Sanvi's POV

I had rigorously trained my mind not to fall prey under his willful physical advances. The reason behind it obviously remained that I wouldn't be able to hold myself back if we delved further into our suddenly erupted physical intimacy. However, right then as Rishabh's mouth showered tantalising kisses down my jawline, my heavily aroused mind seemed to have lost all connection with the rational side of my mind. An inexplicable joy worked through my instincts, making me involuntarily wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, in a way, surrendering to my animalistic desire. But a nagging notion at the back of my head remained active to restrain me from allowing him a full access.

He doesn't feel the same way.

He's playing with my emotions.

He has figured out my weakness.

He'll jerk away from my body in no time.

He'll make fun of my weak demeanor towards his advances.

He'll laugh and point fingers at my disheveled self.

I am but a plaything to him now.

He isn't worth it.

My rational mind wanted to push him off and slap him right across his face for invading my personal space once again for the umpteenth time since that accidental kiss. I tried to follow my mind but my hands didn't seem to comply. My throbbing heart yearned to remain in his warm embrace, feeling wanted even if he had been feigning it.

I felt his head tilt against my cheek and stop the sweet torture for a momentary gap. I knew he must've been checking out my bare, shameless scrunched up face. The thought should have repulsed me and fuelled me to punch him off of my frame. But I seemed to have been petrified; my senses weren't in my control anymore.

The inexplicable attraction I felt towards Rishabh might have erupted from the night of our accidental kiss but I insisted that it was just a play of the pubertal hormones. However, I just couldn't interpret why I felt so warm, and in a weird sense, calm and relieved around him,-quite ironic to our usual bickering stances. It made me physically nauseous how swarms of butterflies invaded my stomach whenever we came in touch with each other. I felt lightheaded and giddy, practically just ready to plunge into any whimsy as his fingertips brushed against any part of my skin. These newly erupting emotions could never be named by my clouded mind.

"What... is this..?" I felt myself shudder while the words involuntarily made their way out of my parched mouth.

His hold around my frame at that particular moment seemed to entirely distract my mind from any other external influence that used clouded my mind at any given point of time,-the chaos in my house, my dysfunctional family. My anti-social demeanor as a result of it. I was habituated to loneliness. I had a best friend for namesake, a mother whose tired and burdened face constantly guilted me and a lonesome apartment with countless cobwebs and spiders for companions. I sought companionship in my books and in the academic competition against Rishabh. I had never allowed anyone inside my lonely world. I feared attachment. I had seen my parents at each other's neck, although they had once been one of those couples, drenched in love and practically giddy about their companionship all the time. Now, there wasn't a night in my life that I didn't wake up with a startling nightmare of walking into the main house to the dead body of my mother, either hanging from the ceilings of one of the dingy rooms or sprawled across the living room floor, abandoned and killed by her lover.

The thought seemed to slap me back to reality.

Rishabh's POV

I felt myself losing control with each sharp intake of breath that the movement of my mouth extracted from her. I let my mouth suck on the base of her jaw, and her arms around my neck tightened at the action.

My eyes opened slightly to take in the breathtaking sight of Sanvi's painfully desirous expression; her long lashes clasped her eyes down tightly and her lusciously full pink lips were slightly parted. I knew I had to stop immediately before I completely gave into the desire of snogging the daylights out of her with every moan she uttered. But whatever the hell overtook my senses made me feel motivated to go forward with it.

My mouth grew hungry for more and more, moving down to her neck. My palms rested on each side of her petite waist, and the grip growing tighter with every brush of her fingers against my neck. Our bodies were almost squashed together against her scooty. I felt the utter need to haul her up and wrap her legs around my waist, entirely giving into the desire I had been keeping bottled up since that night. God, she appeared so innocent yet sensuously ravishing at the same damn time.

To her query in the heat of the moment, all I could reply was, 'I don't know..."

My mouth eagerly descended down her neckline, planting soft kisses with each of our aroused huffs. She smelled like the freshly baked honey-dewed doughnut they sell in the Town Square. The more I inhaled her scent,  the more I wanted to make it all mine. We were a slip away from unraveling everything. However, the moment my hands slithered up the exposed skin on her waist, she pushed me away from her body with a powerful thrust. I was caught off guard by her sudden act and I grabbed the handle of her scooty in the nick of time to keep myself from stumbling behind.

I was rather flabbergasted. It took me some time to register the shock of my own action. How did I get carried away? How could I, Rishabh Singh Rathore, lose control in that manner? I shook my head in the disbelief of my own doing. Everything seemed blurry for some reason.

