—SOHINI—
"You didn't just invite the Khannas for dinner, Papa!" I gasped, feeling like my soul had left my body.
How was I supposed to show my face to Vedant after what happened?
"Tell me they refused," I begged, clutching the back of the chair for support as Papa packed his schoolbag.
Papa chuckled. "Your Vedant sir is coming. Help your Maa prepare the dishes."
He patted my head affectionately before leaving, like everything was normal. It wasn't. Nothing was normal anymore.
I walked back inside like a prisoner on death row.
"Sohini, come help me with the kheer!" Maa called from the kitchen, her voice bright and bossy.
I sighed heavily and dragged myself toward the kitchen, my feet moving against their will.
"Maa, they're vegetarians. No fish or chicken, okay?" I reminded her, picking up a spoon and stirring the milk lazily.
"I know that!" she snapped lightly, chopping almonds. "I'm making mushroom curry."
"He's allergic to mushrooms," I blurted without thinking, the words slipping out faster than my brain could stop them.
Maa stopped mid-chop and raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"
Panic flared inside me.
"He told me once," I lied casually, shrugging. "What's the big deal?"
Thankfully, she didn't press. She just gave me a suspicious side-eye and went back to her chopping.
I leaned over the counter, resting my chin on my palm. God, tonight was going to be a disaster.
⸻
Evening came faster than I expected. The doorbell rang, sharp and loud. My heart jumped up to my throat.
"Sohini, get the door!" Papa called from the living room, fixing the sofa cushions like we were hosting the Prime Minister.
I froze in front of the door. My sweaty hand hovered over the latch. Breathe, Sohini. Breathe.
"What are you waiting for?" Papa asked, giving me an impatient look.
I sucked in a deep breath, whispered a prayer to all the gods I could think of, and opened the door—
And there he was. Vedant.
Looking painfully handsome in a clean blue shirt and jeans, holding a tray of brownies.He looked fresh, almost too perfect, like he had walked out of a magazine shoot.Clean-shaven. Neat hair. Smelling faintly of aftershave and rain.
His smile faltered the second he saw me. I stepped aside silently.
"Come in, son!" Papa called out warmly from the sofa.
Vedant walked past me without a glance, his shoulder brushing lightly against mine. I stood there for a second longer, inhaling his scent, before shutting the door quietly.
Well—dinner was a nightmare.
Vedant chatted easily with Papa, Maa, even my little brother Chinu, as if I didn't exist. I sat there like an extra at my own family dinner, quietly picking at my rice, swallowing every gulp of humiliation.
Maa kept fussing over Vedant like he was some lost prince who needed extra rotis and more sabzi on his plate.
I rolled my eyes internally. I was the one who scored ninety percent. Where was my royal treatment?
"The butter paneer is phenomenal," Vedant said.
Maa chuckled, giving me a nudge. "Sohini made it herself."
I wanted to crawl under the table. Technically, I had just stirred the curry once or twice while Maa barked instructions.
I blushed, keeping my eyes down. When I finally looked up, Vedant was already staring at me, his gaze unreadable.
I panicked, stood up too quickly, knocking my spoon down.
"Sohini?" Papa said, annoyed.
"Water," I muttered, desperate for an excuse, any excuse to escape.
Before I could flee, Vedant slid his glass toward me across the table, his fingers brushing mine briefly. My heart stuttered.
I grabbed his glass clumsily and rushed to the kitchen, filling it with shaky hands.
The whole time I kept wondering if he would even say a single word to me. I wondered if he hated me that much for the stupid confession I made on my birthday.
Finally, after what felt like hours, dinner was over. Maa whispered for me to see Vedant off to the gate.
I nodded wordlessly and followed him out, keeping a good few steps behind.
Vedant didn't say a word at first. He just walked to the gate, casually, almost like he didn't notice I was trailing behind him. But just as he reached the gate, he turned around.
I froze.
"Tell your parents thank you for the dinner," he said. His voice was polite but distant. Cold.
I nodded quickly, looking down at my feet.
"And," he continued, "you said if you scored ninety percent, I owed you a wish."
I blinked, stunned that he remembered.
"I'll keep my promise," he said, "but if it involves sex or love, it's off the table."
I looked up sharply. Was he serious? Was he teasing? I couldn't tell.
"You're joking, right?" I scoffed, crossing my arms, pretending to be cooler than I felt.
"I mean it." His face was calm. Dead serious.
Fine. If he was being serious, so would I.
"Alright then," I said, flashing him a cheeky smile. "I want you to kiss me. No sex. No love. Just a kiss on my lips."
I threw it out casually, thinking he'd laugh it off, maybe roll his eyes. Instead, he leaned in.
And kissed me.
Softly. Dangerously.
Right there, in the middle of the street.
His lips brushed against mine, warm and tasting faintly of mint and paneer. One of his hands slid into my hair, tugging gently, angling my mouth just right.
The world spun away.
I could hear my heartbeat louder than the faraway barking of a dog. Louder than the logical part of my brain screaming at me about Papa, about Mrs. Sharma, the neighbours, about every risk we were taking.
But for those few seconds—none of it mattered.
When he finally pulled away, I was breathless, dizzy, barely standing.
"Good night, I guess," Vedant murmured, voice rough, before turning and walking away into the night.
I stood frozen on the path, touching my lips in disbelief.
Was that real? Did that just happen?
"Sohini?" Papa's voice called from the veranda.
I turned around, heart slamming against my ribs. Did he—see us?