Originally posted by: teddybear67
Read all three drabbles at once... Amazing!!! 👍🏼 The third one was so cute. Innocent Vrushika & exasperated Shantanu 😛 Please do continue this series & post more and more Vrushan/Swaron works. Love your writing...it keeps the reader engaged and hooked to the story ❤️
Originally posted by: nidhi.nidsnicks
poor shan
honeymoon are for eating and long naps🤣epic🤣do write more...
Perspicuous
***
With everything being as it is now
We should be together
There's no one else to say my name, the way you knew how
To make it all seem better'
Jeremy Silver, Lonely World
***
In the lead up to Valentine's Day, Shantanu found himself featuring in a variety of Valentines' themed interviews and events. Somehow, Vrushika's bright, excited eyes and vibrant laughter made the otherwise obnoxious pink and red scheme more bearable, but Shantanu tried doggedly not to dwell on that sentiment too long.
On the morning of aforementioned day, Shantanu woke up to find his apartment eerily quiet. His parents had caught the red-eye to Kolkata the night before for a family function and so he had his apartment to himself for the entire weekend. Considering a lazy day at home, he lounged around on the sofa watching breakfast TV for a while, before deciding he was utterly bored with all the ridiculous Valentine's Day Specials that every single channel seemed to be airing.
The silence was eating away at him - it reminded him of the obvious absence in his life. The staggering irony stared at him in the face, but he was never one to sit back and muse on his shortcomings. It was the emptiness that was bothering him, and he had the perfect solution to his problem. He laced up his runners and took to the streets. It was still fairly early, but the roads were busy. Jogging through the winding streets, he felt himself uncharacteristically unfocused. As much as he enjoyed his alone time, Shantanu wondered what his friends were doing today and so he took his phone and dialled his best friend's number.
Macedon picked up on the third ring. "I can't talk," he hissed through the phone. "I'm already in the dog house."
"What have you done now?" Shantanu replied, already amused. He had to really concentrate to hear his friend, who was speaking in hushed tones. The loud background noise didn't help matters either.
"I forgot Valentine's Day." Maccy whispered darkly.
"How could you possibly forget?" Shantanu asked his best friend in disbelief. "It's only the most over-hyped day of the year, and besides your girlfriend has been harping on about it for the last two weeks. What are you going to do now?"
"I'm supposed to be buying movie tickets," Maccy sighed. "She's gone to powder her nose."
"What are you watching?" Shantanu asked, strolling down his street, grinning at the roadside peddlers who tried to sell him gifts for his non-existent lover.
"What do you think?" He said, irate. "Sam's making me watch Fifty Shades of Grey."
There was a moment of silence as Shantanu processed what he had just been told.
"Hello...hello Shan? Are you still there?" Maccy asked urgently.
Shantanu snorted with laughter, "this is epic."
"Stop laughing! The fate of my relationship hangs in the balance." Maccy growled, before suddenly sounding panicked, "Oh shit, she's coming! I better go." He hung up hastily, before his girlfriend found him whining on his phone.
Pocketing away his phone, Shantanu decided to jog down to the park near his apartment complex. As he rounded the corner, still laughing to himself about his best friend's predicament, Shantanu noticed a distinctive head of long dark waves far off in the distance. She was sitting on a park bench in the far most corner, under the shade of a large oak tree.
Slowing down near the park, Shantanu thought it was a strange coincidence that he would run into her today. They lived on opposite sides of the town, and he wondered what she could possibly be doing here. He wondered if she was meeting someone - the thought unsettled him, made him anxious. But there was no use standing around and guessing at possibilities. She was too much fun to annoy, and such an opportune moment was not one to be passed up.
Grinning at the prospect of frivolity, Shantanu snuck up behind her as stealthily as he could. "Got stood up by your boyfriend?"
Almost jumping in surprise, she turned around fast to see Shantanu leaning casually against a tree, with his trademark smirk in place. "God! Don't scare me like that!" Vrushika snapped at him, "and for your information, I was waiting for Bharat."
"Don't tell me you're dating Bharat now?" He joked, an unexpected surge of relief rushing through him. It was too much fun teasing her. She got riled up so quickly and it was always entertaining until the waterworks began. But he wouldn't let it get to that stage today.
