OCTOBER 26

Ishani was half buried in her pillow when her phone buzzed beside her. She did not even need to open her eyes to know who it was. A small smile curved on her lips before she finally looked.

“Good morning.”
She typed back slowly, still sleepy, still warm under the blanket.

“It is too early.”
The reply came almost instantly.
“For you maybe. For me it is the perfect time to miss you.”
Her eyes flew open. She pushed herself up on her elbows, staring at the screen like it had said something illegal.

“You did not miss me yesterday,” she typed, a tiny frown forming.
“I did. I was just pretending to be mature about it.”
She scoffed softly.
“Pretending is boring.”
“Then I was missing you in a very irresponsible way.”
Her cheeks heated. She pressed her phone to her chest for a second before typing again.
“Reyansh.”
“What.”he replied
“You cannot start days like this.”
“Why.”he asked
“Because I have work.”
“Then work while blushing.”
She groaned, burying her face into her pillow, but she was smiling so much it hurt.

OCTOBER 27

In the morning, her phone rang while she was eating breakfast. She picked up with a small smile that she did not even try to hide.

“Tell me something,” his voice came, casual and soft.
“What.”
“Do you smile like this when you talk to other people too.”he asked
She paused mid bite.
“Like what.”
“Like you are smiling right now.”
Her hand flew to cover her mouth instinctively.
“You cannot see me.”
“I can hear it.”
“You are imagining things.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you just smile differently for me.”
Her heart skipped, the spoon forgotten in her hand.
“You are annoying.”
“And yet you picked up.”
She looked down at her plate, suddenly very quiet, very warm.

OCTOBER 28

She was in her office when his message popped up.

“Send me a picture.”
She blinked.
“Of what.”
“Of you.”
She hesitated, checked her reflection in her phone. Nothing fancy. Just her.
She sent it.
There was a small pause before his reply.
“Do you know you look unfairly beautiful when you do nothing special.”
“Unfairly beautiful how.”
“Like you could ruin someone’s focus just by existing.”
Her ears turned red.
“You are in office.”
“And you are still distracting me.”
She placed her phone face down on the table, heart suddenly racing.

OCTOBER 29

In the night they were on video call, both packing.

He was folding clothes neatly.
She sat on her bed, pretending very hard not to stare at him.

“Why do you keep looking away,” he asked suddenly.
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“So what.”
“So you are shy.”
“I am not.”
“Then look at me.”
Slowly, reluctantly, she lifted her eyes to the screen.
He smiled.
“See. Red.”
Her face burned instantly.
“You are impossible.”
“And you are adorable when flustered.”
She turned the camera off without warning.
He laughed, warm and amused, and even with the screen dark, she could feel him smiling.

OCTOBER 30

Late night.

The video call was still open.
Soft lamp light filled both their rooms.
Ishani sat cross legged on her bed, scrolling through her phone, hair falling over one side of her face.

Reyansh leaned back against his headboard, pretending to be busy with packing, but really just watching her.
“Hold on,” she murmured, distracted. “I need to send something.”
“To whom,” he asked casually.
She did not answer.

A second later, his phone buzzed.
Reyansh glanced down.
Then went very still.
“Ishani.”
“Yes.”
“That picture you just sent me.”
Her eyes dropped to her screen.
And then everything clicked.
Her gasp was instant.

“Oh no.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth, then covered her whole face.
“That was not for you,” she said, horrified.

He slowly lifted his gaze back to the screen, a smile already tugging at his lips.

“So I was not the intended audience for that.”
“Stop,” she groaned. “It was an accident. I was sending it to myself. It was from a shopping app.”
“Mhm,” he said, leaning a little closer to the camera. “Very interesting thing to save.”
“You were not supposed to see that,” she muttered, peeking through her fingers.
“But I did,” he replied calmly. “And now I suddenly know something about your late night browsing habits.”
“You know nothing.”
“I know you were looking very seriously,” he teased softly.
Her face went red.

“I was just checking if it would fit.”
“Very responsible of you,” he said, eyes warm with amusement.

“Reyansh,” she warned, embarrassed.
He smiled. “Relax. You look cute when you panic.”
She rolled onto her back with a quiet groan.
“You are impossible.”
“And yet you keep calling me.”
There was a small pause. Then she looked back at the screen.
“You are not thinking anything weird, right.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“I am thinking that you trusted me enough to be embarrassed in front of me. That feels strangely close.”

