Chapter 67

Mayank exhaled sharply as he finished his set, dropping the weights back onto the rack. His muscles burned, but not nearly as much as the thoughts running through his mind.

Niharika.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she had looked at him that night on the yacht, the way her lips felt, the way she had whispered his name. If someone had told him years ago that he'd feel like this about her, he would have laughed it off. But now... now he wasn't laughing. He was stuck, caught between this growing pull toward her and the uncertainty of where she stood.

Did she feel the same?

A slap on his back jerked him out of his thoughts. "Why do you look like you're about to overanalyze a protein shake?" Rohan smirked, sitting next to him on the bench.

Mayank rolled his eyes, reaching for his water bottle. "Just thinking."

Arjun, who had been adjusting the weights on the machine, turned to them with a smirk. "Thinking about what?"

Mayank shook his head. "Nothing."

Rohan and Arjun exchanged a glance before Rohan grinned knowingly. "Hmm. Nothing? Or someone?"

Mayank shot them both a look, but before he could respond, Arjun leaned in. "Bro, you're literally doing that zoned-out, lost-in-thought thing. You never do that. So, tell us... how's Niharika?"

The moment her name left Arjun's mouth, Mayank felt the involuntary twitch of his lips. Just the sound of her name made something inside him shift.

Rohan gasped dramatically. "Holy shit, he smiled!"

Arjun laughed, nudging his shoulder. "That's it, dude. It's over. You're done for."

Mayank groaned, rubbing his face. "Shut up."

Rohan leaned back, crossing his arms. "No, no, tell us. What's happening with you two? You're thinking about her way too much for this to be nothing."

Mayank hesitated for a second before sighing. "I don't know, man. I don't know what's happening. It's like... she's always been there, but suddenly, I'm looking at her differently. And I can't stop."

Arjun raised a brow. "And does she know that?"

"Of course not." Mayank scoffed. "I don't even know what she feels. What if I'm just reading into things?"

Rohan shook his head. "Bro. If you're thinking about her this much, I promise you she's thinking about you too."

Mayank let out a dry laugh. I wish.

Because right now, all he could think about was how much he wanted to be around her, how much he wanted to know if she was feeling the same pull he was.

Meanwhile, Niharika sat on the couch, absently stirring her cup of chai, watching as the steam curled into the air. The warmth of the drink did nothing to ease the restless feeling inside her.

She sighed, leaning back against the cushions, her mind looping back to the same thing over and over again.

Mayank.

Ever since that night on the yacht, she had been playing everything back in her head—his touch, the way he had looked at her before he kissed her, the way he had held her so securely, as if she was something fragile, something precious.

And then afterward... the distance.

At first, she had thought maybe he regretted it. That maybe, in the heat of the moment, he had done something impulsive and now wished he hadn't. But then he had told her the truth—that he had been giving her space because he thought she had been uncomfortable.

That thought alone made her want to scream.

How had they both spent the past two days overthinking the same thing when they could have just talked?

She chewed on her lip. But then what? What happens now?

Was this just a fleeting thing? A momentary attraction that would fade away as quickly as it had come? Or was it something more? Something real?

Her fingers traced the rim of her mug as she thought about their history. They had always been close, always shared a comfort that she had never quite found with anyone else. But now, it was shifting into something deeper, something heavier.

And she didn't know if she was ready for that.

But then she remembered the way he had held her that night. The way his voice had dropped into that husky whisper when he had told her, "I see a lot of physical attraction here."

A slow warmth crept up her neck, and she groaned, pressing her hands to her face. Damn him.

She wanted to see him. Wanted to talk to him.

But what if he wasn't thinking about her like that? What if this was all in her head?

She sighed again, leaning back into the couch.

~•~

Mayank walked into the house, rolling his neck to ease the tension from work. The moment he smelled the rich aroma of spices from the kitchen, a small smile tugged at his lips.

After a quick change, he strolled into the kitchen—shirtless, as usual.

Niharika, focused on stirring the pot in front of her, turned at the sound of his footsteps. The second she saw him, her eyes widened, and she immediately looked away, shaking her head.

"Mayank," she huffed, placing a hand on her hip. "Put on a shirt."

His lips curled into a smirk as he leaned lazily against the counter beside her. "Why?" he drawled. "It's my home too."

She gave him a pointed look. "Would you like it if I walked around shirtless?"

Mayank's grin deepened as he stepped closer, his gaze dropping to her lips for the briefest second before meeting her eyes again. "Trust me, Niharika," he murmured, voice husky, "if that ever happened, I'd never step out of the house again."

Her breath hitched, and she immediately smacked his arm, her face heating up. "Shut up, Mayank."

Chuckling, he caught her wrist before she could move away and, with effortless ease, lifted her onto the countertop.

"Mayank!" she gasped, bracing her hands against his bare shoulders. "I'm making dinner, let me cook!"

He stepped between her legs, his hands resting on the counter on either side of her. His face was so close now, his dark eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

"I will," he whispered, tilting his head slightly. "But first, let me have my starter—"

Before she could react, he leaned in and pressed a soft, teasing kiss to her lips. It was brief, barely there, but enough to send shivers down her spine.

When he pulled away, she blinked at him, completely thrown off.

Mayank smirked at her stunned expression before stepping back. "Now," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "what are we making?"

Still trying to collect herself, she cleared her throat and muttered, "You're insufferable."

He chuckled. "And yet, you like me anyway."

Ignoring the way her stomach flipped at his words, she shoved a spoon into his hand. "Just stir that, will you?"

Smirking to himself, he obeyed, "As you wish, Ma'am."

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