"Mesmerizing," Yash breathed, his eyes fixed on Stuti's. The world around them seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them by the water.
"Wait, what? What did you say?" Stuti asked, her voice trembling slightly. She suddenly became very busy with her scarf, adjusting it nervously to hide her blushing face.
Yash gently placed a hand on her chin, guiding her gaze back toward the canal. "The water," he replied, watching the light shimmer through her hair. "Isn't it mesmerizing?"
They shared another look, and Yash couldn't help but smile, shaking his head at his own nervousness.
Yash turned away quickly, taking a deep breath and wiping sweat from his forehead. "Whew, it's hot today, isn't it?" he asked, his voice shaking. With a face as red as a beet, he added, "You're not from around here, right? Where did you move from?"
"I am. I moved here from the South just a month ago," Stuti replied, watching him intently as he tried to hide his emotions.
"So, you're hot—no! No, I mean, the South! The South is hot!" Yash blurted out. He began shaking his head and waving his hands around wildly, his face turning a deeper shade of purple.
"Hmm... you're right, the weather in the South is hot," she said with a knowing smirk. She shook her head slowly, her eyes locked onto his, clearly enjoying his struggle.
Yash looked down, fidgeting with his fingernails as he broached the subject. "So, about the ALS... (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is there a cure for it, or any treatment that works?"
"There is no cure," Stuti admitted, looking away. "I got hit by a car while saving a child" She used her scarf to dry her eyes.
"I shouldn't have asked about that," Yash muttered. He looked down at his feet, his eyes darting around.
"Don't pity me, Yash," she said, meeting his eyes with a gentle smile. "I'm just happy to be spending this time with someone as good as you."
"It's time, I'm going to grab the offerings," Yash said, avoiding her eyes for just a second longer. He waved his hand toward the canal. "Himari, come on I am going to get the offerings now."
Himari joined Stuti by the water's edge. They stood side by side, gazing out at the canal as they waited for Yash to finish getting the offerings.
Four men appeared out of nowhere and stood near them. "Wow, the view here is great, isn't it?" they said mockingly, staring at Stuti and Himari instead of the canal.
Stuti and Himari tried their best to ignore them, but as Stuti moved, her wheelchair accidentally rolled over one of the men's feet. "Oh! I'm so sorry," she gasped, her voice full of worry. "I didn't do that on purpose."
"Argh! Dammit, that hurts!" he yelled, clutching his leg. "You're going to pay for that!" As he lunged forward, the wheelchair suddenly rolled out of his reach. He lost his balance and went crashing to the ground.
As the men rushed toward Stuti and Himari, Yash scrambled between them. "Sir, please! It was an accident—talk to me, not them!" he pleaded. Behind his back, he frantically signalled with his left hand, urging the girls to get away while he held the men's attention.
"So, the kid wants to be a hero? Fine. Let's see how you like this." As Himari and Stuti escaped, the men turned their full fury on Yash, attacking him without mercy.
"Please, sir, it was a mistake!" Yash begged, but his words were cut short by a hard slap across the face. The man laughed coldly.
"He's finished," the man spat, turning his eyes toward the path the girls took. "Now it's time for that cripple to get what's coming to her."
In a burst of brute force, Yash shoved the man back, sending him crashing to the pavement. He didn't stop there—he threw himself onto the guy, landing three heavy blows to his jaw.
"Call her that again," Yash hissed, "and I swear you won't walk away from this."
The three men lunged at Yash all at once, but suddenly Dheeru and Vini burst onto the scene. They threw themselves into the fray.
Dheeru took on two of the men at once, overpowering them so quickly they couldn't even get back to their feet.
The crowd suddenly surged forward, and in the chaos, the men Dheeru had just beaten scrambled to their feet.
Fearing for their lives, they disappeared into the sea of people, vanishing before anyone could stop them.
With Yash leaning on them for support, Dheeru and Vini led him toward the girls. Ram was already there, acting as a shield for Stuti and Himari, and they all finally reunited in the centre of the crowd.
"So, how was it playing the hero?" Dheeru asked with a grin, supporting Yash's weight as they walked. Seeing Yash's bloody nose, he pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him. "Here, clean yourself up."
"I was handling it perfectly, actually," Yash boasted through a smile. He dabbed at the blood on his face and looked at Dheeru. "I was clearly on top until you interrupted my big moment."
"Sure, Yash, we saw how you were 'handling"," Ram said. He looked over at Dheeru and added, "Thank god Dheeru knows how to wrestle, or those guys would still be standing."
"Honestly, thank you. You guys really saved me there," Yash said, dropping the jokes for a moment. He flashed a thumbs up at his friends. "I'm lucky to have brothers like you."
Stuti had been listening to them, her eyes already brimming with tears. When Yash noticed, he leaned in closer. "Hey, why are you crying?" he asked softly. "Look at us—we already won."
"It's my fault... all of it," Stuti cried, her voice trembling as she looked at Yash's injuries. "I shouldn't have been here. You're bleeding because of me."
Seeing Stuti in such pain, Himari burst into tears as well, the two of them weeping together.
Seeing her break down, Yash didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug. Stuti buried her face in his shirt, her tears soaking through the fabric against his chest.
Yash couldn't hold back anymore either; he began to weep, his own tears falling silently onto her hair as they clung to each other.
The moment stretched into an infinity. They held each other with a desperate strength, a hug so firm and raw that the noise of the temple crowd faded into nothingness. It was just the two of them, held together by relief and pain.