An influx of thoughts flooded her mind in the second that it took for Randhir's lips to reach hers. Was this right? What if this made her want to go back to Randhir? What if she did and he broke her heart again? She didn't know anything about his life in the last five years, and here destiny had pushed these two together to conceive.
As his lips brushed over hers lightly, she could feel her heart beat faster than she could remember it beating in the last five years - this feeling, this exhilaration, this adrenaline rush was something she had missed. Only Randhir could do this to her, and he brought back to life the feeling she considered to be dead.
She nervously lifted her arms up and her hands found the soft skin of his cheeks - he had shaved. Yesterday he had stubble. Did he shave just for her? The thought excited her. Even during their FITE days, she would complain to him that his stubble hurt her and she would jokingly threaten to stop making out with him if he didn't shave. The thought made her smile against his lips.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes - the "kiss" was simply a light brush of the lips, but it held the same electricity, the same passion that all of their previous kisses did. Suddenly, her smile dropped and her eyes started to water.
Randhir's thumbs brushed her cheeks, wiping away her tears as soon as they fell. Feeling his thumb on her cheeks again made goosebumps erupt all over her body. He held her face with his hands, and suddenly she couldn't stop herself anymore. She reached out and touched his face, she allowed her shaking fingers to touch his forehead before her hands brushed over his temples, down his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, until finally, she traced his soft lips with her fingers. She wanted to feel every bit of him - every part of him that she had missed for the last five years.
Holding back a sob, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his. One of his hands reached for her hair, stroking it gently, as the other one held her back protectively. She leaned into his embrace, not wanting to let go. She never felt more safer than she had felt in his arms.
They held each other in silence for a few moments as the cool breeze whipped their faces. Shivering slightly, she held him more tightly, as he rubbed her back soothingly, keeping her warm.
When she pulled back from the embrace and looked into his eyes again, she could see that his own eyes were wet - as if he too felt overwhelmed by emotions. Her fingers touched his eyes lightly, physically feeling the moisture, but in a more emotional realm, feeling the pain, the despair, the loneliness that even he had felt these last couple of years.
He grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm. She pulled back her hand quickly, feeling herself choke on her own tears. She stood up immediately, and he got up with her. He silently understood where she wanted to go - she walked towards the car, and he followed.
The drive back was silent with both of them basking in each other's presence, feeling nothing but an overwhelming sense of longing and belonging.
Once they entered the cottage, Randhir locked the door behind them. Without saying a word to him, Sanyukta disappeared into her room and closed the door, leaving Randhir stunned.
Placing the soup in the fridge, Randhir loosened his tie. He was still in his business attire because he had gone to his office before picking up Sanyukta. Entering his room, he changed into jeans and a white shirt - just like the ones he used to wear in college. He hadn't closed his door completely - it was a little bit ajar, and Sanyukta opened it soon enough, just like he had been expecting her to.
She had changed into a dark blue summer dress that reached her knees. It had spaghetti straps and a deep v-neck. Randhir couldn't stop looking at her, and she looked down embarrassed.
"I wanted to make things easier, so I wore a dress," she mumbled.
He walked towards her and took her hands in his gently, as she looked up into his eyes.
"Come, let's sit down," he said softly, and he walked backwards, holding her hands, until he reached the bed.
He sat down, and she stood standing in front of him, her hands still in his. Awkwardly, she climbed on his lap, facing him, both of their hearts beating quickly.
Leaning forward to kiss her, she placed her hand on his chest to stop him.
"I don't want this," she said nervously. "Let's just d - do this."
Before he could respond, her hands reached around his waistline and she started to unbuckle his belt, catching him off guard.
He grabbed her arms tightly, stopping her.
"Sanyukta, hold on," he said.
He knew she was distressed, and he didn't want her to do anything while she had this mindset. He touched her cheek softly and noticed her shiver - she had always liked it when he touched her lovingly.
"R - Randhir, I don't want you to touch me. I mean, keep it to a minimum," she mumbled, looking down.
Sighing he took his hand off.
"Fine," he agreed. "But don't think negatively about this Sanyukta. It was beautiful before and it should be beautiful now."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she stood up.
"Beautiful?" she asked him, as if she couldn't believe him. "Randhir even roses are beautiful! But that beauty is lost when you get cut by its sharpest thorn."
Randhir felt his body fill up with guilt. He stood up too, feeling his chest ache at the heartbreak that was present on her face.
"Sanyukta," he said softly. "Can we please forget the past and move on? Why torture ourselves when we can put it behind us?"
He saw her nostrils flare angrily and his heart fluttered - perhaps because the sight was one he had longed to see for the last five years, even if he tried to hate her.
"Randhir how can you say that?" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "After everything you put me through you think we can forget the past and move on? How can you even think like that?"
"Why not Sanyukta?" he asked, walking towards her and grabbing her arms. "Why not? Let's be together. Please?"
He knew his request might be wrong, but his desires were too strong right now and he spoke his heart out - he didn't want to spend another second away from her, and even if he didn't deserve her anymore, he couldn't help but want to be with her. He had been so lonely for the last five years, that the mere thought of a solution to the void in his heart filling up made him want it desperately.
"How - how dare you?" she spluttered angrily. "After accusing me of cheating on you, after refusing to accept Shraddha as your own, how dare you even think that I will come back with you?"
His chest ached when he thought about his accusations - the memory of the first time he doubted her came to his mind.
--
"Surprise!" he said as soon as Sanyukta opened the door.
Her mouth dropped open as she saw the bouquet of flowers in his hands. She took them from him immediately and continued to look at him with shock. Her hair was disheveled and she wasn't wearing her dupatta, despite her kurta having a deep v-neck.
"Randhir, what are you doing here?" she whispered, completely shocked that he had traveled three hours by train just to visit her.
It had been two weeks since they had started their placements and it was the first time they were seeing each other since they had parted.
"Sanyukta, I missed you," he replied, engulfing her in a bone crushing hug.
Her hands wrapped around him and as soon as they pulled away, he leaned forward to kiss her but her hand landed on his chest to stop him.
"Parth's here," she whispered.
He raised his eyebrows.
"Parth?" he asked, feeling a tinge of jealousy.
"Yeah," she replied. "Randhir, we're best friends now!"
"Best friends huh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "No problem, Vidhushi's come to be pretty close to me too."
She glared at him as he invited himself in.
"Sanyukta, who is it?" Parth called out as he walked into the hallway with no shirt on.
Randhir's mouth fell open when he saw that.
"R - Randhir, it's hot right? That's why he isn't wearing a shirt," Sanyukta told him nervously.
It was like she was hiding something - Randhir knew her too well to know that she was indeed hiding something.
"Sanyukta, what are you hiding?" he asked right away, not caring that Parth was there and was listening.
"Nothing Randhir!" she replied quickly, fidgeting. "Why would I hide anything?"
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