In the days after Roopali first expressed her fear of falling in love with me, there were a series of small yet profound shifts I would have been blind not to have noticed. Nothing needed to be spoken, but things were somehow different.
There was a change in how she rode with me on my Yezdi. Before, she’d always sat side-saddle, carefully, maintaining a certain distance, her hands loosely gripping the side. Now, she sat astride, her arms firmly wrapped around my waist, her grip full of unspoken words and meaning. The way she held me, the way she leaned against my back—it wasn’t just physical closeness. It was a silent declaration of something deeper. Each time her hands clutched my jacket tighter, and her cheek rested lightly against my shoulder, I felt the bond between us grow deeper.
There was a different kind of warmth in her presence now, something that was missing before. Our walks were quieter, but not in an awkward way—more like now, there was no need for words to fill the space between us. We were completely comfortable in the silence punctuated by soft smiles and the occasional shared glance that lingered a little too long. Our hands brushed each other, and at times, the fingers carelessly entangled to hold on to each other.
On the bike rides, the feeling of her leaning into me was new, almost magnetic. Her fingers would sometimes trace small circles on my stomach absentmindedly as if the contact between us had become second nature. It was like she had finally given herself the permission to be vulnerable, to hold me closer in both body and soul.
In those moments, it was as if we were in our world. The sounds of the city fading, the road ahead feeling endless, and the only thing that mattered was the way her presence wrapped around me, the steady beat of her heart syncing with mine. It was a slow, inevitable transformation that I welcomed but couldn’t fully comprehend yet. And how can I forget her warm breath before she would teasingly kiss the nape of my neck and act as if nothing happened. I noticed it all without ever letting her know.
But amidst this growing comfort with Roopali, there was still something I couldn’t ignore—Rajesh. He was scheduled to be back in a few days, and I owed it to him to be honest about everything. The weight of an unspoken guilt was gnawing at me. How would I face him? I have broken a bro code. I have stolen my best friend’s girlfriend. Something unpardonable. How would I have reacted if I was in Rajesh’s place… it was tough for me to think… because I knew the answer.
…………………………………..
On the day, I arrived early and occupied our regular canteen spot. Back from his outstation trip, Rajesh looked at me, grinning widely. His carefree demeanour only added to my guilt. I knew the conversation couldn’t wait. As we sat down to have tea, I hesitated before finally blurting out, “Rajesh, there’s something I need to tell you.”
He raised an eyebrow, amused. “Is this about Roopali?”
I was caught off guard. “Yes, how did you—?”
He cut me off, laughing heartily. “I saw it coming, man. You two have been inseparable these last few days… or so someone told me.. and I had enjoyed you silently looking at her before I left… and do you know who confirmed to me?”
“NO”
“of course, you don’t know. But Roopali met me and asked me what kind of a person you were. She said she felt much more comfortable with you and thought she had fallen in love. She was seeking reassurance.”
I fidgeted with the cup in my hands, unsure how to proceed.
“But what about you? I mean, I thought…”
Rajesh leaned back in his chair, still smiling. “What? Do you think I was interested in Roopali? Nah, we’re just friends. There was never anything between us. You didn’t break any ‘bro code’ or whatever you think. Honestly, I’m happy for you. You’ve always been the silent one around her, so… good luck.”
His words hit me harder than expected, but instead of relief, a strange hollowness settled in. I had spent so much time suppressing my feelings, convincing myself that Roopali was off-limits, and now, with Rajesh’s blessing, that inner conflict seemed pointless.
Rajesh stood up and patted my shoulder. “Chill, man. Let it be simple. If you love her, and she loves you, be with her and take care of her—don’t disappoint me.”
I nodded. A deeper sense of responsibility crept in as we left the canteen.
Now that the road was clear, the destination still undisclosed—at least I had a direction. But then, what did this mean for Roopali and me?
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Chapter 1 – Rainy evening in a resort at Mukhteshwar of the story with an undisclosed destination. Chapter -II. The beaches and whispering Mukhteshwar. and Chapter III Mukhteshwar encounter Chapter IV- Shadows of a Dream. , Chapter -V Opening Gambit-e5,chapter-VI- An Evening of Unveiled Secret. chapter VII- The Ride to Lansdowne , Chapter Viii- In search of closure. Chapter 09- Seed of Romance. And Chapter 10- Kismat Play between friendship and love.
This story with an undisclosed destination started as part of the @BlogChatter event #BlogChatterBlogHop, where I started weaving a story based on the weekly word prompts suggested by BlogChatter. However, after the 5th weekly prompt- Blogchatter took a break, but I continued to develop the story based on the prompts friends and readers suggested on social media. Do suggest some word prompts for the next chapter.