She looked mortified, "I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that. That's sick. He's the same age as my younger brother." Once the horror wore off, she looked back at him inquisitively, "Why are you so interested in my love life, anyway?"
"I'm not," he protested quickly, far too quickly for his liking. Straightening, he tried to cover up his faux pas with a practiced look of disinterest. "Don't flatter yourself."
She raised an eyebrow at him, "what are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be celebrating Valentine's Day?" She tried not to sound bitter, but ever since Shantanu had been in that episodic with the other actress, she had mixed feelings. It wasn't like she owned him, so her irrational anxiety was unfounded. It wasn't like she was in love with him or anything - it was just weird seeing your onscreen boyfriend with another woman in a different show.
"Valentine's Day," Shantanu snorted, "is nothing more than a commercial hoax."
The Gujrati in Vrushika was quick to correct him, "a rather profitable commercial hoax, you mean."
Slumping down onto the park bench next to her, Shantanu rolled his eyes, "do you only ever think about profit?"
"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly, "of course not! I think about what I'm going to do with my profit as well."
Shantanu groaned and slapped his forehead with his palm. What was he going to do with this girl?
Vrushika grinned at him. She loved getting on his nerves as much as he enjoyed pulling her leg. The familiarity of their banter was comforting. Together in companionable silence, they watched lovers walk hand in hand. There was something reassuring about being there together, for Shantanu didn't feel so lonely anymore and Vrushika didn't feel as lost.
It was Vrushika who broke the silence after a while. "Okay, let's move," she announced suddenly, looking alert. "There are a group of girls hiding behind that tree, pointing at us."
More often than not, Vrushika was known to have her head in the clouds. She was undeniably a dreamer - she liked to hope and dream of the impossible, of the sublime and surreal that had no real bearings and yet meant the world to her. But of course, Vrushika was also far more observant than what people gave her credit for. She often missed things right under her nose, but she also had the uncanny ability to spot the needle in the haystack.
"They're probably just curious," Shantanu shrugged, giving her a sidelong glance as he stood up. "We're not that famous, you know."
Vrushika's cheeks visibly darkened, but still she held her ground. "I'm not taking any risks. The next thing you know, our photos will be all over the internet and people will be talking about how we spent Valentine's Day together and there'll be this huge thing..." She was flailing her arms around, looking more and more frantic by the second.
"I see you're as eloquent as ever," he snapped, as he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her along with him, far away from prying eyes. He didn't know why he felt so offended that she was embarrassed to be seen with him out in public.
"And you're as hot headed as ever," Vrushika chided. After spending almost every day together for the last two years, she could pick up on his feelings just by reading his expression and she knew he was annoyed, by the way his face had darkened. "Stop taking it so personally. I just don't want to fuel the rumour mill. People say enough about us as it is. If it were true, then that would be another thing but because it's not - let's not fan the flames."
"Wait..." Shantanu stopped in his tracks, staring at her in surprise, "do you want it to be true?"
"Want what to be true?" Vrushika demanded impatiently. They were standing in the middle of the road, and even though it was fairly vacant, she thought she heard giggling somewhere close by.
Shantanu pulled her behind a tree. With her back against the tree and him facing her, they were standing toe to toe, but neither noticed their precarious position. "You know what," he said exasperatedly, then continued when she looked back at him blankly. "Do you want people to know that we're dating?"
"But we're not dating." She stated simply, solely focused on avoiding the gang of girls who appeared in the clearing and seemed to be searching for them.
"Do you want to though?" He blurted out, without thinking.
Vrushika's eyes drastically widened, as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. "Are you asking me out?"
"No," Shantanu said quickly. "No. I'm just trying to get our stories straight."
"Right," Vrushika nodded in agreement, "in that case, no I don't want people to think of us as a couple because we aren't one." She pushed at his chest, catching him off guard and effectively manoeuvred her way out.
"Oh." Somehow, her answer didn't settle well with him. It wasn't like he was expecting a declaration of undying love, but her simple, blunt reply left him unsatisfied, almost bereft.
"Hey Shantanu!" Vrushika exclaimed loudly all of sudden, completely forgetting about being inconspicuous. "There's a gelato cafe over there!"
