Khushi POV
Luca’s smile still lingered in my mind like the last note of a haunting song. We sat across from each other, empty glasses of mocktails now pushed to the side, our laughter still echoing in the soft silence between us.
The light above our table dimmed slightly, making the gold accents of the restaurant gleam even more. “Have I made you nervous again?” he asked suddenly, his voice like velvet smirking beneath polished restraint.
I blinked, caught in the rhythm of his voice. “Nervous?” I tilted my head. “You think I scare easy?”
His lips twitched. “A little. You fidget with your rings when you’re unsure.”
My fingers instantly froze on the very ring I was twisting. “That’s not fair. You’ve been watching me too closely.”
“That’s the whole point of this challenge, isn’t it?” he said, sipping his water with an exaggerated shrug. “We’re supposed to pretend like we’ve been together for a year. I’m simply playing my role.”
“But you’re far too good at it,” I muttered, trying not to laugh. “It’s unnerving.”
He tilted his head. “Unnerving... or intriguing?”
“You really don’t give people a moment’s peace, do you?” I couldn’t help but laugh this time, genuine and unfiltered. For the first time, I saw something shift in his eyes—soft amusement, real and human.
And just then, my hand brushed against his again, unintentionally as I reached for the small plate of biscotti. I froze. So did he. The contact was light, just skin skimming skin, but it sent a ripple straight through me. We both pulled away, not out of discomfort—at least not from me—but more like we didn’t know what to do with the weight of that simple touch.
I tried to redirect the heat rushing to my cheeks. “So... I have final exams coming up soon,” I blurted, cradling my glass with both hands. “And I’ve been kind of stressed about placements too. It’s a lot.”
He didn’t blink. “You’re worried you won’t get placed?”
I nodded slowly. “Everyone says don’t stress. But how can I not? I need to start earning. I can’t depend on my family forever.”
He leaned in, elbows on the table, and for once, all sarcasm and flirtation fell away. “You will get placed. You’re the kind of person who doesn’t settle for less. It shows in the way you talk, the way you think. Whatever company gets you will be lucky.”
That felt… oddly personal. I swallowed hard, a little stunned. “That was—kind of intense.”
“I meant it,” he said simply.
And then he leaned back, as if realizing he’d stepped too close to something sacred. “I’m just a businessman,” he added casually, almost as an afterthought. “I’ve met a lot of people who pretend to have direction. You don’t. You actually do.”
Just a businessman. It sounded too neat for someone like him, but I didn’t pry.
We fell into a quiet rhythm of conversation again—nothing too deep, just easy banter, playful jabs, and rare smiles. Forty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. I only realized how long we’d been sitting there when I glanced up at the small clock on the far wall.
I sat up straighter. “Wait—ten minutes more, we had already hit the seventy-minute mark!”
He raised an eyebrow. “Already?”
“I know, right?” I laughed, checking the timer on my phone to be sure. “Time flew!”
He looked at me for a beat longer than he needed to. “Yes. It did.”
I grinned and declared, “Yeah! We won!”
A waiter clapped softly nearby, and the manager appeared almost magically beside our table. “Congratulations! You two make a stunning couple. Truly,” he beamed. “As the winners of our ‘Couple for Ninety Minutes’ challenge, you’ll get a framed photograph on our winner’s wall and one for yourselves.”
“Oh—photo?” I blinked. “Like... now?”
“Yes,” the manager nodded cheerfully. “Our photographer is ready. We’d like to take a shot of you both in a pose that captures your love. Something... intense. Romantic. Something that feels like a real couple who’ve been in love for years.”
My brain stopped. Luca, meanwhile, just stood up slowly and offered me his hand, saying nothing. His expression unreadable.
My heart knocked against my ribs as I took it.
The photographer guided us to a softly lit corner with a golden backdrop. “Okay,” he said, gesturing. “I want you both facing each other. Close—like nothing else exists. Not touching with hands just yet—but your bodies should almost... meet. Like you’re leaning into a gravity that neither of you can fight.”
My breath hitched. Luca tilted his head, observing me, his expression unreadable.
