I'm extremely sorry for the delay, I was caught up >>>>

And here's the ⚠️reminder⚠️, my MMC is an anti-hero red flag-morally grey not some lovey dovey. So if you were expecting that, then you are not at the right place <<<<

Aarav's pov
Taking a long sniff from the mug of hot coffee, a wide grin etches across the blonde haired girl aka my only and annoying friend. Best friend is what she says. Looking past the coffee mug, her gaze wavers to me with an impressed gleam on which I just roll my eyes. "How did it go ?" Her greenish brown eyes in the meantime skims across the paper in her hand as she shoots the question.

She doesn't need to see my research of hours of how to accomplish a successful date.

"I planned it " I chastise, fanning my hand animatedly. "It had to be terrific." My eyes narrow at her frame and I pawky slither closer to her. However before I could snatch the paper away, she made a run to the adjacent couch.

And as for consequence, I let out a loud grunt when I landed flat on my face on the sofa. Fuck! Meanwhile Mishti took a good moment to process the scene and then burst into shrieks of laughter.

Why is she even here!?

"I actually didn't expect you to make notes from Google." Once the laughter subsided, she interjected. "Did you even follow it ?" To hide her smile from my glaring eyes, she ducked her head low to sip on the coffee, which I agreed to make for her after so many tantrums.

Her ass is lucky to get served by Aarav Oberio's coffee.

"I did." Her eyebrows shot up, giving me a dubious look. "Initially." I clarified, heightening the curiosity of the already curious girl. "I didn't pull her a chair since she didn't accept my hand when I opened the door for her."

A scowl repleted on her face, her head shook in chagrin. "Jerk." Whatever. I shot her a glare, my shoulders shrugging up in a nonchalance. "Āpanāra tathākathita igōra cikiṯsā karā darakāra."

(That so-called ego of yours needs to be treated.)

Although I didn't understand a word, but her face was saying it all. So, I just ignored her retort.

Taking needed breaths, Mishti strives to keep her composure. "But on a serious note, you know right this date and all won't fix everything ?"

"That's why you are here. You are Bengali right !?" My intention was to divert the topic and it actually worked when she gnashed her teeth together.

"I don't do black magic, asshole." She sneered.

"Ofcourse, you can't. You aren't even a proper Bengali." Emphasising, I smirked, finding Mishti, who was already exhausted from the jet lag, getting pissed. "Angrezi khoon."

(English blood.)

"Bastard, you don't deserve my courtesy."

Her retorts went deaf to my ears. It was like both of us have taken the job to get on each other's nerves whenever given the chance. "But your mother can_"

"No she can't." She snapped, ready to lunge at me and smash my handsome face. "And considering her dislike for you, she wouldn't even if she could."

Ohh sure. If Mishti is crazy to still remain friends with me, her mother is crazier to contempt my mere presence.

And as if on cue, her phone blared and in a quick glance, I noticed it's her mother calling. Timing!

"Definitely black magic." I couldn't help but smirk as an annoyed Mishti walked up to the other side to talk to her mother to avoid any fuss.

However since my penthouse is usually binned off, even the slight noise could be heard clearly if paid good attention. I could figure out that her paranoid mom is getting more paranoid since her daughter is going to stay more than a month here alone. That too in the penthouse of a friend she doesn't approve of.

In a friendship of almost six years, I haven't even touched her daughter's hair. Yet she is stuck with my bad reputation. Her problem, none of my concern.

Not liking them enjoying their mother daughter time, I came up with a delinquent idea to rile both of them up. "Coax your mother to do black magic for me and I'll convince her to approve of your Italian boyfriend."

A diabolical smile slithers on my lips hearing the loud infuriated groan Mishti vents out. Touché!

Earlier dropping my Honey-eye, I had to rush to pick Mishti up from the airport. And I would have cared less but she is not familiar with this country. She has to attend the wedding of a distant cousin and have some professional errands to look after. That's why I am letting her crash at my place and in return she will help me woo my Honey-eye.

Not even a minute later, Mishti walked back. Her seething gaze fixed on me. "No black magic is going to help you." I remained unfazed, knowing I intentionally hit a nerve. Her boyfriend is a touchy topic for now between her and her mother. "But a sorry will definitely do." I deadpanned.

Only if it was that easy. Ever since childhood, I've creeped away from feeling sorry, and acknowledging it. And it won't change so abruptly.

"I need to leave." Getting up from the sofa, I picked up my car keys on the way. Over my shoulder, I saw Mishti shaking her head in disappointment.

"Don't forget I've to attend a traditional wedding so I need clothes accordingly." She yelled from behind. "You're taking me shopping."

Opening the main door, I stepped outside and my glaring eyes met hers when I whipped around. "I don't know a fuck about that."

"Guess what!? I'm meeting your wife sooner then." Upon that I banged the door closed.
~
~
~
Mishika's pov
I should better get an appointment before my manipulative nightmare for a husband turns me into a lunatic with his actions and words.

Despite the numerous twists and turns my body took, I couldn't resolve differences between me and my bed so that I could find myself anywhere near to sleep. Regardless of how weary my brain was from the day long work, only his words were buzzing inside my head in a loop.

Kudos to that insane man for how impeccably he is trifling with my sanity. At this moment I'm such a great mess that I can't figure out whom to hate more ? Him or myself ?

I don't know what meaning I should take out of his words. He is just too complicated that I can't solve him. He is so expert at feigning that it's so hard to contemplate when he is wearing that famous facade of his and when he is being his real self.

With the amount my heart beats picks up and that chill that runs down my veins and ends up warming the pit of my stomach, all of these should be designated illegal. And I really want to slap myself for feeling this way.

