🎵 Song: Ranjha – Shershaah (Instrumental)

"Sometimes...

the loudest heartbeat is heard in complete silence."

The dinner had finally come to an end.

The dining table had been cleared, and everyone slowly returned to the living room.

The elders sat together with cups of tea, continuing their endless conversation about school memories, college pranks, business, and family.

Laughter echoed throughout the mansion.

It truly felt like two families who had known each other forever.

Meanwhile...

Kabir and Anaya were sitting on the carpet, busy playing a board game.

Every few minutes, they secretly glanced at their elder siblings.

Kabir whispered,

"They're not even talking."

Anaya sighed dramatically.

"They're hopeless."

Kabir nodded in agreement.

"Very hopeless."

Almost an hour later...

Rajeev looked at the time.

"Oh!"

"It's getting quite late."

Nandini nodded.

"We should leave now."

Meera immediately stood up.

"So soon?"

Vikram smiled.

"This house finally feels lively after so many years."

Rajeev laughed.

"We'll meet again very soon."

Everyone slowly stood up.

Nandini thanked Meera for the wonderful dinner.

"It was delicious."

Meera smiled warmly.

"I'm so happy all of you came."

The adults walked toward the main entrance together.

Kabir looked disappointed.

"Already?"

Anaya pouted.

"I don't want to go."

"You'll come tomorrow."

Kabir tried to sound hopeful.

"I hope so."

Aarohi quietly picked up her small purse from the sofa.

She adjusted her dupatta and politely smiled at Meera.

"Thank you for inviting us, Aunty."

Meera lovingly held her hand.

"You don't have to thank me."

"This house is your house too."

Aarohi smiled shyly.

"Thank you."

As everyone slowly moved toward the entrance...

Aarohi noticed that she had forgotten the small gift bag Nandini had brought.

"Oh..."

"I'll just get that."

She quietly turned back toward the living room.

The others continued walking toward the door, unaware.

She picked up the gift bag from the side table.

Just as she turned—

She almost stopped in her tracks.

Reyansh was standing in front of her.

Barely a step away.

She hadn't even heard him approach.

"H-Huh?"

She looked up in surprise.

There was no way around him.

The hallway wasn't very wide.

Aarohi instinctively took one tiny step back.

Reyansh casually slipped both hands into his pockets.

A familiar teasing smile appeared on his face.

"So..."

"My senior is leaving already?"

Aarohi nodded softly.

"Y-Yes."

"I have school on Monday."

"So do I."

Silence.

She waited.

He didn't move.

Neither did she.

"You're blocking the way."

She spoke quietly.

"I know."

"...Can I go?"

"You can."

"Then..."

She looked at him.

"...move."

Instead...

He leaned casually against the wall.

"No."

Aarohi blinked.

"No?"

"No."

A tiny laugh escaped him as he watched her confused expression.

"You know..."

he said softly,

"I've noticed something."

She looked at him cautiously.

"What?"

"For someone who argued with me in the school corridor..."

He took one slow step closer.

"...you're surprisingly quiet outside school."

Aarohi's fingers tightened around the gift bag.

"I..."

She didn't know what to say.

Reyansh looked directly into her blue eyes.

For the first time...

There wasn't a teasing challenge in his gaze.

Just curiosity.

A faint smile.

And something she couldn't quite understand.

He spoke in a lower voice.

"So..."

"My stubborn senior..."

"Do you know what I like the most about you?"

Aarohi's heart skipped a beat.

"W-What?"

He leaned just enough for only her to hear.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"These blue eyes..."

He paused deliberately.

"...they're dangerous."

Aarohi froze.

He continued in the same soft voice,

"Anyone who looks into them for too long..."

"...might forget where they were going."

For a second...

The entire world around her disappeared.

She simply stared at him.

Speechless.

Her cheeks slowly turned crimson.

Her heartbeat became impossibly loud.

"W-What is he saying?"

"Why is he saying this?"

She opened her mouth to reply...

But not a single word came out.

Reyansh couldn't help smiling.

"So easy to fluster..."

He found her expressions unexpectedly adorable.

Much more than he was willing to admit.

At that exact moment—

"Aarohi!"

Nandini's voice echoed from the entrance.

"Beta!"

"Are you coming?"

The spell broke instantly.

Aarohi blinked rapidly.

"J-Ji, Maa!"

She hurriedly looked away from Reyansh.

Without saying another word...

She quickly walked past him and almost rushed toward the main door.

She didn't dare look back.

Standing near the staircase...

Kabir had witnessed everything.

Beside him...

Anaya had seen it too.

The two children slowly looked at each other.

Kabir grinned from ear to ear.

"He cornered her."

Anaya covered her smile with both hands.

"And Didi couldn't even answer."

Kabir proudly folded his arms.

"My Bhai is making progress."

Anaya nodded just as proudly.

"My Didi was blushing."

The two silently gave each other a victorious look.

No words were needed.

Operation Cupid had successfully completed...

Mission One.

Near the entrance...

Aarohi quietly wore her sandals, still unable to calm her racing heart.

She could still hear his words echoing inside her mind.

"These blue eyes... they're dangerous."

She had never...

in her entire life...

been complimented like that.

Behind her...

Reyansh stood in the hallway, watching her leave with the faintest smile still lingering on his face.

For reasons he couldn't explain...

Teasing his shy senior...

had suddenly become his favorite pastime.

End of Chapter 12 💙🌙