6

IDHIKA

Well. The pillar covered myself as I stayed standing beside the pillar. At least I would be away from him.

I was not able to think about how the principal invited him to this farewell.

Did Vedant manipulate him?

I stayed glued to the pillar until Preity waved at me from the crowd. And of course his sharp gaze fell on me.

I looked away, into the crowd although my attention was not there. It was somewhere else.

I clutched my palla of my saree as I felt his smirk from far in this crowded room. I kept my facial expressions neutral in no time but my inner side was screaming internally.

Villain and Vedant ... .both were the same because he was both. Knowledgeable as he was speaking to the principal about his views on environmental changes due to traffic jams and pollution and villain as he was manipulative.

I breathed heavily as I moved to the other side of the room. His gaze followed my instant action and I felt it in my bones.

I took a seat on a chair, beside Preity and she was very excited. She didn't know the truth yet that the guest was Vedant.

“You predicted correctly, the guest is handsome.” Her eyes mischievously focused on him

“He is Vedant.” I said calmly

In a motion, she stood up frustratingly like she just saw a ghost. Her smile vanished from her lips and she clenched her fist tight.

“What? Are you joking?” She was irritated

“Do I look like this?” I questioned

“Maybe.” She took her place gracefully

Ok that was not fair anymore.

“You will not talk to him, he is a villian.” she spoke with irritation

“Yeah. My villain." I spoke as my tongue felt bitter

I looked down as he was on the stage now, his eyes were directly reflecting on my skin.

As the principal introduced him as a chief guest, the whole hall was interrupted with sudden whispers of the students. They clapped when the principal felicitated him

The principal requested him to give a motivational speech but he seemed to enjoy the situation between us as he glanced at me thrice.

I clenched my first tight as I wanted to break something that didn't bother me to regret.

Within a minute, he started speaking,

“Namaste everyone, I'm Vedant Thakur Singh. Currently holding the position of my family’s jewellery business as a CEO. You may not know but I was a student of this college….” He paused a little bit

He was an alumni . What the hell was this?

Was I dreaming? Probably no, as I pinched my wrist.

“So many memories were created here and many things were lost. It's called life. Whatever you lose, you gain again but in a different way.” He looked at my direction

“Life has never been fair, so don't expect your life to be rational. Just because you're sitting here nonchalantly, it doesn't mean that your life won't change in another direction by tomorrow. Life is just a chess board and you have played it to survive.” He spoke with no emotions as he kept looking at me through his cold eyes.

I hold my breath…..I just hold it. It felt like my whole world stopped because of one person.

Through his speech, I felt targeted. To the world he was motivating, to me he was threatening.

Today was the last day….last day of everything sweet I had, and from tomorrow? It's all bitter.

As he ended his speech, a round of applause broke through the hall as the students agreed with his words.

Why me god?

“And now I would like request Mr. Vedant to cut the cake with me.” The principal's sudden decision made the hall cheered

The students’ shouting broke through the hall suddenly when the principal cut the cake into two pieces, smiling and feeling a sense of gratitude.

I excused myself from the crowd as it felt like a direct irritation in my body. I huffed at the sight of crowd and joyful screams.

My mind was not there to enjoy instead it was becoming a clash of thoughts in my mind about this haunting situation.

Vedant was here…

He didn't leave me any choice.

He was just messing up with me.

“Miss me, sweetheart?” A sudden chilling voice whispered into my ear

That was it. I felt a shiver spreading into my every inch of skin rapidly, I was unable to think anything like my life had stopped now.

And I recognised in seconds….Vedant

I turned to see him smirking through his lips, his eyes were moving calculated into my face as he was searching my inner thoughts.

“Yes, I didn't leave you any choice and definitely I'm messing up with you…Idhika.” He spoke with hint an amusement

Wait…how?

How could he know?

Did he read mind?

“No…I don't read mind sweetheart, your expressions are loud." His gaze linger on my face for long

“Why are you here?” I demanded

“Because they requested me…and after all it's my ex college.” His voice felt like teasing

“But why do you need to destroy my day by showing up?” my voice was filled with anger

“I don't know, maybe the universe wanted us to meet…especially on your special day.”

“Nonsense! Then I pray to the universe that I should never meet you.” I huffed angrily

“Still we will meet because that's your future now…be ready to see my face every single day without a miss, sweetheart. Because I'm not that kind of man who lets his muse walk away.” he stepped closer

“I'm not your puppet Mr, I have my own life.”

“You're not a puppet but your life is mine too because you're sharing with me Idhika and my life is yours too.”

And that sentence made me silent like I was not able to utter any words. I was in a different zone where escaping was not possible and Vedant…would not let me escape this zone because it's him, his life was a zone where I'm trapped.

My heartbeat raced fast as he looked into my eyes without a fail like he was observing something

“Speechless sweetheart?” He smiled amusedly

Like he knew my answer, my expressions, my inner turmoil……

“Get the fuck out before I scratch your eyes out.”

“Sweetheart, why eyes? If you really want to scratch, I can show you some better places and you will love it while we are doing something.” His eyes darken

My throat went dry, I could not understand what should I say? Yes or no? I didn't understand anything.

“Stop.” My cheeks redden when I realised what he meant

“Mm be my fake girlfriend from tomorrow sweetheart and I promise you will be more fascinated by me.”

“Keep dreaming.” I bitterly laughed

“You will Idhika and I'm not joking.” Before I say anything, he left

He just left and gave me endless reasons to scratch his eyes out.

What did he think? That I was a fragile woman? Wrong.

This time I loved to play chess but in real.