Madness and Magic...❤️

10

She wrapped her arms around his neck, seeking comfort in his his arms, he too held her gently and felt the depth of her pain in her whimpers. In that moment, he got reminded of all the hardships she had endured, struggles she had gone through, and the battles she had fought alone at a very tender age . She was still a young girl with scars hidden beneath her smile Yet, there was a fierceness in her spirit, a determination to show the world that no darkness can consume her and no storm can dim her light. Somewhere he knew that she was capable enough to take care of herself yet he felt a surge of protectiveness for her, a desire to shield her from the harsh reality of this world.

As she held onto him tighter, he felt her body temperature rising rapidly, accompanied by shivers. He wanted her to release her emotions fully, yet feared she might faint. Witnessing Sameera cry had always made him utterly uncomfortable, but with this girl, he felt a unique sense of protectiveness. "You are pushing yourself too hard. Take a break, then cry again," he murmured softly, wishing he could offer more comforting words.

She suddenly got alerted, she broke the hug and retracted her hand from his neck. The abrupt disconnection from her bothered him, she felt incredibly soft and squishy.He hadn't been physically close to many women in his whole life and in the last 12 years,it had always been Sameera.He never liked cuddling or hugging ,but there was an undeniable sense of comfort he experienced during that two-minute hug. Sidharth felt the urge to draw her closer again and immediately felt a sense of uneasiness, he felt that it was somewhat inappropriate to even think this way.

"Hey... easy... it's ok" he said as he saw her getting conscious and rubbing her face vigorously.

"I don't know what happened..."She wasn't the one to easily succumb to sentimental outbursts,this was really awkward for her,shd tried to steady her erratic breathing, she fought to regain control over the flood of emotions that had consumed her few moments back.

"Sorry... sorry... I should not have..." she said, her voice was barely audible.

"There is nothing to be sorry about,we are still somewhat strangers and trust me I am not judging you." he asserted but a cold realization that she had made a grave blunder made her feel regretful.

" well... umm...."Despite not feeling well, she knew the best course of action was to quietly go away from there.

"I need to go." she uttered as she needed some distance from him to think clearly. As she turned to leave, her head spun and he noticed her unsteady steps.

"Hey! Where?" he inquired.

"I need to go....." she replied, continuing to walk with unsteady steps.

"Don't worry about the cost sheet, I'll redo it tomorrow," she said and her steps faltered as she continued to walk.

"Listsn.... ruko" he said,she stopped but couldn't stand still,at that moment he knew he can't leave her alone and reached out, gently capturing her hand.

"Gir jaogi?" He said as there eyes met the next second.

"And you are running a high fever, had any medicine?" He asked next. But she couldn't answer,the memory of the emotional hug haunted her. She struggled to comprehend how she should behave around him now.

"Listen, sir," she began, her voice was just above a whisper as she folded her trembling hands before him, She mustered the courage to speak,she just knew that she can't present herself as a weak girl.

"I know I let you see me in my lowest point,thank you so much for giving me your shoulder to cry on
but just remember that I am no damsel in distress." She paused, and tryed hard to put on her brave face "So you won't have to behave like a knight in shining armor." She concluded.