#prateek group

[magicshopaholic]

Drowning (Namjoon x OC)

Summary: You give Namjoon a piece of your mind and you both discover your feelings have gone nowhere.

Pairing: Namjoon x OC

Genre: Angst, hint of fluff

Word count: 9.6 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: language, insinuations of sex

A/N: As requested, including appearances by Taehyung and Dilara. Takes place two weeks after A Day in the Life.

Tagging: @bbl32, @quarter-life-crisis2, @margopinkerton, @faearchives, @whoisbts, @purpleseoul7, @kflixnet (if you want to be added to the taglist, lmk)

Listen to: "cold/mess" by prateek kuhad

namjoon masterlist | main masterlist

All it takes is a fifteen second phone call from the concierge to the penthouse suites for Kaya to be escorted upstairs. 

She tries not to let her impatience show; the concierge is walking at a normal pace, all straight-backed and poised, and Kaya simply wants to tell him to hurry up.

“I can take it from here,” she says abruptly when they reach the door of the suite. “Thank you.” The concierge looks vaguely surprised at being ushered away, but nods and leaves.

Swallowing, she stares at the door. Now that she’s actually here, she doesn’t know what to do next, besides the obvious. She doesn’t know what to expect or even whom to expect - all she has is Seokjin’s text telling her to hurry over because -

Buzz. 

Kaya rings the bell and waits for less than five seconds before the door swings open.

“You came!” Seokjin sounds more surprised than relieved, stepping aside to let her in.

“Where is he?” Kaya asks, striding into the suite to see only Yoongi sitting on the sofa with a laptop on his knees. She looks around the living room, possibly bigger than her entire apartment, and towards the bedrooms - but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here. She turns to Seokjin. “Well?”

“You actually called her?” Yoongi asks, sounding just the slightest bit wary.

Kaya frowns. “Wait, you didn’t know?” she asks, but Seokjin interrupts her to answer Yoongi.

“Yeah, I - I had to. I didn’t tell him, though.” He turns to Kaya. “He’s in the other suite. His suite.”

“Well -” Something is off. “Then… let’s go. Why are we - wait, what did you mean you didn’t tell him? Is he… awake?”

Yoongi raises his eyebrows. “He’s on a conference call with management so I hope he is,” he answers dryly.

“Okay, hold on.” Kaya bites her lip, a small part of her brain telling her she’s been tricked somehow. She fixes Seokjin with a look and is somewhat glad to see him look nervous. “You told me he collapsed. You said I should hurry and when I asked to talk to him, you said he wasn’t in a position to talk.”

Seokjin nods slowly. “Um, okay, so… he did collapse during the group interview we were doing because we’ve been travelling and he hasn’t been getting a lot of sleep - and is London going through some kind of heat wave? Because I don’t remember it being this bad -”

“No. Focus.” Kaya is sure now she’s been lied to, or at the very least manipulated. “You said he couldn’t talk. I thought he was unconscious or - or on a drip -”

“No, he couldn’t talk because he was on the phone with his mum - but, wait, Kaya -” Seokjin says hurriedly. “I didn’t lie. I just - I couldn’t think of any other way to get you here unless I… shit, what’s the word?”

“Exaggerated? Embellished? Aggrandized?”

“Lied,” supplies Yoongi, barely looking up from his laptop.

“Shut up, Yoongi,” mutters Seokjin through his teeth. “Look, Kaya… I’m sorry. But he honestly hasn’t been doing great, okay? He hasn’t been eating all that well and the travel back and forth is crazy and he’s constantly up at all hours writing, so it’s not even a surprise that he finally cracked under the pressure -”

“But he’s fine!” she exclaims. “If he’s taking work calls and bossing people around then all he probably needed was some Gatorade and a cookie! God, I can’t believe you lied to me,” she mutters, shaking her head and pulling out her phone. “You just cost me eighteen pounds to get here, Seokjin.”

“Look, he’s not a good place right now -”

“That’s not my problem anymore! He doesn’t need a babysitter and he definitely doesn’t need me hovering over him because he got light-headed for a second. This was really low of you, you know,” she snaps, turning around and heading towards the door but he stops her at the last second, sliding in front of her and blocking the door.

“I’m sorry. I really am. I did not want to lie to you and I understand why you’re angry, but…” He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. “You actually came here,” he blurts out. “You thought he was sick and you dropped everything and you came to him, even though you two aren’t on good terms right now. Kaya -“ He makes a motion as though about to grab her shoulders, but stops himself at the last moment.

“Seokjin -“

“Timing is everything,” he interrupts her, and his eyes look completely serious, almost manic. “You don’t know when you’re going to run out of it or - or when all of a sudden, you’re strangers.”

“What?” Kaya frowns incredulously. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s a mess,” he repeats, and his voice cracks a bit. “And I know you are, too, so while it’s not really any of my business, just please… please talk to him.”

Kaya has the distinct impression that this topic has run away from him entirely, but his audacity makes her hands shake. She turns briefly to look at Yoongi, who’s staring at Seokjin with his eyebrows raised, clearly as much in the dark as her.

She turns back around. “Seokjin,” she says in a low voice, “with all due respect, you don’t know the half of what happened between Namjoon and I. Okay? He ended our relationship. He did that. And we have nothing between us anymore. Now - please move so I can leave.”

Seokjin swallows and he looks hurt - but Kaya neither knows nor cares what that’s about. He lowers his head and shuffles to the side; Kaya opens the door and storms out, feeling sad and cheated and relieved all at once - only to be faced with Namjoon exiting the room on the opposite side of the corridor.

Kaya’s heart stops for a moment. Namjoon looks more surprised than ever, almost as if he’s seen a ghost. 

“What - what are you doing here?” he asks, sounding a bit breathless.

She doesn’t know where to start. It’s just occurred to her how long it’s been since she last saw him, but she doesn’t want to stare. Her eyes fall slightly to his hands by his side, one of them holding a brand new phone.

“Ask Seokjin,” she says shortly, turning to leave.

“What? Wait -“

Kaya shakes her head to herself as she continues walking away, even as she hears his footsteps on the carpet behind her. She’s so annoyed at Seokjin - it’s hard to be outright angry at him, especially when he looks so pitiful - but whatever he’s working through is not her problem.

Without realising it, her feet slow down. Sighing, she turns around.

“Are you really not eating? Seriously?” she asks, not meaning to sound so exasperated. But now that she actually looks at him, plain white t-shirt and faded blue jeans, his hair a silvery-purple and brushing the collar of his t-shirt, she can see it. He’s getting thinner and his face is pale and while his frame is still broad, there’s no muscle left near his shoulders and chest.

Namjoon’s eyes shutter over slightly. “I’m eating just fine,” he mutters, looking away. Even the veins in his neck look more prominent. “Is that why you came here?”

“I heard you fainted. Or something.”

“I didn’t faint,” he clarifies, rolling his eyes. “I got a little dizzy and fell, kind of. I’m fine. Wait, is that why you’re here?” He frowns, but there’s a flash of hope in his eyes.

Kaya feels her cheeks grow warm. He’s looking at her like he’s just registered she’s here in the flesh and he looks relieved. Or disbelieving - either way, she feels the need to look away.

“Seokjin made it sound a lot worse. And I was already in London, so…”

“Work?”

“Kind of. Class off-site.”

Namjoon nods and takes a step forward. “It’s really good to see you,” he says, voice softer than before.

An old, familiar flutter passes through her stomach. Hooking her thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans, she hunches her shoulders slightly. “The purple suits you,” she replies, feeling the corner of her mouth lift up slightly. Namjoon smiles, too: a small half-smile but enough to make his dimple pop.

They hold each other’s gaze for a few moments before Kaya feels her smile fade. Heart hurting, she turns around and resumes walking away.

“You’re still mad at me,” he says from behind her. “Even now?”

She doesn’t stop, but slows down. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters.” His answer is instant. His voice is closer now and even after all this time, Kaya’s entire body tingles when she thinks about their proximity.

“Why? It’s not going to change anything, right?” she asks, shrugging and finally turning.

Namjoon bites his lip. “I -” He stares at her, as though really studying her, before dropping his gaze to the floor. “It’s been six months,” he murmurs. “It might be too late to change anything, anyway.”

“What does that mean? Wait, no - you know what?” she adds quickly, her heart jerking. “I need you to stop doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Reeling me back in. Constantly. Saying these things and - and coming over and -” She sniffs without meaning to. “Your friends luring me to your hotel to - what? Talk? You’re just making it worse. This is what you wanted.”

He scoffs. “No, I didn’t. Believe me, this -” He gestures to the space between them “- is definitely not what I wanted. I made one decision which was -”

“And it was a dumb decision!” she exclaims. “And I wasn’t even a part of it. But you made that call - so live with it. You don’t get to keep acting like you care about whether I’m angry -”

“Act? What the hell, Kaya? I’m miserable,” he argues, “and I hate myself for how this turned out but I had to do something. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me and I can’t go back in time but I can try not to make it worse! Being miserable is worth that.”

Kaya scoffs and folds her arms across her chest. “So that’s what this is about. You’re punishing yourself,” she states. “And it doesn’t matter that you hurt me in the process, too.”

Namjoon shakes his head, looking drained. “This isn’t about me.”

“No, it is.” Something about how defeated he looks is only making her angrier. “It’s about your self-inflicted sense of responsibility where everything is your problem, anything that goes wrong is your fault, and the only person that can fix it is you.”

“Fucking hell - do you think I like being wired this way?” he demands and his mouth trembles a bit. “Do you think I like not being able to sleep because I have people depending on me, or - or constantly worrying if I’m doing the right thing for everyone? The onus is on me and so is the blame. I hate it but I don’t… I don’t know how else to function,” he finishes, his voice cracking. “And I’m sorry you’re mad and I’ll let you hate me for however long you -”

“I don’t hate you. Jesus Christ,” she mutters, but she can feel her throat beginning to hurt. “And I never blamed you. Not once. What would I blame you for? I didn’t even get hurt last time - I was just freaked out. And then you bailed on me - some might call that cowardice.”

He flinches, like she’s slapped him. “Call it what you want, Kaya. And, yeah, maybe that wasn’t bad enough for you to blame me,” he admits. “But what about when it gets bad enough that you do blame me? Because you’ll be right. And I’ll have nothing - I’ll have no way to fight for us because you will be right to blame me and I will lose you, knowing that I did nothing to try and stop it. At least this way, I know I tried to do the right thing by letting you go.” 

Kaya stares as he turns away, looking up at the ceiling and sniffing. It’s been three years but it’s still shocking to see him break down in front of her, her tall, strong boyfriend with the world on his shoulders. It takes her another moment to remember he’s not her boyfriend anymore.

“Okay,” she murmurs, hearing her own voice shake. “I’m going to say this for the last time, because… I’m so tired, Namjoon.” Walking towards him until she’s right in front of him, she hesitates before reaching for his face. Up close, the bags under his eyes are more prominent but she forces herself to meet his eyes, which look both confused and longing at the same time.

