The village slept, but they did not. Under the vast banyan tree, in the gentle glow of the fireflies, Arman and Zeenat stood close—closer than ever before. The air was thick with the scent of night jasmine, but it was nothing compared to the intoxicating pull between them.


Zeenat leaned against the tree, her breath shallow, as Arman’s fingers traced slow circles on her wrist. “You shouldn’t look at me like that,” she whispered, but the teasing smile on her lips betrayed her words.


“And how should I look at you?” Arman murmured, his voice low, rough with longing.


She felt her pulse quicken as his hands slid gently around her waist, pulling her close. The heat of his body against hers sent a delicious shiver down her spine. The night felt endless, like a secret only they knew.


“Like you’re about to do something you shouldn’t,” she said, her voice barely audible.


Arman smirked. “Then maybe I should.”


And under the veil of the silent, starry night, their lips met—soft at first, then burning with a hunger neither of them could resist.


The village remained asleep, unaware of the fire that had ignited in the dark.


Code: 14