Chapter 10: Closer
He had turned his back on the closed door.
It was not like she was going to let him in anytime soon. Not inside her room, her life and definitely not her heart.
He lowered his head as tears stung a burning path down his cheeks, the pain, the frustration, the void in his life pouring out of him relentlessly, and he didn't care who saw him like this, all spent and empty.
And he knew he deserved this, because he had made her feel the same ways so many times, pushing her away, preferring the company of Sanyukta or anyone else...he'd always slapped her helping hands away, not caring what his words did to her.
This was it coming back to him, call it Karma, just deserts or anything else. The fact was that he was going to pay for everything he had done to her, everything he was doing to her, and that was that.
"This shouldn't hurt so much" Parth whispered to himself, his eyes feeling heavy all of a sudden.
Maybe this disease that was spreading through him slowly like poison was punishment for what he had done to her. Parth shook his head bitterly at he irony. He had prided himself on his strength "Brawn" as Randhir scathingly put it.
Parth had prized his superior physical strength and now the very same hands that had grabbed, pushed and held Vidushi were betraying him.
He stood stock still and looked down at them.
Hands. Nothing special, calloused from playing the guitar and hardened from punching walls, people and punching bags.
His hands...which felt like a burden, a curse when tremors spread through them.
His hands, which she was so adamant about healing, even when he hurt her.
"Parth?" a soft whisper made him turn around to see the girl who had haunted his mind the whole day. She was wearing her hoodie and a pair of shorts, leaving her long legs exposed to his eyes.
He blinked.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice a little louder.
She was panting, a little out of breath.
Probably from the exercise session guided by her dear friend Vihaan.' Parth thought bitterly.
"Answer me." she took a few steps ahead, her eyes agitated "I am talking to you, Parth!"
The way he was looking at her unnerved her a little, even more so when his backpack fell to the ground with a soft thud.
He couldn't take it anymore. Moving faster than any of them could have expected, he put his hands in her shorts pockets and pulled her against his chest.P
ulling his hands out of her pockets he gripped her waist with one hand and pulled off the hood covering her head with the other hand. His hand slightly shook and she froze. The trembling subsided and she took a deep breath of relief. It wasn't one of those dreaded tremors again.
"Hi Vidu..." rubbing his nose against her ear and inhaling the scent of her skin made him calm down. "Now you are talking to me huh?" "Finally, after a whole day of being with your Vihaan you remember that someone called Parth exists. I should be thankful. Do you have any idea what you did to me?" Parth's tone was bitter and it made her flinch. The hand that had removed her hood moved to her waist, grabbing it tightly.
"Parth.." she mumbled, feeling his nose nuzzle against the nape of her neck.
"Say it again" she felt his hot breath caress her neck and bit her lip, her hands moving of their own will, moving to his hair, gently cupping the back of his neck.
"Please..Say it again" the desperation in his voice was something she had never heard before and it pricked at her. His lips found her jaw and he placed a gentle kiss there.
"Parth stop. What are you doing?" she whispered, scared of the warmth building inside her, scared of the hungry look in his eyes. She felt that she could drown in them if he looked at her like that any longer.
"No Vidushi,what are you doing to me? My day sucked big time, you said you would call but you didn't, you didn't even tell me when you came back to college. I am your boyfriend"
"Fake boyfriend Parth, besides why would you even care about me?" her voice was ice cold, and she went stiff, her hands still in his hair.
Parth sighed.
"You don't understand do you?" he looked at her and she almost squirmed at the intensity that was present in his eyes, her body feeling like it was on fire, she felt like she would spontaneously combust if she kept looking into his eyes. So she turned her face away, determined not to lose her nerve.
"P..P..What is there to understand? I was out with my best friend and he dropped me back okay? And why would you even care? You are just.." her words were cut off with his lips against her own.
She could feel his desperation on her lips,his arms wrapped around her, tightening to a painful grip, his lips moving slowly against her own.
It was almost unreal, like a part of a dream she had dreamed , yet she couldn't bring herself to break away. His lips were soft, unlike his harsh words and she found herself responding to his gentle kiss, losing all her composure when he gently sucked on her upper lip, letting it go to place gentle smooches on her lips.
Moaning, she grabbed his lower lip between her teeth and let go, panting for air.
They looked up at each other, breathing heavily, saying nothing, just holding each other.
"It is killing me. Wanting you. I want more" He finally whispered.
"P..." she found herself tongue tied. She wasn't expecting him to be so frank or demanding. She had expected a tantrum, maybe some taunts and worst case scenario: a manipulation.
His whispered confession took her by storm and she could only look at him with wide eyes.
"One chance. I want just one chance to make you see that it's more..." he sighed "I..don't.." he sighed
She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.
He swallowed.
"Vidushi..please" his eyes were filled with pain, need, passion.
"Say it then." she whispered, suppressing the smile tugging at her lips.
"You. Me" there was a slight hesitation in his voice, like he was afraid.
"Us." he finally sighed. "I want an us."
She could do nothing to keep the cat like smirk off her lips.
"And if my answer is no?" she asked, making her voice cold.
"Then I will make sure it becomes a yes at the end of our fake relationship...either way I want a real relationship with you." he looked into her eyes and continued "I'll convince you and I will keep on trying as long as it takes." he took in a harsh breath "I will be a better boyfriend, I will be polite to your biker..I mean Vihaan as well. And I definetly will not comment on your love of food or your weight or anything that makes me look like an idiot." he smiled uneasily, remembering their date and how he had managed to offend her, how desperate he had been to get her approval.
And right now, nothing mattered more than her approval.
"You might have to train me ..I do suck a little." he finally admitted.
"Yeah, a little. But nothing Boyfriend training school can't fix" she winked at him.
He grinned "So it's a yes?"
Vidushi chuckled "Woah, not so fast tiger. Convince me. Woo me." she moved her lips to his ear "When these 2 months end you will have your yes...but only if I am impressed."
Parth smiled in relief "So you are giving me a chance now? Can I be your boyfriend without faking it?"
Vidushi's hands made their way to his collar "On a trial basis."
"Good." Parth's hand found her hair and he gently removed the tie holding her hair up and let it cascade over her shoulders. "I love your hair."
"Compliments huh? Good trick but I am not buying it" Vidushi pulled him down so his nose was touching hers.
"Your hair is so soft" he whispered huskily as he ran a hand through her slightly tangled hair, enjoying the texture and the feel of it.
"Hmmm..." she rested her head against his chest as his hand moved to caress her back "Feels so good"
"I bet it does. Come with me" he lead her back into the room she was attempting to do pushups in.
He bolted the door and lead her to one of the dark corners.
"It hurts doesn't it? Your shoulders, your back, your arms" he sat down and pulled her down in front of him, her back facing him.
"A little, but it's nothing I can't deal with. No pain no gain. I have been dancing for years Parth" she replied.
His hands found her shoulders, a warm but firm grip. "You don't have to be in pain."
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