Sameera's POV:
I barely slept.
Not because of assignments. Not because of any looming exam.
But because Saharsh Wankhade had decided to drop a "will you be my girlfriend, Sameera Gayaki" right in the middle of our building corridor like it was no big deal.
I'd closed the door on him with a smart remark, but my heart hadn't stopped racing since. The worst part? Every time I tried to think about something else, the scene replayed in my head-his voice, that annoyingly confident way he'd looked at me, the faint curve of his lips like he already knew my answer.
By morning, I was running on coffee and pure stubbornness.
"Morning," Janvhi mumbled as she walked into the kitchen, her hair tied in a messy bun, still half-asleep. I was already halfway through my toast.
"So..." I started, in my best casual voice, "how was your big date last night?"
She plopped into the chair opposite me and made a face. "Ugh. Boring. He talked more about his car than he did about me. And he ordered for me without asking-like, hello? 2025, not 1925."
I laughed, sipping my coffee. "Wow, sounds dreamy. Totally marriage material."
She gave me a deadpan look before grabbing a slice of toast. "I should've stayed home and binge-watched something."
"Hmm." I tilted my head, pretending to think. "You know... I think maybe Daksh likes you."
Her hand froze mid-bite. "What?"
I shrugged innocently. "Just... the way his expression changed yesterday when you mentioned you had a date. He went from casual to 'I-just-swallowed-a-lemon' in 0.3 seconds."
She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really? And here I was thinking he was just hungry."
"Oh, sure." I smirked. "Hungry for something else, maybe?"
She leaned back in her chair, a sly smile forming. "Says the girl who spent the whole night thinking about her neighbour."
I nearly choked on my coffee. "I-what-no-"
"Mhm," she said, way too smug for my liking. "We'll see, Sameera. We'll see."
By the time we reached college, I had fully convinced myself that I was over last night's... incident.
I was calm. Collected. Totally in control.
At least, I was-until I saw him.
We weren't even near the main building yet when we ran into them-Saharsh with Daksh and Shivam, leaning against the low wall near the campus garden like they owned the place.
Janvhi spotted them first, her grin was already suspicious.
"Oh, perfect," she said, marching right up. "Saharsh, can you take Sameera home after college today?"
I blinked at her. "What-again?"
"I have plans," she replied casually.
Aryan, who had just caught up with us, raised an eyebrow. "Plans? What kind of plans are you having every day lately? Must be another date."
Shreya smirked. "She collects boys like Pokémon."
"Excuse you," Janvhi said, feigning offense. "I'm very selective with my Pokéballs."
Shivam leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief. "So... who's the guy?"
There was subtle-just the smallest shift in Daksh's expression. A faint frown. A flicker in his eyes. But I noticed.
Janvhi clearly did too, because she quickly waved a hand. "Oh, it's nothing important. Anyway-" she turned to me, ignoring the teasing entirely now-"gladly accept the ride Saharsh is giving you. No resisting this time. It's not like you have... other plans."
Her voice dipped just enough to make the implication obvious.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Saharsh's face gave him away-he was grinning like someone had just handed him a winning lottery ticket.
On the Way Home Later that Day
We should've turned left toward our building by now. But instead, the road ahead stretched open, the cool breeze sharper against my cheeks.
I leaned slightly forward. "Uh... you missed the turn."
Saharsh didn't even glance back. "I know."
My eyebrows knitted. "Then where-"
"It's a surprise," he said, his voice warm and maddeningly calm. "And you might want to hold me properly. No seatbelt on this thing."
I hesitated, then wrapped my arms around him. Just enough to keep balance. Definitely not because my heartbeat had suddenly doubled.
Twenty minutes later, the salty scent of the sea filled the air. The faint roar of waves grew louder with every passing second until he finally slowed and parked near the entrance of Aksa Beach-my favourite place to escape to after college.
My brows lifted in surprise. "Why are we here?"
"You'll see," he said, hopping off and gesturing for me to follow.
The sun was already leaning low, its golden light spilling over the water like molten honey. I hopped off the bike, my brows knitting as I noticed the small setup by the shore-just a picnic mat, a few scattered flowers, and paper plates holding Maggi, bhutta, and a couple of drinks.
It wasn't fancy. But it was... warm. Cozy. Real.
I smiled unconsciously. "I really like bhutta," I murmured, more to myself than to him. "I love having it when I'm at the beach."
His hand slid into mine without hesitation. "I know," he said softly, tugging me toward the mat.
