Tejasswi's POV

It had been three days since we started shooting for the promo and the first few episodes. Three endless, exhausting days.

The schedule was ruthless; waking up at four in the morning, sitting through makeup and hair while still half-asleep, rehearsing lines with barely any time to blink, and finally wrapping up around ten at night.

By the time we returned to the hotel, I was so drained that even keeping my eyes open felt like a battle.

And yet, strangely enough, the shoot itself wasn’t the hardest part. No, what was far more complicated… was understanding Karan.

Karan Kundrra. My co-star.

Why was he doing all this?

Like the morning he noticed me pressing my palm discreetly against my lower stomach between shots, trying to ease the cramps. I hadn’t even said a word, still a few hours later, I saw him walk onto the set holding a hot water bag in his hand, looking vaguely flustered as if he’d gone through a mini-war to get it.

He didn’t even say anything dramatic; just placed it beside me and muttered, “For you.” and walked away to rehearse his lines.

Or how he had this habit of making sure I actually ate. Forcing me to have dinner with him on days I felt too tired and wanted to skip. I’d rolled my eyes, but secretly… secretly, it had felt nice.

The next evening, I caught him watching some video on his phone titled ‘How to stop snoring naturally’. He looked so serious about it, I had to bite my lip to stop myself from smiling.

And he always… always let me use the bathroom first. That small, simple act every morning somehow lodged itself in my chest like a thorn.

Nothing was wrong with any of this. He was just being… considerate. He was a gentleman and this was his way of being kind.

But something was definitely wrong with me.

Because each little thing, every unintentional gesture, was starting to affect me in ways I wasn’t ready to confront.

I realised it fully during one particular shot two days ago.

The director wanted something intense for the promo. “Karan, one hand on her waist, the other on her cheek. Tejasswi, your hands in his hair. Faces close, almost touching. Yes, noses together… perfect. Now hold it.”

I’d nodded, thinking it was just another scene. I’d done dozens before. Except… this wasn’t just any co-actor.

Karan’s hand slid around my waist, steady and sure, pressing lightly against the fabric of my costume. His other palm cupped my face, his thumb brushing the edge of my jaw with a gentleness that sent shivers down my spine.

I lifted my arms, fingers slipping into his hair because the director told me to but the soft strands against my skin felt alarmingly real. And then his face dipped closer.

So close. Too close.

Our noses almost touched. I could feel the ghost of his breath against my lips, uneven but steady enough to make my chest tighten. The world seemed to narrow until it was only him and me..... his eyes, his touch, the faint hitch of his breathing.

And like a fool, I… closed my eyes.

Just for a heartbeat. Just long enough to betray myself.

The director’s voice snapped in that exact second. “Cut!”

Karan instantly stepped back, professional, unbothered, as if the whole thing was just another line in a script.

But I… I was still frozen, my pulse hammering, my breath embarrassingly shallow.

I realised how dangerously my thoughts had drifted, how close I was to losing control. Panic surged. To cover it, I started coughing, hoping no one noticed the heat crawling up my cheeks.

Karan reached out automatically, hand half-raised to pat my back. That simple, instinctive movement nearly undid me again. Before his fingers could brush me, I spun around and ran to my vanity excusing myself.

Coward. I knew I was being one. But I couldn’t handle the possibility of his touch right then....not when every nerve in my body was already betraying me.

Even now, days later, the memory clung to me like a second skin. His hand on my waist, the almost-kiss that wasn’t a kiss, my stupidly shut eyes. Every time I thought about it, my stomach twisted and my chest ached with questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

The sound of the washroom door opening broke through the storm of thoughts whirling inside me.

I blinked, trying to steady my face, as Karan walked out, towel in his hand, hair still damp and sticking to his forehead in soft, unruly waves.

He settled down on his bed with an ease I envied. A minute of silence passed, only the faint hum of the AC filling the room, before his voice called out.

“Teja.”

I turned my head toward him. “Haa?”

His lips curled into an exciting smile. “The promo’s out.”

My eyes widened a little. “Already?”

He nodded, eyes glinting. “Not just out, it’s already hit a million views. And…” He paused dramatically, “we’re trending on Twitter.”

But what I didn’t expect next was for him to stand, cross the space between us, and without asking, sit down right beside me on my bed.

The mattress dipped with his weight, his shoulder brushing mine ever so lightly. I forced myself to focus on the phone he held out in front of us.

“Come, let’s see what people are saying,” he said, already scrolling. His tone was boyish, full of eagerness, like a child showing off their drawing.

Some were glowing, heart-eyed emojis, words like perfect chemistry, made for each other. Others were harsh, nitpicking everything from my expressions to our supposed lack of spark.

“The feels are immaculate! And Karan Teja in a show as a spy couple? We are so NOT ready for this” and both of us smiled at the comment, while another read-

“I love the OST, just wish they had casted someone prettier opposite Karan. Still, will be tuning in for Karan.
#KKSquad ”

“Some people are plain ridiculous. They should get their eyes checked, who in their right minds would call you less pretty?” he said scrolling through that comment.

“See this one,” Karan laughed, pointing next, ‘These two don’t even need a script, they just exist and it looks romantic.’ His laugh was warm, almost proud, and for a moment, I forgot the ones criticizing me.

I let my eyes wander to his face. The way his face lit up when he read the positive ones. The way his eyebrows pulled together when he read criticism, only to smooth instantly as if he refused to let it matter. His lips moving quickly, reading, laughing, reacting.

My gaze dipped lower, trying to escape before he could notice me staring. And that’s when I saw it.

The tattoo.

