Jyoti stepped into her apartment, closing the door behind her softly. The familiar silence of her room greeted her, but inside her mind, it wasn't silent at all.

She placed her handbag on the dresser and walked straight to the mirror. The reflection staring back at her looked the same, yet she felt different.

Arjun!

His name lingered on her lips without sound, a whisper only she could hear.

Her heart gave a slow, deep thud as she recalled the way he had looked at her tonight. He had been so gentle with her, staying up late at the office, helping her with the project, never once making her feel like she was alone in it. And when it was done, he had made sure she got home safely.

But there was more.

Her fingers absently drifted to the side of her waist, right where her pallu had slipped earlier that night. Her lips parted slightly as she swallowed. But that wasn't the only thing she was thinking about.

The way she had leaned forward at the sink, the fabric shifting, baring her side to him. The way his gaze had locked onto her skin, unmoving. She hadn't realised it then, but now - she could feel it.

Did he want to see more?

Her hand trembled slightly as she reached for the pleats of her saree, fingers sliding under the soft folds of fabric. Slowly, she pulled her pallu away from her stomach, exposing the smooth skin beneath. Her navel, deep, round and delicate, rested in the centre of her flat belly, rising and falling with her deep breaths.

Had he looked at this? Had his eyes lingered on the curve of her waist, the dip of her stomach, the way the saree hugged her hips? He had even commented on how cute her navel was.

A shiver ran down her spine. If he had touched her then, would she have stopped him? She exhaled sharply, shaking her head, as if that would chase away the thoughts burning through her.

It was dangerous. And yet, for the first time in her life, she didn't want to stop thinking about it.

The next morning, Jyoti stepped into the office in a flowing, full-length white cotton dress. It was airy and comfortable, cinched at the waist, its soft fabric brushing lightly against her skin as she walked. She had told herself she would act normal today. But the moment she saw Arjun at his desk, her resolve wavered.

He looked up. Their eyes met. And something passed between them.

He smiled, his usual, effortless charm in place, but his gaze held something else, something deeper. Jyoti's breath caught, but she forced herself to walk past casually.

The day moved fast, filled with meetings, reports, and back-to-back work. But in between, there were moments.

At one point, Arjun walked past her desk, casually dropping a sticky note onto her laptop.

"Stop overthinking and just send the mail. Also, I know you're sneaking glances at me when I'm not looking."

Jyoti's lips twitched. She grabbed a pen and scribbled back. "Only because I'm making sure you're actually working and not just admiring your own reflection in the screen."

She tossed the note back at him when he passed by again. Arjun read it and chuckled softly, shaking his head.

And just like that, things felt normal again. Almost.

By mid-afternoon, Arjun leaned against her desk. "Tea break?" Jyoti looked up, stretching. "Where?"

"There's a vada pav stall five minutes away. Best in the city."

She raised a skeptical brow. "You trust street food like that?"

Arjun smirked. "Come on. If you hate it, I'll buy you something else."

Jyoti sighed but got up. "Fine. But if I don't like it, you owe me a real meal."

"Deal."

The street-side stall was busy and noisy. They ordered their vada pavs and stood by the side, eating. Arjun told a funny story about something that happened on his way to work, and Jyoti laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

As she laughed, Arjun looked at her, a soft smile on his face. Jyoti felt her heart beat a little faster under his gaze.

They finished their vada pavs and started walking back to the office. The sky had turned grey, thick clouds rolling in above them.

The first big, fat drops of rain started to fall.

"Oh no," Jyoti murmured, looking up. "I didn't bring my umbrella." Before she could react, the sky opened up.

A sudden downpour.

People rushed for shelter, pulling out umbrellas, but it was already too late for them.

"Come on!" Arjun shouted over the rain.

Then - he took her hand. His grip was warm, firm, confident. Jyoti barely had time to react before he pulled her into a run. Her heart pounded - not just from running, but because Arjun was holding her hand.

