Chapter 23

Ayaan had gotten dressed in a simple black shirt with his sleeves rolled up, supported by his blue jeans. His hair was tightly tousled, giving him a messy yet sexy look.

He had arrived at the party early to help Shaan set up. No matter what was going on, he knew Shaan and he didn't want to ditch him as a friend. So, he helped him set up and soon, as the crowd had started coming, his eyes had been glued to the door.

Finding any excuse to walk around and check the door or aspect the gentry, Ayaan was waiting for those specific pair of light brown eyes.

Finally his wait came to an end when he saw her enter with her two friends. His mind stopped working as his heart skipped a beat.

She looked enchanting. He hadn't expected to see her in a skirt, with so much of her skin showing. Was she even comfortable? His first thought. Was she cold? Was she forced?

Before he could approach her, he was called by Tanya, who grabbed his arm and pulled him.

"Ayaan! Let's dance. Come." She said, guiding his hands to her waist.

Ayaan had no interest. He let go of her, "Tanya, I'm a bit busy. I have to help Shaan with the rest of the arrangements. Please find someone else to dance with. I'll see you later."

"But Ayaan, everything is done. What more do you need to do? Come let's dance!"

"Tanya. I told you, I don't want to dance. Let go off me and don't cause a scene now."

Without waiting for a reply, he walked over towards Naina, but he couldn't find her now. He walked over to the bar, but she wasn't there either. He went outside to check, but she wasn't there either. Where was she? Finally, he came inside using the backdoor and found Naina and Shaan sitting on the couch, in a conversation.

His blood was slowly boiling. He's had enough. He walked over to them, "Hey, I need to borrow Naina for a second, if you don't mind."

He saw them look at him. Her face had paled. He could see it behind the masked smile of hers. Shaan smiled and nodded, "Sure bro."

He stood up and so did she.

Ayaan looked at Naina, "Naina? Come."

She came towards him and he saw Shaan turn and go into the other direction. Then, he held Naina's hand as he walked with her into a more quieter area. It was under the staircase.

Naina, on the other hand, was very confused and scared. She didn't know what was going on. But she had no choice but to follow. They reached a quieter area and she looked at him, not uttering a word.

He also looked at her, slowly coming close to her, "Why are you avoiding me?" He was direct. He didn't have time and energy to beat around the bush. He wanted to know.

"I'm not avoiding you." She replied. Truth is, she really wasn't. After that day, they hadn't seen each other much. "I haven't seen you around."

She wasn't wrong. He had been keeping to himself to figure himself out, "You had your time away from me now. This is all you're getting." He stated with confidence.

His words sent goosebumps on her body. He was coming closer to her, so close that she was now backed against the wall, with him in front of her. "Do you know why I gave you space?" She couldn't answer, "I gave it to take your words seriously. To think if maybe you were right. Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing."

His words were low.... Slow.

"A... And." She stammered.

"And," he said, his hand coming on her waist, catching her extremely off guard, "It wasn't."

He was coming closer to her, whispering in her ears, "It's more than that. I did what you said, now it's time you accept it too."

Naina gulped as she felt his skin against hers. Her eyes closed, as if feeling his presence. She looked at him, his eyes already on hers, "I already told you... I didn't—"

"Shut up, Naina." He interrupted her, "I know you felt it. I gave you space. But still your eyes spoke the same way they did back then. Your body reacts the same way."

"It... it doesn't." She tried to speak.

He chuckled, "Really? You're saying that if I do this...." His hand came on her arm as he trailed it, "It doesn't affect you."

"N...No." She lied.

"Good. So you don't mind if I do.... This." His hand trailed on her arm, slowly watching her face expressions change.

"Stop." She said, not able to tolerate this sweet torture, "Please."

"Tell me the truth. I'll stop." He said slowly.

"What truth, Ayaan?" She asked him.

"About what you feel, Naina." His eyes softened as he held her arm, gently but firmly.

"I told you what I felt."

"Your spur-of-the-moment nonsense, I know. I don't want to hear the same thing. Tell me when you are ready to face your feelings."

"I told you we can't. I told you the reason. And nothing has changed since then, Ayaan."

"And I am telling you that I haven't held your hand to leave it. Say whatever you want. Do whatever you want. I know how you feel and I know what's stopping you, but you need to face it. And I'm there with you when you do."

She stared at him. This Ayaan was different. He wasn't the same Ayaan she knew. His body language was different. Almost possessive. To an outsider, things might seem normal, but to him, it didn't. It felt strange.

"What happened to you?" She whispered.

He smirked slowly, his lips touching her cheeks as he pressed her there, "You know very well what's happened."

She gulped. She felt cornered and more importantly, she felt her own morales betraying her, "Leave me."

"I did that, and you opened doors to someone else." He said and looked at her intently, "I'm not doing that again."

"Opened doors?" She knew what he meant, "We aren't together. I can do whatever I want." She tried to stay confident.

His gaze darkened as his hand went on her waist, clutching her tightly, "Since the moment we kissed, Naina, our lines have met. Our paths have crossed and our roads have become one. The sooner you admit it, the easier it is for us."

He let her go and started walking away, but then stopped and turned around, "One more thing Naina," he said as she looked at him, "I always get what I want, and what I want is you."

She watched him smirk and turn and walk away, as she saw his treating fire in the background, she felt a sense of emotions she didn't know. She felt strange. A comfortable strange.

As she joined her friends again, who were sitting at the table, talking to the group, she felt weird. She could still feel his gaze on her, even though he wasn't around. She stayed silent as she watched them talk for over 20 minutes. She could feel his touch on her skin, the heat pooling onto her face.

"Naina, are you okay?" Meera asked her.

"Huh?" Naina came out of trance, "Yeah. It's.. it's hot here. I think I'm gonna go outside."

Meera nodded and Naina made her way outside into the garden. It was a silent moment until she was met with Ayaan's gaze again.

"What happened?" He asked, coming to her. His voice was comforting this time, not possessive.

"Nothing." She lied.

"I can read you, Naina, tell me." He said, in his low and husky voice, sending chills to her.

"You happened." She said, almost courageously. "You came into my world, and messed my road. I was doing fine, but no, the Ayaan Malhotra had to be there at the bar that day. Why was it you? I would have been at ease if I kissed a girl or some other guy!" She complained like a 5 year old.

He chuckled at her cuteness as she complained, then walked to her and held her hand, "If you kissed some other guy, he'd invite trouble for himself."

She crossed her arms, "Why? You'd beat him up or what? Or you'd kick him out?"

Ayaan chuckled, "Kissing you is inviting trouble darling. It's an addiction. Do it once and you're tempted to do it again. Kills you." He came closer, "But you're right as well, no one kisses you but me.... So maybe I would have beat him." He teased.

"You're impossible." she said and tried to go in but he held her hand and whispered in her ears, "And you are irresistible."

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