4

VEDANT

As she stormed out of the cafeteria, I let out a slow smile. Deliberate. Controlled. I was getting on her nerves. Good. Like she stole my sleep and made me mad like a lion pacing its cave.

She dared to wrap herself in some colours — neon kurti and pink leggings. Though she had a feeling that I would be annoyed but no, I was clearly not. I was inhaling her instead …. the scent of her, her mocking tone, her clutching her first so tightly as she feared I would consume her fire with my icy words.

She was always beautiful like a red rose, her scent of rose filled my mind with intoxicated feelings that I wish I could confess to her. She was a sweetheart wrapped in a bottle of fierceness and fire but dipped in honey.

Then reality brought me in the middle of the traffic…The headache, I used to grow from the past.

Above, the sky stretched wide with white pale clouds, consuming the sun in between them but a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, across the city, a yellow shine.

Just like my sweetheart to me.

Then my phone rang with a buzz, and I saw the name appear on the screen. Devyansh. My best friend.

“Hello.” His voice was laced with an irritation

“Hmmm! Any problem?” I asked calmly as his irritation meant he was in problem or us

“One of our shipments has been cancelled.”

“May I know why?”

“I don't know.” His voice was cold

“Why” I echoed back in the same tone

“Probably a girl made me lose my mind “

“A girl? The only girl you will lose your mind is Divyani.” I gently chuckled

“Exactly” His voice cracked with desperation

“Then who was doing the shipment?” I let out a sigh

“Mukesh Arora.”

I clutched my fingers tight at the steering as I heard that name. It made my blood boil as my rage bubbled inside me.

“No need. It was cancelled for good. Don't need to take any shipment from him.”

“Perhaps you're right. Don't need to get his materials, can't even do a simple shipment.”

“Mm Avgust?”

“He is in Russia, handling his father's work. His father is dead.”

A sudden smile tugged at my lips- slow,smug. So the mighty king died. Now my friend would inherit the kingdom like a true warrior.

“How did his father die?”

Devyansh was silent on the other hand of the phone, like he knew what happened or why happened.

I almost felt that Avgust had killed his father. Why not? That rascal had tortured my friend, snatched his whole childhood from him. He deserved to die.

“Reports saying that his father was old.”

Old? Fucking old? Still he tortured people to death to their last breath and didn't even glanced at his children when his first wife died.

“Let's talk about something else Veda.”

“I think…I'm obsessed…”

“With?”

“A fierce woman.”

I could hear his laugh from the other hand and i rolled my eyes as irritation was consuming me instead

“The great Vedant is obsessed with a woman?” He chuckled “since when huh?”

“Since Jan twenty fifth." I whispered through the phone softly

“Sounds like a mental problem like you psychopath. Serious issue.”

If he were in front of me. I would definitely punch him. Irritation burned me inside like it was molten lava as I glared at the traffic ahead of my car.

And my dear best friend was joking about my obsession. Double irritation.

“You know what? I'm hanging up.” I cut the call and threw it on the passenger seat.

Rascal Dev

The traffic was almost clearing then, I slowly sped forward, knowing this time I won't meet any accident.

After a while, I reached the new apartment which was painted in white, the red chairs were opposite to each other. And the couch was filled with soft cushions that made the living room look like my sweetheart. Of course it looked minimal like Idhika.

I bought this apartment yesterday. Of course to get close with her but she would be drawn to me in the next few days and she couldn't escape this.

She saw my redden eyes

Was she concerned about me? Maybe not, just curious.

But curiosity won't make her happy at all. But instead a bewildered and fearful face of hers would make my heart bleed without reason.

If she was really concerned then she is mine, if wasn't then I would make sure to make her mine.

But her bracelet said something else to me.

Her face echoed in my mind, my heart was whispering endless different types of sketches of her wrapped in fire and poetry.

She had a sweet melodious voice, even though her sarcastic remarks felt like honey.

I let out a sigh, exhausted from the businesses and work. But these won't let me stop working.

I opened my laptop and did some work related to design, reviewing, and approving. It seemed like the universe wanted me to sketch something.

I gently unlocked my iPad and my fingers were itching to draw something. Something which was real and not fake. Something that was making me burn under my chest. Idhika

Her expressive eyes, her black hair that sway in the air like a drama, her soft lips which drip with bluntness. Her jhumkas which jingle with her every soft movement. It felt like war and peace at the same time.

My fingers gripped the stylus and unfastened the art app. As I drew some soft lines on the blank page, creating some soft frames, my memory kept telling me that I could draw better if I looked at her again.

I didn't have her picture yet, I know she didn't like to share pics and I respect that. Good. But my heart was whispering into my mind to look at her at least once.

I wanted to draw her, yes but maybe after a few days when I see her again and this time she won't be able to escape me.

One week…just one week. That's all for her.

AUTHOR

The sound of the door echoed angrily as she slammed her door shut. Her face was glistening with drops of sweat from the heat. Her breath hitched as her mind replayed the incident with Vedant.

She collapsed on her bed, clutching the pillow tight against her chest like it was only one the saviour of her.

She unlocked her phone and voice messaged Preity

“I..I really met him lol ... .he was so cold and emotionless ... .seems like he is a psycho.”

Then a message popped up on her screen

Preity : “I think handsome psycho.”

Idhika : “Handsome? I don't know but psycho? 1000%....he is so annoying.”

Preity: “Then give him to me ... .I will make take care of him.”

Idhika: “You shut up. You don't do anything."

Preity: “Why? Any problem huh?”

Idhika : “No! Why am I? I feel like he is dangerous. Like he can manipulate me easily and I don't have any choice left. He is so cold, even my fire is scared to burn him.”

Preity : “Then let's wait and see. You don't need to worry. You remember right that you're mentally stronger than anyone huh. You should take care of yourself. Don't let yourself fall weak Idhika. Don't let anyone think that they can use you. You should fight back Idhika.”

Idhika: “I know this….but I'm feeling angry at me…I don't know why but….”

Preity: “It's ok. You should take rest.”

With that Idhika hung up

Idhika sighed heavily, stirred to her side holding the phone, eyes glued to the screen, face pale as if she just saw an encounter.

“Breathe Idhi…breathe.” her voice was above whispers

She stood up and changed her ugly dresses into a modest kurti and plazo, eyes were glistening with water as she looked in the mirror.

“Am I…really that bad luck? That never finds happiness in anything.” Her voice cracked with pain

She did not cry but felt the sharp pain under her chest, her hands were shaking not in fear but in anger.

She looked outside the window, finding endless happiness of the children,playing cricket in the street, the crowded lane she used to grow up in. The silent breeze that always made her happy.

Now, all those things were at peace with her. Like a broken heart finding its medicine somewhere in the crowd, somewhere alone.

As the clouds collided, a sharp, strong sound broke through the city from the above. The white lightning blazed beautifully and hauntingly in the sky.

Then, the droplets of rain fell from above, making the surrounding quiet, a little bit clean and serene. The smell of soil spilled through the site, the atmosphere filled with the peaceful vibe.

“One week…just one week” her voice whispered in a heavy tone

“And I don't know what to do…..my father's job or myself?”

The loud sound banged through the city again from above but harder, sharper and more dangerous yet peaceful.

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions which were circling inside her head like a storm.

“I'm not weak. And I will not bow before him. He can do whatever he wants but I will never ever be weak again.” She whispered to herself