Page 105 of Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

Krishna, you don’t know how long—

I do want to. I’ve wanted to for so long.

I can’t breathe.

Have I—have I been utterly blind to Rudra’s emotions all this while? How long has he had feelings for me?

“Are you okay?” Amrit asks, and his voice drags me out of my thoughts. “You look dazed.”

“I need to find Rudra,” I say, suddenly getting to my feet. My mind is running a mile a minute, but before I can get up, I glimpsePriti, walking next to a very pretty girl in a pink lehenga.

They’re smiling and holding hands. To anyone else, it might seem like they’re best friends, but I know better. It makes me feel so giddy andspecialto know the truth.

But then Priti spies Amrit and me and her smile instantly tenses. She whispers to the girl, who heads off in the direction of the bride, while Priti weaves through the crowd toward me.

“Was Priti with Nikita?” Amrit says, frowning. “She’s the bride’s sister.”

“Yeah,” I say, smiling. Even though I’m terrified of what Priti thinks is happening between Amrit and me, my heart feels so full after seeing them like that. “They’re friends,” I say, because I can’t out Priti to him. “Priti did an internship in Powai last year.”

Amrit’s furrow clears. “Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“You should probably save yourself,” I say, rolling my shoulders back. “I’m pretty sure Priti is coming to murder me because she thinks I’ve betrayed Rudra with you.”

“That would be my cue to go, then.” He laughs, a little tight around the edges before softening once more. “And don’t apologize again. Seriously, I’m not heartbroken. In fact, I see some bridesmaids there in need of drinks.”

“Can we stay friends?” I ask him hesitantly.

“Wearefriends, Krishna.”

That’s when I do it. Priti be damned.

I lean over and kiss him on the cheek.

When I pull back, Amrit’s red as a tomato and there’s a goofy look on his face.

“Ididset out on the road trip to kiss you,” I say, grinning. A week ago, I would’ve probably combusted at the thought of kissing Amrit on his cheek. But now, it feels like the most natural thing ever.

Maybe this is what our connection always meant. Maybe this is what we were always meant to be.Friends.For once, the word doesn’t bother me.

I truly have changed.

Amrit chuckles, stepping away from me. “See you soon, Krishna.”

I don’t sayIt’s a dateback to him, the way I did when he left for Goa. Instead, I just raise my hand and wave.

And when he’s gone, I whisper, “See you soon, Amrit.”

Thankfully, Amrit has made his escape by the time Priti reaches me. As she draws closer, I ask, “So you two made up?” in a bid to distract her.

It’s a testament to how blissfully happy Priti is that it kind of works, because she doesn’t roll her eyes or brush off what I’m asking. In fact, she doesn’t seem to want to bite my head off at all.

“Yes, we did,” Priti says, smiling briefly before her face changes once more. “You’re with Amrit.” I can tell she’s trying to swallow her disappointment.

If anything, I think Priti is... concerned? Not just for Rudra, but for me. Wow, she really is a different person when she’s in love. Or perhaps this is the real her and I finally get to see it, seeher.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I just spoke to Amrit and cleared things up with him. There was no chance of anything happening between us in the first place. The kiss would’ve been a one-off thing, but—”

Priti’s face clears. “Rudra happened.”