After the small peck, Aakrati slowly pulled back.
For a moment, Arsh just stared at her.
Then suddenly he sat up, placing a hand dramatically on his chest.
"Oh my God," he said. "What did you just do?"
Aakrati blinked and then scoffed.
"Relax. It was just a peck."
"A peck?" he repeated dramatically. "You just kissed me!"
She laughed, shaking her head.
"You're unbelievable."
Arsh stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes.
"Come on," he said after a moment. "Let's go back. I'm actually tired now."
They walked back toward the bike, still teasing each other.
The ride back to the hotel was quiet but comfortable. The cool night air brushed past them while the sound of the bike engine hummed softly.
When they finally reached the hotel, they walked toward the room together.
Aakrati opened the door and stepped inside.
Arsh followed right behind her.
She placed her bag on the table and turned around—
Only to see him standing very close behind her.
Too close.
He looked at her with a playful expression.
"That was too sudden," he said.
She frowned slightly.
"What was?"
"The kiss."
Her cheeks warmed instantly.
"What about it?"
He sighed dramatically.
"I didn't feel it properly."
Aakrati stared at him for a second.
"You're kidding."
He shook his head innocently.
"Nope."
Then he leaned a little closer.
"So… can you please do it again?"
She crossed her arms immediately.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Aakrati."
She tilted her head, pretending to think.
Then a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"If you want it…"
She leaned closer for a moment.
Then whispered,
"Take it."
And suddenly she ran across the room.
Arsh blinked once.
Then laughed.
"Are you sure?"
She turned back while running.
"Yes!"
He shook his head slowly.
"Alright then."
A dangerous playful smile appeared on his face.
"Challenge accepted."
Aakrati ran around the room, laughing while trying to stay away from him.
Arsh followed her easily.
"You started this!"
"That was the point!"
"You're not escaping."
"Watch me!"
She jumped to the other side of the bed.
Arsh quickly moved around it.
But before she could run again—
He caught her.
His arms landed on both sides of her, trapping her between them.
Her back pressed lightly against the wall.
Both of them were breathing heavily from running.
Their laughter slowly faded.
Arsh leaned closer.
"Got you."
Aakrati tried to move away but there was nowhere to go.
He leaned even closer.
"So…" he murmured.
"Where's my kiss?"
She quickly turned her face away.
"No."
Arsh tried to move closer again.
She turned her face the other side.
He frowned.
"Hey."
She giggled.
"I said take it."
"I am trying!"
"Not very successfully."
He groaned softly.
"Aakrati."
She looked at him innocently.
"Yes?"
He stared at her for a moment.
Then suddenly stepped back.
"Relax," he said casually.
"I was just kidding."
She blinked in shock.
"You—!"
Arsh smirked and walked toward the door.
"Good night."
Aakrati stood there staring at him.
"Arsh!"
He turned slightly.
"Yes?"
"You're impossible."
He smiled.
"But you still kissed me."
And that only made her more flustered.
The next morning arrived sooner than they expected.
It was their last day of the trip.
The room felt strangely quiet compared to the chaos and laughter of the past few days.
Aakrati was sitting near the window scrolling through her phone when Arsh's phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen and frowned slightly.
"Siddhartha," he muttered.
He picked up the call and walked a little away.
Aakrati didn't try to listen. She simply watched him from a distance, noticing the seriousness in his expression.
After a few moments, he ended the call and turned toward her.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She looked up.
"What happened?"
"I have to go," he replied simply. "Something important came up."
"Oh…"
The response slipped out quietly.
"Work?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah."
Aakrati tried to smile.
"Okay."
She wasn't the type to question people too much. If someone said they had work, she believed them.
They packed their things and went downstairs to check out.
At the reception desk, someone suddenly called out—
"Leaving already?"
They turned around.
Krish was walking toward them with his usual bright smile.
"So the trip is over?" he said.
Aakrati nodded.
"Yeah. It was really fun though."
Krish looked between the two of them knowingly.
"I'm glad."
Then he pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to them.
"My card. If you ever come back here, call me."
Aakrati took it.
"Of course."
Krish shook hands with Arsh.
"Take care."
"You too," Arsh replied.
Then they said their goodbyes and walked out of the hotel.
The ride back felt different.
Quieter.
The kind of silence that wasn't uncomfortable but carried a strange heaviness.
Almost like both of them knew this little bubble they had created during the trip was ending.
Once they reached the city, their paths separated.
Arsh left immediately for his hometown because of the work Siddhartha had mentioned.
Aakrati didn't ask many questions.
That wasn't her style.
She believed people should talk when they were ready.
Still, it felt strange that he left without saying much.
No dramatic goodbye.
No long conversation.
Just a simple departure.
Back at home, Aakrati met Shrisha.
The moment she entered the room, Shrisha looked up excitedly.
"So?"
"How was the trip?"
Aakrati dropped her bag on the bed and sighed dramatically.
"It was amazing."
Shrisha immediately grabbed a pillow and sat beside her.
"Tell me everything."
And Aakrati did.
She told her about the skating rink.
The street market.
The church.
The ice cream.
The beach.
The sunset.
And of course—
The kiss.
Shrisha's eyes widened.
"You kissed him?"
Aakrati buried her face in the pillow.
"It was just a peck!"
Shrisha laughed loudly.
"You like him."
Aakrati didn't answer.
But the faint smile on her face said enough.
Meanwhile, miles away, Arsh had already reached his hometown.
The moment he arrived, work swallowed him completely.
Meetings.
Calls.
Planning.
Deadlines.
He barely had time to breathe.
Days passed quickly.
Almost a week later, Aakrati was sitting on the couch while Shrisha flipped through a magazine absentmindedly.
Suddenly Shrisha froze.
"Wait."
Her eyes widened.
"Aakrati!"
"What?" Aakrati asked lazily.
"Look at this."
She turned the magazine toward her.
Aakrati leaned closer.
And then she froze.
The page showed a large article with a picture she recognized immediately.
Arsh.
Her eyes widened.
"What—?"
Shrisha read the headline out loud.
"'Young entrepreneur Arsh Verma launches new project expansion.'"
Shrisha looked at her in disbelief.
"Arsh owns a company?"
Aakrati blinked.
"Wait… what?"
She grabbed the magazine and read the article carefully.
It talked about his company.
His new business project.
His growing reputation.
His work.
Shrisha whistled softly.
"Wow."
"He's a big deal."
Aakrati sat there silently for a moment.
"Really?"
Then suddenly she laughed softly.
"Well… no wonder he didn't have time to text me."
But the laugh didn't fully reach her eyes.
Because the truth was—
She had been waiting.
Waiting for his message.
Waiting for a call.
Even a simple "Hey."
But nothing came.
Days passed.
Still nothing.
Later that night, Aakrati sat on her bed scrolling through her phone.
She opened her gallery.
Photos from the trip appeared one after another.
The skating rink.
The market.
The beach.
The sunset.
And Arsh.
She had even saved some small clips from the mini vlogs she recorded during the trip.
She watched one of them.
Arsh laughing in the background while trying to skate.
A small smile appeared on her face.
But it faded quickly.
Because the room suddenly felt… empty.
The memories were warm.
But the silence he left behind felt heavier.
No messages.
No calls.
Just memories.
And no matter how many photos she looked at…
That strange emptiness inside her chest refused to disappear.