I immediately looked up and caught her slouching against the scooty with blood-shot eyes, her hair flying  everywhere. Was she crying? Did I cross the line?

What the hell! Of course I did! What else could I do when her simplest actions kept on triggering my desires somehow? I made Sanvi Dixit cry!

I regained my composure and advanced my hand towards her sobbing figure.

"Don't.. Just don't..." I was stopped midway by her raised hand. Her voice cracked when she spoke.

"Look, Sanvi! Listen to me.. I am sorry.. I didn't.." I had no valid explanation for my indecency. When I tried to catch her raised hand, she begrudgingly jerked my arm away. Her eyes stayed glued to her shoes as she wiped her sniffling nose with the sleeve. I was stupefied at the sudden change in the air. My eyes helplessly followed her movements as she turned her back to me and put the keys in ignition.

As if losing my sanity wasn't cruel enough, I felt a strange pain erupt throughout my chest at her unexpected vulnerable state. Her hair was messy, her shirt was unraveled from her jeans and her face appeared as pale as a sick person. Tears trickled down her eyes as she wore her helmet and stormed off, leaving a guilt ridden me behind, staring at her scooty vanishing amidst darkness within seconds.

I felt a sudden burden of guilt plunge over my conscience while standing there in a daze. I hadn't intended to go that far. I was caught off guard by her 'love' comment and after that, I had no idea what devil took over me. Her equally responsive fervor ensnared my senses. I was driven mad. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done that.

I just simply didn't know what happened to me whenever we came in touch with each other after that night. My guilt-ridden conscience seemed to have stunted me, rebuking myself for not following her right there as she drove away in that state.

But couldn't she have better confronted me for my behaviour? Couldn't she have slapped me across my face after jerking away from me? Couldn't she have just kicked and punched me as she had always been so eager to do whenever we locked horns? Why did she have to go and break down like that after equally responding to my advances? Why did she have to run away like that, leaving me in a whirlpool of doubts and regrets?

Deep down, I knew she must've been going through the exact same phase as I've been right then. Honestly, I would have felt better had she just thrashed me around a few times for my abominable act.

As I was contemplating  my choice of actions  in the parking lot,  my eyes caught a shiny object beneath the car we were standing against. I ducked down and grabbed the object which turned out to be a simple leather covered diary with the name Sanvi Dixit engraved in silver. 

Oh boy.

No,  I wasn't as shameless as to just ruffle through the content right then and there.  I sighed and tucked the little object into my pocket. I climbed on my motorbike, resolving to return it to her with an apology the next day.  I would,  however, give into the excruciating curiosity of knowing more about her that very night. Shameless,—I became just that a few hours later after reading that diary.

I was so screwed.

**********

Sleep alluded me that night and I kept cursing out randomly at the ceiling as a ghostly Sanvi's vulnerable face continuously flashed in my mind whenever I closed my eyes. I was restless and worried and I knew I wouldn't get some peaceful sleep until and unless I did something about the dispute in my mind. When I sat up on the bed and gazed upon the clock on my bedside table, my eyes involuntarily caught the open diary on the edge of the table.

I grabbed the book and flipped through the pages for the umpteenth time. My frustration was at the peak as the words practically screamed at me for being such a douchebag to her. I closed the diary with a thud but the appeal of the name engraved on the cover compelled me to rub my thumb over it in an apologetic stance.

The act was rather insignificant to me but it  seemed to fill me with a sudden surge of motivation to finally do something about the storm in my head. Picking up my phone from the side table, I searched for Dhruv in the contacts and a working idea hit my mind. I heard a sleepy greeting from Dhruv when my call finally connected.

"Dhruv... Buddy." I voiced out.

"Um Rishabh? It's midnight dude.. Is everything alright?" My best buddy had the audacity to care for my well-being in his half-sleepy demeanor when he had deliberately ditched me for a partnership that very evening.

"Yeah I am alright. Thanks for asking me to be your partner by the way.." I rolled my eyes.

"Wha...You're calling at this ungodly hour to rebuke me for not partnering with you, Rishabh? Really? You do very well know why I didn't choose you as a partner, you obnoxious competitive ass!"

"Yeah I know, I know. I am not calling for that."

"....Cause you know you become such a hugeeee pain in the ass when it comes to competition and I cannot bear being partner with the one-directional bull that you become then...dude I already told you that I want to enjoy the last school activity without worrying so much about the competition.. Besides, we didn't even get time to decide! It all happened so fast..."

"Dhurv, listen to me first, you idiot!"