“I love you,” she says, waiting for the words to sink in. “I love you… and I want to be with you. And I want to marry you and I want to have your children and I want to grow old with you and die together, eighty years from now. But I’m so tired, Joon,” she repeats in a small voice, searching his eyes for something familiar. “If you ask me to leave right now, then… I’ll go. I’ll go and we’ll lead our separate lives and everything we were can just stay a nice memory. But -” She swallows, feeling her voice break again. “But if you ask me to stay… I promise, I will never leave you. It’s okay to be the one taken care of, Joonie,” she whispers.

Namjoon closes his eyes and touches his forehead to hers before opening them again. His hands are big and warm on her shoulders, long fingers curling around her arms like he’s still convincing himself, even now that she’s really here.

“I love you,” he whispers, but his eyes fall to the floor. “And I will always love you, but… Kaya, can we -”

Kaya shakes her head, not wanting to hear anymore. Ignoring the tear that escapes her eye and clenching her jaw to stop herself from sobbing, she lowers her hands, her heart breaking because now they’re really done. 

“Goodbye, Namjoon,” she murmurs, reaching up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

It’s closure, or maybe it isn’t. Either way, it feels like the end.

—

It’s too warm for London; Kaya doesn’t remember ever feeling this hot in her two years living in this city while she was getting her Masters, but maybe global warming really is catching up with them. The air conditioner in Dilara’s apartment is extremely effective, though, so despite the fact that she’s been in shorts and a thin off-shoulder all day, she cradles a cup of steaming green tea in her hands, barely feeling the heat.

A knock sounds on her door and jerks her out of her numbness.

“Hey,” says Dilara softly, poking her head in. When Kaya nods in acknowledgement, she steps inside. “You alright?”

Kaya considers this. “No,” she answers honestly. “But I wasn’t really expecting anything different.”

While Dilara doesn’t know the details of what transpired earlier this evening, it seems as though she’s guessed the general gist of it. “Well… we’re going to get drinks in a bit. Do you want to join? Get your mind off it?”

We, meaning Taehyung and her friends Lexie and Chris. “I’m good, thanks,” mutters Kaya, privately thinking it’s the last thing she wants to do right now. “I think I need to just be alone and… process. Or forget.” She takes a sip of the tea but it’s tasteless. “I want to get it over with before I leave tomorrow. By the way,” she adds, setting the tea on the bedside table, “thank you for letting me stay while I’m here.”

“Of course,” says Dilara, like it’s obvious. “Whenever you’re in London, just give me a ring. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, though?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Okay.” She nods, looking slightly doubtful but thankfully not pushing. “Well, help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Liquor is in the cabinet by the dining table. Food… not much of it. Booze - a lot of it.”

Kaya nods, giving her a small smile as she moves to leave.

“Oh, um.” Dilara stops. “By the way, I just want to let you know that while I really like Namjoon… if it comes down to choosing sides, I’m on yours.” She shrugs sort of sheepishly as she says it.

“Oh.” Kaya pauses, not expecting this. “That’s… not necessary.”

“Maybe,” she admits.”It’s just… I know that Tae and I are disgustingly into each other right now, but not too long ago, we were broken up, too. And as much as I love the guys…” She sighs and purses her lips. “They’re one team and they will stick up for each other, no matter what. And it can be a little intimidating,” she adds. “So, just to clarify, I’m on your team.”

Kaya doesn’t quite know how to respond to this. “That’s really nice,” she says at last. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

She sighs and runs her hands over her face. “In any case, I don’t think it’ll ever go there. We’re pretty over. And believe me, the last thing I want to do is be the cause of any conflict between you and Taehyung.”

Dilara shakes her head. “Are you kidding? We fight over everything. It’s kind of become a thing now. Besides,” she continues, “being on opposite sides, opposing teams… can you imagine how much hotter the sex would be?”

“Okay,” mutters Kaya quickly, chuckling despite herself. “Glad to help.” But she’s grateful for the momentary lightness.

Dilara grins. “You have a really pretty smile.”

Disney princess eyes. “Thanks, Komyshan.”

“You’re welcome,” she replies in a sing-songy voice, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind her. Not a moment passes before it opens again. “Oh, also?”

Kaya tries not to sigh; she’s very fond of Dilara, but she really needs to be alone right now. “Yeah?”

“Um…” Dilara cranes her neck to look at something outside the room before stepping inside and closing the door again. “Don’t be angry, but… Chris let me in on a little secret.”

Kaya freezes. “He did?”

“Yeah…” she says slowly. “Don’t be angry with him. I’m one of his closest friends and… this is the kind of thing he’d need to tell someone.”

“Jesus.” Her heart is still racing from this unexpected turn in conversation, but she’s too tired to care much about it now. “You know what, it’s fine. Just… don’t tell Namjoon.”

Dilara shrugs. “Of course. It’s none of my business.” She pauses. “I just hope you’re being careful. And like I said, I’m on your side, so if you need anything -”

“I know.” 

She nods and opens her mouth to respond when the doorbell rings. “Hang on,” she mutters, disappearing out of the room. 

Kaya closes her eyes and drops her face into her hands, sad and exhausted and empty. She appreciates Dilara’s concern but right now, she just needs to be alone. She hears the door open and Dilara’s voice say something, before she calls out her name.

“Kaya?” Dilara appears in the doorway again and the delicate look on her face is telling enough. “It’s for you.”

It’s almost an out of body experience, hearing her own footsteps on the hardwood floors and stepping out of the guest bedroom to see Namjoon at the end of the hallway. Part of her gets it now, why when she’d arrived at the hotel, he’d looked like he couldn’t quite believe she was real. It seems surreal that he’s here now, and her chest feels like it’s being crushed with sadness and fury.

She barely registers Dilara muttering something and leaving them alone, disappearing into her bedroom, no doubt to give Taehyung an update. For a few moments, there is silence. Kaya doesn’t want to look at him anymore; the rejection is fresh and cuts like a knife, and no part of how broken he looks means anything to her anymore.

When a few more seconds pass and nothing happens, Kaya folds her arms across her chest and scoffs, looking away. “Are you here to break up with me some more? Because believe me, I get the message, alright?”

Namjoon seemingly ignores this. “What did you mean when you said you didn’t get hurt last time?” He takes a step forward. “The break-in - that was the only time, right?”

Kaya frowns, momentarily unsure of what he’s talking about. But his gaze is unwavering and even when she remembers her own words, she doesn’t answer. “You are unbelievable,” she mutters.

“Kaya, I’m serious.”

“I don’t care,” she snaps. “I don’t owe you any answers, about anything. Not after you expressly asked me to leave.”

“I didn’t, actually,” he points out. “I couldn’t. And I know you don’t owe me anything, but -” He breaks off and looks around, presumably for the words, but eventually just hangs his head. “Please. Did something else happen?”

“How is it - why do you - what are you even going to do with this information?” she asks incredulously. “How does it matter? And why did you come all the way here -”

“Why did you come all the way to my hotel when you thought something happened to me?” he interrupts.

Kaya falls silent. Her heart hammers; she thinks of his words an hour ago, of the last time he’d come to Amsterdam, of Chris Park and feels moments away from crumbling. 

“I can’t keep doing this,” she whispers. “I don’t know what you want anymore.”

“I want you to be safe,” he answers immediately. “And I don’t know if this is the way to go about it but I had to do something. How inadequate of a boyfriend would I be if I did nothing?”

Kaya shakes her head. There are too many things she can say in response to that but it’s hurting too much to argue. “You bought a new phone?” she asks instead.

“What? Yeah.”

“What happened to your old one?”

“It broke.”

She raises her eyebrows, albeit not very surprised. “How?”

Namjoon hesitates. “I threw it at a wall.” 

It’s enough to give pause. She wants to ask if it was on purpose; something in his expression tells her it was and if it was out of anger, she can’t think what would have set him off that badly.

She decides she doesn’t want to know. Fishing her own three year old iPhone out of her back pocket, she taps on the screen. “If I toss my phone to you, will you catch it? Because a new phone is not something I can afford right now.”

Amidst everything, a shadow of doubt passes across his face. “I mean, I can - I can try.” He bends his knees slightly and holds his hands in front of him, like a wicketkeeper, looking tense. For a brief moment, Kaya almost smiles. 

“Okay.” She glances at her phone screen and bites her lip. If she shows him this, there’s no going back. Then she shakes her head. “Here goes,” she mutters, carefully tossing her phone in a clean arc and aiming as closely as she can for his hands.

Namjoon winces and still fumbles it, but thankfully manages to avoid it hitting the ground. Sighing in relief, he straightens up and turns the screen towards him, and she can see him type her security code with his thumb. Kaya watches him carefully, her heart sinking when she sees his expression drop and all the colour leave his face.

“What - what the hell is this?” he asks, his voice hoarse, and looking nauseous. 

“Read it,” she says quietly. The characters on the piece of paper are foreign to her but aren’t to him, and the moment she’d seen it, even through the shock, the first thing she’d done was snap a picture of it. “Out loud.”

“No, I’m not going to read it out loud.” He shakes his head, looking paler than ever. “Kaya, what is -” His voice cracks.

“It was taped to my front door a couple of weeks ago,” she says listlessly. “I tried translating it on Google but nothing made sense, so I asked Dilara’s friend Chris to help me out.” She recalls Chris’s confusion at her pointed question, followed by horror and embarrassment. She’d had to urge him to be honest with her and he’d finally, after a long time and profuse apologies, typed back in English: you’re dead namjoon’s whore.

Namjoon is staring at her phone screen, motionless except for his hands shaking. “I just don’t understand,” he whispers, closing his eyes and lowering the phone, “why you still want to be with me. After all this, after being stalked and now this? After getting actual threats?” 

She rolls her eyes even as her stomach twists with the memory of that day. “Who says I still want to be with you?”

He ignores this, exhaling shakily. “Are you okay? Did you - wait, how did this even happen? I put out a statement that I was single.”

“Maybe they didn’t know. Maybe they didn’t care - I don’t give a shit. But it happened.”

Namjoon swallows. “Fuck. What - what do we do? Tell me what I can -“

“You don’t have to do anything. The person who did it got caught on the building’s security camera. I called the cops and they charged her with harassment and I got a restraining order, too. But I guess my apartment is truly a loose cannon now, so…” She sighs. “I’m moving. I found a new place that’s closer to campus. It’s a little more expensive so I probably won’t be able to afford food for a while,” she adds with a roll of her eyes. “But, yeah. I’ve been staying on campus since then. I officially move in this weekend.”

Her explanation is followed by almost a minute of silence. “You’re staying on campus?” he asks softly.

Kaya notes the change in his voice and knows exactly what he’s referring to. “I don’t have a choice. But… it’s not so bad. I don’t stay out too late unless I’m with someone.” She bites her lip. “It’s only for a couple of more days.”

“Fuck. That’s incredible.”

“Yeah. Hard as it is for you to believe, I can actually take care of myself.”

“I’ve never doubted you or your ability to take care of yourself, Kaya. I only -“

“No, you just doubted me enough to make a decision to end our relationship all on your own.” Kaya scoffs quietly, even as her chest feels lighter. She’d asked Dilara not to tell him but now that he knows… it feels right somehow. 

