CHAPTER XXXII
The Fall Beneath the Window
Warmth.
That was the first thing I felt as my eyes blinked open. A strange, almost unreal warmth that wrapped itself around my body like a soft blanket after a long, cold night. Moments ago — or had it been hours? — I had been freezing. My skin had burned from the bite of cold water, and the world had slipped into a muffled silence, like I had been trapped beneath glass. But now… it was different.
The light was soft, golden. Dim rays from a nearby lamp filtered through the room, casting a gentle glow on the concerned faces that hovered above me. I saw my mother first — eyes glassy with worry but lips whispering silent prayers. My father stood beside her, shoulders tense but gaze steady. My sister Tanu leaned forward with a relieved smile. Behind them were my uncle, aunt, brother — and there, half-hidden in the shadows, was Sita.
I blinked slowly, my body aching as I tried to sit up. Before I could even lift my shoulders, Tanu rushed to my side and helped me gently.
"Easy," she whispered, her hand warm around mine. "You're safe now, Vedu."
My throat was dry. My voice barely made it out. "What… happened to me?"
My father stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. "We were hoping you'd tell us. All we know is, we heard Sita screaming. It woke the whole house. When we ran into the room, you were gone. It was only then we found out… you had fallen into the pond."
Pond?
The memory came crashing back like a wave — the sudden scream, the edge of the window, the chill in the air, the plunge into darkness.
Dad continued, "Thankfully, your sister Saumya was arriving tonight from her in-laws. She and her sister-in-law Jasmine were nearby. They saw you fall. And it was Jasmine who pulled you out."
My heart sank a little. "So… Jasmine saved me?" I murmured.
A tiny flicker of disappointment stirred in me. I had thought it was Sita — the one who always made me feel things I never dared to name. Somehow, it had felt poetic to believe it was her arms that had dragged me from the edge of death.
Tanu caught the emotion on my face and giggled. "And not just that," she added with a teasing grin. "You weren't breathing properly. So Jasmine gave you CPR. Romantic, right?"
My cheeks flushed crimson. "CPR?!"
She laughed louder, clearly enjoying this. "Yup. Your first kiss — life-saving edition."
I instinctively turned toward Sita. She was still quiet, standing by the wall. Her arms were crossed, and something intense flickered in her eyes — anger, confusion, worry… something else.
She looked like she was holding back words, biting them down, waiting for everyone to leave so she could finally speak them.
I turned to the others and tried to explain. "All I remember is… hearing a scream. Then everything just… slipped. I think I fell from the window."
Sita finally broke her silence. Her voice was low but sharp with restrained emotion. "Why were you sitting on the window in the first place, Vedehi?"
"I couldn't sleep," I said softly. "So I sat by the window… wrapped in a blanket. I just wanted some fresh air."
Her jaw clenched. "When I woke up, I saw you sitting there like a ghost. Just one tiny table lamp was on — barely any light. You were completely covered in a shawl. I couldn't see your face. And…" She paused, her voice trembling, "...and I remembered all those stories people tell. About ghosts in the village. How they sneak in through windows at night. I panicked. I screamed."
She swallowed hard, then continued, "And then you were gone. I heard the splash. I thought I was imagining things at first. I ran to check the bed, to see if you were still there… but when I realized it was you who had fallen…" Her voice broke for a second, and she looked away. "I rushed out. But by the time I got to the door, the whole family had crowded around. I couldn't get through in time."
Tanu chimed in again, playful as always. "And in that tiny delay, Jasmine had already saved our little Vedika — and kissed her back to life."
Before I could react, Mom stepped in with her soft authority. "That's enough for tonight, Tanu. Let Sita rest. Everyone — let's go. We'll talk more in the morning."
No one argued. When Mom spoke, even chaos listened. One by one, they filed out, leaving behind silence and flickering shadows.
Only Sita remained.
She hadn't moved. She hadn't said another word.
But her eyes… they were on me.
And I knew.
