Beneath the Same Stars
The campsite had finally gone quiet.
After hours of laughter, teasing, music, and Siddharth's dramatic confession, the mountains had settled into silence again. Cold wind moved softly through the trees, carrying the scent of wet earth and pine. The fairy lights near the tents still glowed faintly, flickering like sleepy stars of their own.
Inside one tent, Siddharth and Shrisha were still awake.
Or at least—
trying to sleep.
"Move," Shrisha whispered sharply.
"I am moving."
"You're literally stealing the blanket."
"It's cold!"
"You said you loved mountains."
"I love mountains from hotels."
Shrisha laughed softly despite herself.
Siddharth smiled in the darkness at the sound.
That laugh.
God, he already loved that laugh.
A comfortable silence settled between them for a moment before Siddharth turned slightly toward her.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"You really said yes."
Shrisha rolled her eyes lightly. "Don't make it dramatic again."
"I can't help it. My girlfriend is beautiful."
She groaned immediately. "You're starting already."
"I waited too long to say that. Let me enjoy."
Even in the dim light filtering through the tent fabric, Siddharth could see her cheeks turning pink.
And somehow—
that made him softer.
Less loud.
Less joking.
He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face gently.
"I mean it though," he whispered. "I've never felt like this before."
Shrisha looked at him quietly.
For once—
he wasn't performing.
Wasn't teasing.
Wasn't hiding behind jokes.
He looked real.
Vulnerable.
And that made her heart ache a little.
"You scare me when you become serious," she murmured honestly.
Siddharth smiled faintly. "Because then you realize I'm not joking anymore."
Their eyes stayed locked for a second too long.
And then—
Shrisha leaned forward first.
Softly kissing his cheek.
Siddharth froze completely.
Shrisha immediately hid her face in the blanket. "Goodnight."
"NO WAIT—"
"Sleep."
"I'm literally in love with you."
"Sleep, Siddharth."
But his grin stayed for the next twenty minutes anyway.
—
Meanwhile—
Aakrati couldn't sleep at all.
The cold air inside the tent felt strangely heavy against her skin. Beside her, Krish slept peacefully, one arm resting behind his head.
Even asleep—
he looked calm.
Steady.
Safe.
Aakrati quietly looked away.
That word again.
Safe.
Krish made her feel safe.
So why—
why did her chest still tighten every time Arsh looked at her?
She closed her eyes tightly.
This was wrong.
Everything about this was wrong.
She was engaged.
Krish trusted her completely.
And yet—
some part of her still reacted to Arsh in ways she couldn't explain.
A faint sound outside interrupted her thoughts.
Movement.
She frowned slightly and carefully stepped outside the tent.
Cold wind brushed against her immediately.
And there—
leaning casually near the trees—
stood Arsh.
Like he had been waiting.
Aakrati crossed her arms instantly. "What are you doing awake?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Okay. Goodnight then."
She turned to leave—
"Come with me."
She stopped immediately.
"No."
Arsh sighed softly. "You don't even know where."
"I don't care."
A faint smirk appeared on his face. "Still stubborn."
Aakrati looked away. "Arsh… stop this."
"This?" he repeated quietly.
She exhaled sharply. "Whatever this is."
For a second, silence stretched between them.
Then Arsh spoke again.
"Just ten minutes."
"No."
"You used to trust me enough to come anywhere with me."
"That was before."
The words landed harder than she intended.
Arsh's expression shifted slightly.
But only slightly.
"Before the engagement?" he asked calmly.
Aakrati didn't answer.
Because yes.
That was exactly what she meant.
She lowered her gaze. "I shouldn't even be standing here talking to you like this."
"Why?"
"You know why."
Arsh took a slow step closer.
The cold mountain wind moved softly around them, making the silence feel louder somehow.
"You belong to Krish now?" he asked quietly.
Aakrati's heartbeat stumbled.
"I didn't say it like that."
"But you thought it."
She hated how easily he understood her.
"That's not the point."
"Then what is?"
"The point," she whispered frustratedly, "is that things are different now."
Arsh looked at her for a long moment.
Then finally—
he held his hand out slightly.
