Fallen Petals

𝘚 𝘌 𝘝 𝘌 𝘕 𝘛 𝘌 𝘌 𝘕

⚜️ KRISHIV'S POV ⚜️

I didn't know what to do or what to say. I returned back home late at night. There were no messages from her, no calls, and only silence unlike past few days which never passed without her calling me or we exchanging texts.

I can't understand it actually. I'm being pulling her close again and again? But when? Weren't we just friends? JUST friends. And even if I pull her closer every time, why will I push her away later on? If I'm her only male friend currently, then she's my only female close friend too.

And I — genuinely care for her.

But there's nothing more than friendship. I just care because we're friends. I care because I cannot see her suffer. I care because she needs that care.

You also care because you know you need to take care of her for your own mental peace.

Fine. Maybe I care for her because I want to and I cannot see those fucking big drops of tears in her eyes. I care for her because I want her to just stay in my life, not just for now, but for forever, fucking forever.

But I don't love her. And I'm so sure of it. I cannot fall in love with someone so soon.

But then, why does it feel so unsettling when she’s silent? Why do I keep looking at my phone every five minutes, hoping for a text or a call that I know won’t come tonight? — just like I'm holding my phone in my hand hoping it would ping and her text will hit anytime soon. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve had a female friend. So why does this friendship feel... different?

I unlocked my phone, and my thumb hovered over her name in my call logs.

Should I text her myself? To say... what? That I missed her? That I wanted to hear her voice? That I was constantly checking for her message. No. That would just confuse her more. Hell, it’s confusing me more.

I put the phone down and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe she’s just busy or tired. What if her health worsens? Or what if she is suddenly feeling sick? What if she has a headache? What if she would be crying right now? What if she needs me to hug her right now?

I stood at my window.

That's the reason I asked Surendra ji, our head-in charge of the palace, to shift her family's belongings to the cottage which is clearly visible from my window. But it seems everyone slept already because the lights are off and there's just darkness.

She didn't even come to the palace to have her dinner along with her mother and sister even though my mother and brother had invited her themselves.

I swallowed hard. One. Two. Three. Fou—

I lost the hard battle, picked up my phone, unlocked it and dialed her number.

The ring went on. And on. And on. She didn't receive it. I dialed again.

This time she received the call, and spoke in a very sleepy voice,

“Yes.”

“Sunflower?”

She hummed, “K-Krishiv..”

Oh God. Her voice sounds so... sexy. What's happening to me? Why is my length getting so impressed and giving her voice a standing ovation suddenly?

“Krishiv?” she called again.

I asked, “Were you sleeping, sunflower?”

“Hmm.”