*Flashback*

Priyanka's POV

Ved, Maya and I finally finished my portfolio and cleaned off the paint. Ved changed into one of my dad's shirts and sweatpants which was a couple sizes too big for him. Maya always had a set of spare clothes here and she just wore her leggings with a top and cardigan. Jia aunty cooked us a nice dinner and Maya finally left for home along with Ved.

The next day, I took my portfolio and submitted it to my teacher. She said the portfolio was done exceptionally and professionally. I was happy that I was able to fix the damage. I had first lunch and Maya had second lunch so I decided to stay back in the art room and paint by myself. As I was painting a landscape, I heard footsteps behind me. Without turning around, I could sense Vikram's towering presence behind me.

"Ms. Short said I might find you here." he said. I said nothing and continued to paint. He watched me paint for some time before he broke the silence.

"Pri, I am sorry for yesterday." he said in remorse. I still didn't respond and continued to swirl the colors on my paint palette, ignoring him. He stood there, his feet tapping impatiently.

"Say something dammit!" he said, after a minute of my unresponsive behavior.

 I stood up to paint a spot on top of the canvas and Vikram pulled me to his chest, my back facing his chest.

"Vikram, leave me." I said, holding my breath.

"No. Never." he said, burying his head in my hair. I exhaled heavily, my warm breath on his arm.

"Vikram, let me go. You behaved so horribly with me yesterday and now you are behaving so nicely? What are you even doing?" I asked, my eyes now open. I was not going to give in to him easily.

"I am hugging you." he said simply. Then he spun me around, the brush still in my hand.

"I don't want to be friends anymore." he said.

"Then?" I asked him, gazing at his brown eyes with flecks of hazel and gold in them.

"I want you to be mine." he said. "Will you?"

I dropped the brush in my hand, the turquoise color paint splattering on my new jeans. It clattered to the floor, rolling down the floor to finally rest next to my easel. I looked at him deeply, searching for my answer.

I couldn't say anything but my eyes said more than any amount of words could ever confess how I felt for him. He pulled me to his chest and I wrapped my arms around his muscular frame. He held me like a delicate flower as I inhaled his minty fresh scent. His every body part was leaving a trail of fire across my pale skin and I relaxed under his scorching touch. My body hummed along with his and everything around us swirled around in a whirlpool of color and became a world that existed of only the two of us. My heartbeat matched his and his hold around my frame fit like a snug glove, pre-made to perfection.

I finally whispered it after I could overcome the rush of suddenly awakened feelings I thought I would never feel, the feelings that were dormant until now.

"I love you." I whispered slowly enough to relish the moment, just for the two of us to hear. He wordlessly kissed my forehead and said it back to me in his husky voice. The moment was perfect except for the warning bell that resonated loudly in the art studio. Vikram gently let go of me and looked at me with a new attraction behind his eyes.

"We should go." I said, tucking a stray piece of hair that fell out of my ponytail. I turned to leave but Vikram took my hand. I looked at him in question but he walked with me out of the Art Studio, our hands interlocked for the world to see that he was mine and that I was his.

Maya's POV

Where was this Priyanka? The Counselor on duty gave me a dirty look for the fifth time to get off of campus but I couldn't leave without her, because she was the one who owned a car for me to ride in. I finally spotted her with Vikram, their hands interlocked? She gave him a loving gaze as he kissed her cheek.

"Priyu, Please stop showing me an episode of a romantic serial and tell me WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" I asked.

"We are in a relationship." she said, with a smile. Vikram smiled at me, cheekily.

"After this jerk ruined your portfolio?" I looked at Vikram with raised eyebrows. I had known Vikram for two years, even before Priyanka had a crush on him. I met Vikram in my freshmen year math class. He was the only other Indian in my lower level math class. We had instantly become friends because of our similar issues with math.

"Oye Mayan! That was because some jerk was getting a little too close to my girl." Vikram said, whacking me on the head.

"Oww! Don't call me a Mayan Vikram! Priyu, please calm your beast of a boyfriend down! And my girl? Arey wah! I never knew Mr. Vikram Kumar could be this romantic." I said, rubbing my head.

"That jerk would be me." Ved said, popping out of nowhere. I gasped in surprise and then looked away in embarrassment.

"Hey Ved!" Priyanka said. Vikram looked at Ved, queerly.

"Hey bro, chill. Priyanka and I are just friends." Ved said, his hand out for a handshake. Vikram gruffly shook it, his face still covered in a mask of uncertainty.

"Maya, we have to work on that app." Ved said.

"Right, can we meet this weekend on Sunday at the library?" I asked. I was so busy the rest of this week with Classical Music Training and uh, Grooming Classes.

"Sounds good. Our project is due next Wednesday so we should meet and finish before then." I said.

That Sunday, I had a Classical Music Class before meeting Ved at the library so when I got to the library, I was clad in a black and white embroidered casual salwar kameez with my hair in a french braid.

I spotted Ved with his laptop already open in the teen section. I sat down next to him and opened up my laptop.

"Sorry for being late." I said. Ved looked at me, from top to bottom.

"You are looking beautiful today." he said with a smile.

"Thanks." I mumbled and we prepared our presentation. After we finished, I got up to leave but I dropped my phone underneath the table. I picked up to get it but my earring got stuck in his shirt. His hands touched mine and I felt a funny feeling. It was nothing like the electric spark they said in books but more of an unexpected heated contact, which resulted in a zap. God, I sounded like a scientist!

"I'm sorry!" I said as I tried to remove my earring.

"Wait." he said. He delicately touched the sensitive skin on my earlobe and removed the earring. Then after removing it from his shirt, he handed it to me, our hands touching again. It was an all so familiar feeling, one I would be feeling a lot in the coming days and months.

*Present Day*

After my shower, I sat in bed staring bleakly at the stark white ceiling. I couldn't look anywhere else, because the room was flooded with him, his photos, his memories, and his presence. I ate a few bites of the toast my mom brought upstairs to my room for dinner. Then I received a call from Priyanka.

"Hey Sweetie! How did it go? Did he propose?" Priyanka asked, her excited voice from the other side of the phone.

"Priyu..." I said, a fresh batch of tears beginning to flow. Looks like my tear tank restocked its supply.

"Maya? Maya are you ok?" she asked. I started sobbing again at her concerned voice.

"Priyu, it's all over. It's all over!" I said, hiccuping.

"Honey, please calm down. I will be right there. I will send Vikram over and I am joining him in about five minutes. Just hang tight, ok?" she said in worry. Vikram lived in the house across of mine, making it easier for him to come over first. On cue, the doorbell rang. My mom let Vikram in and the duo had a muffled conversation and then I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. He opened the door and found me crying. He took me in his arms and tried to console me.

"Maya, please don't cry." he said, holding me for the longest time.

"He, he was just one of them Vikram." I said, after my tears had run dry. I had given him the gist of what had happened with Ved.

"I will f****** kill him once I get my hands on him. He deceived all of us Maya, not just you." Vikram said, in rage.

Priyanka walked in just then and sat on my bed. Vikram gave her the gist of what I had told him in anger and Priyanka simply held my hand for extra support. I was squashed in the middle with Vikram on one side and Priyanka on the other. I was so grateful for my friends at this time.

I don't know if I even had a purpose in life without them. Why has Ved made me become like this?

A/N: Hey Guys? How was the chapter?

1) Priyanka and Vikram! Aren't they adorable? I personally find Harshvardhan Rane play the role of Vikram perfectly. What say?

2) Maya is still devastated! But I am glad that she has Vikram and Priyanka to support her in this difficult time.

Please Vote and Comment!