I can look over my actions. I can hold on to my morals. But how does one conquer over the feelings they don't want to feel yet end up feeling it ? How does one control their emotions ? It is pretty much of a white lie to claim that emotions are tender enough to be governed by humans.

For me, it never has been. It's just so_ impossible. And the existence of 'I'm possible' here cannot really be considered.

Besides all these messy feelings gnawing at my skin, I atleast know what I want. He said it was in the past and I should get over it. As if I don't want to. I do. I'm desperate to break past the fetters of my past and move on, completely.

Hobbling along with your past is exhausting, holding on to the grudge curbs you under so much weight that you feel the suffocation with every intake of breathing. And I do want to get over it.

It's fine if I can't change my past. I've made peace with that fact already. But I want to see the remorse on my destroyer's face. I want him to feel the guilt, go through the weight of the aftermath and understand that it was no unicorns and rainbows for me.

Apparently after that I would actually be able to make a treaty with my present and past and will make head for my path to contemplate about my future.

He was a jerk to think that by playing with my emotions and trust he could break mine and Ishan's friendship. And he should realise that he was a jerk.

Even if I try to remind myself that if I wasn't in my senses then also he was drunk that night, then what ? Those memories are fresh in my mind, so he must also remember them. Then why does he roam around pretending nothing happened ? He is even a bigger jerk to do that.

For the entire time in college, he used to get on my nerves, nagging me around. And I did what I've learnt to do, ignored him. I've never been able to figure out why he won't just give up. But finally he did give up. After tainting my spirit, mocking at my vulnerabilities, by spreading out that video. And that wasn't just a jerk act, he proved himself as a heinous bastard.

That was the actual reason why I started hating him, despising the air he breathes in, loathe the path he walks through.

And he just disappeared to have his part of life after leaving my life wrecked.

The crackling of the front door ascertained that the devil is back. Shaitan ka naam liya aur shaitan hazir.

(Speak of the devil and he doth appear.)

A couple of minutes rolled on with the shuffling sound back and forth while he whistled aimlessly. I tried to not flutter my eyelashes when he switched on the lights and henceforth the wardrobe door was clanged shut.

Why isn't he turning off the lights ? Frustratingly, I peeked through my eyelashes and forthwith felt my mouth parching at the glory of his muscles flexing on his bare back. And the very next moment I slammed my eyes closed.

Why the hell is he changing here ? Shameless creature. Asmodeus.

Not feeling the intriguing light over my eyelids anymore, my rigid body savoure into relaxation which wavered moments later as beside me the bed dipped with a weight.

It didn't take my a lot to realise he was closer rather than the far end of the bed, where he should actually be.

Shivering at the very immediate moment his fingers reached out for the tendrils descending around my cheeks, my fist clutch around the duvet.

Confusion swarms through me as the silence of the night chords with the sugary chuckle of the devil. "You are still awake, baby ?" The sultriness of his breath above my earlobe levitates goosebumps on my skin and I gulped, hard.

With a jolt I turned around in his direction and simultaneously gave a hard shove on his chest, signalling him to scoot away. He complies, rejuvenating the gap not so far from my vicinity. Very considerate.

I can't sleep in complete darkness, that's why a dim yellow lamp remains lit at my side. And since he is right now invading into my vicinity, his silhouette is incandescent under it. And I couldn't help but glare at him, even when he won't be able to see it. "You were pretending to have no idea the whole time ?"

I bit my lips when another of his beautiful chuckles resonated again and made my skin clad with warm gooseflesh. "Weren't you doing the same ? I was just being thoughtful." And his fingers were back, this time playing around the whisks of my hair. "I was just playing along in the game of pretence, making it more fun for you."

Annoying idiot.

"Appears like your mind is already betraying you. The player is already overpowering your senses." His voice dropped a level of octave making it sound huskier. "First and foremost not just a random player, a mastermind he is."

Don't pay attention to his words. Ignore it. Ignore it. He is just trying to play his manipulative tricks. Ugh!

"Why are you like this, Aarav ?" I don't know why I asked this. The mess of my emotions and thoughts is overwhelming my sensibility. "Why can't you just be honest and let your true self appear ?"

I hate to admit but I can't control the ache rising in my nerves. There's this urge evoking in me to divulge everything that he secretes beneath the smoky veneer of his sinful glorious charcoal eyes. To dive into these blackholes orbs of his and fathom their depth. But I'm afraid. Afraid that I would never be able to make my way out, will lose myself into them and will be consumed in the dark abyss.

I heaved for a breath when his knuckles ran along the outline of my face. No light is required for my senses to decipher how fervent his incendiary eyes are over me. "Trust me honey-eye, no one ever got parts of my exposed self like you did."

Only if it was as simple as simply you said it. Believe me Aarav, I am not strong enough to put my trust back into you. You made it so unfeasible. I let out a humourless chuckle but only received silence from his side.

A bizarre tranquillity stretches in the ambiance and there wasn't even a sound of any movement except for the sound of our breathing. His palm which was previously halted on my cheeks, makes its way to my scalp as his fingers stow between my hair. And slowly my eyes began to droop while his fingers danced with a rhythm on my scalp.

I breathe out a calm air, my body slipping into relaxation and gradually my senses begin to lull into slumber. Amidst I felt a warm sticky touch on my temple but I was too sleepy to decipher what was happening.

Chapter Word- 2318

And since my viva will be starting soon and boards are getting close, the updates will be delayed...

The response on last chapter made my heart flutter... Thankyou lovelies 🥹

Signing off
~T.R