Bound by Fate

"Jo rishta dil se banta hai, uska koi naam nahi hota, par uski ehmiyat sabse zyada hoti hai."
(The bond made from the heart has no name, but its importance is greater than anything else.)
Enjoy reading<3

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The Malhotra family was known for their grand celebrations, and Holi was no exception. The entire lawn of their house was transformed into a festival of colors-vibrant rangolis adorned the entrance, bowls of gulal sat on tables, and the scent of gujiya and thandai filled the air. The Kapoor family had arrived early, eager to join in the festivities, and within moments, chaos had ensued.

Isha had barely stepped into the garden when a splash of pink gulal hit her shoulder.

"Isha Maasi!!" her nephew squealed before running away.

She sighed, brushing some color off her kurti. She had promised herself she'd stay out of the madness, but clearly, that was impossible. Her family had other plans.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Aarav. Dressed in a white kurta, sleeves rolled up, he looked unfairly good for someone about to be drenched in colors. He stood laughing with Rohan, his usual reserved demeanor momentarily forgotten.

Then, their eyes met.

Aarav's gaze flickered to her, a slow smirk forming on his lips. He lifted a small handful of blue gulal, rubbing it between his fingers. Isha knew that look.

Oh no.

Before she could react, Aarav closed the distance between them in two long strides.

"I knew you'd try to escape Holi," he murmured, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Isha took a cautious step back. "I'm not escaping. I just-"

He didn't let her finish. In one swift motion, his hand reached up, his fingers brushing against her cheek as he gently stroked blue color across her skin.

Isha froze.

The world around them blurred-the music, the laughter, the splashes of color. The only thing she could focus on was Aarav's touch, warm and lingering.

"Happy Holi, Isha," he murmured.

She swallowed hard, unable to look away. His fingers lingered a second too long, his thumb brushing against her jaw before he finally stepped back.

Damn him.

Her heart was not supposed to be racing.

Before she could say anything, a chorus of exaggerated gasps and laughter broke out.

"Ohooo!" Rohan whistled, dramatically nudging their mothers. "Did you see that?"

Mrs. Malhotra turned to Mrs. Kapoor with a knowing smile. "I think our Aarav beta is finally celebrating Holi properly."

"Oh, definitely," Aditi chimed in, grinning. "And only with Isha."

Isha's cheeks burned hotter than the sun. "It's just Holi!" she protested, glaring at them.

Aarav, the traitor, only smirked, completely unbothered by the teasing.

"Of course," Aditi said, winking. "Totally normal to get lost in someone's eyes while applying color."

Isha turned to Aarav with a silent warning in her eyes: Do something.

But he only shrugged, his expression maddeningly calm. "They're not wrong."

What?!

Isha opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, someone threw a bucket of colored water at them, ending the moment in splashes of pink and green.

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Later That Evening

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the Malhotra terrace. The celebrations were dying down, and most people had gone inside, but Isha had stepped away for a moment, trying to process the day.

She was wiping off the remnants of color from her hands when she felt a presence behind her.

"Running away again?"

She turned to find Aarav leaning against the railing, arms crossed, watching her with that same unreadable expression.

"I just needed a break," she said, crossing her arms too. "Too much teasing for one day."

Aarav chuckled, stepping closer. "They're not wrong, though."

Isha rolled her eyes. "Please. It's Holi. You applied color. Big deal."

Aarav tilted his head slightly, as if studying her. Then, in a voice so low that it sent a shiver down her spine, he murmured,

"Jaan, you really think that was just Holi?"

Isha's breath hitched.

Jaan.

He had never called her that before. And the way he said it-soft, deliberate, with a hint of something unspoken-made her heartbeat stutter.

Aarav took a step closer, closing the already small gap between them. His gaze flickered to her lips for a fraction of a second before meeting her eyes again.

"You're covered in colors," he murmured. "But this is my favorite one." His fingers brushed her cheek again, just like before.

Isha felt like she couldn't breathe.

She wanted to say something, anything-but for the first time, words failed her.

And then, Aarav did the most unfair thing of all.

He smirked. "Goodnight, jaan."

And just like that, he walked away, leaving Isha standing there, completely, utterly ruined.

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Authors note:
I know the chapters are short i will try my best to write lengthy chapter in the future 💗