Randhir's POV~

"Seems like we have a visitor...?" Mum stood by the door in her business attire with a questioning expression on her tired face. She was looking right at Sanyukta and seemed pretty much puzzled at the sudden appearance of the girl in her son's bedroom. Definitely I was seventeen but I had never brought any girl home, except my friends. Mum was  accustomed to the random visits of my friends in the mansion and she knew most of them but Sanyukta was a new face for her. She was ought to be confused. I looked at Sanyukta, who seemed quite flustered and I had to stifle a chuckle at her reaction. She wasn't expecting my mum to catch her gallivanting in our mansion at that point of night. And I was sure that she might had been running that pretty little brain of hers a bit too much-well her expressions said a lot. As creepy as it sounded, I had grown to learn every reason behind the changes of her expressions through the days, I had known her-known as in actual 'knowing' and not as 'The Sanyukta Aggarwal-Nerd and loner of St.Louis'.

"Uh.. Mum she's Sanyukta.. My..err..competition partner and friend.." I stuttered a bit while introducing her as my 'friend'. Heck dude, I was literally turning into a chick!

"Oh interesting.." Mum exclaimed while passing her a scrutinizing  gaze  and walked inside my room. Sanyukta stood there, smiling awkwardly, her stare between me and Mum. Amaya was still straddling her waist and I walked towards them to take Amy back from her lap. Amy giggled and jumped into my arms.

"Hello Mrs Shekhawat.. It's nice to meet you.." Sanyukta fidgeted with the hem of her cardigan and nodded politely at my Mom. She looked so cute while blushing.

Mum smiled at her and in no seconds Sanyukta was hugged by Mom. Did I say that Mum was a total hugger? She might behave professionally most of the time, considering her packed schedule in our business but she was  actually just another sweet and understanding Mom when it came to me and my friends. Sanyukta must had been thinking about the excessive lot of hugs she was getting that day. I poked my lips out and threw her a girly pout when she looked at me embarrassingly, over mom's shoulder while hugging her back. Okay, Randhir Singh Shekhawat was pouting—no definitely not a rare sight.

"Oh sweetie, it's so nice to meet you too. Ron has told us many things about you. I heard that you are an excellent swimmer and also that you're one of the toppers in St.Louis?" Mum broke the hug and smiled at her warmly. Sanyukta instantly stole a glance at me when Mum mentioned about me telling stuffs about her. I felt warmth crawl over my neck and I looked away, scratching the back of my head. Okay yeah, I must have had spoken about Sanyukta to Mum during dinners—which by the way was the only meal that we used to enjoy while having a hearty family time.

"Yeah..I mean I try.." Sanyukta blushed while fidgeting with her fingers. She fidgeted a lot while she was nervous. And she looked so cute while blushing. Okay I was doing it again.

I looked down at Amy in my arms who was gazing at them intently and tickled her neck to which she shifted her head towards me and pouted. I loved that baby! She was so cute and bubbly and the sweetest thing was that- her first words were 'Ron'. We might be cousins but she was actually like my own  baby sister. She used to spend most of the time in our mansion with my family, considering the hectic schedule of aunt Ruhini who happened to be a single mother. I was the happiest person when she was born. I finally felt like having a little baby sibling of my own, over whom I could be protective and dedicated and I would love her till my last breath. She was a tiny ball of sunshine in my life.

"Yeah mostly.. I hope we win this time.." I snapped out of my reverie when I felt a weight on my shoulder and looked down to see a dozing Amy. Her eyes were drooping and she seemed pretty tired. Of course she must have had hold up a tantrum to visit me just after her play school ended for the day, without even resting a bit. I felt sad for not being able to spend time with her as I had to head for the championship the other day. I mentally promised to buy  her a nice present on her birthday after coming back, as a compensation.

"Oh of course you will! I have my full faith in you guys sweetheart!" I looked up at mom and gestured her towards a sleeping Amaya in my arms and asked her to lower her voice. Mom nodded and turned back to Sanyukta.
She patted Sanyukta's head one last time and turned back to me.

"Honey, take Amy to her room and tuck her.." I nodded and she left the room after whispering a 'good luck' to Sanyukta to which  she nodded with a smile. Oh, I seemed to have had zoned out the bit when they were warming up to each other. I smiled goofily at Sanyukta when she turned to me.

"You still nervous?" I smirked while walking towards her with Amy who was then snoring softly.

"Huh?" she scrunched her nose at that.

"My Mum wouldn't have had eaten you up Sanyukta.. You were so damn flustered while talking to her in the beginning.." I chuckled and walked outside the room with Sanyukta behind me. We walked through the dimly lit corridor side by side and  I felt her going silent at my words. I looked over my shoulder, right at her with a raised eyebrow. She was already looking at me and she seemed to be in deep thought. Did I ever mention that she had the most gorgeous eyes I had seen in my life?  I could literally drown into them for eternity.

"Sanyukta.." My call jolted her out of her reverie and we walked into a dark room.

"Yeah damn who wouldn't be? It's not like everyday a sophisticated lady like Renuka Shekhawat—who happens to be a business tycoon—walks in and hugs me so kindly.." she replied in a 'duh' tone and I could practically feel her rolling her eyes through her words. I led out a chuckle at that.

I scrambled through the switch a bit and the room lit up with faint fairy lights. Oh Amaya had her own room in the mansion-the girly- all-pink kind of room with Disney posters attached all over the walls. Heck, the little girl didn't even let her ceiling remain bare. A person would go colour blind after viewing all the pink her room adorned. Even her bed was of those princess kind of with a canopy and bed sheets, all pink. I gently tucked her down on the bed and Sanyukta covered her with the pink duvet.