“It took every bit of strength I had in me to leave you, Kaya,” he confessed. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I couldn’t just do nothing.”

“What are you talking about?” she bursts, her frustration exploding. “You were on tour! You were working but you dropped it in a second for me when I called you! You missed a fan meeting, you took an eight hour flight from a different continent - you did everything! Every single thing I could’ve asked of you! Until you left,” she finishes abruptly, feeling her eyes start to well up again.

Namjoon’s eyes flicker. “But… I didn’t - that’s not what I -“

“I was terrified after the break-in, Namjoon,” she reminds him, “and the only thing that was keeping me going was that you were still there. But after this, I -“ She shakes her head, the debilitating fear reappearing in flashes. “I was terrified all over again but this time I couldn’t call you.”

He steps forward. “Kaya, you can always call me -“

“No, I can’t,” she interrupts him, snapping incredulously. “You’re my ex - I can’t run to you if I’m in trouble anymore. That’s what it means to break up. God, Joon, I didn’t need you to fix it for me - I just needed you to be there. You think you were an inadequate boyfriend because of the break-in?” She scoffs. “You were the perfect boyfriend for the first eighteen hours after that. This was when you let me down, because you weren’t there for me when I needed you!”

Namjoon shakes his head slowly, his lower lip trembling. Through everything, his devastation at her words is clear as day. Placing her phone on the side table in the hallway, he takes a hesitant step forward, then another, and doesn’t stop until he reaches her. Their eyes meet briefly before he wraps his arms around her and for a moment, he takes her breath away.

She can feel his heart pounding through his chest, just under her palm. It’s fast and irregular, but it’s still familiar and for the first time in two weeks, Kaya closes her eyes and feels some of the heaviness in her chest disappear.

“Fuck,” he whispers, voice hoarse and trembling against her hair. “Fuck, I fucked up. I’m so sorry, Kaya. I’m so, so sorry…”

She nods silently, not wanting to cry out loud because the relief - even a momentary relief - is so overwhelming that she just wants it to last a little longer. From living on a college campus after years to having to leave her small, cosy haven of an apartment, she exhales shakily into his shoulder and finally relaxes because this… this is safe.

“I love you,” he murmurs, “and I wish I could keep you safe from everything, baby, but I just don’t know how.” His voice cracks on the last word.

“You can’t,” she answers thickly but firmly. “And I don’t expect you to. But… Joon, you broke my heart,” she confesses, sniffling.

“Please don’t say that,” he whispers, holding her tighter. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…” He takes a deep breath, lips pressed to the side of her head. “Did you really mean what you said at the hotel? Even after all this? Because if you did… I’m yours, baby, if you’ll still have me.”

Kaya’s heart skips a beat. “You’re really fucking skinny,” she murmurs into his neck. “What the hell happened?”

Namjoon scoffs quietly but doesn’t answer. Slowly, as though it’s the biggest struggle in the world, his arms loosen. “Kaya,” he says.

She sighs and steps out of his arms, hating every moment of it. “I did mean it,” she admits. “But I don’t know how to be in a relationship with someone who won’t let me be a part of it.”

He shakes his head. “That was never my intention. I just wanted to help - I know I went about it the wrong way but that’s all I wanted. I swear.”

“No, Joon, I’m not doubting your intentions, okay? But it’s not fair. It can’t just be your decision every time. You’re the leader, the point of contact, the eldest son, big brother - whatever. I don’t care,” she says flatly. “But you are not in charge of this. Of us. You don’t have to be,” she adds after a moment, softer.

Namjoon lowers his head, his gaze on the floor, and nods. “I understand what you’re saying,” he says slowly, “but it’s really hard to see a piece of paper calling you… that -“ he says through his teeth, jaw clenching “and not feel angry about it.”

“You’re just going to have to try.”

“Yeah? Do you remember at your friend Alex’s birthday when you “accidentally” -“ He puts quotation marks around the word “- spilled that guy’s drink onto his phone? The one who thought I didn’t understand English and called me an Asian wannabe who should stick to math instead of playing at rap?”

Kaya feels her face go slack. “That - that was an accident. Not to mention completely different,” she tacks on when he gives her a look indicating he doesn’t believe her. “I was pissed but I didn’t take it out on you.” 

“I - I know. You’re right, Kaya. I’m sorry,” he repeats, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “I get it. My guilt, my problem.”

“No,” she disagrees, seeing him look up in surprise. “No guilt at all. Namjoon, if I choose to be with you, knowing what I know, then it’s my decision. And if there is guilt… God, just talk to me about it. Because this whole suffering in silence thing? I’m over it.”

Namjoon nods. “You and Yoongi both,” he mutters dryly. When she simply sighs and looks away, he speaks again. “So, are you? Choosing to be with me?”

Kaya takes a deep breath, finding it hard to meet his eyes now. “I don’t know. God, I am so mad at you,” she mutters, dropping her face in her hands.

He doesn’t argue. She can feel his eyes on her but doesn’t want to get swayed, not by how horrified he looked when she showed him the note, how disappointed he seemed in himself when she unleashed her frustration at him, or now, with so much doubt and vulnerability in his voice.

A sound startles her out of her silence and she turns to see Dilara poke her head out from behind the wall in the direction of the master bedroom.

“Heeeey,” she says slowly, as Taehyung’s head appears similarly above hers. “Didn’t, uh, mean to interrupt… but we kind of have to…” She points to the front door sheepishly.

Kaya nods jerkily, having sort of forgotten that they are in Dilara’s house. Her face heats up when she thinks about how much they might have heard; she takes care not to meet either of their eyes as they traipse out, fully dressed for a night out.

“So… are you sure you guys don’t want to come?” Dilara asks doubtfully. “It might be fun?”

“We’re meeting Chris and Lexie at a bar,” adds Taehyung helpfully, ignoring Dilara when she corrects him with “pub” and tosses his long bangs out of his eyes, “… in case you need a drink.” He raises his eyebrows.

Kaya can’t think of anything she wants less than to be in a crowded pub, but she turns to Namjoon anyway who’s looking back at her with his hands in his pockets.

“I think we’ll sit this one out,” she answers after a moment, watching him for his reaction. “We… kind of need to talk.”

“Okay, then.” Dilara pulls out her phone. “I’ll text Chris that we only need a table for four, then.”

“The same Chris?” Namjoon mutters to Kaya, who nods.

“Yeah. Buy him a drink on me?” She suggests to Dilara. “Kind of owe him.”

Namjoon half-chuckles without humour and Dilara raises her eyebrows. “Oh, you told him?” When Kaya nods, she sighs. “That’s a relief. I was feeling sick keeping it to myself.”

“Wait, you knew?” Namjoon frowns, his jaw sharp. 

“Well, yeah - Chris is my friend and he is terrible at keeping secrets so I had -“

“Hang on - how could you not tell me?” he interrupts her, and she falls silent. “Dilara, seriously?”

“I didn’t -“

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that.” Taehyung steps in front of her, frowning handsomely. “Hyung,” he tacks on after a moment.

“Namjoon, come on,” says Kaya, grabbing his forearm and pulling him back a step. “I asked her and Chris not to.”

He opens his mouth to say something but then simply sighs and shakes his head, hands on his hips. Behind Taehyung, Dilara glares at him.

“Now I really need a drink,” she mutters, starting to head towards the door. Taehyung gives Namjoon a knowing look as he follows her out and the front door closes behind them.

Namjoon sighs. “What is wrong with me?” he mutters, running his hands tiredly down his face.

Kaya bites her lip. Under different circumstances, she would be pulling him into a hug right now, ignoring his half-hearted protests until he gave up and hugged her back, his hold getting tighter with every passing second.

But things are different now.

“I have a theory,” she says finally. “Come with me.”

—

Namjoon watches as Kaya examines Dilara’s kitchen cabinets, frowning and humming to herself. She stands on her tiptoes and rummages inside a box and he hesitates before looking away, distinctly feeling as though he hasn’t yet earned the right to check her out without her knowledge.

“Insanely understocked,” she declares, retrieving a box of Pop Tarts and heading towards the toaster. “But we’ll make do with what we’ve got.”

“Sure.”

She glances back at him briefly. “Are you sure you don’t want a beer?” she asks him, gesturing to her newly opened can, the condensation still only just forming. “It’s terribly hot.”

It is and he would love a beer right now. But he shakes his head. “I don’t think I should be drinking Dilara’s booze right now,” he mutters, wincing inwardly.

Kaya’s eyes linger on him for a moment before she turns around and starts placing the Pop Tarts into the toaster. “You can have a sip from mine,” she offers.

Namjoon shakes his head. “That’s okay.” 

“Okay.”

They stand there in the kitchen, the six feet of distance between them feeling like a chasm. But it’s the closest he’s been to her in months and he can’t help but take in her presence, drinking it in for as long as he can.

Kaya casually picks up her can and takes a long sip, eyes fluttering shut momentarily. “Oh, that feels good.”

Namjoon suppresses a chuckle. “Alright, then. I’ll have a sip.” His heart skips a beat almost painfully when a smile flashes across her face and she silently hands him the can.

“Oh, God,” he mumbles, swallowing a sip and pressing the cold tin to his cheek. “Oh, man, this is everything.” 

Kaya raises an eyebrow but says nothing, moving to pick up the toasted Pop Tarts. Piling them onto a plate, she pushes it towards him. “Eat.”

“What?”

“Eat,” she repeats, dropping another batch into the toaster. “It’s good.”

Namjoon’s gaze falls on the packet, the huge animated chocolate staring back at him. “I - I’m on tour,” he murmurs, a little apologetic.

Kaya looks as though she’s about to insist but then simply shrugs. “Okay, then.” Picking up a Pop Tart, she takes a small bite.

Sighing, Namjoon takes one, finishing it in three bites. It’s better than he’d anticipated; he takes another, and another after that and before he knows it, he’s eaten six. 

“Wow,” he says, staring at the crumbs on the plate.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll burn that before the next concert, right?” he asks hopefully.

“I doubt it. I can already see it hitting your thighs.”

He gives her a look that she returns, still finishing her second Pop Tart. She heads to the fridge and retrieves another can of beer, sliding it to him. 

“Just drink it,” she tells him before he can decline again. “Dilara has a whole carton in here. And I have her express permission.”

Pausing for a moment, he cracks open the can and holds it up. She clinks hers with it and they drink together in silence. They don’t speak again until they’re out of the kitchen and in the softly lit dining room.

Kaya takes a seat at the head of the table, lifting her feet up on the edge of the chair and hugging her knees. Namjoon sits on the adjacent chair, wishing he could pull her chair closer to him.

“How’s tour going?” she asks softly.

Small talk. She’s trying, and Namjoon’s heart fills with cautious hope. “Tiring,” he answers. “I can barely keep track of which city we’re in. But I’m writing a lot,” he adds.

She tilts her head. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not really.”

“Jetlag?”

“Sure.”

He waits to see a flicker of knowing on her face before smiling back at her. Before the break-in, they had discussed Kaya joining him on tour for some of their European concerts. He wonders if she still remembers, and how different the tour would be right now.

