Aarzooo
Wellknown Ace
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A LITTLE NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN…
Parts 1-4 reside in the Indian Room, where the first words were exchanged and the roots of this story quietly took hold. Before stepping into what comes next, take a little detour back to where it all began. Some stories deserve to be read from the very first hello. ♡
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Part 5 : More Than the Usual
Vedha hesitated.
Sarang had promised that having her contact wouldn't make him a disturbance in her life. He wouldn't intrude, demand her time, or make things complicated.
But Vedha had made up her mind long before he asked, and she wasn't ready to change it.
So, she said no. A straightforward, firm no, right to his face.
Sarang seemed to understand. A slight frown crossed his face, but he quickly covered it up and continued talking to her as he always had. No complaints, no questions, no attempt to change her mind. He was disappointed but he didn't let it interfere with their conversations.
But Vedha wasn't quite as unaffected as she wanted to appear.
Her heart was pounding harder than usual. She had said no, just as she had intended to, yet something about the moment had caught her off guard. For a fleeting second, she wondered whether she had been too quick to shut the door.
Then her mind stepped in.
"Keep it simple, Vedha. You came here for entertainment, not complications. Don't turn a casual connection into something it doesn't have to be."
And with that, she pushed the thought aside.
The night passed, and nothing changed.
Or at least, nothing changed between them.
They continued talking as though the conversation about her contact had never happened. The teasing remained, the banter flowed, and Sarang treated her exactly as he always had. He didn't make her feel guilty for refusing him, and she didn't have to defend her decision again.
That should have made things easier.
And perhaps it did.
Until one day, Vedha discovered that something had changed after all.
She was in the Kerala Room, caught up in the usual conversations, when a familiar notification appeared.
Sarang has joined the room.
It was such an ordinary message. One she had seen plenty of times before.
Yet this time, she smiled.
Not deliberately. Not because she had decided to. The smile simply appeared before she could stop it.
Her attention shifted towards the conversation, her eyes following his messages with an interest she would rather not examine too closely.
She had been so determined to keep things uncomplicated, yet here she was, reacting to a simple username as though its arrival had made her evening a little better.
Before long, they moved from the group chat into their private messages.
They began with ordinary things. How their day had gone, what had kept them busy, the little frustrations of work.
Vedha spoke about her long day at the workplace, while Sarang shared bits and pieces of what had happened at his job.
Nothing extraordinary. Just two people talking about their day.
Except that the conversation kept going.
One topic led to another, and the usual teasing soon found its way between their sentences. Funny remarks turned into flirtatious exchanges, each one a little more daring than the last.
Neither seemed particularly interested in ending the conversation.
Sarang: "So, after surviving such a long day, what's keeping you awake now?"
Vedha: "Apparently, someone who doesn't know when to stop talking."
Sarang: "And yet, you're still here."
Vedha: "Maybe I'm just being polite."
Sarang: "Of course. And I'm supposed to believe that?"
She smiled at the screen, taking her time before replying.
Vedha: "Believe whatever helps you sleep tonight."
Sarang: "That's the problem. I'm not sure you're helping with that."
She laughed quietly, shaking her head at his audacity. It was the sort of exchange she could easily have brushed off as harmless flirting. And perhaps that was all it was.
But somewhere between the jokes and the teasing, the tone shifted.
To be continued...
A LITTLE NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN…
Parts 1-4 reside in the Indian Room, where the first words were exchanged and the roots of this story quietly took hold. Before stepping into what comes next, take a little detour back to where it all began. Some stories deserve to be read from the very first hello. ♡
*******************************************
Part 5 : More Than the Usual
Vedha hesitated.
Sarang had promised that having her contact wouldn't make him a disturbance in her life. He wouldn't intrude, demand her time, or make things complicated.
But Vedha had made up her mind long before he asked, and she wasn't ready to change it.
So, she said no. A straightforward, firm no, right to his face.
Sarang seemed to understand. A slight frown crossed his face, but he quickly covered it up and continued talking to her as he always had. No complaints, no questions, no attempt to change her mind. He was disappointed but he didn't let it interfere with their conversations.
But Vedha wasn't quite as unaffected as she wanted to appear.
Her heart was pounding harder than usual. She had said no, just as she had intended to, yet something about the moment had caught her off guard. For a fleeting second, she wondered whether she had been too quick to shut the door.
Then her mind stepped in.
"Keep it simple, Vedha. You came here for entertainment, not complications. Don't turn a casual connection into something it doesn't have to be."
And with that, she pushed the thought aside.
The night passed, and nothing changed.
Or at least, nothing changed between them.
They continued talking as though the conversation about her contact had never happened. The teasing remained, the banter flowed, and Sarang treated her exactly as he always had. He didn't make her feel guilty for refusing him, and she didn't have to defend her decision again.
That should have made things easier.
And perhaps it did.
Until one day, Vedha discovered that something had changed after all.
She was in the Kerala Room, caught up in the usual conversations, when a familiar notification appeared.
Sarang has joined the room.
It was such an ordinary message. One she had seen plenty of times before.
Yet this time, she smiled.
Not deliberately. Not because she had decided to. The smile simply appeared before she could stop it.
Her attention shifted towards the conversation, her eyes following his messages with an interest she would rather not examine too closely.
She had been so determined to keep things uncomplicated, yet here she was, reacting to a simple username as though its arrival had made her evening a little better.
Before long, they moved from the group chat into their private messages.
They began with ordinary things. How their day had gone, what had kept them busy, the little frustrations of work.
Vedha spoke about her long day at the workplace, while Sarang shared bits and pieces of what had happened at his job.
Nothing extraordinary. Just two people talking about their day.
Except that the conversation kept going.
One topic led to another, and the usual teasing soon found its way between their sentences. Funny remarks turned into flirtatious exchanges, each one a little more daring than the last.
Neither seemed particularly interested in ending the conversation.
Sarang: "So, after surviving such a long day, what's keeping you awake now?"
Vedha: "Apparently, someone who doesn't know when to stop talking."
Sarang: "And yet, you're still here."
Vedha: "Maybe I'm just being polite."
Sarang: "Of course. And I'm supposed to believe that?"
She smiled at the screen, taking her time before replying.
Vedha: "Believe whatever helps you sleep tonight."
Sarang: "That's the problem. I'm not sure you're helping with that."
She laughed quietly, shaking her head at his audacity. It was the sort of exchange she could easily have brushed off as harmless flirting. And perhaps that was all it was.
But somewhere between the jokes and the teasing, the tone shifted.
To be continued...
