Parallel Hearts : Two Worlds, One Love

Saharsh and Rakshita stood still, gazing at each other, as if the world around them had momentarily paused.

Saharsh's eyes were fixed on her — lost in the sight of her red salwar suit adorned with tiny, shimmering stars. A pair of elegant earrings swung softly with the wind, and a delicate bindi graced her forehead. Until now, he had only considered the stars in the sky beautiful, but in this moment, even those seemed dull in comparison.

"Even stars were never this beautiful," he muttered inwardly.

His gaze shifted to the glittering stars embroidered on her suit. And with her heels on, she now stood almost at his height, close enough to make his breath hitch. That's when he realized—he had been staring too long.

Blushing, cheeks tinged a soft red, he finally whispered, "Rakshita…"

But she didn't respond.

Because Rakshita was equally lost—in him.

Her eyes traced his neatly styled hair, perfectly volumed and swept to the side. "Not messy this time... did he use a volumizer?" she wondered. "This nerdy geek owns that? Or… did he steal it from Deepak's shelf?"

Her gaze slid down to his long neck, the stiff collar of a silky white shirt fitting just right. The black trousers paired with polished boots made him look nothing like the pajama-wearing dork she was used to.

"Oh my God… is this the same incarnated idiot who was in PJs just a while ago?"

She caught herself staring at his arms—shirt sleeves folded perfectly, revealing veiny forearms.

"I always thought he would lean under oversized t-shirts like he was wearing in morning… does he work out? Or did he start after knowing me? No, no... but what if… what if he always looked like this? So many girls would've fallen for him…"

"…Not that I have," she added quickly in her mind. "Just saying. Maybe."

Just then, Saharsh's voice broke through the moment.

"What were you staring at, huh?" he asked playfully, a knowing smirk hiding behind innocent eyes.

Rakshita blinked, caught off guard. She blurted out the most ridiculous response she could think of:

"What were you staring at, that you even know where I was staring?"

Surprisingly… it worked.

Saharsh froze. His logical brain blanked for a second because… she had a point. He had definitely been staring too.

He quickly cleared his throat and said, "Okay, okay! I don't have answers for your weird questions."

Rakshita smirked.

"Let's go," Saharsh said, regaining his cool. "Deepak must be waiting at City Square. And don't complain later when those gigantic heels start hurting—just because you wanted to match my height."

"It's not my fault you're a six-foot-tall electric pole," Rakshita shot back.

"Oh, it's your fault for being short. Should've drunk more Complan as a kid."

"What's a Complan?"

"I'm not explaining that," Saharsh said dramatically. "It's just a product that claimed to increase height."

"Wait—does it really work?" she asked, surprised.

"Don't get your hopes up," he replied, chuckling. "It was just an ad. And anyway… it's for kids."

"Oh, sorry. Forgot I'm still a kid, right?" she said, pouting—and smacked his back lightly.

"Oww!" Saharsh flinched. "That hurt!"

"It should, smartass."

He stepped back and gestured like a gentleman. "Ladies first."

Rakshita strutted out like a princess, and Saharsh followed, wheeling out his dad's old scooter. It had been parked for a while—dusty and forgotten—since Saharsh usually preferred walking. But today felt different. Today he wasn't alone.

He grabbed a cloth, carefully dusting the scooter without touching his carefully chosen outfit. "Is this… a special occasion?" he wondered. "Wait… is this kind of a date?"

He immediately shook the thought off. "Nahh… just a stroll. With an interdimensional friend. Nothing else."

He kick-started the scooter and invited Rakshita to hop on. She did—and as soon as the engine roared, she flinched and accidentally leaned a little too close. Her cheeks flushed as she quickly straightened up and grabbed the handle behind the seat.

They started riding toward City Square.

On the way, they stopped at a golgappa stall. Each bite exploded with flavour, but it wasn't just the spice or the tamarind water. For Rakshita, the streets she had walked a hundred times alone had never tasted this sweet. And for Saharsh, it wasn't even the golgappe—he couldn't stop watching her smile, her expressions, how she savoured each bite.

He barely noticed the vendor shouting, "Bhaiya! Your turn!"

Only when Rakshita tapped his boot with her heel did he snap out of it.

"Hey! Careful! Don't ruin my boots. They're precious!" he said.

"Then concentrate on eating," she scolded. And then whispered under her breath, "Not on me…"

She popped another golgappa into her mouth, cheeks pink.

Saharsh frowned slightly. "Are these boots more precious to me than this moment?" Then laughed at his own thoughts. "What a stupid question…"

They paid the vendor after finishing ten each, and just when Rakshita was about to order more, Saharsh pulled her away.

"Come on," he said. "You've got a lot more things to try. Trust me, they'll be worth more than the next golgappa you're about to cancel."

Rakshita raised an eyebrow. "It better be worth it, mister."

Saharsh smiled. "As you wish, princess."

They drove ahead and finally reached City Square, where Deepak was waiting.

Or rather… shocked.

His jaw dropped as he saw them together.

He didn't know what to be more surprised about—

That they both showed up together in this world,

Or that they looked like a literal prince and princess,

Or that Saharsh finally brought out his fossilized scooter,

Or that he himself looked like a beggar in front of these two fashionistas.

He stared at Saharsh's clean, styled hair and crisp outfit.

Saharsh waved at him. "Oye! Shut your mouth before a fly enters. I told you there'd be a surprise."

Deepak blinked. "How?"

Saharsh shrugged. "It just happened. I'll explain later. We're going for a stroll."

Deepak grinned. "Stroll or date?"

Both Rakshita and Saharsh shouted in sync:

"Shut up!"

Unfazed, Deepak winked and said, "Fine. Bhabhi ji, see you later!" And with that, he ran off before either of them could catch him.

Rakshita scowled at the title, but deep down… she smiled.

As they rode off again, Saharsh was smiling too—goofy, silent, and sincere. Rakshita saw his reflection in the scooter's side mirror. She didn't say anything.

Just smiled.