Chapter 2

4 years ago

Koeli

@Koeli

He was unaware of my presence in the room since I entered silently. He was so gorgeous that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Unconsciously, I started to admire him afar. No wonder he was an ACP! A thought crossed my mind as I walked into the room. What could he be thinking looking at the photo? Was he looking at Anokhi? Or was he looking at me in that picture? I felt a pang of jealousy at first thought. Without wasting any time, I increased my pace to reach him and grabbed the photo frame from his hand. He was startled at first but quickly composed himself. 

“What are you doing in Anokhi’s room?” I muttered rudely. “Don’t you have manners, ACP? Don’t you know that you should take permission before you enter any girl’s room? Cut that off, what are you doing here anyway? Admiring her secretly?”

The last question slipped past me despite my conscious effort not to express it in front of him. He looked towards me intensely. 

“Do you have a problem with that, Mr Sabherwal?”

“Yes, I have a problem. Stay away from her. I know your types.” I spat in anger.

“And what is my type?” He sounded so composed and analytical. 

Shaurya, you are messing this up royally, I chided myself. I walked towards the bed all the while not breaking my eye contact. 

“By your type, I mean taking advantage of a girl's friendliness and taking it as an open invitation to be sleazy. But, I have her back and I will protect her with my life. Don’t even think of using her, ACP. Or else I will forget that you are an ACP. I won't be afraid of the consequences even if that means that I could be jailed.”

“Mr Sabherwal…”. He began to speak but I stopped him.

“Shaurya…call me Shaurya.” I felt a distance whenever he called me so formally by my last name and that was the reason why I felt the need to stop him. 

“Very well, Shaurya. First of all, Anokhi is my friend. You two may be childhood friends, but that doesn’t mean my friendship with her is any less than yours. I respect her as a woman and more importantly, she is one of the closest friends I have. I would never hurt her. I think you are highly mistaken, Shaurya. You are misreading my liking for her as a friend as something else.” 

He walked towards me, his steps slower than ever, like a predator. Was he trying to intimidate me? Well, I wasn't going to be intimidated.

“Every relationship starts with friendship and ends with something else. It’s a trap which I am aware of.” I deadpanned.

“So, you mean to say you also like Anokhi in 'that way?” He quoted with his fingers, 

I just couldn’t control my emotions anymore. I got up from the bed and held his collar. 

“Don’t you dare compare my feelings towards Anokhi with yours! She is my best friend!”

“Friends with benefits, you mean to say? Is that the reason you don’t like me around her because you are secretly in love with her?” 

We were practically breathing on each other, and suddenly the entire atmosphere heated up and I lashed out.

“Who the f*ck made you an ACP? You are nothing but a duffer. I don’t like Anokhi in any other way. My feelings for her are strictly in the friend zone! Nothing like what I feel for you.” 

Shit! Damn It! I released his collar and pushed him back. What the f*ck had I done? In the heat of the moment, I had confessed my feelings.

“Yes! I know you hate me. I could make that out from day one. It is nothing new if you must know."

“I f*cking don’t hate you ACP”, I screamed making his eyes go wide. I didn’t care what he thought of me. All I knew was that I couldn't hold my feelings back anymore.  

“I f*cking like you and want you to be comfortable around me just like you are with Anokhi.” 

There was pin-drop silence in the room - both of us simply looking at each other, not uttering a single word. Say something, damn it, my mind was silently screaming.

“We can never have what I have with Anokhi. You can never be what Anokhi is to me.” 

There it was, he had said it to my face. He could never like me. After all, he was in love with Anokhi. It was evident. I was stupid to think otherwise.

“I….I am….I am sorry. Just forget what I said and please don’t say anything to Anokhi,” I stammered, not quite knowing how to handle this situation.

“Sorry, Shaurya, I will have to tell Anokhi. She has every right to know that two of her closest friends are in love with each other.” 

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I hadn't expected this. I was thrilled to know that he too was in love with me.

“You love me?”

“Yes, Mr. Shaurya Sabherwal.”

“I never thought you would reciprocate my feelings. Heck, I thought you loved Anokhi!”

“I do love her, but not in the way you think."

Suddenly the door opened and Anokhi walked in. 

“Shaurya, I had asked you to fetch Ahir and both of you are gossiping in my room! Come on, let's go and join the fun downstairs.” 

She paused, looking at us curiously. “Is everything okay between you two? Shaurya, tell me you aren’t being an ass to him.”

“We are good, Anokhi. Come, let's have some fun! After all, this is turning out to be the best Holi celebration of my life.” 

Ahir looked back at me with a sly wink before stepping out of the room with Anokhi. 

“Let's have some fun, Mr. Sabherwal! What say?”

Beta Read: LizzieBennett