P A R I N I D H I 

Devansh followed me into the room, but I stayed where I was, sprawled on the bed, pretending to be asleep. I couldn't bring myself to face him, not tonight.

I kept my back to the door, clutching the duvet tighter around me, like it could somehow shield me from the storm brewing inside.

His footsteps grew closer, slow and deliberate, and my grip on the duvet only tightened.

"Pari," his voice was soft, laced with a tenderness that made my chest ache, but I didn't respond. I couldn't.

He knew I wasn't asleep. He always knew. His finger traced a slow line from my shoulder down to my wrist, sending an involuntary shiver through me.