Peeping from his shirt, but not fully visible were some words written in ink.

An uninvited thought bloomed in my mind; what did it mean? Why there, of all places?

Karan, of course, was blissfully unaware, lost in his own excitement, scrolling endlessly, chuckling now and then and I kept nodding absently to everything he said.

________

Karan’s POV

Finally, we had an early packup today. The rarest blessing in our world. Which meant finally we could rest properly. Or at least that’s what I thought. Before that idea could even breathe, it was crushed.

Apparently, Tejasswi and Twinkle had already made plans for the evening. A proper hangout. And when those two joined forces, Arjit and I had no say in the matter.

The supporting cast had joined us two days ago for the episode shoot, and we had started bonding well.

“It’ll be fun, you guys always complain about being bored,” Tejasswi had declared, not even waiting for my reply. I just exchanged a look with Arjit, both of us silently agreeing we were trapped.

Over the last few days, Tejasswi and I had… warmed up. There wasn’t any other word for it. In fact, I had started enjoying her company.

She had this strange energy about her; lively, warm, stubborn in the most unexpected ways.

I used to think people exaggerated when they called her the sunshine of the set. Turns out, they weren’t lying. Everyone gravitated towards her, whether she was joking with the crew, pulling Twinkle’s leg, or simply laughing in that unfiltered way of hers.

And yet, even with all this light she spread around so casually, there was a wall. She never let anyone past it. She let people believe they knew her, but the real Tejasswi, what went on in her head, what she carried in her heart...that was a secret only she held.

I found myself more curious than I should’ve been.

Anyway, by the time we got back to the hotel and freshened up, the evening had already slipped away. Tejasswi clapped her hands together and announced, “No time to waste! We’re leaving in our costumes.”

I raised an eyebrow at her choice. “You’re going to walk around mall road in this saree?”

She gave me a look like I’d just asked her something offensive. “Why not?” she shot back, twirling once for effect. “It’s cute.”

Arjit groaned under his breath, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Arguing with Tejasswi was useless. She always had the last word, and somehow, she always made it sound reasonable, even if it wasn’t.

So, we headed out. More people tagged along; unit friends, a couple of spot boys, Twinkle’s cousin who’d been visiting. Suddenly, what was supposed to be a quiet outing had turned into a full-on group excursion. The first stop, naturally, was the mall road.

Street shopping is fun, unless you’re with a bunch of women who believe bargaining and stopping at every second shop is their birthright.

I swear, Tejasswi and her team had been arguing with a vendor over a hundred rupees for the last fifteen minutes, like their future finances depended on it.

I sighed, quietly slipping away from the chaos. My eyes caught a shop with rows of traditional kurtas displayed in neat stacks, vibrant colors hanging on the front like they were calling me in.

Finally something sane.

Just as I was about to check the fabric, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turning back, I found Tejasswi peeking from behind, half-hiding, half-smiling. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face, and for a second I forgot we were on a noisy street full of people.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head, her tone laced with suspicion. “Running away from me?”

I chuckled and pulled her beside me. “I'm not stupid to run away from you, that's dangerous. I’m just shopping for myself.”

Her eyes flicked toward the pile of kurtas in my hand. “That many? Don’t tell me you’ve decided to open a store of your own.”

I smirked. “Nope. My cousin’s wedding is next month. Got to stock up for myself and Dad too.”

Something about that made her smile softer, almost warm. She began picking through the clothes, holding each one up against me, scrunching her nose dramatically. “Hmm…no…this makes you look like a professor. Oh! This one! this one is good. Buy this.”

I let her boss me around, mostly because she looked cute doing it. The shopkeeper looked amused at our banter, but I didn’t care. With her, even mundane shopping felt…fun.

We had barely walked a few more shops when the skies decided to betray us.

A sudden drizzle turned into a full-blown shower in seconds. People scattered, pulling out umbrellas, running into shops. The street buzzed with chaos.

Before I could even process it, a group of people rushed past, nearly shoving into Tejasswi.

Instinct took over. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her against me. Her bangles clinked sharply as they brushed against my arm, the sound oddly loud against the patter of the rain.

She looked up at me, her lips parting slightly in surprise, then curved into the faintest smile. Thanks,” she said simply, and I smiled back indicating it was no big deal.

I didn’t let go of her hand as we rushed through the crowd. Her fingers felt small in mine, but she held on tightly, trusting me to lead. By the time we reached my car, we were both half-soaked and laughing at how ridiculous the situation was.

A message popped on my phone just as I started the engine.

Arjit: Bhai there's a thunderstorm warning. Twinkle and I are heading back and so is the rest of the crew. You guys get back as soon as possible.

I showed it to her. She pouted dramatically, “Uff, so short-lived! The one day we actually got to roam outside, and now back to the hotel?”

I chuckled, starting the car. “Relax. We can always come again tomorrow if the weather clears.”

She folded her arms, pretending to sulk. I shook my head....this girl could win an award for making even complaints look adorable.

The rain outside thickened, slashing against the windshield. We drove in comfortable silence for a while, her gaze fixed out the window, until the car suddenly lurched.

The engine sputtered.

I frowned, twisting the key again. Nothing.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her turn toward me, her voice soft, almost uncertain. “Karan?”

“Don’t worry,” I muttered, trying again, pumping the accelerator. “It’ll start.”

It didn’t. The only thing that grew was my frustration.

She poked my shoulder again indicating towards the fuel sign.

The needle sat firmly on empty.

A nervous laugh escaped me. I scratched the back of my neck. “Okay, so…small problem.”

Her brows shot up. “I don't think it's a small problem Karan ...We may be stuck”