I savour the kiss, letting it consume me as my tongue dips into the warm depths of her mouth, pulling her closer until there's no space left between us. One of my hands tangles in her hair, anchoring her to me, deepening the kiss as the other skims the soft fabric of her dress at her waist, sliding lower with the faintest hesitation. My fingers curl instinctively into the curve of her hip, pressing, digging into the soft fabric as if claiming every inch of the person underneath.

Before long, I am hot against my pants.

Maybe she senses it—because she steps back, her breath catching. I start to stammer out an apology, but before I can get a single word out, she moves to the door. Her hand curls around the knob, and she turns it, shutting us in.

The sun pools over the white linen of my bed, warm and golden, like liquid amber spilling across the room. Through the glass, the leaves sway lazily in the breeze, their shadows stretching long and uneven across the walls, like they're dancing for us.

I watch as she closes the distance between us and kisses me with an intensity that feels entirely new. Every nerve in me sparks to life, attuned to the delicate way her fingers snake in my cropped hair. I ease the dupatta from where it rests against her neck, letting it fall away as my lips trace a path down to the cool, soft curve of her collarbone. She arcs into me, her body responding instinctively, her head tipping back as a quiet sigh escapes her.

I pause just shy of the curve of her breasts. She looks down at me, her hair pouring down my face like a blessing, her brows drawn together in a sharp, angled knit that carries a question she doesn't have to ask.

Why did you stop? Her eyes burn the words into me.

'I don't want this to be just a heat-of-the-moment thing, Maithili,' I say as I straighten, taking her face gently in my hands.

For a moment, long enough to span the space of a single, meditative breath, she holds my gaze. Her eyes searching mine, weighing something I can't quite name. I'm convinced she's going to pull away, retreat back into herself. My muscles loosen, ready to let her go, to tell her it's okay.

But then, her hand brushes the edge of my lower lip, her fingers tracing an invisible line only she seems to see. The touch is cold, startling, and yet, somehow, exactly what I needed. My breath catches as her fingers linger there, delicate and deliberate, and before I can stop myself, I lean into her touch, my eyes falling shut. The world narrows to that single point of connection, every nerve settling into a hum, peace blooming in my chest like I've never known it.

And then with bold alacrity, her hands begin undoing the buttons of my sheer white shirt. I open my eyes to find her watching me, the fire burning in her gaze, hunger lingering on her lips.

When the last button comes undone, I seize the moment, lifting her by the hips. A soft yelp escapes her lips, quickly followed by a giggle as her head falls over my shoulder. I carry her to the bed, gently lowering her onto it. She lands with a small bounce, looking up at me with a mix of passion and admiration.

I get rid of my shirt with one swift shrug and crawl on top of her.

I press my lips to the neckline of her peach chikankari kurta, the soft fabric brushing against my mouth as I slip my hand beneath it. She breathes out my name, her body arching, her eyes fluttering shut at the sensation. I watch her squirm as my fingers trace the curve of her navel, kissing and licking her belly button. Her hands find their way into my hair, pulling me closer, urging me to stay.

'You're beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,' I say with every kiss I plant on her stomach.

With her help, I slip off her kurta, her pants, and then the mauve bra, the colour catching the sunlight in a way that almost feels like it's glowing. And then I freeze.

I can't move, not out of will, but because the sight before me holds me captive, a quiet awe that roots me in place. She opens her eyes, meeting mine, and sees me, fully seeing her.

She laughs, soft and knowing, and teases, 'You look like you've never seen me before.'

There is an airy quality in her laugh that ensues and ricochets the walls in a manner that makes it linger. Quite like an echo.

The golden afternoon light spills across her skin, casting soft, honeyed hues over her full breasts and sculpted collarbones, like something pulled straight from a painting. There's this pull inside me, this intense desire to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her, to let myself be consumed by it all. But right now, restraint feels like my only ally. Because if I lose myself in this moment, I know I won't be the same when I come back.

'You're beautiful, Maithili,' I say, my gaze lingering on her lips as the words fall out.

'Oh, so now you're just going to admire it?' she teases, her lashes fluttering like she knows exactly what she's doing, and that soft, pink smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

I can't help it. I give in.

Within seconds, I am lost between her skin and mine. My bed becomes a canvas of tangled limbs and bodies caught in an act of passion. I worship her with my mouth, whisper things that I never knew I felt, and she meets me with everything—smiles that light me up, tears that break me open, and kisses that feel like she's trying to carve me into her forever.

We lie on the bed, spent and delirious, and I catch her gazing out the window, the fading traces of sunlight caught and held within her eyes.

'What are you thinking?' I ask, my voice soft, almost afraid to break the moment.

She blinks but doesn't look at me, her gaze still fixed on the world beyond the glass.

'It's strange,' she says softly.

'What is?'

'How you hated me, then loved me, then we broke apart, and now we're here.' Her eyes finally find mine, quiet and searching. 'Do I wait for it to fall apart again? Or is this... it?'

I shift closer to her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her breath warms the space between us.

'I don't know,' I admit. 'But I know I won't let it fall apart again.'

Her lips quirk up, not quite a smile, not quite sad. 'You say that now,' she murmurs, her fingers brushing lightly over my chest, tracing patterns only she understands. 'But what happens when it gets hard again?'

I close my hand over hers, stopping her restless tracing, and look into her eyes—eyes that hold sunlight, storms, fire, and ice all in one place.

'I don't have all the answers, Maithili. But I swear... I'll hold on. I'll fight for this. For you.'

She exhales, her hand squeezing mine as if testing the weight of my words. Then, with a faint, trembling smile, she leans in and kisses me.

'Promise?' she whispers against my lips.

'Cross my heart and hope to die, I'm not letting this fall apart again.'

'Don't make me regret this,' she says.

'Sworn lovers don't run, Maithili,' I reply, sealing the vow with another kiss.