𝐇𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Ekaksh walked toward Shanaya, who was too absorbed in her own world to notice his presence. He stood beside the bed, watching her with a mix of admiration and desire. The light illuminated her features, casting a warm glow around her, and for a moment, he was entranced by her innocence.

As he spoke, his voice cut through the silence like a whisper in the dark watching her for a brief moment before speaking.

“What are you drawing?” he asked, his voice low but startling in the quiet.

Shanaya jumped at the sound of his voice, her pencil slipping from her fingers and tumbling onto the bed. Her eyes widened in surprise, reflecting the soft hues of the colors scattered around her. A flush crept across her cheeks, contrasting with the pale yellow of her saree. The playful concentration she had been enveloped in shattered, and for a heartbeat, she looked utterly vulnerable, like a deer caught in the headlight, a soft gasp escaping her lips as her hand instinctively flew to her chest. She sat up quickly, her breath rising and falling as she locked eyes with him.