The evening air had cooled, and the room inside Aryan’s house felt unusually still. The hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound that broke the silence as Alex sat on the edge of Aryan's bed. He had always been comfortable in this space—this room filled with old school projects, posters of bands, and the remnants of countless late-night hangouts. But today, there was something different. Something… distracting.
Aryan was sprawled on the floor, scrolling through his phone, a bag of chips beside him, but Alex couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything. His mind kept drifting back to Arushi, Aryan’s younger sister, who had been sleeping just moments ago. He had never really paid much attention to her before—she was three years younger than him, after all. But today… today was different.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had looked earlier, her features softened by sleep, her dark hair spilling over the pillow as if she had been a dream. Alex had only caught a fleeting glimpse of her then, but it was enough. There was something about the way her face had looked so peaceful, so innocent, that stirred something inside him—something he couldn’t quite explain.
Arushi had always been around—he’d seen her in the hallways at school, laughing with her friends, always in her own world. He knew who she was, of course, but today… it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. A deeper layer of her that he hadn’t noticed before, one that made her seem less like the little sister of his best friend and more like someone he wanted to understand.
He stared at the spot where she had been sleeping, imagining her soft, slow breaths. The image was still fresh in his mind. He found himself drawn to it, unable to shake the strange, unfamiliar feeling it left behind.
“Earth to Alex?” Aryan’s voice brought him back to reality.
Alex blinked and turned to see his best friend smirking at him from the floor. “Huh?”
Aryan raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been zoning out for a while now, man. What’s going on? You usually don’t act like this.”
Alex cleared his throat, trying to push the thoughts out of his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about some stuff.”
Aryan snorted. “Must be some heavy thinking.” He turned his attention back to his phone, clearly uninterested in pressing the issue.
But Alex couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop thinking about Arushi—her eyes, her voice, the way she had looked at him when they first met that morning. It was just one fleeting moment, but it felt like something more. Something shifted inside him, and he couldn’t quite place it.
Just then, the door creaked open. Arushi entered the room, freshly showered, her hair now damp and pulled back into a loose ponytail. She was wearing a simple, oversized t-shirt and shorts, a relaxed look that somehow made her seem effortlessly beautiful. She moved with a casual grace, completely at ease in her own skin.
As she stepped into the room, Alex noticed the faint scent of shampoo that clung to her hair, and for a moment, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Her presence had an effect on him—something electric, something new.
“Guess what, Bhai ?” Arushi’s voice was light, teasing. “There’s this guy in my class, Rahul? He’s been following me around for days now. I think he’s got a major crush on me.”
Alex stiffened. He could feel his chest tighten at the mere mention of the boy’s name. Rahul. Why did it bother him so much? He barely even knew the guy, but hearing Arushi talk about him made something in Alex snap.
Aryan looked up, clearly more amused than concerned. “Really? What, did he finally get the guts to tell you?”
Arushi laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, no. He’s still shy. But it’s obvious. He blushes every time I talk to him. It’s kind of cute, honestly.”
Alex clenched his fists on his lap, his heart pounding faster with every word she said.
"You're sure he's not just a friend?" Aryan asked, amused, oblivious to the tension building in the room.
“Uh-huh,” Arushi replied with a playful grin. “The way he stares at me during class? Yeah, not just a friend.”
Alex’s breath hitched. A pang of jealousy—a sharp, uncomfortable feeling—swept over him. Why did the thought of another guy being interested in Arushi make his skin burn? He tried to shake it off, but the feelings were too strong.
He didn’t know where the words came from, but before he could stop himself, he found himself saying, “I don’t think he’s the right guy for you.”
The room went still.
Arushi’s eyes widened in surprise. She blinked, clearly unsure whether Alex was serious or just messing around. “What do you mean? You don’t even know him.” Her voice was laced with a hint of confusion.
Alex stood up abruptly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know. I just… I don’t think he’s good enough for you. You deserve someone better.”
The words had left his mouth before he could stop them, and now, as the silence stretched between them, he wondered why he had even said them. It was ridiculous. He had no right to say that about some guy she liked. Arushi wasn’t his. She was Aryan’s sister. She was three years younger than him. They were from different worlds.
But still, the possessiveness gnawed at him.
Arushi crossed her arms, her expression shifting to one of frustration. “Wow, okay. First you tell me to call you Alex, and now you’re telling me who I can and can’t like?”
Alex opened his mouth, but Aryan cut in before he could respond.
“Alright, enough,” Aryan said, standing up and walking over to Alex. “You’re acting weird, man. Chill out.”
Alex nodded mutely, his hands still shaking slightly from the surge of emotions he didn’t understand. He forced a smile, trying to brush it off. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just tired. I think I’m gonna head home.”
Arushi didn’t say anything else, but her eyes lingered on him as if searching for something. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he could feel the weight of her gaze.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Aryan and Alex talked about school, joked about random things, but Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that something was changing. Something was happening inside him that he couldn’t control.
When he finally made his way home, the familiar sights of his own room didn’t bring the comfort they usually did. He sat down on his bed, his mind racing, his thoughts clouded by confusion and frustration. What was happening to him? Why did the idea of another guy liking Arushi bother him so much? She was just Aryan’s little sister. She was too young, too off-limits. But no matter how hard he tried to push it away, he couldn’t escape the feeling that something was growing inside him. Something he couldn’t explain, something that terrified him because he knew it was real. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, but the image of Arushi’s smile—the way she had looked at him earlier, so carefree and innocent—stayed with him.
What was this feeling? And why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
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