He looked over to where she was pointing excitedly, and true to her word, a cosy little cafe boasting the city's most exotic gelato flavours, was tucked away in a quiet corner. "So?"
"What do you mean, so?" Vrushika looked at him in disbelief, before grabbing his hand and pulling him with her as she tenaciously marched towards the cafe. "We're going to eat gelato."
"Do I get a say in this?" He sighed dramatically, letting himself be hurled into the shop by Vrushika, but she wasn't paying attention to him.
She was already at the counter with hearts in her eyes as she took inventory of all the different flavours on offer. It took her forever to decide, but she finally made her choice when she heard him pointedly clearing his throat behind her. With a heavy heart, she pointed at the marbled rich orange and cream in the corner. For the sake of novelty, she sacrificed the several decadent chocolate flavours on offer.
"I'll get the Mango Macadamia please," Vrushika requested. She wanted to try something new; she didn't want to be predictable.
"Just a plain vanilla, thanks," Shantanu asked politely. Vanilla was good. Vanilla was safe.
Vrushika rolled her eyes next to him, "typical."
He scowled at her, but did not reply, more interested in scrutinizing the artsy interiors of the shop.
Suddenly, he felt a slender arm looping through his and a wonderful warmth pressed up against his side. He whipped his head around to find Vrushika leaning into him, holding his arm tightly and nuzzling a cheek into his shoulder.
Before he even had any time to react, Vrushika was smiling sweetly at the girl behind the counter, "that'll be in the couple's special please."
"Of course," the shop assistant agreed, not even noticing Shantanu's slack jawed expression. "You must be a couple. You're even wearing matching outfits," she babbled happily.
"Oh yes. That must be the reason," Shantanu muttered sarcastically under his breath.
Furtively, he gave Vrushika a quick once-over. Oddly enough, they were colour coordinated. He was wearing a white polo shirt with faded blue jeans and white sneakers. Vrushika was wearing a white button-down tunic top with light blue tapered denims and white flats. It was purely a coincidence, and it was ludicrous to assume that they were a couple just because they were wearing similar outfits.
"You make a gorgeous couple by the way," the girl gushed, gazing at them admiringly. They were both so tall and fair, and attractive.
"Thank you," Vrushika replied graciously, looking immensely pleased with herself.
Shantanu on the other hand, was entirely perplexed. He couldn't place Vrushika's motives for putting on such an act. She wasn't a manipulative girl. In fact, he could wager that she didn't have a single deceptive bone in her body and yet, here she was making a mockery out of them for no apparent purpose.
When the girl turned around to punch the amount into the register, Vrushika took the opportunity to knock some sense into the man. "Stop gaping like a fish," Vrushika hissed into his ear as she elbowed him hard. "Are you an actor or not? Close your mouth and pretend you're in love with me!"
Shantanu was bewildered, "But why?"
For a baffling instant, she thought that he was asking her why he needed to pretend - as in, there was some genuine feeling hiding somewhere beneath the cool, composed surface. But she quickly brushed that thought away. It was Shantanu - he couldn't possibly mean it like that. He was far too noble and gentlemanly to think of her in any non-platonic way.
Brushing off the strange, sudden surge of disappointment, she pointed at a glossy poster on the back wall. "It's 100 rupees per gelato, which is ridiculous for one scoop of ice-cream. If we get the couple's special, then it's 165.40 rupees for both. That's a seventeen point three per cent discount!"
Shantanu stared at her for a long moment. It wasn't complicated maths, but he was still surprised that Vrushika managed to work it out so quickly in her head. She never failed to amaze him.
"What?!" Vrushika snapped, annoyed by his intense look of awe, "I'm good at consumer arithmetic okay?"
"I suppose, you have to be good at something," he sniped into her ear, taking advantage of their closeness to get back at her with a well-timed barb.
Vrushika glared at him, still gripping his arm tightly. She opened her mouth to retort when the girl turned back to them with their order.
"That'll be 165.40 rupees please."
"My boyfriend will get that," Vrushika smiled innocently.
***
continued below...
Perspicuous | Part II
***
Vrushika had always been an animated eater when the food of choice was confectionery, but as much as she enjoyed her sugary treats, it was torture for those who watched her. Unintentionally, she made eating one of the most sensuous experiences for those around her, and Shantanu cursed his luck, as his gelato laid forgotten beside him while he watched Vrushika, mesmerised.
