Part II

He was unaware of my presence in the room because as I entered silently. He was so gorgeous that I couldn't take my eyes off. Unconsciously, I started to admire him afar. No wonder he was an ACP.
A thought crossed my mind as I walked inside the room a. What might he be thinking looking that the photo? Was he looking at Anokhi and admiring her secretly? Or was he looking at me in that picture? I felt a pang of jealousy thinking about the first one. Without wasting any time I increased the pace to reach him and took the photo frame from his hand. He got startled at first then composed himself. "What are you doing in Anokhi's room?" I muttered rudely. "Don't you have manners ACP? Don't you know that you should take permission before you enter any girl's room? Cut that off, what are you doing here anyway? Admiring her secretly?" The last syllable slipped despite my conscious effort not to express it in front of him.
He kept the photo frame and looked towards me, "Do you have a problem with that Mr Sabherwal?"
"Yes, I have a problem. Stay away from her. I know your types." I spatted.
"And what is my type?" he sounded so composed and analytical. 'Shaurya, you are going to mess this up royally.' I thought.
I clapped my hand and walked towards the bed all the while not breaking my eye contact. "By your type I mean, since Anokhi is so friendly with you, you can take advantage of her openness just like other sleazy males do. But, Anokhi has my back and I will protect her with my life. Don't even think of using her ACP. Or else I will forget that you are ACP. I am not going to be afraid of the consequence even if that means that I could be jailed."
"Mr Sabherwal...", ACP was about to say something but I stopped him.
"Shaurya...call me Shaurya." I felt distant whenever he called me by my full name and that's why I stopped it.
"Very well, Shaurya. First of all, Anokhi is my friend. You people can be childhood friends but that doesn't mean my friendship with her any less. I respect her as a woman and more importantly she is one of the closest friends I could ever have. I would never hurt her. I think you are highly mistaken, Shaurya. You are mixing my liking for her as a friend with something else." He walked towards me, his steps slower than ever, like a predator. Was he trying to intimate me? Well, I cannot be intimidated.
"Every relationship starts with friendship and ends with something else. It's a trap which I am aware of." I deadpanned.
"So, you mean to say even you like Anokhi in..." he quoted with his fingers, "that way"?
I just couldn't control my emotions anymore. I got up from the bed and held his collar. "Don't you dare compare my feeling towards Anokhi with yours? She is my best friend."
"Friends with benefits type you mean to say? Is that the reason you don't like me around her because you secretly in love with her?" we were practically breathing on each other suddenly the entire atmosphere heated up and I lashed out.
"Who the f*ck has made you an ACP? You are nothing but a duffer. I don't like Anokhi in any other way. My feelings for her are friend-zoned nothing like what I am feeling for you." Shit! Damn It! I released his collar and pushed him back. What the f*ck have I done. In the heat of the moment, I have confessed my feelings.
"Yes! I know that you hate me. I could make that out from day one. It is nothing new if you must know."
"I f*cking don't hate you ACP", I screamed making his eyes go wide. I don't care if he does character assassination. I just cannot hold it back anymore. To hell with what he might think. "I, f*cking like you and want you to be comfortable around me just like you are with Anokhi." There was pin-drop silence in the room. Both of us looking at each other, not uttering a single thing. Say something damn it.
"We can never have what I have with Anokhi. You can never be what Anokhi is to me." There it was, he said it on my face. He can never like me. After all, he was in love with Anokhi. It was evident. I was stupid to think something like that.
"I....I am....I am sorry. Just forget what I said and please don't tell this to Anokhi." I stammered as I didn't know how to handle this situation.
"Sorry, Shaurya, I will definitely tell this to Anokhi. She has every right to know that both of her friends are in love with each other." Shocked would have been an understatement what I was feeling. I was thrilled to know that he too was in love with me.
"You love me?"
"Yes, Mr. Shaurya Sabherwal."
"I never thought you would reciprocate my feelings. Heck, I thought you love Anokhi."
"I do love her, but not as you are portraying."
Suddenly the door opened and Anokhi came in. "Shaurya, I had asked you to fetch Ahir and both of you are gossiping in my room. Come on let us go and join the fun downstairs." She paused then looked at both of us, "Is everything okay between you two? Shaurya, tell me you aren't being an ass to him."
"We are good Anokhi. Come let's have some fun after all it is the best holi celebration of my life." Ahir winked at me before joining Anokhi. "Let's have some fun Mr Sabherwal, what say?"