The photographer stepped closer. “Sir, place your hands lightly on her waist—rest them there, not gripping. Miss, your hands... you bring them to his chest. Right over his heart. Eyes locked. Hold that gaze. Pretend you’ve never seen anyone else.”
We stepped into position.
Luca moved closer. Closer. Leaned In. Until I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin. His hands rested on my waist—not low, not possessive—just firm enough to make my heartbeat scatter.
I placed my hands gently on his chest. Right above where I could feel his pulse.
God, it didn’t seemed steady. Mine wasn’t too.
Our faces were inches apart. So close that if I moved even slightly, my forehead would brush his. I could see every detail—the sharp lines of his jaw, the small scar just below his right eye, the way his eyes darkened when they held mine.
And he did hold them.
His gaze didn’t waver. He didn’t blink. He looked at me like I was something ancient he’d been chasing across lifetimes.
I forgot the lights. I forgot the photographer.
The silence stretched. The air felt thick, like honey and static.
My breath shallowed. I felt it—between us. Something magnetic. Something terrifying and beautiful and entirely new.
The photographer murmured, as if careful not to break whatever spell we’d cast, “Now... tilt your heads. Not to kiss—just enough that your noses almost brush. Close your eyes. Breathe each other in. Let your expressions soften. There’s longing in this, but also... reverence.”
I followed. My eyes drifted shut. My forehead leaned in, not quite touching his. My nose barely brushed his own. Our lips were just near enough to make the world stop—but not quite there.
And then I felt it—his breath against my cheek. Warm. Real.
His fingers tightened ever so slightly on my waist. A wordless anchoring.
It wasn’t a kiss. But it felt more intimate than one.
A slow exhale. A shutter click.
Then another.
Neither of us moved.
I finally opened my eyes—and he was still looking at me, like I was some kind of question he hadn’t dared ask.
I didn’t know what was happening between us. I didn’t have words for it.
But in that moment, I didn’t want to leave it.
We stood like that for what felt like forever. Seven minutes. Seven heartbeats. Seven lifetimes.
I forgot about the camera. About the pose. About Delhi. About the girl I was supposed to be.
All I knew was his arms around me, and the way he looked at me like he was afraid to blink and miss something.
The photographer exhaled. “Perfect. That was... perfect.”
I barely heard him.
We returned to the table briefly to collect our things. I was still dazed when we stepped out into the sunlight, only to glance at the time on my phone—and panic.
“Oh no. Oh no no no—, my class!” I spun around to face him. “Lunch break ends in ten minutes. I have to be back or I’ll be marked absent and today’s lecture is super important.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go.”
We rushed to the car. I stumbled slightly in my heels and he caught me without a word, guiding me inside like we’d done this a hundred times.
Before starting the engine, he glanced sideways at me. “Seatbelt.”
I blinked. “Oh—right.” I clicked it into place.
He pulled onto the main road, and the next thing I knew, we were flying through Delhi’s streets like a silver bullet.
I let out a stunned gasp. “Oh my God, are we even allowed to go this fast?”
“Probably not,” he said with maddening calm. “But you said it was important.”
My heart was pounding—not out of fear, but thrill. Windows down, hair whipping around my face, engine growling like a living thing—I felt like I was in some film. Some dream.
He cut through traffic with impossible precision, as though the city moved for him. And somehow, in under ten minutes, we were in front of my college gates.
I barely had time to think.
“Thank you—seriously, thank you!” I said breathlessly as I opened the door.
He just looked at me, hand still on the gear, sunlight kissing the edge of his cheekbone.
“Khushi,” he said softly.
I paused, halfway out.
“You’re going to be fine. With your exams. With everything.”
I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. Then I turned and ran into the building before I forgot how to walk entirely.
Behind me, I could still feel his eyes.
Watching. Waiting.
Or maybe... remembering.
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Hey guys hope you like this part. Thank you for reading the story till now. Do like for the chapters and comment your reviews in the comment section.
Hope you liked a small beautiful moment occurred between Khushi and Luca in this restaurant 😉😘Stay tuned to read and experience more of these sweet and some intense moments between them😁😍
See you all tomorrow💕❤
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