As she savoured her gelato, Vrushika didn't even notice his intense gaze, or the way his eyes had darkened. She happily swayed on the swings in the playground, unbothered by the loud chatter of children. "This is so good," her eyes fluttered shut, as she diligently sucked her spoon clean.
Groaning internally, Shantanu desperately tried to look away, but it was futile. He had never seen someone eat ice-cream the way that she did - with so much dedication and appreciation. Every time, her tiny pink tongue would poke out to catch her spoon between her lush lips, he felt a jolt of wet heat in the pit of his stomach. His own vanilla gelato, as creamy and delectable as it was, seemed pale in comparison to whatever she was devouring.
If he wasn't so occupied with watching her, he would have seen the danger coming her way far sooner. He felt it before he saw it though. There was a shift in the air, and then the cries and squeals of children as the basketball came hurling at them.
"Vrushika, move!" He cried out, pushing at her shoulders swiftly.
She moved her head back in the nick of time, but the ball made contact with her cup and with a loud splatter, her gelato trickled through the grass.
There was a moment of silence as the little boy quickly retrieved his ball and scampered off back to his friends without so much as an apology. Shantanu started laughing, not at her, but at the situation. It was kind of funny when the shock wore off.
"I want another one!" Vrushika demanded childishly, pouting. "Shantanu, I need another cup."
His laughter eventually ceased when he noticed the devastated look on her face. Sighing, he held out his cup, "here, have mine."
She curled her nose in distaste and pushed away his offering. "No way."
Now he was offended. They shared food all the time. He couldn't figure out for the life of him, why she would refuse to eat his gelato. "Why not?"
"Because that's vanilla," Vrushika protested, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "and you know I don't like vanilla. Can you please get me another one?" She batted her eyelashes at him.
He averted his eyes quickly. Her big round eyes made him weak. "And now, you're just channelling Sharon."
"You and I both know that Sharon would never say please." Vrushika pointed out astutely.
"True," he nodded.
"So in the spirit of me saying please, will you please buy me another one," she gave him her best puppy dog look. "Make sure you stay out of plain sight!" She called after him.
He never could say no to her. No man could possibly be immune to her childish charm; he thought grimly, minutes later when he found himself back in the gelato cafe.
"My girlfriend dropped her gelato," he told the same clerk sheepishly. "Can I get another one please?" He pulled his wallet out, smiling for no apparent reason. There was something fulfilling, calling her his girlfriend - something warm, and welcoming, and oddly right.
"Here," the girl smiled at him, "she'll like this one." She handed over a cup with orange and yellow swirling gelato. "It's not the same flavour, but I know she'll love it."
"Thanks," he reached out to pay her, but she only smiled and shook her head. "Please," Shantanu tried to push the money into her hands, "I insist. I can't just accept this for free."
"It's on the house," she beamed. "You guys are too cute. Enjoy your Valentine's Day."
After several more failed attempts at paying her, Shantanu thanked her again and left with a smile. He retraced his path back through the quiet cobblestone alleys towards the playground in the park. When he wandered back to the swings where he had left her, he found it empty. She was gone.
He looked around the park and found it empty, save for the few children who were playing and the odd dog walker, who appeared now and then. It wasn't like Vrushika to simply disappear without a word, and Shantanu started to feel the panic mount as time passed and there was no sign of her.
He often lost his cool in such circumstances, which tended to cause more damage and so he tried to stay calm as he called Vrushika with one hand, while balancing her ice-cream cup in the other. As if on cue, he heard a phone ringing somewhere nearby and even though his call went unanswered, he felt as though she was close to him - somewhere in his periphery, but still out of sight.
Then, at the sound of sweet, familiar laughter, Shantanu looked up to see Vrushika in the distance, on the other side of the park. She was standing near a light post in the car park, rummaging through her back. Waves of relief rippled down his spine until he noticed that she wasn't alone. As he quietly approached them, he saw Vrushika chatting animatedly with a clear eyed young man with a handsome smile, who looked to be evidently enamoured with her. It only took one glance at the man, to understand that he was in the early stages of infatuation and as much as it frustrated Shantanu, he also felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for him. It couldn't be helped, for Vrushika naturally had that effect on people. She was akin to gravity, she drew people in.