"Seems like she is in love with pink.." I saw Sanyukta caressing her forehead and her lips were curled up dreamily whle she did so.

"Yeah the room pretty much sums that up.." I chuckled at her making Sanyukta smile. Oh, did I mention that her smile erupted butterflies in my stomach everytime she did so? Nah? Ah-well. Yup literally a chick. I had to check if I still had it in my pants.

"Well I guess I should leave now.. It's already pretty late.." I nodded at her words. It was indeed late and we had to set off early in the morning, the very next day.

"Bye.." She walked outside the room and I looked back at Amaya once before switching the lights off and following Sanyukta outside.

"Wait.."

"Yeah?" she turned back and I locked the room behind me.

"You still didn't tell me about the reason for your visit Sanyukta?" yeah, that blew my mind off. She rode all the way to my mansion at night and didn't even had a purpose? Was that common for a girl like her to do something without any purpose? I knew, I had kept away any contact from her for the past three days but we had actually practiced enough for the championship and as much  I believed, she would never question my loyality towards the practices. She and I,  were both sensitive when it came up to anything about winning the championship. I needed time—time to think about the recent changes in my feelings for her. I didn't even know whether she liked me the way I liked her. She might be taking me as a friend for all I had known. Sure I tried to flirt with her at times but mostly, she used to shrug it off with playfulness. So, I Randhir Shekhawat deliberately avoided any contact with her for the past few days and also sent our group mates over to her apartment in case she felt alone. Her family just broke for God's sake, she was going through a tough time and she needed a confidante beside her. I know I behaved like shit! I tried—I tried hard to resist the urge of being near her and just when I was about to loose the last shred of self control in me—she popped up in my house. Could it be any more challenging?

"Never in my wildest dreams have I ever imagined that I'd see The Randhir Shekhawat playing with a baby like that.." She tilted her head to the side and shook it with a grin. I knew what she was trying to do there.

"Don't try to avoid Sanyukta.." I quirked my eyebrows and took a step towards her.

"But you looked so cute.. I had to say that.." She stepped closer. Okay, she called me cute. Cute? Out of everything, she found me cute? Just cute?

No you doofus! She was trying to trick you with your question!  I heard my subconscious yell.

But she just called me cute!

Snap.Out.Of.It.

"Uh.. What? It's.." I was going to frame a curt reply but failed miserably when I saw her smirking. Heck!

"Look, you just can't avoid my question.." I took another step towards her such that we were close enough to feel our breaths intermingle. My breaths coming out in pants.
That was her effect on me whenever we came closer! What was she doing to me?!

"You adore her very much, right?" She breathed, her voice coming out almost a whisper. Was there a little sadness I detected in her voice? She was looking right into my eyes, her eyes twinkling in the faint lights of the corridor. She looked breathtaking!

"Yeah.." I smiled looking right into her eyes and took a step ahead towards her. We were almost a thread apart then. Our fronts were brushing gently against each other. I brought my hand up, in front of her face to tuck a strand of her hair behind. But what surprised me was that she flinched  away at that. She looked scared for a moment but instantly straightened her composure. I was looking at her in awe. What did I do to scare her out? Was she uncomfortable with our intimacy? Did she not like my touch?

"Uh.. I am.. I am sorry.." She stuttered and put a strand of hair behind her ear. She couldn't even meet my eye!

"I guess it's a relflex.." She whispered gloomily and my heart pained when I realized what she was implying to. I had seen her all bruised and wounded that day and it didn't take me much to interpret that she was indicating to the fear of getting beaten up. My poor girl! I felt anger rise within me. She had to go through so much. That bastard of a man wasn't even worthy to be referred to as her father.

I didn't waste time to take her into a warm hug which she needed then. I didn't want her to recollect her dark times. She was well off without that man. She seemed happy and relieved when her mother left that house and came to live with her. And I don't know why but her sorrow pained me the most then. She hugged me back after few seconds.

"I am sorry Sanyukta.. I didn't mean to hurt you.. I can never hurt you.. Not even in my wildest dreams.. You're too precious to get hurt.." To me.  I wanted to add the last bit.

I heard her sigh in relief as she snuggled closer to my chest.

We broke apart a second later and I delightfully tucked a strand of her hair that time. She smiled at that.

"You know what?" We were standing in the same position—my arms wrapped around her waist, her palms rested on my chest.

"What?" I whispered taking down all the radiance of her beautiful face with my eyes. Probably a slight tilt and our lips would be meeting in a blink. The thought darted my eyes down to her rosy lips. Oh how many times I had dreamt of feeling those on mine after that fateful night! They felt like rose petals against mine and I—being a kiss virgin till then—never knew what it actually felt to kiss somebody and never in my craziest dreams I had imagined that I would lose my first kiss to the annoying nerd of my school and would feel like bragging about how magical it was. It truly was. Okay I had never imagined that I would start developing feelings for her too after that. But I did—just like that. Life was totally unpredictable.

"Maybe I have missed you..." She had that gorgeous grin attached to her lips when she said that. My eyes lightened up instantly. Gosh, I felt so happy.

"I know.. I missed you too Miss Nerd—so damn much!" I chuckled and pecked her cheek softly.

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

TBC

Do vote and comment!
Tell me how you feel about the story.
And FYI I have decided to put a vote target on this chapter for the next update.

Target- 50+ votes
15+ Comments

There you go!
Love ya all!