She looked at him, rain streaming down his face, grinning like a kid.

She grinned back, feeling a rush of excitement. Running in the rain, hand in hand with Arjun, felt like something out of a movie.

And then - she felt it.

Her dress! It was soaked. Not just wet. Transparent. The soft white cotton, drenched by the rain, had turned completely see-through. Her inner slip stopped mid-thigh. Which meant - everything below was visible. Her legs - smooth, toned, bare beneath the fabric.

The rain had plastered the dress to her skin, outlining every curve, every dip. It moulded to her waist, clinging, accentuating how delicate it was. The fabric pressed against her stomach, the gentle dip of her navel barely hidden beneath it.

Up top, the dress was also soaked and clinging. Jyoti was wearing a light bra underneath. The wet cotton flattened against her chest, and the shape of her bra became obvious. The outline of her breasts was visible, the soft curves and the gentle swell of her cleavage peeking out from the neckline of the dress. The thin straps of her bra were also visible under the wet fabric.

Jyoti was suddenly very aware of her body. She had never felt so exposed, even though she was still wearing clothes. The rain was cold, but her skin felt hot and flushed. She could feel Arjun's hand in hers, warm and firm.

They finally reached the shelter of a small shop's awning, breathless and dripping wet. They stopped running, but Arjun didn't let go of her hand right away. He turned to face her, and that's when he saw her properly, in the pouring rain, in her soaked white dress.

Arjun froze. His eyes widened slightly, and his gaze locked onto her. He looked at her face for just a second, then his eyes dropped down, taking in her whole body through the transparent dress. He saw her legs, her waist, her curves, the gentle outline of her bra, the hint of her cleavage.

He stood there, completely still, his eyes fixed on her for what felt like a very long time. Jyoti could feel his gaze like a physical touch. She felt a blush creeping up her neck and face. She was suddenly very shy and self-conscious, but also strangely thrilled by his intense look.

Then, as if realising he had been staring, Arjun seemed to snap out of it. He blinked, and quickly forced his eyes away from her body, looking up at her face again. His cheeks were a little flushed too, Jyoti noticed.

Without saying a word, Arjun quickly took off his jacket. It was a light denim jacket. He held it out to Jyoti. "Here," he mumbled, his voice a little husky.

He moved closer and gently wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. His fingers brushed against her damp skin as he adjusted the collar. Jyoti shivered, not from the cold, but from the touch. His fingers were warm even through the wet dress.

The touch was brief. But it was enough. His jacket was warm, heavy with his scent.

She pulled it tighter, breaking eye contact. "T-Thanks," she whispered.

Arjun didn't speak. The moment hung between them, thick with something unspoken. The rain poured around them, a curtain of water separating them from the world. The world outside was busy - cars honking, people running for shelter - but in this small space under the awning, it was just the two of them.

Jyoti's breath came out uneven, her chest rising and falling beneath the damp fabric of her dress. She felt Arjun's jacket draped over her shoulders, heavy, warm, carrying his scent. But even that wasn't enough to stop the cold shivers running through her. Not because of the rain. Because of him.

She could feel Arjun watching her, his gaze steady, intense. Her heartbeat was loud, almost deafening. The water dripped from her soaked hair, sliding down her cheeks, clinging to her lips.

Her lips. They were soft and slightly parted, slick from the rain, a deep shade of pink against her fair skin. Tiny drops of water clung to the corners of it, catching the faint evening glow as the rain cast a dim haze over everything. Another droplet slid slowly down from the curve of her lower lip, stopping just near her chin.

Arjun was staring. Jyoti could feel it. His dark eyes followed the slow path of that drop, his breathing changing ever so slightly. She had never felt this kind of attention before.

Her lips tingled under his gaze. She swallowed, her throat dry despite the rain. Did he want to kiss her? The thought sent a strange heat through her, making her stomach flutter.

She had never imagined herself in a moment like this - with a man watching her like this, making her feel things she had never felt before.

