Love Me Like You Do: A Soul Stirring Game Of Destiny

Paneer Biriyani

The following day, as Shivya readied herself for her inaugural day of classes, a mélange of nerves and perplexity enveloped her regarding the recent interaction with Josh. Despite her attempts to articulate the right words, every attempt was eclipsed by the lingering memory of his delicate gesture of brushing away a strand of her hair, leaving her visage ablaze with a blush.

She prayed to every Indian god to help her. She pledged to offer a coconut as a bribe to Vaishnavi Maa for a harmonious resolution. She scolded herself for worrying more about her tiff with Josh than her first day of college, she left the dorm with urgency.

Navigating the unfamiliar campus terrain, Shivya, on her inaugural day, found herself requiring additional time to locate her classroom. Upon entering the classroom, she spotted Josh in a mid-row seat. She planned to talk to him before class, but her intentions were halted by the faculty's arrival, and she opted to wait until after class to approach him. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when Josh rose from his seat and generously offered her his place as he moved to the next, which was empty. Eager to avoid drawing attention on her debut day, she promptly took the seat, suppressing the urge to address the unresolved issue at that moment.

As the faculty gave an orientation, Shivya noticed that Josh was listening keenly, his face devoid of a smile. She wondered if he was still upset, thinking about how she had acted selfishly despite him offering his shoulder for her jet lag. Despite the discussion about the program and the next two years of training, Shivya couldn't stop thinking about talking to Josh. She kept fidgeting with her pen with all the thoughts consuming her little brain.

Resolved to mend the tiff, she drafted a note of apology on a post-it affixed to a Toblerone chocolate and discreetly slid it toward him. Josh accepted the offering, she thought he accepted her small gesture of peace when he opened the wrapper quietly but, to Shivya's bewilderment, consumed it without extending a share. She just wondered what kind of creature he was, the one who doesn't share chocolate.

When Josh returned a post-it, the message read, "Didn't eat breakfast. So ate it. Sorry not yet accepted." Her lips curved down, conveying her disappointment. She again slipped in another post it, the note with a broken heart symbol.

Josh's subsequent note clarified, "Not you, I am," accentuating the persisting tension.

Trying to lighten the mood, Shivya drew a miniature tube on the next post-it. Arching a quizzical eyebrow, Josh sought clarification.

Shivya elucidated, "Glue. Fevistick. Will put your heart together."

In an unguarded moment, Josh emitted a chuckle, concluding the exchange with a written, "Rejected."

Unwilling to concede defeat, Shivya proffered, "Waffle? Ice cream," in an endeavor to restore amicable relations.

Josh: No, not a fan of it.

Shivya: What else?

Josh: Paneer Biryani.

Shivya was pleasantly surprised by his response, finding it intriguing and unexpected. Yet that was not something she couldn't do so she wrote back "Done."

Josh looked at Shivya for a minute and quizzed "You scared I will spread your sleeping beauty pic, right?"

Shivya was shocked, realizing he had once again delved into her thoughts.

Shivya wrote, "Hell no..."

She looked up at Josh and noticed him reading her words. She struck out the "no" and wrote "yes."

Josh chuckled mischievously, his eyes sparkling with playful intent as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, stealing a covert glance. He casually placed his right hand near her mouth, emanating an aura of undeniable charm. The sight of him was utterly captivating—drop-dead handsome, a fact not lost on Shivya.