Vrushika flashed him a charming smile, which clearly made him blush beetroot red. She found it endearing. He was chivalrous and funny, and shy, not at all forthcoming like most of the boys she was acquainted with. He reminded her of someone familiar, only she couldn't put her finger on who exactly.
Suddenly she felt a strong arm wrapping around her waist and she turned instantly, to find herself nose to nose with Shantanu. Gasping at the suddenness of his action, she quickly tried to put space between them, but it was useless. Shantanu was lean, but strong.
"There you are," Shantanu smiled at her. "I was looking all over you." He brushed her hair out of her face, and was pleased by the way her cheeks grew warm and her breathing became shallower at his proximity.
"I ... I was right here all the time," she stammered, still surprised and unsure of what was happening.
"I guess I just didn't see you," he whispered back, dark eyes meeting hers.
With her long hair blowing in the wind, cheeks flushed a delightful pink from the chill, Vrushika was captivating. There was something ethereal, something pure and untouchable about her that only served to tempt him more.
Like always, their moment was ephemeral. The spell was quickly broken by the sound of the man clearing his throat awkwardly. He looked uncomfortable as Shantanu appraised him critically.
"Oh hello," Shantanu smiled with a mocked pleasantness at the disgruntled young man. "I didn't even see you there."
"That's alright," he replied, accepting his proffered hand. He wasn't surprised by the firm handshake he received. It only reinforced the territorial display that he was being treated to. "I'm Aaryan. I saw her alone and she looked bored. I thought she could use some company."
"There was a dog," Vrushika confessed sheepishly. "You know how scared I am of dogs."
"I do," Shantanu sympathised. His grip tightened around Vrushika's waist, giving her a reassuring squeeze before slowly, deliberately sliding to her back.
Staring at him in wide eyed wonder, Vrushika thought she was going to faint when she felt the hand on her back press down more firmly against her. The heat of his body against hers made her nervous with anticipation, but she couldn't move away from him either. She focused all her attention on her feet, and desperately willed herself not to blush.
Through the thin cotton of her top, his fingers traced across the ridges and bumps of her spine - slowly, meaningfully, almost as if he was cataloguing each dip and hollow to his memory. When she shivered against him, he felt a pure male surge of satisfaction at having been the one to elicit such a reaction from her.
"Thank you for looking after her," Shantanu spoke sincerely now. He was grateful that someone had been watching out for Vrushika when he wasn't there, but he also knew that there was no use in giving the man false hopes. Aaryan had less than a snowball's chance against Hades with Vrushika. "We really should be going now. It looks like it might rain."
"It was nice to meet you," Aaryan smiled at Vrushika kindly, but Shantanu could read the longing and the disappointment in his eyes.
"You too," Shantanu replied quickly before Vrushika could say anything. He didn't want to give them the opportunity to mingle longer than necessary.
Confused by Shantanu's actions, Vrushika smiled back weakly, watching Aaryan as he retreated. He turned back to wave at her, and she waved back.
"If you're done staring, maybe we can get a move on," Shantanu said snidely, finally handing over the gelato cup.
"What was that?" Vrushika demanded; tone harsh as she jerked away from him.
"A taste of your own medicine," he replied darkly. "What happened to staying out of plain sight'?"
"We were just shaking hands," Vrushika mumbled, trailing after him, embarrassed by her outburst and the fact that she had been caught staring. She felt sad; she hadn't even thanked him properly. She couldn't understand why Shantanu was behaving the way that he was. He was never so rude or overbearing. She hoped it wasn't something, she'd said or done.
"Of course, you were," he replied cynically and immediately felt awful as her face fell. It was peculiar, but the sight of her downtrodden face made him feel miserable. It didn't make any sense to him at all, but he knew that he didn't want to see her disappointed. Seeing her quiet and upset, made his anger diffuse in seconds.
He nudged her gently in the ribs, "aren't you going to try it?" He gestured at the untouched gelato in her hands.
As easily distracted as a child, Vrushika instantly brightened at the thought of her ice-cream. Tentatively she dipped her spoon in and scooped some of the melting yellow ice-cream out. "It's so good," Vrushika moaned, her eyes rolling back into her head as she relished her treat. It was past lunch time, but she couldn't care the least. As far as she was concerned, this was food made for royalty.
