22: distractions

━━━━━━━━━━━━ NILA

The pictures that Nila captured on their first date were once again a hit with the viewers. Despite feeling a little guilty of using her new-found love as a promotional technique, the numbers on her profile doubling made her feel happy.

Her sister had called and teased her about her 'crush' and how none of the pictures were suggestive of that but only more. She had dismissed it, lying that they had hung out with friends. Kayal had responded with that signature Hmm of hers and before she decided to probe more, Nila had changed the topic. It was something she liked about her relationship with her sister --- both respected each other's boundaries. They were tight knit but never at the expense of getting involved in everything in their lives.

"Are we there yet?" Anamika asked, scrolling through her phone with boredom.

"I still can't believe you've never visited this library. I was raving about it two months back. Didn't you even consider checking it out?" Nila asked.

"Too busy."

"Too lazy, you mean."

Her friend shrugged.

The app in her phone showed they were three minutes away from the library. Their decision to visit the library to study was influenced by weird circumstances, one she never imagined happening. Most of the colleges had their finals approaching in a few days and usually during this exam season, their flat was eerily quiet. All three of them took their studies seriously.

But this time, however, Anamika and Nila hadn't gotten any studying done. Nila was addicted to texting her boyfriend and since he slacked in the studies department, he was online all the fucking time. She couldn't resist texting him. As for Anamika, someone in her class had introduced her to the world of anime and people would think she got married to it overnight. In a span of four days, she had binged nine anime shows.

Only when they had seen Priya preparing large containers of coffee decoction and yet falling asleep with her book on the couch, the fact that they'd wasted most of their study holidays slapped them across their faces.

She refused to let her new-found happiness intervene in her academic performance, so she'd manipulated Anamika into accompanying her to the library. The change in setting always helped Nila focus.

And coincidentally, when she'd mentioned it to Vijay, he told her that Krish was holed up there every day and was trying to coax him into joining him. An idea lit up in Nila's mind, adding onto her desire to study in the library. Nila needed motivation and doing study sprints with Krish was the perfect solution. She texted Krish and he was so open to the idea that one might think he had been desperate for it.

"Here we are," Nila said, paying the driver and hopping out of the auto.

She carried all her books and her laptop, making her way to the fifth floor where Krish had supposedly saved seats for them. Seeing the people mill around, each of them holding books and highlighters and laptops, some of them buried deep in their books pumped up her spirits already.

She was so behind on her study schedule but she would catch up.

She had to.

Unlike her sister, her performance depended on the time and effort and vigorous preparation she dedicated herself to. Without it, her scores would never be at par with her sister's in college and create an opportunity for her parents to be incredibly disappointed with her.

"Wow, this is... decent," her friend said, seeing the buttons on the elevator going as far as 11.

Nila smiled. Anamika had a problem admitting others were right. It had been frustrating in the beginning but Nila had gotten used to working with it.

When they entered the hall, Krish was hogging a four-seater table, his notes and books spread all over to the other side. He didn't notice when they entered, the skin between his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he worked out something with his pencil. "Hi," she whispered, sliding next to him. Krish's face broke out into a wide grin at her but his smile slipped a little when he noticed Anamika.

"You. I know you," he said, his index finger shooting out to point at Anamika. "You are the one who scratched Away, you three inch fool! on my neighbour's car. I watched you do it."

Nila glanced at Anamika, undecided on the truth of the accusation. Because she knew Anamika was capable of it.

Her friend shrugged and took a seat across from Krish. "He is my professor. He tried to make a pass at me and when I called him out, he messed with my grades. I was pissed."

"So, you'll scratch mean words into someone's car?"

Anamika smiled sweetly at him. "I might do worse than that. What's your point, nerd?"

Krish looked at Nila, the question in his mind printed in bold on his face. Why would you be friends with someone like her?

Nila didn't know how to answer it. Hers and Anamika's friendship was difficult to explain. It just happened and she was grateful for it.

"But why Away, you three inch fool?" came a familiar voice out of nowhere. She whipped her head around and found Vijay leaning over her, smiling. He was wearing a simple olive-green collared t-shirt with black denim, his hair messy as if he'd run a hand through it. Nila's mouth hung open.

"It's a line from the play Taming of The Shrew," both Anamika and Krish chorused before regarding each other with disgust.

"He hated Shakespeare," her friend added to bring in more context.

"Clever. I'm impressed," Vijay said, sliding in next to Nila and squeezing her in between him and Krish. Nila was still processing seeing Vijay out of the blue while he threw his arms around her and thumbed her strap of her kurti absent-mindedly.

Anamika turned to Nila and smiled appreciatively. "Good choice. I like him," she said, tipping her chin to Vijay. Her boyfriend grinned at the compliment.

Krish grunted under his breath and went back to his book.

"What are you doing here?" Nila asked Vijay quietly.

"Came to study."

Krish snorted next to her. Vijay smacked his head.

"Are you serious, Vijay?"

"I am. I brought my books. I swear, I'm here to study. No distractions. I promise," he said. But Nila knew better. When Vijay was pressed close against her --- thighs pressing, knees knocking, shoulders brushing – the familiar heat of his body was enough to make her mind spin into an alternate dimension that consisted of only the two of them. He didn't have to do anything--- his existence in itself was intoxicating as fuck.