"Just come see something."
Aakrati stared at him.
Every logical thought in her head screamed no.
Go back.
Sleep.
End this before it becomes worse.
But curiosity—
that dangerous curiosity—
won again.
"…Five minutes," she muttered.
Arsh smiled faintly. "Fine."
—
The path through the trees was quiet.
Only moonlight guided them now.
Aakrati walked carefully behind him, arms crossed against the cold.
"This better not be stupid," she muttered.
"It won't be."
"You always say that."
"And I'm usually right."
She rolled her eyes automatically.
But secretly—
this felt familiar.
Too familiar.
That was the dangerous part.
Arsh slowed slightly so she could walk beside him.
Neither spoke for a while.
And strangely—
the silence between them didn't feel awkward.
It never had.
After a few more minutes, the trees finally opened.
And Aakrati stopped walking completely.
"Oh…"
The word escaped her before she could stop it.
Above them—
the sky stretched endlessly.
Thousands of stars scattered across the darkness like silver dust. The mountains below looked shadowed and endless beneath the moonlight, while a lake nearby reflected the stars so perfectly it looked unreal.
The entire world suddenly felt still.
Beautiful.
Almost dreamlike.
Aakrati stared upward breathlessly.
"This…" she whispered softly.
Arsh looked at her instead of the sky.
"Told you."
For the first time that night, all the tension left her face completely.
She walked closer to the viewpoint slowly, eyes still fixed upward.
"It's beautiful."
The wonder in her voice made something painful and warm twist inside Arsh's chest.
Because this—
this was what he missed.
Her real smile.
Not the polite one.
Not the confused one.
This one.
The genuine one.
Cold wind brushed her hair across her face, and she laughed softly while trying to fix it.
Arsh couldn't stop staring.
At the stars.
Then her.
Then back again.
And suddenly—
for one selfish moment—
everything felt peaceful.
No engagement.
No Krish.
No competition.
Just them.
Like before everything became complicated.
Aakrati sat carefully on a large rock nearby, still looking upward.
"I've never seen stars like this before."
"You never look up long enough."
She glanced at him. "That sounded philosophical."
"I regret saying it already."
She laughed.
God.
That laugh again.
Arsh sat beside her quietly, not too close.
For once—
he didn't want to ruin the moment with jealousy or tension.
He just wanted her to enjoy this.
And she did.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
The silence became soft instead of heavy.
Aakrati hugged her knees slightly against the cold.
"You planned this?"
"A little."
She looked at him suspiciously. "You knew this place existed?"
"I came here once before."
"With who?"
Arsh smirked slightly. "Jealous?"
"No."
"Liar."
Aakrati rolled her eyes, but her lips curved faintly anyway.
Then her smile faded slowly.
Reality returning again.
"This is dangerous."
Arsh looked at her quietly. "The stars?"
"You know what I mean."
He did.
Of course he did.
Aakrati lowered her gaze. "I shouldn't be here with you like this."
"But you are."
"That's the problem."
The honesty in her voice hurt more than anger would have.
Arsh looked away toward the sky.
"I know."
Silence settled again.
This time heavier.
Aakrati swallowed softly. "Krish is good to me."
Arsh's jaw tightened slightly.
"I know."
"He trusts me."
"I know."
"And I…"
She stopped.
Because she didn't even know how to finish that sentence anymore.
Arsh finally looked at her again.
His voice quieter now.
"I'm not asking you for answers tonight."
Aakrati blinked slightly.
"I just wanted to show you something beautiful."
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard completely.
No games.
No teasing.
No possessiveness.
Just honesty.
And somehow—
that affected her more than anything else.
Aakrati looked back at the stars slowly.
Her chest felt tight again.
Because the truth was becoming impossible to ignore now.
Krish made her feel protected.
Wanted.
Safe.
But Arsh—
Arsh made her feel everything too intensely.
And sitting there beneath an endless sky beside him—
she realized that was exactly why he was dangerous for her.
Because some people didn't simply enter your life quietly.
They consumed space inside your heart before you even noticed it happening.
And no matter how hard you tried—
some connections refused to fade.