Between us

Third person's POV

Aaliyah's shriek cut through the air like a siren, freezing Rakshit and Radhya in place as if a stun grenade had just gone off. For a single, paralyzing second, neither of them moved. And then—almost comically, as if jolted by an electric current—they sprang apart, flinging themselves to opposite corners of the room.

At each other? No. Absolutely not. Not now. Not ever.

The air between them crackled with something too tangled to name—awkwardness, panic, something dangerously close to regret.

It was one thing for Aaliyah to catch them like that, but the bigger problem loomed, cold and undeniable. What even were they now? Step-siblings. A new, uncomfortable, sharply drawn line had been etched between them, thick with unspoken rules and boundaries they had just spectacularly ignored.

And yet… for a moment, none of that had mattered.

For a moment, the world had blurred at the edges, leaving just the two of them behind.

But the most unsettling part? Rakshit had kissed her first.

The thought sent Radhya's mind into a tailspin. He had kissed her. He had closed the space between them. He had shattered whatever fragile distance they were supposed to maintain. And if he had… then did that mean he felt something too?

And if he did…

Then why was he acting like it had never happened? Why the indifference, the avoidance, the forced nonchalance? Was all that I don't care bravado just an elaborate act? A lie?

Radhya wasn't sure of anything anymore. All she knew was that her heart was still racing. And Rakshit was silent, unreadable. Rakshit—was standing just a little too far away, as if distance alone could erase what had just transpired.

As if they hadn't just crossed a line neither of them could take back.

Aaliyah gasped so dramatically that it could've won her an award. One hand clutched her chest, the other dramatically poised mid-air as she arched a suspicious eyebrow. "WAIT. WAIT. WAAAAIT. WERE YOU GUYS KISSING??"

Radhya immediately went into full-blown panic mode. "WHAT KISS? WHO SAID THERE WAS A KISS? IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. IT WAS A HALLUCINATION. MAYBE YOU DREAMT IT. MAYBE YOU'RE SICK. MAYBE—"

Aaliyah blinked at her. Slowly. Like she was trying to process a particularly absurd riddle. "...Girl, what?"

Rakshit, meanwhile, stood stiffly with his arms crossed, his gaze carefully avoiding Aaliyah's. "Yeah. Totally. Just a product of your imagination."

Aaliyah gasped again, this time in exaggerated mock horror. "OH. So now you two are coordinated in your denial? How cute."

Radhya recoiled as if she'd been personally insulted. "I AM NOT COORDINATED WITH HIM! THERE IS NO 'WE' HERE! NOTHING OCCURRED!"

Rakshit grumbled, still refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Exactly. Nothing occurred. And if anything did… we're never talking about it."

Aaliyah clutched her heart, as if she were about to faint. "Oh my GOD. The suspense. The staring. The deception. You two are KILLING me right now.

This was too much for Radhya .

With an exasperated huff, Radhya spun on her heel and stormed off to her room, not sparing so much as a backward glance. She was done with this conversation.

Rakshit, having absolutely no desire to endure more of Aaliyah's commentary, wordlessly followed.

Left standing alone, Aaliyah watched them disappear, a slow, knowing grin spreading across her face.

"Oh," she murmured to herself, eyes twinkling with mischief. This is going to be fun.

*****

Ever since that kiss, Aaliyah had refused to speak to either of them. Not out of anger, but something else—something more calculated. Maybe she had sensed that neither of them was ready to address what had happened, and rather than force the issue, she had chosen to step back. Still, she was waiting. Waiting for Radhya to come to her, to explain, to confess. Until then, she had decided it was wiser to steer clear of whatever tangled mess was brewing between Radhya and Rakshit.

Meanwhile, their parents had returned from their honeymoon, radiating happiness. Their joy was unmistakable, written all over their faces in ways that couldn't be faked. Radhya had never seen her father like this—so alive. For years, ever since his divorce, he had moved through life like a man who had forgotten how to enjoy it. But now? Now he was living the way he had always wanted to.

For Radhya and Rakshit, though, things were excruciatingly uncomfortable.

They avoided speaking, and when Rakshit did try to talk, Radhya dodged him with practiced ease—changing the subject, pretending to be busy, or outright walking away. Rakshit, for his part, wasn't even sure what he was feeling anymore. He tried to act normal, but nothing felt normal. The rhythm of their lives had shifted, the air between them charged with something neither of them wanted to name.

It was only a matter of time before someone noticed.

"Did something happen between you two?"

Radhya nearly dropped her coffee at the casual question.

Mrs. Sagarika sat across the table, watching her with an expression that was too calm, too perceptive.

Radhya inhaled sharply—and then choked, sputtering as coffee sprayed from her mouth in the least graceful way possible.

Her heart lurched.

Had Aaliyah said something?

Oh God. What if she told Dad?

She scrambled for an answer, something, anything that wouldn't set off alarm bells.

"Rakshit left for college early this morning," Mrs. Sagarika continued, her voice light but edged with something else. "You two fought, didn't you? He never leaves without you."

Relief washed over Radhya like a tide.

She thanked to stars ..

That's what this is about.

"Oh… no, aunty. Nothing like that," she said quickly, forcing her best attempt at nonchalance. "Maybe he had some early work at college."

She could only hope her words sounded convincing.

Mrs. Sagarika studied her for a moment before offering a small, uncertain smile. "I see… Maybe that's it."

"You're overthinking, aunty." Radhya reached out, placing a reassuring hand over hers. "Everything's fine."

But as breakfast continued, Radhya's attention drifted. It wasn't just the conversation nagging at her—it was her father.

He sat at the table, silent, distant. Too distant.

Her father never stayed this quiet in the presence of family. Usually, he was warm, engaged, always part of the discussion. But today… his face was unreadable, his posture stiff, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Something was wrong.

She wanted to ask. Needed to ask. But not with Mrs. Sagarika around.

For now, she let it go, though the unease didn't fade.

Instead, she stood, walked over to him, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Bye, Dad."

Mr. Aaditya Mittal, lost in thought, jolted slightly at her voice. "Yes, beta…" he mumbled, distracted.

Radhya frowned. "Dad, are you okay? You're acting… odd."

For a fleeting second, his expression flickered—something too quick to catch. Then, just as fast, he looked away.

"Yeah, I'm great. Why wouldn't I be?" He said it too quickly, his tone off, his eyes betraying the words.

It was written all over his face. Whatever he was pretending, the truth was something else entirely.

Still, he rose, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Take care, beta. Study well," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling away.

Radhya hesitated but nodded. "Yeah… okay. Bye, aunty." She grabbed her bag and made for the door.

"Bye, Radhya," Mrs. Sagarika called, offering a small wave.

She was just about to step outside when her phone buzzed in her hand.

She glanced at the screen—and froze.

Mom.

Her stomach clenched.

Almost instinctively, her eyes flicked to her father.

And just like that, his expression shifted. From distant to tense, his jaw tightening, his hands clenching ever so slightly.

The call hadn't even connected yet. But somehow… somehow… he already looked like he had been expecting it.

How?