“I heard you got published,” he says, adoring how she smiles involuntarily at it, part shy and part proud. “I can’t believe it. Or, I can. Just - congratulations,” he says sheepishly. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks. It was a lot of work and a lot of iterations -” She shakes her head and takes a drink. “But career-wise, it’s a pretty decent step. And I get royalties on it, so that makes two of us now.” She raises his eyebrows in satisfaction. “It was worth the late nights.”

Late nights. Namjoon wants to ask and he has a feeling she wants to talk about it, but he doesn’t want to presume. Hesitating, he places his arm on the table towards her, his palm facing up. Kaya doesn’t move, though, and for a moment he can feel his throat close up.

But then she gingerly lifts her hand, pauses, and eventually places it in his. It’s unsure and guarded, but it’s more than he could hope for. His thumb runs over her knuckles, soft and delicate, and he’s more grateful than ever that she doesn’t move away.

“Do you still stay late in the library?” he asks.

Kaya’s eyes stay on their hands as she shakes her head. “I prefer working out of the dorm room. It faces the river so the breeze is much cooler. And my roommate plays a lot of old school rock so that’s nice, too.” She nods to herself, her gaze unmoving. “I don’t like being there,” she whispers.

Namjoon says nothing and simply squeezes her hand. Ordinarily, this would again be one of those moments when he would have stood up and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms and silently letting her vent. 

“I can’t sleep either,” she confesses after a moment. “So I guess that makes two of us, too.”

He tilts his head, hoping she’ll look up at him. “I get why you couldn’t call me before. But you can now. You know that, right?” he asks gently. “For the next few weeks, we’ll actually be in similar timezones for once.”

She cracks a smile but still doesn’t look up. “I might just take you up on that. I’ll start moving my stuff into the apartment the moment I get back, anyway, so when I actually get possession, I’m done.”

“That’s a good idea. Actually, if you want,” he ventures hopefully, “I could help.”

“Help me move in?”

“Yeah. If you want,” he repeats, trying not to sound nonchalant. “Our concert isn’t till Saturday and we’re supposed to have a radio show on Friday but I can take a couple of days off to -”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that,” she starts to say, but Namjoon shakes his head.

“I don’t think the company will mind,” he offers, thinking privately that even if he does have to argue with them a bit, how completely worth it it would be.

Kaya bites her fingernail, observing him. Then she shrugs. “Alright. If you want.”

He nods slowly, continuing his attempt at the nonchalance. “And, uh… I’ll book a hotel. If you want,” he says again, “you can - you can… stay. Over.” He bites his lip. “If you don’t want to stay on campus.”

Some of her casual facade breaks. “Really?”

“Yeah. And - and don’t worry, it’ll be big enough so you don’t - I mean, we don’t -” He breaks off and cringes inwardly.

Kaya raises her eyebrows. “Separate beds?”

A half-chuckle passes his lips, for it sounds ridiculous. “Yeah. Separate beds.”

“You don’t think we can control ourselves in the same bed?”

“I think it’ll take everything we have in us to do it,” he admits boldly. “But I think we can.”

She doesn’t answer but tries to suppress a smile. On the table, her hand feels looser in his. He’s just about to say something when her phone buzzes next to her and she automatically reaches for it, letting go of his hand.

“Everything okay?” he asks when she clicks her tongue.

“Yeah,” she sighs, scrolling through a message presumably. “Got a quiz to grade by the weekend. And it’s a finance elective so I’m going to need the prep material from - from the professor.” She sets the phone down but doesn’t look up at him again.

Namjoon lowers his hand as well, something like a dark cloud feeling like it’s just appeared above them. “Are you sure you’ll be okay staying with me?” he asks in a low voice, looking at his knees as the incongruity of the question creeps into his chest. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t feel any pressure.”

He nods. “It’s just… I know we were - are technically apart for a while. It wouldn’t be strange if you… you know.”

Kaya takes a few moments before answering. “Well, I’m not,” she clarifies. “And also… Namjoon, I didn’t have sex with Adam.”

Namjoon feels his gaze freeze on the leg of her chair. “What?”

She sighs hugely, turning away when he slowly looks up to face her. “I didn’t sleep with him. I just said that to piss you off,” she confesses. “It was stupid and petty and childish, but… yeah. I lied.”

There’s a roaring in Namjoon’s ears, like a sugar rush in his veins after months of dieting. He feels like he could sing, and the restraint to not jump to his feet and yell in relief almost causes him to have a hernia. Clenching his fists in gratitude at his sides, he nods with difficulty.

“Oh. That’s - that’s… interesting.”

Kaya narrows her eyes and gives him a look, clearly not fooled by his forced nonchalance. But Namjoon doesn’t care. The sleepless nights and never-finding flights where his own brain continued to punish him by generating the most traumatic images feel like nightmares from a different lifetime.

“We did kiss,” she admits after a moment, and Namjoon’s heart sinks a little. “After a few drinks. But we agreed it was a mistake. And I’m not saying you were right,” she adds quickly, as when he rests his chin on his palm and places his fingers over his mouth, “because he didn’t push or get weird about it, but there’s a chance you may have been… kind of… on the right track.”

Namjoon could kick him - but then again, by her own admission, it sounds like the least troubling thing to happen to Kaya over the last few months. 

“Okay,” he manages.

She pauses, then looks at her hands. “What about you? Have you…”

“No.”

“Not even…”

“Nope.”

“Oh.” She takes another sip of her beer, a big one, and doesn’t speak for a few seconds. “Are you hungry?” she asks suddenly. “There’s, like, a crazy amount of ramen in this house.”

Namjoon doesn’t know if it’s because he hasn’t been around ramen in a long while, or if it’s because it’s Kaya who’s asking, but for the first time in a long time, his stomach rumbles. 

—

It’s nearing one am when Dilara returns home. 

Namjoon is jerked out of the small, comfortable, familiar bubble with Kaya on the sofa where they moved after consuming two steaming bowls of soupy ramen. A glass of rosé each, they’re sitting face to face with their sides against the back of the sofa, only their knees touching ever so slightly to maintain the distance.

“Wait, no… it’s this part -” Kaya pauses and concentrates on the song playing at a low volume from the neighbouring apartment. “... can’t help… falling in love with you… and that’s the trumpet,” she finishes, the UB40 cover coming to a peppy end. “This was dad’s favourite song - I know it inside out.”

“Fine, you were right,” he admits. “Whoever this is probably has the most varied music taste I’ve ever seen, though. Eminem, Guns N Roses, Camilla Cabello and then Elvis?”

“And Nsync before that,” she adds. “Maybe it’s multiple people. Oh, wait - I know this song.” She wrinkles her nose as the guitar picks up, apparently having mistaken it for something else, when the front door opens. “Shit,” she mutters, startled.

“Hey, we’re back,” calls Dilara, sounding slightly wary. Multiple footsteps follow her in, followed by a mixture of conversing and laughing.

“Komyshan, is yesterday’s pizza still in the fridge?” Chris Park asks, shuffling in and taking off his jacket.

“Check for yourself, Park,” mutters Lexie, kicking off her shoes. “Hey, guys,” she says to Kaya and Namjoon, who wave back. “Wow, the neighbours aren’t even trying to keep it quiet, are they?”

“Oh, wait, I know this song!” Taehyung exclaims, and he and Dilara look at each other in excitement before breaking out into grins. 

“I haven’t heard Tous les garçons et les filles since… wow, since that day?” She beams when he winks at her and starts swaying by himself to the music, shoulders and all.

Namjoon raises his eyebrows as the renewed chatter and chaos in the apartment continues, and he can’t help but feel a little sorry that the rare time he was having with Kaya has been cut short.

“I’d hang out but I’m exhausted,” groans Lexie, downing an entire tall glass of water. “And drunk,” she adds after a moment. “So I’m going to bed but I’ll see you all in the morning. Goodnight.” She glances deliberately at Chris before departing in the direction of her room.

Namjoon frowns as Chris nibbles on the last of a pizza crust, while Dilara raises an eyebrow at him. “Goodnight, everyone,” he mutters abruptly, following Lexie. A moment later, they hear the sound of the door closing.

Dilara rolls her eyes and gently pushes Taehyung in the direction of the kitchen. “You should drink some water, too, babe…”

Taehyung faintly says something in response and floats towards Dilara’s room instead but Namjoon glances at Kaya, who silently cocks her head towards the dining room. Nodding and feeling vaguely anxious, he gets up and goes over to where they were sitting earlier and talking. Dilara is bringing out a bowl of fruit, piled high with apples, bananas and grapes when she catches sight of him and quickly looks away.

“Hey,” he says gingerly, stopping at the dining table where she continues bustling around, twisting her long curly hair into a loose knot. “How was your night?” When all he gets is a shrug in response, he places his drink on the table and rallies. “Thanks for… hosting, I guess. Your apartment’s really nice.”

“Mhm.”

With renewed respect for Taehyung, Namjoon continues. “And, uh… oh, Kaya talked me into a glass of this wine. It’s delicious. Where did you get it from?”

“Harrods.”

“Great. I think we drank about a fourth of it tonight. Can I buy you another one to replace it?”

Without warning, Dilara turns around on her heel and places one hand on her hip. Despite being a foot shorter than him, she startles him into taking an automatic step back.

“Are you bribing me?”

Namjoon swallows and frowns, pressing his tongue to his upper lip. “Is it working?” When she narrows her eyes at him, he sighs. “I’m sorry I snapped. That wasn’t right of me.”

“You’re not the only one who cares about her, you know? Why do you think I invited her to stay here?” 

“I know. You’re right. It’s just…” He runs his hands through his hair. “It’s been an emotional night.”

Her features soften slightly. “Been apologising a lot tonight, have you?” But she doesn’t sound sarcastic - more curious.

He glances at Kaya who’s still in the living room, leaning against the arm of the sofa and watching them, her glass of wine now empty and resting on her thighs.

“Kind of.” He lowers his head. “Guess I had it coming, though. But it’s been a lot better than I expected,” he adds, realising as he says it that it’s true, that even the distant, cautious dynamic was miles ahead of what he could have hoped for.

Dilara raises her eyebrows. “Are you back together?” she asks in a hushed voice.

“Not yet,” he admits, shoving his hands in his pockets. “But soon, maybe. I hope.”

She purses her lips. “Well, she’s angry, I suppose. But she’s missed you, too,” she adds after a moment. “And she knows why you did what you did… even if it was a shit idea.” She smiles innocently when he gives her a look. “Her words, not mine.”

“Alright.” He exhales, reaching over and affectionately grabbing her head. “Are we cool, though?”

“I guess.” She pauses, then rolls her eyes dramatically and accepts his hug, the top of her head just about reaching his shoulder. “But only if you do the robot at least once on stage at your next concert,” she decides as they separate.

“What’s that now?”

“You heard me. Oh, and it has to be during a sad song, not a dancey one.”

“I - fine,” he agrees, rolling his eyes and privately dreading the next performance already, grateful for Kaya as she joins them.

“Everything okay over here?” she asks delicately. “Because it kind of looked like you were going to get your ass kicked for a second there,” she tells Namjoon.