And yet, here she was. Arjun exhaled softly, his breath slightly unsteady. Then, before she could think, his hand lifted. Jyoti froze.

His fingers, warm despite the cold rain, reached up to tuck a loose strand of wet hair behind her ear. As he did, his touch skimmed her cheek - featherlight, almost hesitant.

Jyoti felt a shiver run down her spine. His touch lingered just a little longer than necessary.

She couldn't breathe. Her eyelids fluttered, and before she could stop herself, she closed her eyes.

Arjun stilled. Her face, her lips, her bare skin damp from the rain - it was all so close. His fingers, still resting near her ear, moved slowly, tracing the curve of her cheek before brushing down to her jawline. Jyoti's lips parted slightly, a quiet sigh escaping her.

She wasn't pulling away. She wasn't stopping him. She was just waiting.

Arjun felt something tighten in his chest. His eyes flickered to her lips again. Soft. Wet. So incredibly tempting. The thought of kissing her hit him so hard, he could barely think.

For a moment, he leaned in. Just an inch closer, and their lips would touch. His breath mixed with hers, warm and cold at the same time.

Jyoti's grip on his jacket tightened, as if bracing herself.

And then - he changed direction. Instead of her lips, his mouth pressed against her forehead. Warm. Lingering. Jyoti's entire body tensed for a second before melting.

The softness of his lips against her skin, the warmth of his breath - it sent a deep shiver through her. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket, gripping it tightly.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs.

When Arjun pulled back, she slowly opened her eyes. And for the first time, she saw it. Not just teasing. Not just playfulness. Something real. Something deep.

Arjun didn't say a word. But he didn't need to.

The way he looked at her - like he had just crossed a line he didn't know existed, like he wanted to do it again, like he wanted more - said everything.

She wasn't sure what had just happened between them. Her fingers clutched at the edges of his denim jacket, her heartbeat pounding like the raindrops against the pavement. She could still feel his hand, the way his fingertips had brushed against her cheek, the way his eyes had looked at her lips.

For a second, she thought it would happen. For a second, she thought he would kiss her on her lips.

And if he had. . . would she have stopped him? But the moment had been broken before it could go too far.

And yet - the way Arjun was looking at her now told her that it wasn't over. Not even close.

Then, suddenly - her phone rang. Loud. Sharp. Jolting her back to reality.

At the exact same time, Arjun's phone buzzed in his pocket. They both stiffened.

The spell was broken. For a brief second, they just stared at each other, their breathing uneven, still caught in the moment that had almost happened. Then, hesitantly, they pulled away, each reaching for their phones.

Jyoti glanced at the caller ID. Meera.

Arjun sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, checking his phone. Rahul.

They exchanged a glance - confused, hesitant. Why were they both getting calls at the same time?

Jyoti swallowed hard and picked up. "Hello?"

Arjun did the same, voice still slightly husky. "Yeah, Rahul?"

Meera's excited voice came through the line. "Jyoti! Where are you? Everyone's been asking! Oh, and guess what? The office offsite trip is officially happening this weekend! Goa, baby!"

At the same moment, Rahul's voice rang in Arjun's ear. "Bro, where the hell are you? Anyway, forget that. Big news. The offsite is on! We're going to Goa!"

Jyoti and Arjun both froze.

Their eyes met. The world around them faded once again - but for a different reason this time.

They weren't thinking about the rain anymore. Or about how Arjun had almost kissed her. Or about how Jyoti's lips still tingled from the warmth of his breath.

They were both thinking about one thing now. Goa. Together. For an entire weekend. With no office, no deadlines.

In that split second, without breaking eye contact, they both replied at the exact same time.

"Yeah, I'm in." Their voices overlapped.

Jyoti saw the flicker of something in Arjun's eyes. A challenge. A promise. Something dangerous. And she knew then - whatever had started between them wasn't going to stop.

Goa was just the beginning.