Chapter 40 - When the Rain Spoke #2
Aadhira stepped back instinctively.
Her shoulder lightly brushed against the wooden wall behind her.
Arjun stood in front of her.
There was hardly any distance between them.
A gust of wind blew icy rain into the shelter.
Tiny droplets landed on Aadhira's face.
Without thinking, Arjun shifted closer, trying to block the rain from reaching her.
His left hand rested against the wooden beam beside her.
His right shoulder shielded her from the wind.
Aadhira looked up.
They were...
Very close.
Close enough for her to notice the tiny raindrops clinging to his eyelashes.
Close enough for Arjun to hear her soft breathing beneath the sound of the rain.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
Only the rain filled the silence.
Arjun suddenly became aware of how little space separated them.
If either of them moved even slightly...
They would collide.
His heartbeat became strangely loud.
Why is my heart racing...?
He swallowed.
Aadhira lowered her gaze for a moment before quietly looking back at him.
"You'll get soaked standing there."
He smiled faintly.
"So will you."
"I don't mind."
"I do."
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Both of them froze.
Arjun blinked.
...What did I just say?
Aadhira looked at him for a long second.
Then...
A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"You're worrying too much."
"I am?"
"A little."
"I..."
He didn't know how to answer.
The silence returned.
This time...
It wasn't awkward.
It was peaceful.
Outside, the rain continued pouring over London.
Inside the tiny shelter...
Neither of them noticed how many minutes had already passed.
All Arjun could think about...
Was how strangely calm he felt standing beside her.
And somehow...
That feeling scared him more than the storm outside.
The rain continued to fall steadily, creating a curtain between them and the bustling streets of London.
Neither Arjun nor Aadhira spoke for a while.
For the first time since their marriage, the silence didn't demand to be filled.
It was... comfortable.
Aadhira watched the rain quietly.
"I've always liked rainy days."
Arjun turned towards her.
"You have?"
She nodded.
"They slow everything down."
"When it rains, people stop running for a while."
"They forget about work... deadlines... responsibilities."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"It reminds me that the world doesn't have to move so fast."
Arjun listened without interrupting.
He had never heard her speak this much about herself.
"What about you?" she asked.
He looked outside before answering.
"I never really paid attention to rain."
"It was just... weather."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And now?"
Arjun chuckled softly.
"I think I'm starting to understand what you mean."
Their eyes met again.
Aadhira smiled.
"I knew you would."
A comfortable silence settled between them once more.
After a few moments, Arjun spoke again.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
He laughed.
"Fair enough."
She waited patiently.
"Were you always this... quiet?"
She thought for a moment.
"No."
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"I wasn't like this before."
"There was a time when I smiled a lot."
"I talked too much."
"I annoyed people."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"But..."
"People change."
Arjun found himself wondering what had happened to transform such a cheerful girl into the composed woman standing before him.
He wanted to ask.
But something told him she wasn't ready to answer.
Instead, he simply nodded.
"I think..."
"...I would've liked to meet that version of you too."
Aadhira looked at him in surprise.
Then she smiled.
"You might have found her exhausting."
"I doubt it."
"Why?"
"Because..."
He paused.
His thoughts became tangled.
Why did he enjoy every conversation with her?
Why did he feel relieved whenever she smiled?
Why did seeing her happy somehow make his own day better?
Why had the thought of losing sight of her in the crowd frightened him so much?
None of it made sense.
Not to him.
He slowly looked into her eyes.
"Aadhira..."
"Hmm?"
"I..."
His voice became softer.
"I don't understand something."
She waited quietly.
"I've known you for such a short time."
"And yet..."
He let out a slow breath.
"When you're around..."
"My mind feels peaceful."
She remained silent.
He continued before he could lose his courage.
"When you smile..."
"I end up smiling too."
"When you disappear..."
"I automatically start looking for you."
He gave a small, helpless laugh.
"And when Kabir keeps pulling you away..."
"I get annoyed."
The last sentence slipped out before he realized it.
His eyes widened.
"I... didn't mean..."
Aadhira couldn't stop herself from laughing softly.
"So..."
"That's why you've been glaring at Kabir these past few days."
"I wasn't glaring."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You definitely were."
Arjun rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"...Was it that obvious?"
"A little."
He sighed dramatically.
"Great."
"I thought I was hiding it."
"You weren't."
She smiled gently.
"But Kabir never noticed."
Arjun muttered under his breath,
"I wish he'd stop stealing you every five minutes."
Aadhira laughed again.
The sound made him unconsciously smile.
Then...
The laughter faded.
They looked at each other once more.
The distance between them was still so small that neither of them had moved from where they had been standing.
The rain continued falling around them.
Arjun's heartbeat slowly quickened.
"I don't know what's happening to me," he admitted honestly.
"I've never felt like this before."
"I..."
He hesitated.
Every instinct told him to continue.
To tell her everything that had been occupying his thoughts for days.
"I think..."
His gaze remained fixed on hers.
"...I think you're becoming-"
"ARJUN!"
The loud shout echoed through the street.
Both of them instinctively turned.
Rohan came running toward them, waving both hands wildly.
"There you guys are!"
Behind him, the others followed, equally drenched.
Kabir stopped a few feet away before looking from Arjun...
...to Aadhira...
...and then to the tiny shelter where they were standing unusually close.
A mischievous grin slowly spread across his face.
"Oh..."
"So this is where the missing couple disappeared."
Arjun immediately took a small step back.
"We were just waiting for the rain to stop."
Kabir nodded dramatically.
"Of course."
"The rain."
"The very dangerous rain."
Dev lightly elbowed Kabir.
"Stop teasing them."
"I'm only stating facts."
"What facts?" Arjun asked.
Kabir folded his arms.
"The fact that both of you look suspiciously comfortable standing together."
Aadhira simply smiled.
"We didn't exactly have much space."
Kabir looked at the tiny shelter before pretending to agree.
"Hmm..."
"I'll allow that explanation."
Shanaya glanced at the sky.
"The rain is getting lighter."
"It should stop soon," Siddharth added.
Within a few minutes, the heavy downpour became a gentle drizzle.
The group slowly began walking back toward the station.
This time...
Without anyone planning it...
Arjun naturally walked beside Aadhira.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them needed to.
Kabir noticed the small change from a distance.
He smiled to himself but wisely decided not to interrupt this time.
The ride back to the hotel was unusually quiet.
Everyone was tired after spending the entire day walking through the market.
One by one, the conversations faded.
Back at the hotel, they wished each other good night before heading to their respective rooms.
Inside their suite, Aadhira placed the shopping bags on the table.
"I'll make some tea."
Arjun nodded absentmindedly.
He walked toward the balcony instead.
The rain had finally stopped.
The city lights reflected beautifully on the wet streets below.
His thoughts, however...
Were still inside that tiny wooden shelter.
"When you're around... my mind feels peaceful."
"When you smile... I smile too."
"When you disappear... I look for you."
He had meant every word.
Yet...
He still couldn't understand why.
Behind him, Aadhira quietly placed a cup of tea on the balcony table.
"You've been thinking a lot lately."
He looked at her.
"...Have I?"
She nodded.
"I hope you find your answer."
She smiled softly before walking back inside.
Arjun remained standing there long after she had gone.
His eyes followed her until she disappeared into the room.
Then he looked back at the rain-soaked city.
A strange smile slowly appeared on his face.
He still couldn't name the feeling in his heart.
But somewhere deep inside...
His heart already knew the answer.
His mind simply hadn't caught up yet.
To Be Continued...