“Oh, no,” says Namjoon. “It’s much worse. I have to do the robot on stage on Saturday and possibly go viral for looking like an idiot,” he guesses, fixing Dilara with a pleading look, who simply shakes her head.

“Forgiveness has its price,” she says wisely.

“It’s like placating a kid,” points out Kaya. “Which kind of adds up, probably - you used to say you were kind of like a babysitter to these guys.”

Namjoon rolls his eyes again and, without thinking, places an arm around Kaya’s shoulder. There’s a moment of awkwardness when he remembers where they are and he’s about to drop it, but then she seemingly leans into it out of habit, and he lets it stay.

“Hey, what are we talking about?” Taehyung appears from behind them and accidentally brushes Namjoon’s arm. As he makes way for his group member, Namjoon has no choice but to drop his arm to his side. “We’re out of toothpaste, by the way,” he says, nudging Dilara’s shoulder.

“We’re talking about what it’s like to have kids,” offers Kaya. “And the lengths you have to go to for them.”

“Kids?” Taehyung frowns slightly as he pops a grape into his mouth before looking straight at his girlfriend. “I’d like to have kids with you.”

All traces of the smirk on Dilara’s face drop at his words. “That - that isn’t even close to what we were talking about.”

“I always used to think three, but I think four is a nice, round number.”

“Taehyung,” she interrupts him, while Namjoon snorts and Kaya watches in amusement, “shut up. We were only saying that -”

“We’ll need a minivan to fit four, though. With three we still have a chance to have at least one boy and one girl, no?”

“Are you serious right now?” 

“Of course. Three, minimum,” he decides seriously. “And I think we should name the oldest one Princess. Even if it’s a boy.”

Dilara glares at him before rolling her eyes. “That’s my cue to leave. Goodnight,” she states. 

She turns around and leaves, Taehyung casually following her. As they disappear around the corner, Namjoon can hear him go, “But, jagiya, think how gorgeous you’ll be pregnant…”

“Shut up, Tae, I’m serious…”

There’s a fading sound of rustling and groaning and giggling before the sound of a door closing shut. Finally alone again after a fifteen minute fever dream of some truly unexpected chaos, Namjoon glances at Kaya.

“You must be tired,” he murmurs.

She shrugs. “I guess.” She starts to walk towards the guest room, the only one in the main area of the apartment, and stops a few feet away from the door. “My flight’s tomorrow evening,” she says.

He nods, reasonably sure of why she’s telling him this. “I’ll be there on Wednesday morning. If, you know, you’re still okay with…”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Cool. I’ll have to be back Friday for rehearsal, though,” he says, slightly apologetic. 

“That’s okay. I appreciate the help.”

There’s a silence, an expectant one. They spent hours talking today, with topics ranging from their relationship to the most minor, unimportant things. But there’s no avoiding it now - whatever happens next feels foundational.

Namjoon’s brain is working in overdrive, trying to decide the right thing to say, when the sounds begin. Kaya’s jaw drops and she turns her head halfway before shaking it, her eyes wide.

“Is that -”

“Unfortunately,” he mutters tightly. “In a happy coincidence, Taehyung’s room is right next to mine at the dorm, so this is… not the first time,” he informs her, squeezing his eyes shut.

When the muffled sounds only get louder, Kaya covers her mouth in shock. “Okay, I’m going to bed,” she says quickly. “Um, goodnight.”

Namjoon’s heart skips a beat. “Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Kaya.” There’s a painful pause after which he takes a hesitant step forward, raising his arms slightly.

Kaya exhales and meets him halfway, reaching up and hugging him. It’s comforting and hopeful and Namjoon holds her tight, trying to block out the sounds but instead becoming more aware than ever of the shape of her body against him, the coconut and vanilla scent of her hair and her bare legs under her shorts.

They separate slowly, and she takes a step back. Giving him a small, silent wave, she backs up and opens her bedroom door. Namjoon watches as she steps inside and moves to close the door when she pauses, and a moment later, leaves it open.

He frowns. It takes him a beat. Then two. The sounds from Dilara’s room seem to be in no position to stop anytime soon and in a split second, Namjoon makes the decision to follow Kaya inside, closing the door behind him.

—

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review :)

[xlelife]

XLE.LIFE presents

XLE.LIVE: #Indofuturism? #Desifuturism?

Tuesday, May 30th, 2023 at 6pm IST (Indian Standard Time) on Zoom

What is Indofuturism or Desifuturism??

We’ve had Afrofuturism, Sinofuturism, and Gulf Futurism recently catch fire in the futurist conversation--one that encompasses culture, concepts and aesthetics, and things are only spreading from there. Post Western Futurisms, Ecofuturisms, Holistic Futurisms, Tropical Futurisms...Whether you love or hate these kinds of buzzwords, they do put something on the map.

Where is Indofuturism or Desifuturism in all this?

As an emerging set of terms, these words grapple with the subcontinent’s erupting potency on the world stage, in global flows of soft power and hard power alike, and its role in developing new possibilities.

XLE.LIFE invites a group of creative and cultural producers to take these terms into the arena with their own understandings, critiques and visions. The audience will be invited to submit questions.

Facilitated by Kai (Kari) Altmann and Naveen Shamsudhin for XLE.LIFE Language: English

Zoom Link Meeting ID: 662 0509 9121Passcode: 734332

Speakers:

Prateek Arora (Mumbai) AI and Fiction Creator, VP of Development at BangBang Media (Films), Indofuturist, Horror Fan and promoter of Indian Sci-Fi. Recently featured by India Art Fair, National Gallery of Modern Art, XLE.LIFE, Homegrown.in and WePresent. Based in Mumbai.

Naveen Shamsudhin (Zurich) PhD in Robotics, Systems Thinker, Multi-Cultural Community Builder, Hacker, Lecturer at ETH Zurich. Somatics Facilitator. From India, UAE and Switzerland. Based in Zurich. Co-founder and Curator of Kaleido, Humane Warriors, The Origin AG.

Kai Altmann aka Hitashya (Mumbai) Artist, Director, Musician, Performer and Holistic Futurist. Editor of XLE.LIFE. Curator of New World Playlist, R-U-In?S, Garden Club and more. Creator of too many memes, neologisms and microgenres. Has worked on films, music videos, live performances, mega installations, talks and social-cultural initiatives around the world, featured by places like Serpentine Gallery, The New Museum, ICA London, Goethe Institute, EFlux, Biennial of the Americas and many others. Based in Mumbai/Goa since Co-Vid times!

[ranakaushal]

10th Annual Biotech Industry Conclave on Biotechnology for Humanity: Innovations Shaping a Better World

KIIT School of Biotechnology organized the 10th Biotech Industrial Conclave on “Biotechnology for Humanity: Innovations Shaping a Better World” during 23rd–24thAugust 2024. The conclave, spanning over two days, had enlightening talks, discussion and spirited interactions between experts from the biotech industry, academia, and students to foster collaboration and innovation in the field. During the inaugural session, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, welcomed all the dignitaries and stressed upon development of strong collaboration between KIIT and biotechnology industry.

Padmashri Dr. Krishna Ella, Founder & Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech International Limited echoed the need for close interaction between premier educational institutes and the biotech industry for inclusive growth. Dr. Ella, in his keynote address, shared his personal journey in entrepreneurship and innovation, highlighting the challenges and rewards of building a successful biotech company. He emphasized the importance of practical learning experiences for PhD students and the role of the Ella Foundation in supporting their entrepreneurial endeavors. He also stressed upon the need for vaccine development for neglected diseases.

Dr. Shilpa Gadgil, Vice President, Enzene Biosciences Ltd.; Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Dy. Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Ltd.; Raghavendra P. Rao, Principal Scientist, The Himalaya Drug Company; Dr. Ranendra N. Saha, Chief Scientific Advisor, Biophore; Dr. Sreedharala Venkata Nookaraju, Executive Vice President, Aizant Drug Research Soln. Lt;. and Dr. Prabuddha Kundu, Co-Founder & MD, Premas Biotech discussed about emerging trends in complex therapeutic biomolecules like monoclonal antibodies, novel vaccines, complex protein production processes. Mr. Dushyant Deshmukh, GM-HR, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals; Mr. Hemant Nikam, Sr Director and Head HR, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India; and Mr. Pritesh Bhatia, Associate Director HR, Jubilant Biosys Ltd. discussed about the emerging trends in human resource requirements and how students should prepare themselves to become successful biotechnology professionals.

Mr. Lalit Sisaudia, Vice President of Nutaste Group and Ms. Rosina Panda, Business Manager, Intertek spoke about food safety and the need for precision to address global food security challenges.

Dr. Emili Banerjee, Senior Genetic Counselor, Neuberg Diagnostics, Dr. Raghavendra Goud, Executive Director at PharmNXT Biotech and Mr. Ashish Dubey, Co-Founder and COO, Redcliffe Labs discussed the opportunities in molecular diagnostics in healthcare and how AI driven processes can accelerate disease detection and make healthcare accessible in the remote regions of the country. In the last session, five alumni turned entrepreneurs Mr. Pritam Dhalla, Founder, Larkai Healthcare; Mr. Akashdeep Dan, Co-Founder of Bogmalo Foods and Hospitality; Mr. Prateek Mahapatra, Director of Grow Green Consortium Pvt. Ltd.; Ms. Varsha Biswal, CEO, Trupti Dairy; and Dr. Shailesh Samal, CEO, Inflanova AB shared the memories in KSBT and how it helped them to excel in their areas of passion.

Dr. Mrutyunjay Suar, DG-Research & Innovation, and CEO, KIIT-TBI discussed about start-up innovation system in KIIT and role of Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Cluster in developing fruitful collaboration in the biotechnology sector. Dr. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar and Dr. Srinivas Patnaik, Dean KSBT described the academic initiatives taken for skill development of the students. Dr. Rahul Modak, Convener of the conclave thanked all the dignitaries and participants for their active participation and contribution in the conclave.

[venkateshwara-group1998]

The Venkateshwara Group of Institutions organized an educational tour for the holistic development of the students.

The students of Venkateshwara Group of Institutions Meerut embarked on a special educational tour to visit Amrit Udyan & India Gate on August 31.

The Campus Director Dr Pratap Singh, along with the Academic Dean Dr Abhishek Swami, provided valuable guidance for organizing this educational tour.

Dr Abhishek Swami flagged of the tour from the college premises.

40 students, along with 5 faculty members, took part in the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Amrit Udyan tour.

Dr Kiran Tomar HOD CCSU courses informed the garden has over 150 different varieties of roses, daffodils, Asian Lily, tulip and other ornamental flowers that grow in an area of 15 acres.

Piyush Prateek, Himanshu Goswami, Ritu Joshi and Archana Siwach were the other faculty members who took part in the tour, along with Dr Kiran Tomar.

The students watched the greenery & beauty of the garden that improved their awareness about nature. They learnt about the different varieties of plants, their conservation & role in environmental balance.

After this, the students visited India Gate, where they learnt about the sacrifices of the freedom fighters during our independence movement. This augmented their patriotic feeling & knowledge about India’s freedom struggle.

