicken at her question. The air between them seemed to pulse with the energy of something unspoken, something that had been building over time. His gaze dropped to her hand, so close to his, and something in him yearned to reach out, to close the space between them once and for all. But instead, he held back, unsure of how to bridge that gap, even though every part of him wanted to.

"I think," he began, his voice low and steady, "I think I've been waiting for this moment with you. Waiting for us to be here. Together." He paused, feeling his chest tighten with the weight of his words. "And maybe I'm ready to jump. If you're ready to be with me. Fly with me."

Ishanvi's eyes widened slightly, and her breath caught in her throat. His words, so raw, so sincere, settled around her like a soft embrace. The vulnerability in his voice, the truth that he had just bared—it was all so real, so painfully beautiful.

"I want to fly," she whispered, her fingers brushing against his hand. The touch was light, tentative, but it was enough to send a ripple of warmth through both of them.

"You don't have to jump alone," he murmured, his voice filled with a quiet certainty. "I'll be here. You don't have to fly by yourself."

Ishanvi turned fully toward him now, her face illuminated by the pale glow of the moon. Her eyes met his, and in them, he saw everything she had been holding back, everything she had wanted to say but hadn't been able to.

"I've always been scared of flying," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "Of falling."

"I'll catch you," he said, his words unwavering, as though he truly believed it. "I promise you. I'll catch you, Ishanvi."

There was no more hesitation between them, no more fear of what might happen. The space between their hearts had closed, and in that moment, Nitish knew that everything he had been waiting for was right there. With her.

Ishanvi's breath caught in her throat as she leaned closer, their faces inches apart, the air between them charged with something electric, something that neither of them could deny any longer. Her heart raced, but there was no fear now, no uncertainty.

"Then let's fly," she whispered, her voice a breathless invitation.

And without another word, she closed the distance, her lips finding his in a kiss that felt like the culmination of everything they had been building towards. It was slow and soft, a hesitant exploration at first, as though both of them were savoring the moment they had finally allowed themselves to step into.

But as the kiss deepened, as the world around them faded into nothing, it became clear. They were no longer just two people sitting on a rooftop. They were two hearts, flying together, free and weightless in the space they had created between them.

And for the first time in a long while, they both felt like they were finally where they were meant to be.