The Engagement Preparations Begin
With only two weeks left until the engagement, both families were caught up in endless preparations.
Tanya found herself balancing between work and wedding arrangements.
But what surprised her the most?
Her own distraction.
Disha noticed it first. "Tanya, you've been staring at the same venue design for ten minutes."
Tanya blinked. She looked down at the venue design in her hands and realized she wasn't even paying attention.
Her mother smirked. "Thinking about your fiancé?"
Tanya scoffed, setting the venue chart down. "I was just-" She stopped, realizing she had no excuse. Because the truth was, Avinash had been on her mind.
His presence. His words. The way he looked at her as if he saw everything.
Disha raised an eyebrow, amused. "You're not even denying it properly."
Tanya rolled her eyes, but she didn't argue. Because what would she even say?
---
Another Meeting - Shopping for Rings
Their mothers insisted Tanya and Avinash to go ring shopping together.
Avinash arrived at the jewelry shop, finding Tanya already there, dressed in a soft beige kurti with delicate embroidery. She looked up as he approached.
She was beautiful. He had noticed it before, but today, with the soft afternoon light catching in her hair, she looked... Perfect. A quiet kind of elegance.
"You're early." he noted.
Tanya raised an eyebrow. "And you're surprisingly on time."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips, but he didn't respond.
They browsed the collection, and when Tanya hesitated between two rings, Avinash quietly watched her.
Then, in a low, steady voice, he asked, "Did you choose?"
Tanya glanced at him. He wasn't looking at the rings he was looking at her.
She finally pointed to one. "This one, I think."
Avinash took the ring and, without asking, gently slid it onto her finger to check the size.
Tanya frozen, unprepared for the warmth of his touch.
The jeweler, watching them, smiled. "You two look perfect together. Must be so in love already."
Tanya let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Oh, it's not-"
She stopped. Because Avinash didn't correct them.
Instead, he turned to the jeweler and said smoothly, "We'll take this one."
Just as they finalized Tanya's ring, the jeweler turned to Avinash. "And for you sir?"
Tanya, glanced up. Avinash, ever composed, simply said. "Something simple."
The jeweler nodded, setting out a few classic men's rings platinum, gold, and a few with subtle engravings.
Tanya watched as Avinash picked up one, examining it briefly before setting it down. He was efficient, just as she expected. No hesitation, no second thoughts.
But something about it didn't sit right with her.
Before she could overthink it, she reached for a different one - a platinum ring, elegant with a faint texture. "Try this one."
Avinash raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. He slid the ring onto his finger, testing the fit.
Tanya observed. "It suits you."
Avinash's gaze flickered to hers. Then, he said, "We'll take this one."
Tanya blinked. "That's it? You're not going to try another?"
A faint smirk ghosted his lips. "You choose it."
Something about those three words made Tanya's breath hitch.
The jeweler, smiled and said. "A perfect match, just like you two."
Tanya had been ready to correct them the first time. But now? Now, her words didn't come as easily.
Her gaze drifted to Avinash - who was looking at the ring.
A response sat on the tip of her tongue, but instead, she swallowed it down.
Because, for some reason, she didn't want to say it.
Not this time.
---
The Phone Number Exchange - A Simple, Unspoken Moment
As they stepped out of the jewelry shop.
Just then, her phone buzzed a call from a delivery service regarding a work order. She stepped aside to take it, her voice calm yet firm as she handled the issue.
Avinash watched, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. She was efficient, sharp it suited her.
When she hung up, she turned to him. "Sorry about that."
Avinash didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone and without looking at her said, "Give me your number."
Tanya blinked. "What?"
His gaze met hers, unreadable. "Your number."
She nodded slightly and took his phone, typing it in. He didn't check it. He simply saved.
Tanya was about to step away when she heard his voice again .
"Tanya."
She turned.
Avinash dialed her number. Tanya's phone buzzed in her hand.
She glanced at the screen.
Avinash pocketed his phone, his gaze steady. "Its my number. If anything comes up, call me."
She turned back to him at his deep voice.
Tanya held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary. Then, she nodded. "Okay."
She walked away, but this time, she felt watched.
---
Tanya's Thoughts - A Moment of Realization
Tanya sat by her bedroom window, Coco in her lap. The city lights stretched beyond her, glowing against the quiet night. She should have been thinking about work, the never-ending wedding preparations, or even her to-do list for tomorrow.
But instead, her mind kept circling back to him.
Avinash.
She exhaled slowly. Avinash wasn't what she expected.
The way he had watched her in the jewelry shop - calm, unreadable. The way he had asked for her number without hesitation, as it was simply the next step in whatever silent understanding they were building.
The way he hadn't corrected the jeweler.
That moment lingered in her mind more than it should.
Why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't he clarified that they weren't in love? She had been seconds away from saying it, but when he stayed silent, so did she.
---
Avinash's Thoughts - A Man of Few Words, But Not Without Thoughts
Avinash leaned against the railing of his balcony, lights flickering like distant stars. Tanya had made a choice, and he had sealed it. Simple.
Then why wasn't it simple in his mind?
He had watched her, the way she hesitated before picking a ring, the way she had looked at him when the jeweler assumed they were in love. And he had said nothing.
Not because he didn't care.
But because, in that moment, he didn't want to correct it.
And then there was his own ring. She had chosen it, sliding it onto his finger. He could have picked another, tested a few more, but he hadn't.
"You chose it."
The words had left his mouth before he even thought.
Why had he trusted her choice so easily?
But something about this about her-felt different.
Like an unknown current pulling him in a direction he hadn't planned for. He wasn't resisting it, not really.
Instead, he let it be.
Because, for the first time in a long time, something about this felt right.
And Avinash Malhotra never fought against what felt right.
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Hey there, lovely readers!
What do you think about Tanya and Avinash's dynamic so far? The tension, the silent understanding, the way Avinash didn't correct the jeweler what are your thoughts?
Tanya is starting to notice the small shifts, and Avinash... well, he's definitely feeling something, even if he won't admit it (yet!). Do you think he'll stay in denial for long? Or will fate (and maybe a few accidental moments) push them closer?
Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Until next chapter, stay dreamy!
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