Her breath slowed.

“That was not supposed to sound romantic.”she said .
“It did to me.”he replied

A small pause stretched between them.

Reyansh glanced down at his phone and then back at the screen, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Also… that was quite big.”
Ishani blinked, completely thrown off.

She was still flustered when she muttered without thinking,
“It is not even that big.”
Reyansh froze for a second.
“…What.”
Her eyes widened.
“Nothing.”
He leaned forward, clearly amused now.
“You said something very clearly.”
She hid half her face in her pillow.

“I was talking about the size. Of the thing you saw.”
“So now we are discussing measurements too,” he said lightly.
“But...I was talking about the picture.”he laughed softly, not teasing, just amused.
“I was just frustrated,” she whispered.
“With the shopping or with me.”
“Both,” she blurted out, then realised what she had said.

He laughed softly.

“You really do say the cutest things when you are flustered.”
“I am never talking again,” she muttered.
“But I like when you forget to filter yourself around me,” he replied gently. “It feels… real.”

She peeked at him through her lashes.
“You are not judging.”
“No,” he said softly. “I am smiling.”
Her embarrassment eased into something warmer.

“Promise you will forget it.”
“I will remember that you were brave enough to accidentally share it with me,” he teased. “That is all.”
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
“You are so annoying.”
“And you still sent it to me,” he said, grin wide.
And somehow, even in all the awkwardness, it felt strangely sweet.

OCTOBER 31

The next morning, Ishani woke with the strange, warm heaviness that only came after thinking about someone all night. Her phone was already in her hand before she was fully awake.
She saw his name and smiled instantly.

“Did you sleep,” she typed.
A second later,
“Barely.”
Her lips curved.
“Why.”
“Because someone kept sending me accidental things.”
Her cheeks went hot even though she was alone.
“That was not funny.”
“It was very cute.”
She groaned softly, hiding her face in the pillow.
“Please forget it.”
“I can forget the picture,” he replied. “But I cannot forget the way you got flustered . That part was beautiful”
“That was horrible.”she said
“That was adorable.”

She bit her lip, then typed slowly.

“You did not think I was… weird, right.”
There was a pause. Just long enough for her to feel nervous.

Then his reply came.
“I thought you were shy. And human. And someone who trusts me.”
Her breath softened.
“I do trust you,” she typed quietly.
“I know,” he replied. “I can feel it.”
Her heart skipped.

They did not say anything for a few seconds.
Then she typed.

“Will it be awkward when I see you.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “Very.”
“Why.”
“Because I will remember everything you did not mean to send me.”

Her face burned.

“Reyansh.”
“Relax,” he added quickly. “I am teasing, not judging.”
“That makes it worse.”
“It makes it honest.”
She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.
“Promise you will not tease me too much.”she said
“I promise I will tease you gently.”
“That is not better.”
“It is exactly better.”
She laughed softly, the nervousness easing into warmth.
“I am excited,” she finally admitted.
“So am I.”
“And shy.”
“So am I,” he said. “Just hiding it better.”
Her smile stayed with her long after the screen went quiet.

Later that night (Night before Udaipur).

They were both lying on their beds, phones glowing in the dark.
“Are you excited?” Reyansh asked quietly.
She hesitated.
“A little,” she admitted. “And a little embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed about what.”
She turned onto her side, face warm.
“About seeing you.”
His brow creased. “Why.”

There was a pause.

“Because… after what happened yesterday,” she said softly, referring to the picture she had accidentally sent. “I keep thinking you’ll look at me differently.”
Reyansh went still.

Then his voice softened in a way that made her heart slow.

“Ishani,” he said gently, “I know you trust me enough to make mistakes around me.”
She closed her eyes.
“But remember this too,” he continued.
“I will never look at you in a way you do not want me to.”
“Not your body. Not any part of you.”
“You are sacred to me. I will never see anything of you except your face unless you give me that permission.”

Her throat tightened.

“I did not know if you would think I was careless,” she whispered.
“I thought you were human,” he replied. “And brave enough to be yourself with me.”
Silence settled between them, soft and full.
“Good night,” she said quietly.
“Sleep peacefully,” he replied. “I will be right here in the morning.”
She smiled into her pillow.
And for the first time that night, the embarrassment faded into something warmer.

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This chapter was meant to feel soft, close, and full of quiet love.
If it made you smile or blush even a little, it did its job.Tell me what you felt while reading.

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