This educational tour not only taught students about our rich cultural & historical heritage but also informed them about nature conservation & the martyred freedom fighters.

Overall, the educational tour proved knowledgeable & inspirational for the students.

[readytomoveflatsdelhincr]

Offering homes for sale in Sector 150 in Noida, Prateek Canary is a brand-new residential complex. Tenant satisfaction is the goal of Prateek Canary, a development by the Prateek Group, which offers all the amenities and facilities needed. 9 buildings totaling 28 stories and 664 units will make up the project, which will take up 12.55 acres. Among the amenities are a nicely landscaped garden, a swimming pool, and a small theater.     

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Best 5 Education Sector Stocks in 2024- Trends & Advantages

Education is not merely a sector; it’s the cornerstone of progress and prosperity for any nation. In India, a country poised for growth and development, education plays a pivotal role in shaping the future workforce, fostering innovation, and building a knowledgeable society. As we look ahead to 2024, investing in the education sector presents compelling opportunities, particularly with companies that are leveraging technological advancements and addressing global educational trends.

1. Veranda Learning

Founded in 2018 under the leadership of Suresh Kalpathi, Veranda Learning has emerged as a powerhouse in the competitive exam preparation segment. With a robust market cap of 1937.26 and a remarkable 51.11% increase in value over the past year, Veranda Learning offers a wide array of courses tailored for various competitive exams. From state Public Service Commission exams to banking, insurance, and prestigious IAS and CA exams, Veranda Learning provides comprehensive long-term and short-term preparatory courses. Their commitment to quality education and strategic course offerings positions them strongly in the market.

2. Shanti Education

Established in 2009 as part of the Chiripal Group, Shanti Educational Initiatives Limited (SEIL) focuses on comprehensive school management solutions. Despite a high P/E ratio of 221.25 and a market cap of 1055.36, Shanti Education experienced a -22.46% decrease in value last year. However, SEIL continues to play a crucial role in developing educational facilities from preschool to grade 12. Their services span from infrastructure design to curriculum development, teacher training, and financial planning, catering extensively to the educational sector’s operational needs.

3. Global Education

Based in Mumbai with a branch in Nagpur, Global Education Ltd., founded in 2011, provides essential services ranging from branding and marketing to financial analysis and growth strategies for over 36 major organizations and institutes across India. Despite a modest P/E ratio of 16.49 and a market cap of 518.89, Global Education faced a -22.46% decline in value last year. Nevertheless, their expertise in educational consultancy and client satisfaction underscores their potential in navigating the evolving landscape of educational demands and challenges.

4. CL Educate

CL Educate Limited, established in 1996 and headquartered in New Delhi, stands as a leading education company in India. With a P/E ratio of 16.19 and a market cap of 469.31, CL Educate witnessed a commendable 37.75% increase in value over the past year. Known for its excellence in academic support and technological innovation, CL Educate caters to various educational segments, including test preparation and vocational training. Their commitment to transformative education continues to resonate positively with students and investors alike.

5. DroneAcharya Aerial

Founded in 2017 by Prateek Srivastava, Droneacharya Aerial Innovations Private Limited operates within Karnataka’s UAV sector under KEONICS. Despite a relatively high P/E ratio of 60.60 and a market cap of 424.84, the company showed a promising 31.19% increase in value last year. Specializing in the manufacturing of UAV machinery and equipment, Droneacharya Aerial exemplifies innovation within India’s technology-driven education landscape.

Conclusion

Investing in India’s education sector represents more than just financial opportunity; it’s a direct contribution to the nation’s future. As the sector continues to integrate technology, navigate global competition, and embrace online learning, companies such as Veranda Learning, Shanti Education, Global Education, CL Educate, Droneacharya Aerial, and Finowings Academy shine brightly. These institutions exemplify resilience, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to educational excellence. By investing in these stocks, individuals not only position themselves for potential financial gains but also support the transformative trends shaping the future of education in India.

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[magicshopaholic]

Drowning pt. 2 (Namjoon x OC)

Summary: You and Namjoon find out you still have some kinks to iron out.

Pairing: Namjoon x OC

Genre: Angst, fluff

Word count: 3.9 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: sexual innuendos? if that - idk

A/N: I have, to this day, not been able to get over purple-haired Namjoon, so this fic is dedicated to whichever stylist decided to bring this into our lives. Takes place the morning after Drowning.

Tagging: @bbl32, @quarter-life-crisis2, @margopinkerton, @faearchives, @whoisbts, @purpleseoul7, @kflixnet (if you want to be added to the taglist, lmk)

Listen to: “full time lover” by prateek kuhad

namjoon masterlist | main masterlist

It’s a sunny day in the London heat, but according to Dilara, it will rain this evening.

Kaya stares at the clouds in the distance, wondering if they are rainclouds and if they are even near enough the city to provide a respite from this heat. She will be back in Amsterdam by then, though, where the weather is more bearable.

She can hear voices from close by, of Dilara and Taehyung, of her friends, of Namjoon and Chris speaking their language in similarly deep voices. It’s somewhat comforting, but Kaya can’t seem to find it in herself to join them. In fact, she hasn’t all day, and she can’t quite figure out why. 

Taking a deep breath, she tries to retrace her steps from this morning, all the way from when she had woken up in Dilara’s guest room, cold and alone.

Her heart had jerked to such a stop that it physically hurt. The first sound out of her mouth had been something between a dry sob and a gasp. She’d sat up in an instant, realising a moment later that the cold was because the air conditioner had clearly been turned up - or that it felt that way because the warm body next to her that always ran a little too hot in the summers was no longer there.

She’d had to blink and rub her eyes before the grogginess disappeared and she was able to focus on the Rolex lying on the bedside table, followed by the Converse shoes by the closets that were definitely too big to be hers. She’d felt mildly ridiculous but given her heart was still beating rapidly and unevenly, she’d gotten off the bed and slipped on her shorts, now able to hear faint voices from outside as well.

Namjoon had been in the kitchen with Chris and Dilara, scarfing down a bowl of cereal while the three of them chatted. His face had broken out into a dimpled smile at the sight of her, easy and familiar, and he’d sort of held out one hand. For some reason, including the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach that hadn’t yet subsided, Kaya pretended as though she hadn’t seen it.

It didn’t end there. Dilara and her friends had a plan to go ice-skating and somehow, Kaya found herself and Namjoon being roped into it. To his credit, Namjoon seemed equally enthused at the prospect - but she had a feeling he could be convinced into anything at the moment. His happiness and relaxed demeanor was transparent, but it didn’t do a lot to help her discomfort disappear.

The cold interior was a welcome respite from the heat and their group of six meant that Kaya was able to distance herself from Namjoon without making it obvious. She wished she wasn’t, but it simply felt too overwhelming to be around him, as though it was opening the door to a room stuffed with feelings she had to begin making sense of.

Dilara and her friend Lexie, her trainer and a professional dancer, had taken off on the ice together, gliding like swans and seeming strangely coordinated, like they knew each other’s movements. Chris and Taehyung were far less graceful about it; the latter was dreadful, half-stomping and yelling in fear, and had to be coaxed by his girlfriend who was laughing but stayed patient, holding his hands and guiding him, while Chris outright refused to participate.

It left Kaya and Namjoon to be the average, normal skaters and when he had come over and asked if she wanted to skate together, holding out his hand, she’d found it impossible to be able to refuse.

The uncertainty didn’t go anywhere, though, not while skating, not after, when they grabbed fish and chips from a nearby vendor, and not now when they hung around by the Thames on a rare day off, eating and sipping on cold drinks.

The breeze by the river is slightly cooler; sitting on a ledge overlooking the water, Kaya tries to clear her mind.

She smells him before she hears him, the familiar cologne making her heart involuntarily skip a beat. “Hey. Is this seat taken?”

Kaya opens her eyes but doesn’t look at him; turning in his general direction, she forces a small smile and shakes her head, looking back at the water as he sits beside her.

“Are you okay?” he asks. When she simply nods, he speaks again, and his tone is slightly different. “Something on your mind?”

Too much. Now that he’s sitting beside her, she’s finding it harder than ever to look at him, afraid he’ll see everything on her face.

“Is everything -“

“Can you -“ She interrupts him and stops abruptly. “Can you… not get up in the morning and just leave like that? Maybe wake me up or - or drop a text or something?”

By his silence, she can tell that isn’t what he was expecting. “Yeah,” he says after a moment. “Sure. Sorry.”

She nods, slightly regretting her brusque tone. Her eyes look around without really seeing anything, vaguely registering people walking around on a Tuesday afternoon. For once, Namjoon doesn’t seem about them being together in public. She wonders if that’s on purpose.

“Is there anything else?” he asks gently. “Kaya… did I do something wrong? Last night?”

Kaya shakes her head. Nothing had really happened last night for anything to go wrong. They had clambered into bed, fully-clothed minus denims - she guessed he didn’t want to presume anything and was waiting for her cue. 

Somewhere in the darkness, the proximity and familiar touch and pure longing had led to her tilting her head up and finding his lips, and they’d engaged in a passionate snog session that could’ve gone all the way, had it not been for her stopping it abruptly. 

“Sorry,” she’d murmured, rolling off him and feeling his hand slide off her thigh. “I just don’t think tonight is… you know, the right…”

Namjoon had saved her from stuttering and nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “No problem,” he’d replied softly, and waited for her to settle back down before doing so himself, eventually wrapping his arms loosely around her body - comforting but not suffocating. She’d felt his semi against the small of her back and a primal part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind, but she’d restrained herself.

Now, sitting right next to him, it occurs to her how foreign the distance is between them, even if it’s barely a foot.

“Are you sure you want this?” she blurts out. 

“This, meaning… you? Like, a relationship?” He hardly waits for her to nod. “Yes. Very much. Why do you ask?”

“Because it’s just occurring to me that the only reason we’re here is because Seokjin tricked me into going to your hotel yesterday,” she says, the words suddenly flowing. “Without that… would all this have actually happened?” she asks, finally looking at him. Would you still be here?

Namjoon frowns. “I mean… honestly? Maybe not,” he admits. “But you can say that about a hundred different things. We’re here right now because everything up till this moment fell into place a certain way.”

“But would you be here?” she asks finally. “Or do you think you’d even want to, a week or a month from now? Because… Namjoon, I can’t help but feel like I - like I ambushed you,” she confesses. “I just showed up and I said a bunch of things and I caught you off guard… emotions were running very high. But once everything calms down, in a few days or a few weeks… will this still be something you want?”

His frown deepens and Kaya can tell he’s struggling not to let his incredulity show. “Is it something I want? Kaya… I can assure you, that is not something that has ever been in question.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me sooner? Why did it take me coming there and a fight to happen and - and for you to find out about the note for us to be here?”

“Because -“ He sighs. “Look, I can’t pretend I know what might have happened if you hadn’t come over yesterday. I think I was questioning my decision enough that I would’ve eventually called you, probably to apologise or definitely at least to talk. But… no, it probably wouldn’t have been last night,” he admits. “But that’s how these things work sometimes. Would we be here if you weren’t in London for work?”