I paused, looking around. "Wait... this is someone else's setup, right? We can't just-"
"It's not someone else's," he cut me off with a small smirk. "It's yours. Well... ours."
Before I could argue, he sat down, patting the spot beside him. The sand was still warm beneath my feet, the sea breeze carrying that salty, familiar smell I loved so much. I sat, and for a few moments, we just... existed.
We talked about nothing and everything-college chaos, his ridiculous arguments with Daksh, my group's constant teasing. The kind of easy, meandering conversation that made the minutes slip away unnoticed.
At one point, I took a bite of Maggi and he chuckled, leaning in.
"You've got something-" His fingers didn't reach for it. Instead, he moved closer, so close I could see the faint flecks of gold in his eyes. He leaned in and, without breaking eye contact, gently removed the tiny piece of Maggi from the corner of my lips.
My breath stalled. He didn't move away.
His face hovered just a breath away from mine, his gaze flicking to my lips and back again.
My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. "Saharsh..." I managed to whisper, my voice shaking in a way I hated.
It broke whatever spell had caught us both. He pulled back a fraction, exhaling slowly.
And then, quietly, like it was the only thing that mattered in the world, he began.
"Sameera... my life was dull before you came back. But when you walked in, it's like someone turned the lights back on. I don't even need you to say anything-just one look from you, and it's enough to make my whole day. Sometimes I think you don't realise what you do to me. You drive me insane without even trying."
His voice wavered-not from uncertainty, but from the weight of what he was saying. "I've already fallen for you once when you were nine. And the second I saw you after all these years, I knew it was happening again. Stronger. Deeper. And I don't... I don't want to stop this time."
His fingers tightened around mine, grounding me. "So I'm asking you, not just because I want you to say yes, but because I want you to know how much you mean to me-will you be my girlfriend, Sameera Gayaki?"
I should've hesitated. I should've told him I needed time. But something in the way he looked at me-steady, patient, certain-made all my defences crumble.
A tiny, helpless smile broke across my face. "Yes," I breathed. "Yes, Saharsh... I'll be your girlfriend."
The moment the word "Yes" slipped out of my mouth, it was like the air changed.
His relief was almost tangible, a quiet exhale leaving him as if I'd just handed him the missing piece to something he'd been building for years.
Saharsh just looked at me for a beat-really looked at me-like he was committing every freckle, every blink, every breath to memory. Then, without a word, his hand slid up to cup my face, his palm warm and steady against my skin. The other moved around my waist, slow but certain, pulling me into him until I could feel the steady thump of his heart against mine.
He leaned in-not rushing, not hesitating either. Just closing the distance like it was the most natural thing in the world. When his lips finally touched mine, it wasn't a collision-it was soft, deliberate... like a question.
His lips were warm, smooth, with the faint taste of the coffee he'd sipped earlier. That made my chest tighten.
Then, as if my answer had been written in the way I didn't pull back, he deepened the kiss. The hand on my waist pulled me flush against him; his thumb brushed my cheek in a slow, lazy circle that made my knees want to give out.
My fingers moved on their own-one curling into the fabric of his shirt so tightly I felt the threads strain, the other sliding up his neck, my nails grazing his skin before threading into the soft strands of his hair. I felt his breath stutter when I did that.
The second kiss came almost without a break-deeper, hungrier, like he was afraid this moment might disappear. His lips moved against mine with a rhythm that was both tender and desperate, coaxing me to match him. And I did.
A quiet hum escaped me-half sigh, half surrender-and he responded instantly, his hand tightening on my waist, the other tilting my face just enough to take the kiss further.
For a moment, I tasted the salt in the air from the waves crashing nearby, mingling with his breath. The sound of the ocean faded to nothing. The world was just the heat between us, the unsteady pull of our breaths, the soft catch when his lips pressed harder like he couldn't get enough.
I didn't know who leaned in again when we almost pulled apart, but suddenly our mouths were meeting once more, slower this time, savouring. Every movement felt like it was rewriting something inside me, replacing resistance with want.
When we finally parted, our foreheads rested together, breaths mingling in the small space. My fingers were still tangled in his hair, my other hand clutching his shirt like it was the only anchor I had.
His smile was quiet but certain. Mine... I couldn't even hide if I tried.
Some moments change things-And tonight was one of them.
With the taste of him still lingering on my lips, I knew one thing-
I was completely, hopelessly lost in Saharsh Wankhade.