The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, but the streets still glistened under the dim glow of streetlights. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and pavement, a calming contrast to the chaotic storm from earlier. Dhruv and Riya walked side by side, sharing the umbrella, though the silence between them felt heavier than the rain that had just passed.
Riya tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, still shivering slightly from her earlier soak. She wasn't sure if it was the cold or something else entirely, but there was a strange warmth in her chest, a lingering feeling from the way Dhruv had quietly adjusted the umbrella over her, shielding her from the rain without a word.
Dhruv, on the other hand, was unusually aware of how close she was. He had never been one to pay attention to these things, but now, with her shoulder occasionally brushing against his, he found himself noticing every small movement. It was unfamiliar, this feeling, like a slow-burning ember in the back of his mind, refusing to be ignored.
They turned a corner, the path narrowing slightly as they approached a small alleyway shortcut. The rain had left the street quieter than usual, the only sounds being their footsteps against the wet pavement and the occasional drip of water from the rooftops.
Riya exhaled softly. "Anu better appreciate this ice cream," she muttered, more to herself than to Dhruv. "I almost drowned for it."
Dhruv let out a quiet chuckle. "You were barely sprinkled on."
She shot him a glare. "Says the man who stood under shelter the whole time."
He smirked, but before he could respond, a sudden gust of wind swept through the alley, pulling the umbrella from his grip.
"Ah"
Riya gasped as the umbrella flipped inside out and tumbled away, rolling down the pavement like a rebellious tumbleweed.
Without thinking, she lunged for it, only for her foot to slip on the wet ground.
Dhruv reacted instantly, grabbing her wrist before she could completely wipe out. But in her struggle to regain balance, she ended up gripping onto his coat, pulling him slightly off balance too. Before they knew it, they had stumbled into each other, his arms instinctively steadying her while her hands clutched the front of his coat.
The world seemed to pause.
The sound of the rain faded into the background. The glow of the streetlamp above cast a soft halo around them, illuminating the droplets on their skin. Riya's breath hitched as she found herself mere inches away from Dhruv, her hands still gripping his coat, his fingers lightly curled around her wrist.
She could feel his warmth despite the cold night air. His presence was solid, grounding, yet oddly electrifying. It was different from before, this moment stretched longer, heavier, filled with something neither of them had the words for.
Dhruv's gaze flickered down to hers, unreadable yet intense. His usual guarded demeanor was cracked, just slightly, revealing something softer beneath.
Riya swallowed, suddenly aware of everything the way his breath mingled with hers, the steady grip of his hands, the way her pulse had quickened against her will.
For a fleeting second, it felt like something was about to shift. Like if she moved just a little closer....
A loud honk shattered the moment.
Both of them jolted back to reality as a motorbike zoomed past, splashing through a puddle and sending another wave of water onto them.
"OH, COME ON!" Riya groaned for the second time that night, throwing her arms up in frustration.
Dhruv blinked, as if snapping out of a trance, before running a hand through his slightly damp hair. He let out a low exhale and glanced away, clearing his throat. "You really have the worst luck in rain."
Riya, still flustered but determined to cover it up, scoffed. "And yet, here you are, standing in the middle of my bad luck with me."
Dhruv didn't reply immediately. Instead, he studied her for a moment, something unreadable in his expression. Then, with a small, almost imperceptible smirk, he simply said, "Yeah."
And for some reason, that one word sent her heart into an entirely different storm.
As they continued walking, neither of them mentioned what had just happened. But something had changed in the air between them. Subtle, unspoken, but undeniably there.
And Dhruv, for the first time in a long time, felt the pull of something he wasn't sure he could ignore anymore.