Kaya turns away as he tilts his head, his logic not escaping her.

“You did not ambush me,” he clarifies firmly. “You told me a bunch of things I needed to hear and as hard as some of those things were… you were right to say them to me.”

That’s not what I’m talking about. Not exactly. But she doesn’t know how else to put it. Next to her, Namjoon takes a deep breath.

“You know, when I was on the way to the airport after you told me about the break-in,” he begins, a little hesitantly, “before I decided to write to management about the press release, I was… I was going to tell them I was terminating my contract. I didn’t,” he adds quickly, when she snaps around to look at him in shock, “but that was the initial plan.”

“Jesus, Namjoon,” she breathes, shaking her head. “When did you get such a flair for the dramatic?”

“I wasn’t trying to be dramatic,” he disagrees. “And it’s not like I would’ve stopped being a member of BTS that second. There would’ve been a discussion and meetings about it - and I was ready to have those. But I didn’t go through with it because as I was typing out the email…” He sighs. “I got a message from Jungkook asking if I knew where his socks were. And then one from Jimin asking me not to tell him. And I had no idea what they were talking about… but I knew I couldn’t do that to them.”

“Tell me about it. Please do not end your career for me,” she states, still reeling from this new information. “Christ. Those were really your only two options?”

“The point is, is that I didn’t break up with you on a whim,” he says patiently. “Obviously, I shouldn’t have done it at all, but… Kaya, it really, genuinely felt like my last resort then. So if you’re asking me if I still want to be with you? Honey, I never stopped. Okay?”

Kaya feels chest loosen slightly - but only slightly. The casual term of affection doesn’t escape her notice either; he’d only started calling her that when she’d started calling him that. Until then, it had been a lot of jagiya and sweetheart and baby - but this extremely American endearment had been new to his vocabulary then. 

When she’d mentioned to him once, when they were thousands of miles apart, that it always made her think of how her immigrant parents called each other honey, deliberately using an American term to make each other laugh, he’d suddenly started using it much more often.

“Namjoon, I…” She exhales deeply, wishing the answer would come to her - wishing the question would come to her, perfectly structured so she could get her point across but still avoid hurting him. “I get that you think that,” she says slowly, noting how his shoulders fall but powering through, “and I believe that you think that. But it’s been six months.”

“That’s really not a lot.” 

“I’m not saying your feelings have disappeared. I’m saying…” She tries but gives up almost immediately. “I’m saying that things can change in six months. And I don’t want us making such a huge decision - again - based solely on what happened last night. We’ve missed each other and we said a lot of things, but I really think we need to take a beat and think about it. Because… I can’t go through a break-up again. I just can’t. So, if you’re not one hundred percent sure… well, then this is your out.”

There’s a few seconds of silence where the sound of the river seems louder. Then, Namjoon speaks.

“I don’t need an out. I don’t want one and I don’t think it’s -”

Just then, both of them are called and they turn to see everyone starting to pile into Dilara’s Aston Martin DBX. 

“Look, just - just think about it, okay?” Kaya says, standing up and dusting herself off. When Namjoon doesn’t answer, his tongue in his cheek, she hesitantly offers her hand. Despite his visible discomfort, he takes it and even though he doesn’t apply any pressure, he keeps holding her hand until they’re at the car.

—

Namjoon follows Kaya into the guest room, slowing down a few feet behind her, and watches her gather her belongings from around the room.

“Good thing I didn’t unpack a lot,” she says lightly. “The cab should be here any minute. Thank God the college is paying for it or I’d be taking the train. Do you think you’ll still come?” she asks after a moment, sounding doubtful.

“Yeah. I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Need to book the hotel and everything,” he explains, suddenly remembering he needs to inform the team and taking out his phone.

“Joon?” 

“Yeah?”

She sighs. “Are you mad?”

“What? No,” he says honestly, lowering his phone. “Of course not. I’m just trying to understand…” He takes off the beanie he’s been wearing all day and runs a hand through his hair, letting breathe in the AC. “I know you may need time. And I’m fine with that, really. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”

Kaya purses her lips, a small smile flickering on her face. “But?”

“No but,” he says immediately. “Yet,” he begins after a moment, “I really want to understand why you think my feelings might have changed. It’s not like I moved on with my life after we broke up. I didn’t even try,” he admits. “Why is that the doubt in your mind?”

She shrugs slowly. “I don’t know. I know that you… love me, but I just need… I don’t know, some kind of reassurance. Something to show me that it’s more than the relief of getting back together.”

Namjoon frowns, something just occurring to him. “Is this the only thing that’s holding you back?” he asks curiously. “From…”

“From getting back together?” She pauses, evidently thinking. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Really? You’re not mad at me anymore?”

She takes a deep breath. “No. I was, yesterday. Very. But it’s getting too hard to stay mad at you,” she admits. “I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Something blooms in Namjoon’s chest at that, hopeful and happy, but he reins it in. 

“I love you,” he says.

He’s not imagining it; an automatic smile threatens to creep up on her face but she suppresses it. “I love you, too. But I don’t want to move forward with this - this thing in my brain, constantly questioning me. I’m sorry, I know I’m probably not making any sense,” she mutters, shaking her head and moving around the bed with her packed suitcase.

“No, come on, don’t be sorry,” he says immediately, coming to stand before her. “I really want to understand, baby - okay, let me see if I’m getting this -“ He touches her shoulders to stop her in place and clasps his hands together.

Kaya sighs but doesn’t protest, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head, clearly humouring him.

“You want to get back together - which, by the way, is music to my ears -“ he adds, his heart skipping a beat when she purses her lips in amusement, “and it’s not that you’re angry… you just aren’t sure if I’m serious about this?”

Her shoulders fall and she looks away, now seeming visibly frustrated at her inability to word it.

“I think you believe you are,” she says slowly. “But I think you think you’re supposed to. I don’t think you’ve thought this through beyond just getting back together. About what happens after getting back together.”

Something settles in Namjoon’s stomach; it’s like the feeling of hearing a bunch of demos and arrangements and knowing that a particular combination of them is the correct sound - but the challenge is to recreate in reality what is in his head.

“Okay.” He swallows, nodding. “Firstly, I hope you know that as much as I want this, I in no way want to pressure you. You can take all the time you need - I just don’t want this to be something that’s a factor in it.”

She shrugs helplessly. “How does that happen? I can’t tell my brain to stop thinking about it. There has to be a rationale behind it.”

“So… you want me to prove that I’m in this for the long haul?”

“I mean, it’s not a test. But… yeah, an indication wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

They stare at each other, both their points having been made, with the looming feeling of an impasse. Namjoon fiddles absently with the rings on his fingers, something he realises only now that he should have returned to the stylists yesterday.

“Alright.” He pokes his tongue in his cheek and takes a deep breath. “I think I get it. I just want you to know that… this is not the way I was planning to do this. Or even imagining it - like, Dilara’s guest room was nowhere in the picture. But I love you,” he repeats, “and if we do get back together, it’s my job to make sure that this isn’t something you ever doubt again, so…” He takes a step backwards and, with his heart suddenly starting to race almost as though it’s trying to catch up with his brain, he goes to kneel.

It takes almost his knee to touch the ground before Kaya seemingly catches on, her frown deepening one second and her eyes widening the next. An incoherent gasp escapes her mouth for which Namjoon is glad, for he doesn’t think he can get through this if he’s interrupted.

“Kaya Madaan, love of my life,” he says, slipping a silver ring off his middle finger, “I can try and convince you of this every single day for the rest of our lives - and I will - if you make me the happiest man on -“

“Oi, Kaya, your taxi is here - whoa, what’s wrong - oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Dilara gasps in the doorway, while Kaya is still frozen in shock before him. Namjoon feels like he’s been hit in the chest with the sudden interruption and he swallows, staring wordlessly as the door opens wider and Taehyung appears next to his girlfriend.

“What happened? What’s - oh.” Taehyung’s eyebrows disappear into his bangs and he swears in part-shock and part-awe - and in Korean, Namjoon notes somewhere in his mind.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry!” Dilara exclaims, wincing in guilt and looking at Kaya.

“Damn,” muses Taehyung, back to English, “I always thought I was going to go first.”

“What?” Dilara smacks his shoulder in horror, making him gasp and wince as he clutches his arm.

Namjoon’s brain finally snaps out of its shocked silence and he gets to his feet. “Alright, get out,” he snaps, walking over and slamming the door, hesitating for a moment before turning around to face Kaya.

“That was definitely not part of the plan,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. “Okay, where, uh, where were we? Oh, right -“ He moves to go back to his original spot, but Kaya stops him.

“Namjoon.” Her voice is still a little shaky but her grip on his shoulders is firm. “You don’t have to do that. You don’t - you shouldn’t. Not now.”

From her expression, he knows she isn’t referring to the location. He reaches up to brush his thumb against her cheek. “I really do want you to know that I - Kaya, I’m not afraid to do this. Granted, it should be more romantic, more planned - and definitely far, far away from those two. But I mean it just as much right now.”

Kaya bites her lip and even though he knows all the things wrong with this situation, she shakes her head slowly. His heart sinks unexpectedly but he hopes it doesn’t show on his face.

“Not like this,” she says softly. “We’re not there yet - on multiple fronts. But, someday… maybe.”

His chest loosens slightly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I still don’t think we should get back together this minute,” she says after a moment, waiting for Namjoon to nod. “But… come to Amsterdam tomorrow. Help me move in… maybe christen my new apartment?”

He half-chuckles. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to -“

“I know. And… you did.” She gives him a small smile when he meets her eyes. “This was not what I had in mind when you said prove,” she says, giving him a look, “but I think it did the job. But… God, Joon, what would you have done if I’d said yes?” 

He takes a deep breath and shrugs. “Well, for starters, I would get you an actual ring.” He slips the ring back onto his finger, the metal feeling cold in the AC. “And told Big Hit that as my legal spouse, they fly you back and forth to wherever I am.” He pauses. “You know, I think I’m going to do that anyway.”

Kaya raises her eyebrows. “You can do that?”

“Yeah. I think so. If you’re my significant other on paper - and, yeah, there will be a paper,” he adds, slightly apologetically. “But they can afford it.”

“Well, you are a shareholder,” she points out. “But you know what? If you manage to swing that, I’ll take it.”

He squints. “You have never let me pay for a ticket in three years. I had to convert it into a birthday gift for the Rome trip.”

“Take the win, honey,” she murmurs, reaching up and kissing him. Namjoon almost sighs when he feels his chest relax and his stomach unclench with worry. Pulling her closer by the waist, he kisses her back, every cell in his body cherishing the moment.

“You have no idea how much I love you,” he mumbles into her shoulder when they pull away into a hug. 

“I may have an idea,” she replies, equally softly, tightening her arms around his shoulders. 

There’s a knock on the door. “Er… I don’t mean to interrupt,” comes Dilara’s voice, sounding extremely hesitant, “but the security guard just called me to say your taxi is still waiting.”