"...We've had countless arguments about the same thing...and you know we've agreed how we're totally not on the same page about the Championship. Your selfish ass wants to bring home the trophy alone while I do not give a shit about trophy. Had Father not included me in this group endeavor and my own father hadn't compel me to participate, I would've happily cheered for you sitting in the stands...while munching on popcorn...with some hot babes of the other schools on either of my arms...probably laughing our assess off as you face plant yourself in the mud while running the Cyclothon...hahaha."

I had to give it to him for entirely swivelling the direction of the one-sided blabbering into his usual fooling-around mood. Dhruv had a wild imagination and I've had to put up with many of those awful days when he tried turn them into reality. I was glad he didn't ask me to be his partner partially for this reason.

"You done?" I deadpanned when I heard him wheeze at his own joke on the other side.

"No, I'll be done when I actually see you face plant on the arena."

"Shut up. I need a favour."

"What favour do you need in the middle of the night, your Majesty?" Dhruv yawned.

"Do you...do you happen to know Dixit's main home address?" I partially expected a huge exclamatory expression from the other side when I led those words out but Dhruv seemed rather composed in his answer.

"Ahh.. Sanvi Dixit?" Dhruv sat up on his bed hearing his best friend ask for the address of his so called enemy at midnight. Well, he actually wasn't that surprised. He had been noticing their unusual banters and the abrupt changes in Rishabh's demeanor for the past month. He was rather surprised to see the changes in Sanvi Dixit as well. The way Sanvi indirectly defended Rishabh against Aakash in the Cafeteria marked a huge clarification to his suspicion. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

"Umm yes. You told me once that you live near her house. The clumsy girl collided with me on the staircase and her book was exchanged with mine in the commotion. I kinda need my book urgently." I lied through my teeth and gazed upon my reflection in the mirror.

"Ah yes, the ever so studious Rishabh Rathore needs his lost book back at midnight. Not at all shocking."

"Not now idiot! I'll bring it back tomorrow. Just couldn't sleep so thought to call you..." I sighed deeply and lay on my back on the bed.

"You'll visit your sworn enemy's house to exchange books in the summer vacation? I don't know what's sadder. You still having kindergarten enemies or you studying throughout the vacation."

"Stop being a jackass if you do not wish me to come down there and kick your ass." I heard him chuckle from the other side at my threat.

"Why, I do have her address. However, I don't know how I feel about disclosing the poor girl's address to her nemesis. Who knows what you might be upto now.." His sarcastic tone made me roll my eyes.

"I am sorry, what kinda high are you on?  Aren't you supposed to be one my side? We've seen each other in diapers, for god's sake!" I led out an exhasperated sigh.

"Again stop with the emotional manipulation. I might just give you her address but you need to tell me the real reason for this sudden interest in Sanvi..." Dhruv's tone shifted to a more active one, making me cringe. I already kind of had an idea about his suspicion back in the Cafeteria. I groaned internally.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing 'sudden' in my beef with Dixit. You know we love to torment each other.."

"No..you love to torment her. She just bites back whenever you poke her."

"No, seriously, do you want me to come down there and beat you up? Act like my best friend! Jeez." I couldn't help but feel a little hurt at how my best friend blamed all of the Sanvi business on me.

It always takes two to tango.

Did I hate her? Of course I did.

Did she hate me? Well after my blunder that night, she surely would have increased the intensity.

Did I hate her enough to constantly torment her? ...um yes.

Was it hate that instigated me to make out with her in the parking lot that evening? ...perhaps no.

Then why was I losing my sleep over this? Because within the past few hours while lying on my bed, reading the diary, I had realised what a blithering jerk I had been to Dixit. Perhaps Dhruv was indeed right.

"No, no. First the parking lot fight and then..." He paused for a few seconds, making me squirm in my seat.

"You might not know this but after you stormed out of the Cafeteria seething after Aakash's insult, Sanvi Dixit shocked us all by openly defending you against Aakash. She was all about how you deserved the position more than anyone in that room and broke away from her partnership with Aakash the insult he began insulting you some more. So pardon me my friend if I am even a least bit interested in how bizzare you supposed enemies have been acting since past few days.." My jaw might have been hanging down the whole time because my mouth began to ache by the time Dhruv completed his prolonged speech.

Who defended whom in what? I was dumbfounded.

"Why are you not answering? Rishabh, I have never been a meddler but I sure would like know the deets here. I need to know what new mess you've created and plan to make fun of you accordingly. What's going on between you and Sanvi?" It took me a minute to figure what Sanvi had done.

