Chapter 16: Double Adoration
The shift from the balcony’s intimate twilight to the stark, fluorescent-lit gym felt like a system reboot. Rohan’s skin still hummed with the memory of Arjun’s touch, the ghost of his kisses a faint, warm map on his neck and shoulders. Now, standing in the small, cluttered room that smelled of sweat and rubber, he felt exposed, the softness of his own body a stark contrast to the purpose-built equipment surrounding them.
“This is my sanctuary,” Arjun said, gesturing to the worn punching bag hanging from the ceiling and the stack of dusty weights in the corner. He moved with a familiar ease, his body completely at home here. “And this,” he added, his voice brightening as the gym door swung open, “is Priya.”
She filled the doorway. At six-one, she had to duck slightly under the frame. Her presence was immediate, a physical force that changed the air pressure in the room. She wore a tight tank top, and the powerful musculature of her arms and shoulders was not just visible; it was a statement. Her smile was easy, confident, her gaze landing on Rohan with open curiosity.
“So you’re the genius Arjun won’t shut up about,” she said, her voice a warm, low alto. She stepped forward and, without hesitation, pulled Rohan into a brief, firm hug. He stiffened, his face pressed against her shoulder, engulfed by the scent of clean cotton and a faint, sharp hint of liniment. She felt solid, unyielding.
Arjun grinned, leaning against the weight rack with his arms crossed. “Told you he was something else.”
“He’s cute,” Priya said, releasing Rohan but keeping her hands on his shoulders, her thumbs rubbing the tense muscles there. She looked him up and down with an appraising, but not unkind, eye. “All that brainpower packed into such a… portable frame.”
Rohan’s face burned. He could feel the weight of Arjun’s gaze, the proud amusement radiating from him. This was a test, another demonstration, but of what, he wasn’t sure.
“Portable, huh?” Arjun chuckled.
“Oh, absolutely.” Priya’s hands slid down to his biceps, giving them a gentle, testing squeeze. Before Rohan could process the movement, her hands were on his waist. There was a moment of effortless pressure, a dizzying lurch, and then the world tilted. His stomach dropped as she hoisted him straight up, overhead, as if he were a piece of gym equipment.
He let out a undignified squeak, his arms flailing for a second before he froze, rigid with shock. The ceiling was suddenly very close. He could see the dust motes dancing in the fluorescent light.
“See?” Priya cooed, her voice steady, not a tremor of strain in her arms as she held him aloft. She shifted her grip, one hand splayed across his lower back, the other supporting his thighs. “You’re like a warm teddy bear. So light.”
From his precarious perch, Rohan looked down. Arjun was beaming, a look of pure, unadulterated delight on his face. He wasn’t just watching; he was enjoying the spectacle of his girlfriend effortlessly manhandling the person he’d been worshipping with his kisses just hours before. The contradiction was a cold splash of water. The map of Arjun’s body he’d traced with trembling fingers felt like a dream from another lifetime.
Priya laughed, a rich, full sound, and gently lowered him, setting him back on his feet as if he were made of glass. His knees felt weak. The room swayed.
“You okay, man?” Arjun asked, still smiling, clapping a heavy hand on his shoulder. “She does that to everyone. It’s her thing.”
Rohan nodded, unable to speak. He adjusted his glasses, his hands shaking. He was a warm teddy bear. Portable. Light. The words echoed in the hollow space where his confidence had been. He looked at Arjun’s proud face, then at Priya’s friendly, uncomplicated smile, and the algorithm in his mind short-circuited, throwing back a single, glaring error message: where did he, Rohan, actually fit in this equation?