Something unspoken hung between us.
The night was far from over.
Don't You Dare Scare Me Again
As the last footsteps faded down the hallway and the door creaked shut behind the departing figures, silence wrapped around the room like a thick, expectant fog.
Then came the click — unmistakable and final.
Sita locked the door.
Deliberately. Firmly.
She didn't speak a word. But her body moved with quiet purpose. Her bare feet made no sound against the floor as she walked slowly toward me, her eyes never leaving mine. There was something stormy in them — something restrained, boiling just beneath the surface.
And then, without warning, she climbed onto the bed and sat right in my lap — bold and unbothered.
My breath caught.
She reached out and grabbed my hair gently, her fingers threading through them, tugging just enough to make me meet her gaze.
"Ved," she said in a low, controlled voice, "who told you to sit on the damn window like that?"
Her tone wasn't angry — not really. It was something heavier… a mix of fear, frustration, and the kind of care that feels like a punch in the chest.
"I couldn't sleep," I whispered, my voice small beneath her intensity. "So I sat there… just for a little air."
She let go of my hair, only to reach down and grab my chin — her hand holding it firmly, her thumb brushing against the faint stubble on my jaw. "And you couldn't sleep, so instead of curling up next to me, like any sane person would do… you decided to risk your life sitting by a bloody window?"
Her voice cracked on the last words, and I saw it — the fear in her eyes she was trying so hard to cover up with sarcasm and anger.
"I didn't mean to fall…" I said softly. "But I thought you'd save me anyway."
Her jaw tightened. "What if I hadn't? What if Jasmine hadn't been there? Do you even know what could've happened, Ved?"
"I do," I said. "But I also know… if Jasmine hadn't, you would've. You would've saved me."
There was a pause.
A beat of silence between us.
Then her voice dropped to something colder — almost mocking. "You must be thrilled, huh? Someone gave you a kiss tonight."
I blinked, confused for a second, and then burst out, "It wasn't a kiss, Sita! It was CPR!"
"Oh, I know," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That's exactly what a dramatic girl like you would say."
I stared at her in disbelief. "So what? What did you want her to do? Shout for you and let you give me CPR instead?"
She smirked, her eyes narrowing. "No. Of course not."
"Then why are you so mad?"
"I'm not mad," she said, but her tone betrayed her. She was furious. Jealous, even.
I tilted my head and looked right into her eyes. "No? So you're not upset that it wasn't you who gave me CPR? You didn't wish it was your lips touching mine instead of hers?"
Her expression faltered.
Just for a moment.
And in that crack, I saw the truth.
She did wish it.
But instead of answering, she leaned in suddenly, closing the space between us until her lips were just a breath away from mine. "She only did it once. I can do it anytime I want," she whispered, voice dipped in challenge.
I blinked, heart thudding in my chest. "I don't believe you."
That's when she moved closer, her face just inches from mine — heat radiating from her, eyes locked on my lips. But before she could close the gap, I snatched a pillow and shoved it between our faces.
"Stop right there!" I exclaimed, laughing breathlessly. "Don't ruin the taste of Jasmine's lips by putting yours over them."
She pulled back, stunned for a moment — then glared. "VED."
Uh-oh.
"Don't make me angry," she growled. "Or I swear to god, I'll slap you so hard your soul will leave your body — and then I'll beat you with a stick so no one can even recognize what's left of you."
I clutched the pillow tighter and giggled. "There's the Sita I know — always threatening violence in the name of love."
She didn't laugh.
But she didn't hit me either.
Instead, she just looked at me — really looked — and I saw the way her eyes softened, the fight slipping away slowly, melting into something else.
Worry. Longing. A love so deep it scared her.
And maybe… it scared me too.
But in that moment, even as she sat in my lap, fuming, jealous, and gorgeous in the warm lamplight… I realized something.
No CPR in the world — not even Jasmine's — could breathe life into me the way one look from Sita did.
Not even close.
To be continue....