A Mystery, A Kiss, and Vaishu's Declaration
I sat on the sofa, staring at the letter in front of me, the words now engraved in my mind from reading it over and over. My head was a mess, filled with questions that had no answers.
"…Sigh."
"That was a big sigh! What's wrong with you?"
I looked up to see Vaishu, the daughter of my dad's best friend—standing beside me with a glass of juice in her hand. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders as she tilted her head, studying me with curiosity.
"Thanks," I muttered, taking the glass from her.
She sat down beside me, her gaze falling on the letter on the table.
"It's about this letter," I finally said, pointing at it.I sure she'd freak out that I was kissed when I asleep.... But I guess if she heard it from me than anyone else like Shreya. I think it's better to tell her myself.
Vaishu picked it up and read it silently. As her eyes moved across the page, her expression shifted—first confusion, then disbelief, and finally, something close to frustration.
"Huh…? What's going on, Harsh? What is this letter about?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
I exhaled slowly. "Unfortunately, it's not a prank."
She immediately sat up straight, gripping the letter tightly. "Tell me everything. Every little detail!" she demanded, her voice rising.
I glanced toward the kitchen, where Mom was busy cooking. "Shhh! Mom will hear us," I whispered. "Let's go to my room."
Vaishu nodded, and we quietly moved toward my bedroom. Once inside, I shut the door behind us.
We sat on my bed, and she crossed her arms, eyes locked on mine. "Now spill."
So, I did. I told her everything—the trip to the temple with Shreya, falling asleep on the bench, the sensation on my lips, waking up to find the letter beside me. I even told her about my assumption that it was Shreya and how she denied it.
By the time I finished, Vaishu's mouth was slightly open in shock.
"Whaaat?! You were kissed while you were asleep?!" she burst out, puffing out her cheeks.
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Y-Yeah… if I wasn't dreaming."
She placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought. "From what I get from your story… it must be Shreya!"
"I thought so too," I admitted. "That's why I took my time to think about it and ended up falling for her. But when I confessed, she rejected me. When I asked her about the letter, she insisted it wasn't her."
"Whaaaaaaat?!" she shouted in surprise.
"Shhh! Mom will hear us."
Vaishu giggled mischievously. "Oops. Hehehe."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Are you happy that my first love failed?"
"Yeah—no! I mean, no! I was just thinking how funny it is that someone left a note after kissing you. That means there's definitely someone out there who did it, right?"
I nodded. "…Y-Yeah…"
She suddenly leaned forward, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hmmmm… let's think this through."
"Okay."
And then—
Smooch.
I froze.
I turned my head slowly to find Vaishu pulling away, her lips having just pressed against my cheek. My brain short-circuited.
"Wha—Vaishu?!"
She smiled innocently. "That was on the cheek. So next time, you should give me a real kiss, okay?"
My face turned bright red. "W-What are you talking about?!"
She leaned closer, her warm breath grazing my lips. "I'm going to take you back, Harsh. I'm the one who's going to marry you."
"W-We can't do that!" I panicked, quickly moving away.
Vaishu just laughed. "Why not? Our parents are best friends. They'll approve of our relationship."
"No no no! if our parents find out about it my dad is going to kill me before yours! if he knows i lay my hands on his best friend daughter. And I'm not even thinking what would my mom have done to me if she knew something like this.!"
Vaishu smirked, clearly amused by my suffering. Then, as if deciding to take mercy on me, she nodded.
"Fine. Then, I'll help you find that girl who's pretending to be the god of that temple! And when we find her, I'll tell her that you're mine."
Before I could protest, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
"Vaishu—! Let go! If Mom walks in, I'm dead!" I whined, practically begging for my life.
She just giggled, tightening her hold. "You don't have to worry. I'm not giving you to anyone. Not even to your mom."
I groaned. "You're impossible…"
Finally, she let go, flashing me a bright smile—one that was a little too innocent for someone who had just declared war on any potential love rival.
As I lay in bed later that night, my hands behind my head, my mind was still spinning.
"…Man, who actually was it?"
I thought about all the people I knew. It had to be someone from college, right? If I limited it to girls, the list became even smaller.
Shreya? No. She denied it outright.
Vaishu? No way. She loved teasing me, but she wasn't the type to pull a prank like this.
…So who was it?
I sighed. "Whatever. I'll think about it on Monday."
For now, I just needed to sleep.