Four hearts one story

Caught in 4k

The morning sun had climbed higher, spilling golden light across the endless blue sea. The wind swept through the observation deck, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and the distant sound of music from somewhere below.

Shreya walked ahead of the others, her hair dancing in the breeze. Dimple followed beside her, still demanding to know what Kiara had told her. Somesh was busy deciding whether exploring the ship was worth delaying his next meal.

And Kai?

Kai was unusually quiet.

Which, according to Shreya, was never a good sign.

"Why are you so silent?" she asked, turning around to look at him.

"I'm always silent."

All three stared at him.

Somesh slowly shook his head. "That's the biggest lie I've heard this morning, and I just heard Dimple say she doesn't want dessert."

"Because I said I was full!" Dimple protested.

"Exactly. Suspicious behaviour."

Kai rolled his eyes and walked toward the railing, taking his phone out of his pocket.

He had received a notification a few minutes earlier.

Lara ❤️

His entire expression changed.

It was subtle—almost impossible to notice if you didn't know him.

Unfortunately for Kai, Shreya had spent enough time around him to recognize every tiny change in his face.

He opened the message.

Lara: Did you reach the cruise safely?

Kai stared at it for a moment before typing a reply.

Kai: Yeah. Everything's good. What about you?

He paused.

Deleted the last sentence.

Typed it again.

Deleted it once more.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

Then he opened her contact photo.

Lara was smiling in the picture, her long dark hair falling over one shoulder. It was an ordinary photograph. Nothing particularly dramatic about it.

Except Kai had been looking at it for nearly thirty seconds.

And smiling.

Actually smiling.

The kind of smile that made him look like he'd forgotten the rest of the world existed.

Behind him, Shreya stopped walking.

Dimple nearly collided with her.

"What—"

Shreya raised one finger to her lips.

Dimple followed her gaze.

Then her eyes widened.

Somesh looked between them, confused.

"What are we looking at?"

Shreya pointed silently toward Kai.

Somesh squinted.

"He's looking at his phone."

"Look at his face," Dimple whispered.

Somesh leaned forward.

A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face.

"Oh."

Shreya nodded.

"Oh, indeed."

Kai, blissfully unaware of the impending disaster, zoomed in on Lara's photograph.

Dimple grabbed Shreya's arm.

"He's zooming in!"

"I can see that."

"HE'S ZOOMING IN, SHREYA."

"Dimpi, please. You're going to scare the fish."

Somesh pressed a hand to his chest as if he'd just witnessed something deeply moving.

"Our boy has fallen."

"Fallen?" Dimple whispered.

"Headfirst. No helmet. No emergency services."

Shreya bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Then she walked straight toward Kai.

"Kai?"

He didn't respond.

"Kai."

Nothing.

"KAAAAI."

He jerked his head up so quickly that his phone nearly slipped from his hand.

"What?"

Shreya looked at him innocently.

"Nothing. Just checking whether you're still alive."

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you smiling at your phone like it just told you you're the sole heir to a billion-dollar company?"

Kai locked his screen immediately.

"I wasn't smiling."

Dimple appeared beside Shreya.

"Oh, absolutely. Your face was completely expressionless. We were just admiring your tragic, emotionless existence."

Somesh nodded solemnly.

"I've never seen a man look so unaffected by a photograph."

Kai stared at them.

All three stared back.

"Give me a break," he muttered.

Shreya tilted her head.

"Who's the girl?"

"No one."

Dimple gasped so dramatically that a couple walking nearby turned to look.

"NO ONE?"

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Keep your voice down."

"Sorry," Dimple whispered loudly. "WHO IS THE NO ONE?"

Somesh stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Kai's shoulder.

"Brother, it's okay. We support you."

Kai brushed his hand away.

"Support what?"

"Your condition."

"What condition?"

"Severe romantic stupidity."

Shreya burst out laughing.

Kai looked at her with the exhausted expression of a man reconsidering every friendship he'd ever made.

"You three are unbearable."

"And yet," Shreya said sweetly, "you continue to travel with us."

"That was a mistake."

"Too late. No refunds."

Dimple suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Wait. Wait a minute."

Kai visibly regretted being born.

"What now?"

Dimple pointed at his phone.

"Was that Lara?"

The laughter faded just enough for Kai to hesitate.

Only for a second.

But Shreya caught it.

Her eyebrows lifted.

"Oh?"

Kai slipped his phone into his pocket.

"No."

"That wasn't a convincing no," Shreya observed.

"It was a perfectly normal no."

"Interesting," Somesh said. "Because you looked like you'd just received a marriage proposal."

Kai gave him a flat look.

"From whom? You?"

Somesh gasped.

"Don't flatter yourself, bro. You're not my type."

Dimple doubled over laughing.

Shreya leaned against the railing, grinning at Kai.

"Okay, fine. We won't ask."

Kai looked suspicious.

"Good."

"We'll just guess."

"Shreya."

"Lara?"

His expression changed.

Barely.

But enough.

Dimple's mouth fell open.