"You have to study. I'll ask Krish to quiz you."

"Chill, silver. Don't make me feel bad for wanting to be around you," he whispered. "I just missed you so much. Since there's no college, I feel like I don't get to see you at all."

Instantly, Nila felt bad. "I'm sorry. You didn't have to come here but you did. Thank you," she said. "I missed you too."

"Come on, we know you love each other. Let's start studying, please," Krish said. Vijay glared at him as Nila straightened up, shrugging Vijay's arms from around her and opening her notebooks.

Krish, Farah and all her friends had gotten to know about their relationship in the past few days. Everyone were supportive of it but she did sense some forced congratulations from Sanjay's side. Nila hadn't had a proper talk with Sanjay after the little argument they had. She had called and texted him multiple times but never about Vijay or her relationship with him. That part was still rocky with him.

Anamika had already started marking what needed to be studied. She was preparing a schedule. A few minutes later, all of them had a goal they'd complete in an hour, after which they'd take a break and start another round. She expected Vijay to be lethargic about it but when they started the clock, he actually put in efforts to study. He asked Krish doubts, borrowed the list of predicted questions that Krish had put together and started learning each of them. She was so proud of him.

Like he promised, he didn't do a single thing to purposely distract her except once when she'd dropped her pencil and he gave it back to her with a heart-melting wink.

After an hour, Nila had almost gotten her goal done. There were two pages more but it wasn't very important. Krish dropped his pencil and looked up at her, smiling at the grin of accomplishment on her face. "Feels good, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said.

"No, my head is killing me," Vijay answered at the same time, resting his head on the table.

"This is the first time Vijay has actually sat for an hour to study," Krish said. "The things people do for love."

Nila chuckled, weaving her fingers into Vijay's hair and scratching his scalp gently. Vijay made a sound that made her freeze and turn her red.

"Fuck, don't stop," he rasped, burying his head into her side.

"Okay, that's my cue. I'll go grab something to drink." Krish stood up. There was a small kiosk on the ground floor. And just because Krish was an innately good person, he turned towards Anamika and asked her, "Do you want me to get you something?"

"I could use a walk," she said, standing up and stretching herself. Her top rose up and Nila caught Krish's eyes tracing the band of exposed skin before looking away, flushed and guilty. Nila smirked.

"Can you get something for me to drink as well? Something cold? And bring Vijay coffee."

"Red bull," he groaned from the table.

"No, just coffee will do. I can't handle you hyper, please," she said. "Besides I don't think they sell soft drinks here."

"I want to go home," Vijay grumbled. Anamika and Krish walked out of the hall, leaving them alone.

"No, you don't," Nila whispered, messing up his hair before placing a quick kiss on his head.

"Silver," he said. "You are so pretty today. This fucking skirt and your hair."

She laughed. "Okay, what do you want from me? I know you want something."

"Will you give it to me if I tell you?"

Nila could sense that whatever Vijay was thinking of wasn't innocent. The way he was looking at her meant he had something sinister in his mind. "I'll consider it once you tell me what you want."

He paused for a second, deciding if he wanted to go through with it. The anticipation was killing her.

"I want a kiss."

Nila sucked in a sharp breath without meaning to. "You want a kiss," she echoed stupidly. Her cheeks coloured and she knew the light smirk on Vijay's face was the result of that.

"Yes, I want a kiss. A real kiss."

She swallowed. "Now?"

"Now."

Nila untangled herself from him, deciding his touch wasn't helping her case. "Vijay, this is a library. We can't. There are cameras."

"No one will notice it," he argued, inching closer to her.

"They will," she insisted, shaking her head.

"You are trouble, Vijay."

"Come on, silver. You like getting into trouble with me, don't you?"

Nila was silent.

"Okay, one kiss. That's it," she said.

Vijay grinned, already leaning closer.

"It's going to be very quick," she warned again, letting her eyes check the room for anyone else and concluding negative.

"Just fucking kiss me, silver."

Nila inched closer and felt Vijay's hot breath on her skin. The heat from his body enveloped hers just like his perfume did. Vijay's eyes met hers and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. His eyes had always been a story she could get lost in.

She had always dreamed of kissing him, pressing her lips against his soft ones, biting down on it, tasting him and eventually getting addicted to him.

Their lips touched. A slow brush, their breaths mingling, and Nila gave in. She fisted his t-shirt and pressed—

"Nila, what do you like better? Rose milk or Mango lassi?" Krish walked in, studying both the bottles in his hand. Thankfully, he didn't notice how Nila had jumped away and shoved Vijay so strongly that he almost toppled over the bench.

"Um, I'll take Rose milk," she said, her voice coming out unnaturally squeaky. She grabbed the bottle from him and faced the other side, feeling her skin burn red. Vijay however leaned against the table, watching her hyperventilate and make a fool of herself with a small smile.

"It's your fault. What if he had seen us?"

"So what? We are dating. Everyone knows there's going to be kissing involved," he said, tucking back her hair casually. "I love it when your cheeks turn red. So fucking beautiful."

She swatted his hand away. "I hate you."

"Love you too," he grinned, dipping his head to press a rough kiss on her cheek.

Nila smacked him hard.

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