Just a Kiss Away

This prompt was suggested by xDownInFlamesx in Submit a Writing Prompt 

Swayam Shekhawat was the topper of his batch. He belonged to a very conservative, middle-class family, but didn't have much of friends in the class, because his classmates were rich and looked down on him.

"Students, we are having a test next week. Come well prepared because you will have to give a retest if you don’t score at least 50%.” Professor Mehra announced, and in response, almost the entire class groaned.

Swayam, however, was already prepared for the tests and had no issue with them.

"Professor, my mother was sick so I had to go with her to London for treatment. I couldn't attend classes, and I don't even have the notes," The whole class turned to look at the last bench. Maya was up and looking at her professor with an innocent look on her face.

Maya Mehrotra - the most infamous girl in college was brilliant in almost every field. Almost everyone believed that she would become the GS when their batch would form the council. Swayam too, belonged in the Venn diagram of everyone who knew her, or atleast had heard of her. She wore gothic clothes in a rebellious way, and her ebony-black hair always left over her shoulders.

"Swayam!"

"Yes sir," he looked up in shock.

"Please help Maya with the notes and just explain to her what was taught." Then turning to Maya, he continued, “You’ll sit with him till the test is over.”

Maya tilted her head quizzically and looked at the boy with whom she was stuck with for a week. She didn’t say anything, though she wanted to fight back and went to sit beside him. She did want to pass.

“You can start,” Maya said after the professor exited the class and started typing something on her phone.

Swayam gathered his notebook and pen and hesitantly started explaining the topics ignoring all the jealous and how-lucky-is-he looks he was getting.

“You have beautiful handwriting,” Maya said suddenly and Swayam looked at her in surprised.

“Will you copy them in my notebook? My handwriting is, you know, not really cool..."

Swayam looked at her for few seconds and then at her notebook. Maya had a messy handwriting. 

“Ah… Why don’t you take mine and Xerox it or something? It’ll save both of our time.”

“You are smart, Swayam,” Maya smiled and he looked at her surprised. “I am impressed. Give it to me during lunch break.”

_______

“Hey, Maya, why don’t you try a makeover? I am sure you would make a beautiful lady,” Maya was on her phone and Swayam was working on the assignment assigned to them during lunch break. Vishal looked at Maya with what he thought was a cute, flirty face, but Swayam personally felt the look only made him look like a monkey. He looked at Maya, waiting for her reaction. Maya was smiling at him so sweetly that Swayam almost gagged.

“Oh Vishal, if you don’t keep your mouth shut, I am sure you would make a handsome corpse,” Maya said smiling, but was met with a crestfallen expression. Vishal muttered a farewell and left. 

Swayam chuckled. The more he got to know Maya, the more she seemed interesting to him. Maya went back to her phone, but looked up to see Swayam gazing at her, with a soft smile on his face. Why was he looking at her like that? She raised her eyebrow. Swayam stopped smiling and buried his head back in the book.

____

“Good morning,” Maya smiled her brightest smile as she took her new seat, next to Swayam who was reading a novel.

He smiled back and got buried in the book again.

“Have you done Physics assignment?” Maya asked, trying to make a small talk.

“Yes, here it is,” Swayam showed her his completed assignment, and to her surprise, passed it across teh bench before she could ask for it. She started copying from it at an inhuman speed. They had to submit it after lunch break, and Maya didn't even know the topic.

“What do you do all day? You never do one assignment properly!” Swayam couldn’t help himself asking, but then felt as if he was pushing it, so looked down.

“All day I am at college, and all night I party,” Maya replied smugly. “And now, don’t disturb me.” Swyama chuckled and shook his head.

____

“Do you like these cliché romances?” Maya whispered to Swayam in English class as Naina Ma’am explained the third chapter of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “I just hate them.”

"Why?" Swayam asked, still looking at the professor. "Usually girls like them."

"But I don't. I don’t even watch romantic films. I love watching superhero movies and thrillers, and WWE wrestling matches, oh, and have you watched...”

"Do you have any movies on your list that other girls watch?" Swayam had to cut her off. According to him, all these shows were made for boys, and girls liked rom-com.

"So because I like superheroes, does that make me a man?" Maya almost yelled, offended.

“Any problem, Miss Mehrotra?” Professor Naina asked.

“No, ma’am. Sorry.”

“I didn’t mean that, it’s just that you like boys' shows,” Swayam whispered.

"I took you to be better than that!" Maya looked at him in disappointment. “It’s my secret okay, don’t tell anyone,” Maya whispered after a while and Swayam looked at her curiously. He was ashamed of himself and his slightly sexist comment.

“I cried while watching DDLJ when Shah Rukh Khan was getting beaten up and was overjoyed when Salman Khan finally got the girl in Maine Pyaar Kiya.” Swayam was confused at the sudden confession. “Now is it confirmed that I am a girl?”

“Maya, I said I didn’t mean that. That was really sexist of me. I am sorry.” Maya acknowledged the apology, but she wanted to tease him some more. However, looking at his guilty face, she let it go. 

“Now, tell me a secret of yours," she said. 

“Why?” Swayam frowned. 

“Because we are friends, and we share our secrets. I told you a secret, your turn now,” Swayam looked at her for a few seconds and then looked back at the teacher. 

