[MEMBERSONLYPOST]
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The sun was condescending. The moon amused. Amidst the black sky, the stars shined of hope.
~
The clock hit two. Anokhi couldn’t sleep. She was distracted, again. This was becoming a routine now. As the night approached, she would often find herself drifting to his thoughts and knitting dreams that she didn’t believe in. She would not slip into oblivion as his face would flash her eyes, but she would count petals of her heart ignoring the thorns that might prick her way.
And it was so unlike her.
These emotions, these new feelings, she was growing worried for herself.
Yet she couldn’t decipher what she was afraid of exactly- what she was becoming?! Or what she was afraid to become?!
She would often ask herself if she was crossing the extent of dreaming. In return, silence would prevail and she would dream more- with open eyes but crushed soul, of stars and scars, of success and regrets, of a path that would lead to him, of a path that came from him.
But then as the first ray of sunlight would hit her window, she would jolt back to reality. Her dreams would crash the shore of reverie and her blood would settle down to acceptance. And she would blame it all on Reema, her ideas that had stuffed these thoughts in her brain, ruining her for forever.
She could just not focus only on her studies anymore. Her dreams were crossing the limits. And she would only end up asking herself were there rules?!!
Anokhi sighed.
Hugging the pillow close to herself, she smiled faintly for a second before growing irritated. She has not seen him since three days. Apparently, Shaurya had gone to Pataila to deal things for the new campus. Whenever Anokhi thought about his chances of leaving to Patiala permanently, she couldn’t help the void that formed in her heart. It made her bitter and confused at the same time.
And she wondered if she was going to humiliate herself very soon.
“Reema is responsible for all of this” Gritting out in frustration, Anokhi sat up straight before pouring herself a glass of water. Taking a small sip, she leaned back against the head rest. After few minutes, with determination of not thinking about any of this, she laid back closing her eyes.
She was going to sleep. Only sleep. She chanted in her mind when her phone went off.
Getting up with a jolt, she checked for who it was.
Her eyes couldn’t believe the caller and she wondered if she was dreaming again.
After contemplating for few seconds, she picked up the phone, “Hello??”
“You are not sleeping?!!”
Shaurya voiced out in surprise. He was anyways going to cut the call if she hadn’t picked up in another second. Heck, he didn’t even know why he was calling her and that too at such an odd time.
“You called to check this?” Anokhi was confused.
“No...” Shaurya fumbled “Erm.. I called by mistake”
“Should I hang up then?”
Behind her curt tone Shaurya failed to gauge the irritation in her voice, “No” He yelled almost quickly, “I mean...” He fumbled “we can still talk?!”
Shaurya palmed his face mentally. What the hell was he uttering?! Scratching his temple, he continued in a jiffy, “No, I mean to say that...you are not sleeping—”
“So?”
Ignoring her, he continued, “—I am not sleeping so we can talk?!”
Anokhi massaged her temples to calm herself down. Why was he acting so strange?! And was he not aware of the time?!
“Sir?” She was unsure.
“Anokhi” Shaurya sighed.
Tucking the hairs strands the escaped her loose bun, Anokhi got up from the bed.
Pressing the phone against her ear with one hand, she creased her kurta with another. Walking outside in the small balcony attached to her hostel room, she leaned over the railing, her eyes grazing the beauty the night offered.
“What do you want to talk about, sir?”
Shaurya leaned against the bonnet of his car. Scratching his neck, he ran his mind to search for an answer. For moments, he couldn’t decide what to say when he heard her yell in shock, “Where are you??”
“I...” At loss of words, Shaurya concluded it was a bad idea to call her “I am—”
She didn’t let him continue as he heard her gasp“—What are you doing outside the hostel?”
Instantly, Shaurya tilted his neck to look at the building. He could see her faint figure staring at him from floors up. Running a hand through his hairs, Shairya stood straight. He knew he had messed up. This was definitely not the plan.
“Miss Bhalla for your information I am outside the college, my college”
“Then what are you doing outside the hostel?”
