Hibernation Point pardesi, pardesi, jaana nahin

she returned his look, with interest. a cheeky grin hid in the corners of his mouth, cloaked by geniality. old he might be, but he was still a man, and she still a woman—and a beautiful woman, too, even with myriad scars and the strange black-and-white markings.

i try not to plan, aditya replied, shrugging. i go wherever and whenever the wind takes me.

true enough, though it was a very poetic way of describing his utter lack of commitment. maybe she'd understand, though.

not yet, but i might. putting down roots was harder than one usually anticipated. aditya, he introduced himself, with a graceful sweep of his tail. and you? his hawkish gaze lingered on her face, watching every twitch of the muscles there, and the feeling in her eyes.