Captivated by her yet again, he wondered what flavour it was, for Vrushika seemed enamoured with her ice-cream. Half in-mind to ask for a taste, he leaned down closer toward her.
"Don't even think about it," she scowled, when she caught him leaning towards her. She clutched the cup close to her chest. "It's too good to share."
"Hey, I went all the way back to that cafe for you! I think I deserve a spoon," Shantanu protested, lunging at her cup.
Vrushika quickly hid it behind her back. "Sharing wasn't condition!"
"It's not a condition," he agreed easily, "but it is a courtesy."
While they bickered persistently, pushing and shoving immaturely like toddlers, they failed to notice a pair of small eyes watching them intently. It wasn't until the pair almost knocked him over, did they realise that they were being observed by a curious child. It was the same little boy who had earlier knocked down Vrushika's gelato with his ball. He stared forlornly at the cup in her hands, eyes shining with longing.
When she realised what he was staring at so wistfully, Vrushika smiled at him kindly, beckoning him closer. Then, much to Shantanu's surprise, she handed the little boy her cup, and ruffled his hair affectionately.
The boy flashed a dimpled smile and swiftly hugged her legs in gratitude, "thank you."
"You're welcome," she smiled, "now you better get back before your parents start looking for you."
Shantanu watched in silent amazement as the boy ran off, still smiling. Vrushika raised an eyebrow at Shantanu as if daring him to comment or pass a joke, but he was too surprised to respond with anything remotely witty. Though, he shouldn't really be surprised because it was common knowledge that Vrushika adored kids. But thinking back to all the drama that had happened in the caf, and the fact that she had even lied, (albeit a small white lie), to save money, made watching her hand over her beloved ice-cream to a little boy, bewildering but special. It tugged at something foreign within him.
She was a shrewd saver, but at the same time, kind and generous. Vrushika was a woman of contradictions.
Despite being friends, and dance partners for so long, Vrushika managed to mystify him in a way that no other person did. There was still so much to learn about her - so many layers to unravel, so much to discover, but at the same time, he felt like he had known her for lifetimes. Like he was only beginning to rediscover her from some other time, or perhaps another existence.
Dancing was a form of intimacy - whether or not it was deliberate or rather, desired was debatable. Having been partners for two years now, it was like their senses, their bodies were attuned to one another. There was something remarkable about the way their bodies fit together. Like they were made to fit. Like two halves of a whole, only complete with each other.
He knew that she was ticklish behind her knees and that her wrists were delicate and needed to be held gently. She had a mole on the side of her neck and three faint ones in a line on her cheek. Shantanu knew that his hand on her bare back made her shiver, but his fingers on her stomach made her break into gooseflesh. He knew the heat of her breath, just like he knew the curve of her waist.
So he knew that she didn't mind when he held her hand and led her across the broken bridge over the river and to the other side. He knew that she was grateful, no matter how much she complained about his hand being cold and clammy against her warm skin.
For a while they wandered in circles, through dusty streets that seemed to lead nowhere, engaged in their never ending banter. It was well past three in the afternoon when the sky quickly darkened. They had completely lost track of time. With storm clouds rumbling in the sky, they sought refuge under an empty gazebo, but as fate would have it, the sudden downpour soaked them metres before they could rush under cover.
With a sudden flash of lightning, and loud crack of thunder, a drenched Vrushika had her face buried in Shantanu's chest. Rigid from the numbing cold, he felt the blood rushing through his veins as Vrushika clutched at him desperately. As his arms slowly wrapped around her, he felt her trembling against him.
The rain was both a fading memory and a distant promise. With her shivering in his arms, Shantanu recalled their passionate moment under the shower as Swayum and Sharon. They had both objected vehemently to doing the scene, but under the coercion of their production house and inevitably bound by contract, they were forced into the shower, with Vrushika in a thin chenille bath towel.
If he wasn't so fiercely preoccupied with guarding her against the curious, lecherous male gazes of the camera and production team, he would have kissed her. The attraction between them was undeniable, and in the heat of the moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless. There was no use lying.