Shaurya was not at all surprised at her adamant tone. If anything, he definitely knew her better than this. She wasn’t going to let this go at any cost now. Moreover he himself was confused of what he was doing here. Heck, he didn’t even know about what he wanted to talk to her exactly. Certainly, there was nothing.
Just, he wanted to see her.
As silence prevailed for a little longer, Anokhi checked in silence if he had hung up. Finding the line on, she exhaled before placing the phone back against her ear.
“Miss Bhalla” Fighting his inner chaos, he spoke in calm “Can we meet?” There was a pause and Anokhi found herself breathing hard in anticipation “Now?” He finished.
Shaurya suddenly had this urge to smack himself and then smack himself again on the head as soon as these words slipped his tongue. What the hell was he saying? What the hell was he doing? Why was he hell bent on humiliating himself like this? He was sure Anokhi was going to give him an earful. But now he has taken his chances so there was no turning back.
When for a long time she didn’t say anything, Shaurya grew worried. Was she offended?!
“Should I come down?”
As her soft whisper fell against his eyes, he found his heart beating loud against his chest. Did she agree? Without an argument?
“I can come up”, He spoke in hurry.
“No” She refused “It’s really late. You must not come up. Also, it’s a girl hostel—”
“—Anokhi, if you are forgetting let me remind you I am the director of SIAC”
“Exactly” She snapped “And I am a student”
Although her words were limited but her tone gave away a lot than she had wanted to.
Somehow she had strummed the exact wires that blurred the relationship between them. Although unintentionally but she ended up sounding bitter about it, even to herself.
Anokhi bit on her lip sharply closing her eyes shut. Suddenly she felt embarrassed of sounding so strong about it.
A thick sheet of silence captured the air as they allowed the chaos to dance vibrantly inside their hearts, a thin sense of calm still prevailing, hidden and beneath, away from their reach.
“Come down” He spoke in a whisper “Take the back side, cross the wing, jump the wall, I will get you”
“Dimaag Kharaab hogaya hai aapka ?” She yelled “Sir.. PS?” She added quickly.
“Anokhi come down or else I am coming up”
“I am not doing anything of this sort” She snapped at his warning “Go home and sleep”
“Anokhi” He warned.
“PS” She matched his tone.
“Anokhi” He repeated, his voice soft.
As silence, prevailed for few seconds, she let out a sigh, “How do I cross the wall?”
Shaurya couldn’t fathom if it was his sub conscious that read more into this or if he was really turning mad. But something inside him forced him to see more than the picture was offering. Before he could decide, the words slipped his mouth, “We will figure it out, together”
••
Anokhi tried to climb the wall with all her strength but she couldn’t balance. Although the boundary was small but the fencing on the sides was giving her a tough time. Time again, she kept looking behind her to check if there was anyone in the sight. She was scared.
After few minutes, she heard shuffling from the other side and stilled.
“Anokhi” His voice was low.
“Jii ??”
“Try pulling yourself up with your hands, just sit on the boundary.. I will get you then”
The desperation in his voice made her blush. She couldn’t help but smile in vague.
“But the wall is too high” She complained softly.
“Or you are too short?”
Anokhi didn’t fail to notice the mirth in his tone. He was teasing her.
Still riled at that she snapped, “Give me a minute”
This time picking up a broken stool from the side, Anokhi tried to climb it carefully holding the wall at the same time. Pulling herself up, she sat on top of the wall before throwing her legs on the other side.
As she looked down to jump, she found him waiting for her, his arms open to catch her. Dressed in a casual tee and trousers, he was staring at her with a soft smile, his eyes speaking volumes.
Anokhi gulped at the way he was staring at her, “Sir I can—”
She was cut off as she watched him stepping closer to stand right down to her, her legs dangling to his arms. On instinct she bent down placing her palms against his shoulder tightening her grip the next moment, her face hovering over his.
His hands trailed up her body before he tightened his grip around her arms, his thumbs touching the side of her bosoms as he tried pulling her down.
Her eyes locked with his, her hands went up to hold his neck, her fingers tangling with his chain. Sensing her touch on his naked skin, Shaurya grew conscious about the situation but it was too late.