"No hold on. What were you saying? Dixit defended me..? Against Aakash..?  In front of everyone...?"
I sat up straight, evidently surcharged by the unexpected news.

"Yeah, she was behaving really strange the whole time. But I gotta say, her outburst really did satisfy me. You had to see the look on Aakash's face when she burst out on him. The doofus didn't have a word to say against you or anyone then! He was opening and closing his mouth like a freaking fish. Haha."

"What did she say about me?" I really needed to tone down my voice but my excitement was through the roof at this new revelation.

"What did she say about you...hmm...well she just defended you and herself and all of us there. She said that Father must've left the partner choosing shenanigan for us to test our judgements of choice. She said that she believes this was all his plan so that we could interact and understand our positions before making the right judgement. That jerk was calling her cutesy names and she just ripped him a new one for that. You had to see his face, Rishabh!"

The satisfaction I attained when I heard those words made me smile ear to ear. Who knew that the bimbo went behind my backs defending me against people?

"So...? What's up with you and Sanvi?" I could practically feel his teasing grin against the phone and that brought me out of my sudden happy streak.
I needed to give him something or he wouldn't shut up about it.

"We decided to partner up, me and Dixit." All I heard after that was a prolonged silence from his side. I was worried I might've put my best friend into a cerebral shock after breaking the unusual news to him.

"Dhruv?"

"Wait...it hurts. My brain hurts. Why does it hurt?" His voice came out in a strained tone as he proceeded to express his shock towards the matter. I rolled my eyes.

"All right. Enough with the drama. Yes we did decide to partner up after coming to logical conclusion. So don't make this a big deal."

"No my brain just can't process this information. It hurts so bad. Why, Rishabh, why would you do this to me, that too at this point of the night? The ambulance might take hours to come. I am dying."

"Shut it, Dhruv. We're just partnering up for the sake of the school...and also partially because Father has punished us to participate in the school activities together for the entire session. He has threatened us with our graduation after our stupid fight in the parking lot. He wants us to be in friendly terms for the school's reputation. The old man is retiring this year and he wants the record of discipline to be pristine until the end of his tenure. It's a stupid thing really. "

Silence

"Wow, that's a lot of information to digest." Bro, I wished that was true. He didn't know quarter of what had actually happened. And I intended to keep it that way. Not that I didn't trust him but it would be better for us as a team to steer clear of rumours as much as possible until the Championship.

"Anyways, will you text me her address then?"

"Evading the question entirely, now aren't we?" He voiced out in protest.

"There's nothing more to tell. Just send me the text." I felt him gruff from the other side in resignation.
"Right now." I added.

"Then, Good night." I attempted to end the conversation before he could say anything else.

"Oh hello? You said that you wanted to talk since you couldn't sleep? Tell me then. What's bothering you, my child?" He interjected in a whiny voice.

"That's all that I wanted to say. Now send me the address and go sleep."

"YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN THE ADDRESS TOMORROW MORNING YOU JERK! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DESTROY MY SLEEP—"

I cut him off midway and dropped down on the bed, wiping the sweat off of my forehead. He might've been a brilliant guy but he was a handful.

But right then, all I could think about was how Sanvi defended me, ME back in the cafeteria and I didn't even get to hear anything. On the top of that, after she came down to the Parking Lot, I had to go out of my way to torment her like that! Hell, I even kissed her again  without her permission!

If my guilt was at the peak of the Mount Everest after reading the diary, it was atop Mt Olympus by the time I cut the call. I couldn't just sit there wondering about what she might've been thinking after hearing all that. I had to apologise to her, face to face and I had to do that immediately.

My phone beeped with a text message and I sat up to check if it was Dhruv's message with her address. It indeed was and he had typed a stupid 'Best of luck' with a wink emoji underneath the address. As irritating as it was, I truly need all the luck to sneak into her house at that point of the night. I was ready for anything. But I just ardently hoped she was still awake.

I ruffled my hairs in frustration before grabbing my bike keys and storming down the staircase.

*************

TBC

Got a lot of free time here. So thought to give another update. It's also to inform my readers that I have started a new ff, 'The Fortunate Accident' on SanDhir. I had scribbled it down a year ago almost and even used to post in Facebook but due to the lack of response there, I thought to keep it on hold. I have started it once again and will post in Wattpad as roughly regular as I can. And this one will be continued as a series of OS (now don't ask how much longer I'll stretch it) Its just that I am loving to write such characters and want to cherish that feeling for as long as I can and of course if my readers are convinced with it. Please do vote and comment.
Loads of love <3