He wanted to kiss her then. He still wanted to kiss her now. To hell with consequences.
As he drew closer, his arms wrapped tight around her and the heat of his breath warming her cheekbone, Vrushika felt faint. Terrified about what was happening, what was about to happen, she wanted to break away from his hold. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible for the sake of propriety, more importantly, for the sake of their friendship. If they crossed that line now, there would be no going back and she couldn't let a moment of weakness ruin years of friendship. But even though she knew she had to, she couldn't turn away from him. The pull was magnetic and resistance seemed impossible.
"This is wrong," she whispered, blinking back tears. She wanted this so much that it ached inside of her, but she couldn't let it happen, because he didn't love her and this would only ruin them. His friendship meant so much more to her, than her own feelings.
"I don't know what I feel for you," he whispered, barely an inch away from her lips now. He needed to tell her now, before he ruined everything. "I'm confused. I've always thought of you as a good friend, but today when I saw you on that park bench, I was worried that you were waiting to meet someone, who wasn't me."
Vrushika stared at him in surprise. She had never seen him so frank, so open. He was guarded at best, despite appearances - he didn't let people in, beyond the surface of witty humour and cynicism. To see him like this was even more shocking than what he was saying.
He continued softly. "When you said you didn't want people to think that we were dating, it bothered me and I don't know why. It hurt again, when we were acting like a couple in that caf today, because it felt like you were showing me something that we could never have in reality."
Shaking, she didn't know what to say. He had hidden it well then, but she could see it clearly now. The longing, the hurt that he felt. She had never wanted him to feel that way. She had never known that he felt so much. Perhaps, he was an even better actor than they both realised.
"When you were laughing with that man in the park, I felt awful. I hated that someone else was making you smile, someone other than me."
"I...I don't understand," Vrushika was trembling in his arms. "What are you saying?"
"I don't know what there is between us," he said, his fingers softly stroking her jaw line. "But I do know that there is something that I feel for you, that runs much deeper than friendship and I know that you feel the same." Gazing into her eyes, he made his appeal, "I don't want to regret not trying, a decade later."
She didn't know what to say. She didn't understand what she felt. She felt so much, that it was too much. It was all so overwhelming and new to her. It was hard to pinpoint a single emotion, just as it was difficult to make a decision. She was at a crossroads, she couldn't move forward and neither could she turn back.
And so he made the decision for them.
She froze when his lips finally found hers. Gentle, and coaxing, his mouth moved against hers until she threw all caution to the wind and kissed back. And it wasn't about noses or unfamiliar skin, it was about what was between them - what had always been between them.
She didn't know how to respond. She had never kissed anyone before, but she surrendered herself to the immediacy of the sensation, letting him guide her gently. His mouth was ridiculously soft and warm. His tongue sweeping against hers, made her weak in the knees, but he didn't let her fall. He held her tightly against him as he devoured her completely.
As the kiss deepened, his hands weaved through her hair, holding her to his mouth. He couldn't get enough of her. She tasted unlike anything he had ever imagined, far sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. His heart plummeted against his chest, pounding as she shyly kissed back. It was like his heart was expanding, when she pressed her mouth more firmly against his - the unspoken consent far more profound than any words she could have said.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally pushed at his chest, trying to carve space between them. He leaned in again to seize her lips, but she pressed her palm against his seeking mouth. He looked wounded, but she shook her head, trying to reassure him.
"Air," she breathed noisily. "I need air."
Chuckling, he leant his forehead against hers and held her close. He could hardly believe what had just happened, but her flushed appearance served to reinforce the reality of the moment.
"Passionfruit," he whispered, tracing her soft lips with his thumb. Her mouth was swollen with his kisses, she looked dazed and his heart swelled with pride and something else he couldn't quite place. "You taste like passionfruit."
She blushed under his intense scrutiny, at the feel of his fingers against her lips. She didn't know what this meant for them, or where they were going, but she did know that he made her feel whole. And despite her disdain for vanilla, she found the taste of him, warm and comforting - sweet and soothing. Her heart was racing and she felt like she was flying. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, like she was on top of the world, like nothing could ever bring her down. He made her feel like she didn't have anything to fear.
Her mouth gently pressed against the pad of his thumb, "You taste like freedom."
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