As her nails dug lightly on his skin, he sucked in a sharp breath stepping further closer to the wall. As his fingers pressed against her skin while pulling her down, Anokhi found herself growing cautious but losing control.
Soon his hands further travelled down her body before he snaked his arms around her waist to make her stand on her feet. Her grip loosened over his neck before she took her hands back placing them over his chest.
Shaurya didn’t leave her. Instead he stepped closer, his grip tightening over her waist, “You okay?”
Nodding at him, she removed her hands from his chest awkwardly. It was getting difficult for her to breathe.
At the loss of contact, his grip loosened around her waist as he left her taking a step back.
“Now?” Anokhi avoided looking at him.
“We can go to my cabin?!”
“What did you want to talk about?” She didn’t move and asked him instead.
Turning, Sharuya started walking without a word.
Slightly irritated, she followed him close.
They kept walking in silence until he took her hand in his, his fingers lacing around her, guiding her amidst the darkness that was spread in the corridor.
As they stopped outside his cabin, Anokhi waited for him to unlock the door before they stepped in. Switching on the lights, Shaurya turned around to find her looking at him keenly.
“Why are we here?” She questioned.
“Because it’s my cabin” He shrugged.
As he walked past her to close the door, she piqued again, “What did you want to talk about?”
Shaurya closed his eyes. She was definitely not going to let this go.
Turning at her, he acted cool, “Why were you not sleeping?”
“What were you doing outside the hostel?” She marched at him.
“Why did you agree to come down?” He stepped further towards her.
“I didn’t” She stated in her defence.
Shaurya raised a brow.
“I was curious.....”
Her heartbeats increased as he took another step ahead, raising her chin with his finger, “About what?”
“About us?”
Anokhi regretted the moment it slipped her mouth. As she tried stepping back, he held her shoulder pulling her further close.
“About us?” He asked, amused.
“No..” Anokhi denied “I mean..Erm—” She fumbled.
Shaurya watched in amusement as she fluttered her lashes and shut her eyes in embarrassment. He wondered if she felt even a bit same as he felt around her— Free and intoxicated.
Only he knew how he had passed those three days in Patiala with this void constantly hitting his heart, reminding him of her. This reckless decision to see her wasn’t a moment of weakness, it was all he had wanted to do since three days.
“I want to kiss you”
Anokhi stopped with the fumbling and stilled in his arms. Suddenly she grew too conscious of the way his breath was fanning her face, his eyes stuck on her lips and his finger grazing her waist against the thin material of her kurta.
Feeling weak on her knees at his intense gaze, she gripped his shoulder for support.
His eyes following her every action, he stiffened at her touch. Did she have any idea how she made him feel? He wondered.
When for a long time she didn’t say anything, Shaurya started regretting saying it out loud.
“Here?” She asked in a whisper.
Taken aback at her consideration, Shaurya took another step ahead, lowering his mouth against her ear. “Do you mind?” His lips grazed against her skin.
Anokhi shivered in his arms. Her grip around his shoulder tightened while placing her another palm over his chest. Anokhi could feel herself burning with the heat that radiated through his body.
“It’s your Cabin. We should—”
She was cut off as he took her lips in his. Pulling her close to himself, he ran his hand over her body in haste. Anokhi responded almost quickly as he tasted her in absolute hurry. As his fingers touched her skin through the cut of her kurta, she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her throat.
Shaurya nibbled over her lips and groaned as she responded with equal fervour, her own hands snaking up to his neck, burning his skin with her touch. Their lips mingled fighting a battle of their own dominating yet with a sense of surety, inexperienced but perfect.
Not getting enough of the way she tasted, he broke the kiss and picked her up placing her over the table. Not giving her enough time to catch up on her breathing, he kissed her again—this time with greater confidence.
Feeling short of breath as they broke the kiss, Anokhi was quick to dive in the possibility of the consequences that would be thrown their way.
In a whisper, she asked him “What now?”
Gasping for breath he leaned to rest his head against her, “Didn’t I tell you we will figure it out!”
*Unedited
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A/N- I forgot what I wanted to say. It's too late in the night.
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