C9 The Silence After

The morning after the kiss felt unreal.

Not because it hadn’t happened.

But because nothing about Arjun behaved like it had.

We walked down the narrow mountain path toward the village, the sun slowly rising over the ridges of Himachal, turning the snow peaks gold.

And he acted completely normal.

Too normal.

Which was… suspicious.

Very suspicious.

I kicked a small stone on the path as we walked.

Arjun walked a few steps ahead, hands in his jacket pockets, moving with that calm soldier-like stride of his.

Like yesterday morning hadn’t happened.

Like he hadn’t just—

I stopped walking.

“Are we just going to ignore it?” I said.

He stopped too.

Slowly turned.

One eyebrow raised.

“Ignore what?”

My jaw dropped.

“You know exactly what.”

“Clarify.”

I stared at him.

“You kissed me.”

“You kissed me too.”

“That is not the point!”

“Then what is?”

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair.

Why was talking to this man like arguing with a stone wall?

“No normal person just continues walking after something like that!”

“I am walking,” he said calmly.

“That’s exactly the problem!”

For a moment he just looked at me.

Studying my face like he was analyzing a battlefield situation.

Then something strange happened.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

Barely.

But it was there.

A smile.

“You’re overthinking again,” he said.

“Oh my god.”

“I warned you about that habit.”

“You kissed me and now you're lecturing me?”

“You started the nose attack.”

“That was not an invitation!”

He chuckled quietly.

The sound was low and warm.

And somehow that made my stomach flip again.

Which was extremely annoying.

I crossed my arms.

“Fine,” I said. “Then answer one question.”

He nodded slightly.

“Ask.”

“Why did you kiss me?”

The question hung between us.

The wind moved softly through the pine trees.

Birds echoed somewhere in the valley below.

And Arjun didn’t answer immediately.

Which was unusual.

He always had answers.

Always calm.

Always controlled.

But this time…

He looked away first.

“Wrong timing,” he muttered.

“That is not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

My chest tightened slightly.

Not with anger.

With something else.

Something confusing.

“Do you regret it?” I asked quietly.

That made him look at me again instantly.

His expression changed.

Serious.

Focused.

Like I had just asked something important.

“No.”

The answer came immediately.

Firm.

Certain.

I didn’t know why…

But hearing that made something warm settle inside my chest.

“Then why act like nothing happened?”

“Because,” he said calmly, “everything did happen.”

“That still makes no sense.”

He stepped closer.

Not too close.

But close enough that I noticed again how tall he was.

How steady his presence felt.

“Aisha,” he said quietly.

“You’re writing a book about love stories.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re trying to analyze ours like a research project.”

“Well—”

“Stop.”

I blinked.

“Stop?”

“Yes.”

He looked toward the mountains stretching across the horizon.

“Some things don’t need immediate explanations.”

The wind lifted a strand of my hair.

He noticed.

Reached out automatically.

And tucked it gently behind my ear.

My brain completely stopped working.

“Arjun…”

“Yes?”

“You just did another thing.”

“What thing?”

“That thing.”

He looked confused.

Then realized.

And immediately stepped back.

Like he had touched something dangerous.

For the first time since meeting him…

Arjun Rathore actually looked slightly embarrassed.

And that was fascinating.

We continued walking toward the village.

The houses slowly appeared between the apple trees.

Thin smoke curled from chimneys.

Morning life beginning again.

But my thoughts kept drifting back.

To the moment earlier.

The warmth of his hand behind my head.

The quiet softness of the kiss.

The way he had looked at me afterward.

Like he was waiting for permission.

Which meant one terrifying possibility.

I might have wanted it too.

And that realization made my face warm again.

We were almost at the village entrance when Arjun suddenly stopped walking.

His entire posture changed.

Instantly alert.

“What?” I asked.

He didn’t answer.

His eyes were scanning the road ahead.

The rooftops.

The trees.

Soldier mode.

“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.

Arjun stepped slightly in front of me.

Protective.

Instinctive.

Then he spoke under his breath.

“Someone’s watching us.”

My stomach dropped.

“Who?”

Arjun’s gaze sharpened.

And his voice lowered to a calm, dangerous whisper.

“I don’t know yet.”

And suddenly…

The peaceful mountain morning didn’t feel peaceful anymore.