“Shit, I’m going to miss my flight,” mutters Kaya, immediately stepping away and fumbling for her suitcase and bag. Namjoon tries not to be disappointed as he takes her suitcase from her and wheels it to the front door, waiting while she pulls on her shoes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promises when she stands up again. “Call me when you land?”

“I will.” She reaches up to give him another quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading out, tucking her long hair behind her ear and calling the lift. Namjoon watches until the lift arrives and she steps in, blowing him a kiss as the doors close.

Missing her already, he trudges inside and shuts the front door behind him to see Taehyung and Dilara surreptitiously staring from where they are on the sofa.

“I’m going to kill you two.”

—

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to drop a review :)

[realestate1223]

Prateek Yamuna Expressway | Investment For Luxury Homes

Introduction

Prateek Yamuna Expressway offers an exceptional living experience with its luxurious 3 and 4 BHK apartments, located in the rapidly developing Sector 22D of Greater Noida. Contemporary design, excellent building, and a wide range of modern amenities make this prestigious residential project by Prateek Group an excellent choice for people who want to live a high-class life.

Project Overview

Each flat is intended to make the maximum of space, natural light and airflow, so the general feeling is mild and ethereal. Aesthetically captivating finishes, present-day furnishings and stylish interiors make those homes a haven of consolation and comfort. Included in the project are a swimming pool, exercising middle, landscaped gardens, children's play regions and a clubhouse, all of which might be designed to assist residents in living a balanced existence.

Prime Location

Because it is strategically placed along the Yamuna Expressway, the Prateek Yamuna Expressway In Greater Noida makes it easy to get to big cities like Noida, Delhi, and Agra. Good access to important businesses and landmarks is guaranteed by this excellent location. In just 20 kilometers, Aligarh Airport is located, making it easy to travel by air. Within 2 kilometers of Kumarpal Saraswat Public School, this area is perfect for families with school-age children. You can easily get to many places from the Shahadgarhi Palkheda Cut toll station, which is only 5 kilometers away.

Master Plan

Thoughtful urban planning and creative design can be seen in this property master plan. For a healthy and balanced living environment, the project includes large green areas, landscaped gardens and well-planned infrastructure. It is perfect for families to grow because the plan of the apartment blocks provides privacy and peace.

Investment Potential

With its great location, high-end services and high market demand, Prateek Yamuna Expressway Greater Noida is a smart investment. Growing Greater Noida quickly and being strategically placed next to the Yamuna Expressway make this project a good business chance.

Green Living

By using eco-friendly materials and methods, this project promotes long-term life. A better and more environmentally friendly way of life is encouraged by the project's energy-saving features, rainwater collection and large green areas. The green and peaceful atmosphere is good for the residents health.

Conclusion

Lastly, the apartments at Prateek Yamuna Expressway in Ram Nagla, Uttar Pradesh 281205, are the right mix of luxury, comfort, and ease of use. Along with its strong investment potential and dedication to green living, the project well-thought-out master plan and easy access to important landmarks like Aligarh Airport, Kumarpal Saraswat Public School and Shahadgarhi Palkheda Cut toll plaza make it an ideal choice for people looking for a luxurious way of life in Greater Noida.

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Top Real Estate Companies in Noida — Blogger Kunal

Noida, a thriving center of real estate activity in India, hosts numerous reputable real estate firms that are shaping the landscape of the property market. With its strategic location, modern infrastructure, and rapid development, Noida attracts both investors and homebuyers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most renowned real estate companies in Noida, highlighting their contributions to the city’s growth and showcasing their standout projects that have made an impact in the industry. Whether you’re considering investment opportunities, looking to buy a property, or simply interested in Noida real estate market, these companies are worth keeping an eye on for their innovation, reliability, and commitment to excellence.

Read More: Top Real Estate Developers In Haryana

Godrej Properties

Godrej Properties Limited, based in Mumbai, needs no introduction as one of the leading groups in the real estate sector. With over 127 years of legacy, Godrej Properties has built its reputation on expertise, trust, and a commitment to cutting-edge design and technology. The company specializes in creating environments that enhance daily life, one neighborhood, family, and home at a time. With numerous accolades such as the Aon NASSCOM DEI Champions Award 2023 and the Golden Peacock Award 2022, Godrej Properties is synonymous with high-quality products, customer satisfaction, trust, and a stress-free lifestyle.

Read More: Best Real Estate Developers In Pune

Eldeco Group

Established in 1985, Eldeco Group is another prominent developer in Noida. With a strong presence in various regional cities including Noida, Greater Noida, Lucknow, and Kanpur, the group boasts vast experience and a flawless track record. With over 175 premier projects spanning townships, retail centers, office buildings, and high-rise residences, Eldeco Group has earned a reputation for excellence in both commercial and residential properties.

Read More: Most Famous Real Estate Companies In Noida

Prateek Group

Prateek Group stands out for its opulent residential and commercial developments in Noida over the past decade. Founded by Prashant Kr. Tiwari, a civil engineer and first-generation entrepreneur, the group is known for setting new standards in the real estate industry. With a focus on commitment and transparency, Prateek Group has garnered accolades like the Best Affordable Residential Property award at the 7th Real Estate Summit Cum Excellence Awards. For those seeking a developer attuned to market dynamics and client needs, Prateek Group is an ideal choice.

Read More: Best Real Estate Companies In Gurugram

ATS Infrastructure Limited

ATS Infrastructure Limited ranks among the top real estate developers in Noida with over 16 years of experience in crafting premium properties. Led by Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Getamber Anand, ATS Greens combines creativity with beautiful designs, ensuring high-quality products and customer satisfaction. With a portfolio encompassing over 166 residential buildings and 150 commercial complexes, ATS Infrastructure Limited is synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship, creative concepts, and a commitment to client-centricity.

Read More: Best Residential Properties For Sale In Kharadi Pune

Bhutani Infra

Bhutani Infra is a renowned real estate development company known for its innovative projects and timely delivery. With a focus on cutting-edge technologies and unique offerings, Bhutani Infra has set new standards in the industry since its inception in 1996. With a reputation for creativity, quality, and on-time delivery, Bhutani Infra stands as a reliable choice for those seeking properties developed by reputable firms.

These are just a few of the top 5 real estate developers in Noida, each contributing uniquely to the city’s evolving landscape. Whether it’s residential, commercial, or mixed-use developments, these firms continue to shape Noida’s real estate market with their vision, expertise, and commitment to excellence.

Read More: Top 10 Real Estate Developers In Ghaziabad

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The Venkateshwara Group of Institutions organized an orientation program for the senior students.

Venkateshwara Group of Institutions Meerut conducted an orientation program for the 2nd year students and above.

The purpose was to inform them about college rules and other available facilities.

The Venkateshwara Group Founder President Dr Sudhir Giri, Pro Chancellor Dr Rajeev Tyagi & the Campus Director Dr Pratap Singh inaugurated the event by lighting a lamp to Goddess Saraswati.

Dr. Sudhir Giri, the Founder President of the Venkateshwara Group, congratulated the students and extended his best wishes for a successful and bright future. 

The Campus Director, Dr Pratap Singh, emphasized that discipline is most important for everyone’s life, because only those people succeed who lead a disciplined life.

Dr. Pratap Singh, the Campus Director, offered valuable guidance for arranging the orientation program. He was joined by Dr. Abhishek Swami, the Academic Dean, and HODs, Mr. Lalit Kumar and Dr. Kiran Tomar. 

The Academic Dean, Dr. Abhishek Swami, T & P Head Ms. Alka Singh, Hods, Chief Proctor Mr. Abhinav Rana & the Librarian Mr. Kuldeep Yadav also addressed the gathering.

During the orientation program, the students showcased four cultural performances, with Nishant, Rakhi, Lovely, and others captivating the audience with their dazzling acts. 

Our dedicated faculty members worked hard to make this event a grand success.

They include Garima Sharma, Kanan Abid, Mona, Poonam, Geeta, Ritu Joshi, Archana Siwach, Piyush Prateek, and Himanshu Goswami.

Through this orientation program, students had the chance to familiarize themselves with the college’s operational processes and resources, enabling them to better equip themselves for the upcoming academic session. 

Those present included the Registrar Mr. Manoj Bhatia, Mr. Deepak Kumar, Mr. Brajpal Singh, Pradeep Bhardwaj, Gaurav, Ravi & the Media Incharge Mr. Vishwas Rana among others.

[readytomoveflatsdelhincr]

In Noida's Sector 150, Prateek Canary is a new housing society with flats for sale. Prateek Canary, a development by Prateek Group, is intended to meet the expectations of prospective homeowners by offering all the necessary features and conveniences. Covering an area of 12.55 acres, the project will include 9 buildings with 28 stories apiece, offering 664 units in total. A mini theater, a swimming pool, and a well-kept garden are among the amenities. With registration number UPRERAPRJ591510, the project is registered under RERA.

[blogtozone]

Kasoor Piano Notes | Prateek Kuhad

Kasoor Piano Notes

Notes :-  Haan Main Gumsum Hu C5 D4# C5 A4# G4# F4 Inn Raahon Ki Tarah D4# C5 A4# G4# G4 G4 Te-Re Khwabon Mein C5 C5 A4# G4# F4 Teri Khwahishon Mein Chhupa D4# C5 D5# A4# G4# G4 G4 Na Jaane Kyun C5# C5# C5 A4# G4 Hai Ye Roz Ka Silsila G4# A4# C5 D5# A4# C5 G4# F4 Tu Rooh Ki Hai Dastaan G4# G4# G4 F4 F4 F4 C5 A4# Tere Zulfon Ki Ye Nami G4# A4# C5 D5# A4 C5 G4# F4 Teri Aankhon Ka Yeh Nasha G4# G4 F4 G4# A4# G4 F4 D4# Yahaan Kho Bhi Jaun Toh Main G4# A4# C5 D5# A4 C5 G4# F4 Kya Kasoor Hai Mera G4# G4 F4 G4# A4# G4 G4# G4#

About Song :-

"Kasoor" is a song by Indian singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad. It was released as a single on August 21, 2020, and is featured on his third album, Shehron Ke Raaz, which was released in 2021. The song is a slow, melancholic ballad about love and loss. The lyrics describe the singer's feelings of guilt and regret over a failed relationship. The song is set to a simple, guitar-driven melody that perfectly captures the singer's emotional state. The song was accompanied by a music video, which was directed by Dar Gai Empathetic Producers. The video features a group of people from all walks of life, each dealing with their own personal struggles. The video is a powerful and moving portrayal of the human condition. "Kasoor" was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its heartfelt lyrics, melancholic melody, and moving music video. The song was also a popular choice for weddings and other special occasions. Here are some of the lyrics from the song: Haan, mai gumsum hoon In raahon ki tarah Tere khwabon mei Teri khwahishon mei chhupa Na jaane kyun Hai ye roz ka silsila Tu rooh ki hai dastaan (Chorus) Kya kasoor hai mera Kyunk ye afsaane In lamhon mei kho gaye Hum ghaayal the In lafzon mei kho gaye The hum anjaane Ab dil mei tum ho chhupi The song is a beautiful and moving expression of love and loss. It is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the pain of a failed relationship. Read the full article