After dropping Ved to his house yesterday and making sure that he wouldn't run off again, we went to the hospital and informed his family that he was safe. My parents, along with the Avasthi family, paid a visit to Jaiwant Uncle, and Krittika Aunty almost cried after seeing so many well-wishers.
We spent the rest of our evening there and left for our homes. I was fucking tired and fell asleep the moment I laid my head on the pillow. I got late the next morning and had to rush to reach college in time. I was planning on bunking, but both Mehta Sir and Nair Mam had scheduled important practicals on the same day.
Therefore, I had to attend the lectures, my club meetings, and the monthly evaluation of my volleyball team. The thought of getting some rest was destroyed completely, not to mention I was zoning out for which I got thrashed by Usha Mam for not paying attention to her.
As a punishment, she told me to clean the whole court and arrange the equipment in the Sports room. So, I grabbed a hand towel and a broom and made myself comfortable among the various game items. Since the room was two times bigger than my bedroom, I calculated that it would take me almost two-three hours to get the work done.
I pumped up myself and got on with the work. I started some songs on my phone and pulled a few dance moves while cleaning. Suddenly, the thought of Ved getting drunk and beaten up by that thug guy planted itself in front of my mind, and I kicked the soccer ball in anger.
If Rajeev and Mayank hadn't arrived on time, I might have murdered all of those motherfuckers. But I was really saddened by the fact that Ved misunderstood the whole situation and got insecure - it was my fault. I should have talked to him beforehand and explained what was going on, but then again, I didn't want to add to his burdens.
"Hmmm... let's finish the stuff here, and then I will go and check up on my Princess. He better be in his home or I will beat him for making all of us worry," I mumbled.
"You gonna beat me up, Sandy Pandy?"
I turned around in a flash on hearing Ved's voice. He was standing like a model posing for a photoshoot. I was happy to see him refreshed and not all down like yesterday, but when I remembered how he got completely senseless, I moved forward and punched him in the stomach.
"Ow! No wonder I already expected how you were going to react," he said and rubbed his tummy. "Your punch has gotten stronger though."
"I won't talk to you unless you tell me why you behaved like that yesterday." I crossed my arms across my chest.
"You already know."
He flicked me on the forehead and kept his bag on the shelf. I turned my eyes into slits when he stepped forward and opened his arms.
"Don't even think about it," I warned.
"I am sorry for what I did. I was afraid that you were going to ditch me."
"Why would I?"
"Sahil told me everything this morning. He proposed to you, right? But even before that, I saw the ring box he gave you when I came to see you directly from my National trials. I was going to ask you about it, but I was afraid of your reaction." He pouted.
"You hadn't even told me your feelings, so I was already in the slump, imagining your rejection..." he added.
"Come here." I hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around me.
"Dad is fine now," he said.
"And you?"
"I wasn't, but now I am."
I hit him on the back. "Stop being cheesy."
He embraced me close to his chest and laughed when I started reprimanding him. I let him off the hook when I noticed that he was actually sorry for his behaviour. We broke the hug, and he thanked me for putting up a fight for him in the pub.
"Why did you let that guy bully you?" I complained.
"I would have beat him up, but I wasn't in the mood for it... I just wanted to tone down the uneasiness I was feeling and getting drunk is a popular choice, so I decided to try it." He gave me a sheepish smile.
I shook my head at him. "It was good that nothing serious happened, or I don't know what I would have done."
"You care for me that much?" he teased.
"Of course, idiot. I love you."
"What?"
"What what?"
"What did you say?"
"Idiot?"
"No. You said you love me."
"Did I?" I giggled at his reaction.
He demanded to hear it again, and I had a good time annoying him before I opened my mouth and confessed my love for him. He was staring at my lips with full concentration, and I was feeling dizzy, but I had promised myself that I wouldn't make a fool out of myself again.
"I love you, Ved."