“I had a crush on Miss Naina at the beginning of the semester.” For some unknown reason, the idea of Swayam crushing on someone disturbed Maya very much. She looked at her teacher and then at Swayam and she didn't feel comfortable while Swayam kept looking at Miss Naina. Even though he was focusing on the lecture, Maya thought he was staring at her.. A lump formed in her throat. And the strangest thing was that she couldn't fathom why she felt that way.

 Swayam hit her shoulder with his to get her out of her dreamy state. "Where are you lost?" 

"You still like her?” Maya asked back. 

“It was a silly crush Maya, I wasn’t in love with her. It wore off when she gave me 19 out of 20 in the internals,” he said jokingly. 

Maya felt a huge burden off her chest, and before she could try to figure out the reason for that feeling, she suddenly remembered their plan.

“Hey, we are hanging out at my place in the evening, You should drop by!” Swayam looked at her uncomfortably. 

"If you don't come, I will haunt your life for your comment," Maya said before he could decline the invitation

Swayam sighed and threw his head on the bench.

_______

"Let’s play truth and dare," Samar suggested when they comfortably sat in Maya’s room. 

“So boring!!” Anaya yawned. “Just like you.”

And everyone burst out laughing. 

“Let’s play 7 minutes in heaven!” Aakash suggested, and everyone agreed instantly. 

All of them sat in a round. Wherever the neck and the base of the bottle are pointed, the two people would have to lock up in a closet for 7 minutes, it was decided. The bottle was spun, and it ended against Maya and Swayam. Maya raised her eyebrows while Swayam looked at her nervously. As per the rules, they were locked inside Maya's closet. 

Two minutes passed in uncomfortable silence. They were smiling at each other, Maya casually and Swayam awkwardly. 

“Why are you always reading books?” Maya asked unable to think of anything else.

“Because I like reading,” Swayam shrugged. 

“So what? You want to study and become rich and famous?”

“No,” Swayam chuckled. “I don’t want to become rich and famous, Maya. I just want to become capable enough to take care of my mother and my wife.”

“Wife?” Maya asked, taken aback. “That’s new. I have never heard any guy with clear thoughts on marriage, and we are just in college.”

“I know. I just want to have a small family one day, a happy family,” Swayam answered. 

“Then you must have thought of a dream house also?”

“Of course, a simple house. Every wall of it will have our framed pictures. And yes, we’ll also have a pet dog.”

“Pet dog?” Maya said disapproving. “Then I guess I should take a page out of your book and own a cat.”

"What if we get married?" Maya smirked.

"Where is this conversation going?" Swayam asked, aghast, though even in dark, Maya could see his cheeks turning red.

"See, chances of me finding a sensible guy who can handle my craziness is less, and you are so shy that you don't even talk. So, we'll get married, and you can have a simple house with a pet dog. Though I would prefer cats."

“No worries, we’ll also have a cat then.”

“A library for you and a gaming room for me, I love gaming!” Maya said excitedly. “Then we’ll have a balcony where we both can gaze at the stars.”

“You’ll gaze at the stars and I’ll keep looking at my moon,” Swayam whispered huskily, and Maya’s heart skipped a beat. 

All of a sudden, she wanted to kiss him. She tried to look away to fight the temptation when her hand brushed against him due to a shallow place in the closet. Swayam held her hand looking straight into her eyes. He interlocked her fingers with his. 

Even her silence spoke to him. Swayam thought as he realized that Maya wanted to kiss him. It was as if he could hear it like she had said it aloud, but she hadn't, and he just wished she would do that. 

Both of them leaned towards each other when the door of the closet was wide open. 

“Time’s up guys!”

Maya and Swayam moved out of the closet and looked at each other. Shit! I like him! Maya realized. She had her share of boyfriends, but that was mostly for status quo, this was for the firts time she had felt something for someone and she knew she needed to clear out her thoughts.

Before she could say anything, Swayam's phone buzzed.

"I have to go, hostel curfew. I am so sorry," He looked at Maya and she just nodded. He left and Maya wanted to scream.

________

The next day, Maya went to the library. She was super early and she knew she would find Swayam in the corner of the library, his head in some book. But to her surprise, he was pacing around nervously, and stopped when their eyes met. 

He stared deep into her eyes as he moved towards her. Maya felt as though he was burning holes in them. She felt uneasy, bu she liked the feeling. Swayam didn't say anything for what felt like hours. His blue, hazel eyes were so deep that she feared she would drown in them. 

Maya closed her eyes as his lips met hers. He kissed her gently at first, his lips moving across hers lightly, leisurely, teasing, and enticing as her body lit up slowly. Her palms moved across his chest and linked around his neck of their own accord as his arms circled her waist and pulled her closer. The kiss turned deep and passionate as soon as she started to respond. He moved his hand restlessly across her back pulling her, even more, closer unable to get enough of her his lips hot against hers as he buried his hand in her hair.

“Dinner tonight?” Maya asked breathing heavily after breaking the kiss. 

“You’re smart Maya,” Swayam said with a smirk. “ I am impressed. I don't think you really need my tutoring."

Maya glared at him at first and then pulled him into another kiss. 

____________________________

I hope that was good 

Aaliya, I hope I did justice to the prompt :) 

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