Not A Simple Engineer Boy!

Seventy Five: Photo Frames (Part 2)

"Don't be bitter about your past, Xav. Subhadra was a different woman.", she slapped his shoulder, but he didn't budge, "Krithika is a different woman."

"I know she's different, else she wouldn't have accepted to date me, especially considering the age gap and my marital status. I don't need any assurance on that.", he shrugged nonchalantly, "And I am not a fool to ignore her, I like her too much to let her slip from my hand. She matters more to me than anyone else."

Satya raised her brows in amusement, "You like her?", she drawled, "Or is it something more?"

Xavier loudly sighed and closed his eyes. Yes, it was too soon to develop such feelings.

There was no doubt that both of them were intensely attracted to each other, it was the magnetic chemistry between them. She wanted him, she craved him, every cell in his body knew that. But he would be damned to submit to such temptations. He wanted her to first trust him, and perhaps love him.

He might sound orthodox to many but he never had sex with a woman who hadn't loved him. No one-night stands or casual sex. He had dated only three women in his entire- nearly- thirty-four years of life, and he accurately knew that all of them had loved him when he had taken them. He had seen it in their eyes when they had confessed love to him and murmured again when they were naked in his arms.

He called it the patience of passionate lovemaking, and he believed that he had mastered it well. It wasn't arrogance but he knew women never screamed in pleasure until they were pleased, and all three of them had cried his name when they had come apart in his arms.

For him, he hadn't loved anyone except Subhadra. His two other girlfriends before her had been mere infatuation- a liking that didn't develop into love- and they had dumped him when he hadn't reciprocated their feelings. Funnily enough, Subhadra had dumped him when she realized that he had reciprocated too much to bear. The jokes were on him.

He no longer held any hard feelings for her, except for occasional self-deprecating comments that kept rubbing salt on his wounds. He had been hurt for sure and was slowly trying to move on, but he was confused about what he exactly felt for Krithika. It wasn't just an infatuation anymore, he knew a lot about her from their long conversations over call every night, and everything about her excited as well as calmed him, both at the same time.

She was like a starry night and he wanted to sleep under the sky as he stared at the beauty of it.

Wait, from when you started to comprehend nature in a poetic sense?

It scared him. His mind was frightened at the thought that this time he was falling faster and harder, he probably wasn't able to control his heart to stop itself. He knew for sure that if this feeling wasn't mutual with Krithika, it would crush him to nothingness. He wasn't ready for another heartbreak, for once he already had spent enough time dealing with broken pieces of his heart. A new one would take eternity to heal.

But something inside him had allowed Krithika to enter his life, to trust her more than he wanted to accept it.

Satya cleared her throat, "Xav, do you love her?"

He opened his eyes and stared straight, a dark-tinted glass window struggled to completely block the sunlight as the bright light cut through and filled the room. It felt like the walls he had built to protect himself and his heart were almost like that of dark-tinted glass, trying to struggle with emotions when Krithika's bright personality sieved through him, reaching his heart- filling his heart.

Do I love her?

"I don't know."

Satya sat next to him, pushing the laptop away from his lap, "What's your plan for Valentine's Day?"

"What about that, it's just another day?", he suppressed his grin as he waited for her to shout.

She slapped her forehead, "Seriously, Xavier? How even women fall for you?"

"You don't know how charming and romantic I can be, I don't show my secret side to everyone."

"Yeah, and you have no plans for Valentine's Day, that's very romantic.", she still held her head, frustrated by his attitude.

He chuckled as she slowly turned her head to look at him, "Annoyed Satya looks cute, you know."

"Focus, Xavier, focus."

He laughed loudly, "It's not a mission, Your Majesty. Anyhow, I have thought to ask her to come to my home and cook her a delicious dinner."

"Ohhhh... A private romantic candlelight dinner."

"No, a simple dinner. Like I said, it's not a mission."

She stood straight, scowling at him, "Whatever floats your boat."

"Okay, Your Majesty."

"Does she know it's your birthday on that day?", she questioned.

He shrugged.

"I never understood your fascination with celebrating your birthday alone but she deserves to know.", she sighed as he nodded to himself and sauntered to the door to exit.

"By the way, I have booked an appointment with the psychiatrist, please attend.", he added, "And Valmiki told me he's traveling to Chennai today and wants to check on you."

"Tell Miki, that he's always welcome.", he heard her from the corridor.

--

A/N

Haricharan's voice in this song is :*

Also, do you guys think something is brewing between Satya and Valmiki? Just asking.

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