I pecked his lips, and he blinked rapidly, his cheeks turning into strawberries. For a moment, it seemed like he was making sure that what he heard wasn't his imagination, and I laughed when he asked me the same doubt I was having a few days ago.
"Are you sure I am not dreaming?" he mumbled.
"Why don't you check for yourself?" I winked.
In a quarter of a second, Ved's lips were on mine as his left hand held me by my waist. He moved his other hand on my neck, his fingers caressing my nape and hair. I snaked my arms around his waist and pulled him closer. He smiled in the kiss and deepened it.
Natural Heater had warmed up a lot, and I started imagining steam around us. Ved broke the kiss and picked me up swiftly; I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed his nose. He pecked my chin and sat me down on a table after removing some stuff from it.
"You have gained weight," he said.
"Have I?" I asked happily and checked my stomach.
When I moved my head up, Ved caressed my left cheek and kissed me again. "I love you. Promise me you won't leave me."
"Leave? Don't even talk about it."
I hugged him as if he would vanish if I didn't keep my eyes on him. "I am not leaving you ever, okay? I have already created a lot of blunders, and everything seems good now, but I don't know what may happen in future. I don't want to wait more; I promise I won't cause any more troubles."
Ved patted my back and kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, Ms. Blunders. Even if you do, I will rectify it."
I looked up at him and rubbed my thumb below his lower lip. "You won't dump me if you get tired of me?"
"Have I ever gotten tired of you? You are the one who needs to keep your temper in check."
"Excuse me? You are the Red Hulk, not me."
"Oh yeah? Am I the one who was laughing like a devil while beating the shit out of those guys yesterday?"
"Weren't you unconscious?" I argued.
"Mayank bhaiyya told me everything." He shrugged.
Mayank... I will kill him. He must have exaggerated even the smallest detail.
"Murder on your mind?" Ved wiggled his eyebrows.
"If you give me a kiss then no." I grinned.
Ved smirked and granted my wish and the next one too which was the ditto of the first one. He kissed me all over my face and tickled while giving me butterfly kisses on my jawline.
"Next time, I am the one taking the charge," I said.
Ved narrowed his eyes, and I sensed his mind shifting gears. Before he came with a counter attack, I grabbed his jacket's collar and smashed my lips on his. I moved my fingers in his mop of curly hair and tugged on the roots. When I did that, he bit me, and I smacked him on the arm.
He burst out laughing and wiped my lips with his thumb. "Got a little blood here. Sorry, Sandy Pandy."
I moved my hands to catch him, but he grabbed them and coiled them around his neck. He kept teasing me before kissing the soul out of me and smiling like the most innocent person alive in the whole universe.
"Love you," he said.
"Love you to the infinity."
"And beyond."
He kissed my forehead and told me that he would never make me upset. I smiled as he continued reciting dialogues from random movies and plays.
"You know Usha Mam thrashed me today," I said.
"Why?"
"Because I was thinking about you all day." I pointed at the broom and towel.
Ved's eyes flashed in realisation, and he began advancing towards his bag, but I caught him before he made a run and told him to help me in completing the work.
He gave in, and we both started cleaning the place - we were playing around for most of the time. We would have ended up spending the whole day in the Sports room if Payal hadn't arrived and informed us about the time. She gave me a mischievous smile after spotting Ved and left to inform the team about the progress.
"Now the whole college will know," I said.
"What's new in that?" Ved commented.
I snapped my eyes at him, and he stuck out his tongue. I jumped on him, and he caught me before we collided with the metal shelves. Just like that, we were back in pulling each other's leg, forgetting everything around us.
"Shouldn't we leave now?" Ved asked.
"You want to?" I raised my eyebrows.
He thought for a moment and checked his wristwatch. "I don't have any work today."
I gave him a huge smile and crushed him in my arms.
"I finally got my Vedu Vada."
"One more nickname." Ved sighed.
"I love you."
"I love you too."