4. “The Almost Touch”

4. “The Almost Touch”

.

After their first meeting,
something inside both of them changed…
quietly, deeply, beautifully.

Nil couldn’t stop replaying
the way Niki looked at him,
as if he was something rare,
something she had been searching for
without knowing.

Niki, on the other hand,
carried a new glow –
the kind that only appears
when someone special
has stepped a little closer
to the heart.

They started chatting again that night,
but this time… it felt different.

Niki: “Nil… today felt nice.”
Nil: “Nice? It felt more than that.”

She blushed, even though he couldn’t see.
He smiled, even though she didn’t know.

For the first time,
their conversation slowed down –
not because they had nothing to say,
but because every word held weight.

After a few minutes,
Nil sent:
“Niki… if I tell you something,
promise you won’t make fun of me?”

Niki replied instantly
“Promise.”

& then… he sent the message
that made her heartbeat stumble:
“When you stood close today…
I felt like holding your hand.”

Niki stared at the screen.
Her breath caught.
His chest tightened.
Her fingers trembled.

She typed, erased,
typed again, erased again.

Finally, she sent the truth:
“Nil…
I wanted to hold your hand too.
……”

The chat went silent.
But this silence
was burning
with everything unspoken.

Niki:
“What if… next time…
I don’t stop?”

Nil leaned back,
heart racing in a way
he couldn’t control.

Nil:
“Then next time…
you won’t.”

Both fell silent again,
but their minds weren’t.

Niki imagined
the warmth of his fingers.
Nil imagined
her hand fitting into his
like a quiet promise.

It was the closest
they had ever come
to confessing.

& destiny…
finally leaned forward and whispered:
“…Soon,
Very soon.”