We were dancing with the flow of the music when Rithik suddenly slowed down, looking distraught. I slowed down as well.
“You drive me fuckin' crazy sometimes. On one hand, I want to be this perfect gentleman for our lovely date. On the other hand...” One of his hands slipped under the saree to my bare waist. His fingers made small circles around my navel, stirring me all the way south. His voice grew more sinister as he whispered in my ear. “I want to kiss every part of you while peeling you off that beautiful saree and dig inside you in a way you never experienced in your twenty-one years of life. I don't want to jack off and be done with it. I want to make love to you.”
His hand left my waist to kiss the back of my hand. My body was on fire. I was that affected. His words were all my mind could envision about. I wanted nothing more than to bring my lips to his, and let him have his way with me. I let out an exhale. “You turned me on, asshat.”
He chuckled. The bastard chuckled despite the sexual tension he diffused into the air. “Sorry, I'll turn you off right away.”
“Can you stay at mine tonight?” I peeked at him through my eyelashes.
“I... would rather not.”
“Oh, no problem,” I replied curtly but I could hear my own disappointment from a mile away.
* * *
“You know...” I blurted out without thinking. I shut my traitorous tongue after that but Rithik's curiosity was piqued as he insisted me to continue. “I often think you are wasting time with me when you could be dating a woman just as romantic as you, if not more.”
Rithik swayed behind my back as we danced. It was quite easy to tell him that way. Though it didn't last long as he gracefully spun me around by my waist. His expression was a mixture of irritation and curiosity, I couldn't tell which. “Why you say that?”
“Come on, it's obvious. You are this perfect protagonist from those sappy novels. The kind who would dive into the storm, just to meet his girl. The kind of boyfriend who wouldn't miss an opportunity to make her feel special. You basically ooze out of romance. And me? I'm the complete opposite. I'm unromantic; I cuss like a sailor; I'm hardly sweet and understanding. I may be beautiful and badass but I lack the qualities of a typical, cultural girlfriend. Not to forget the kind of colorful chem- history I share. You deserve to be loved and nurtured, not waste your energy with someone like me.”
Basically, I don't belong to your world.
I looked down, feeling my chest tighten. It hurt saying all of that. I was basically ridding him off. Maybe he wouldn't leave me soon but atleast I got him to think about it. I did great.
“I agree with what you said...” That made me raise my eyes at him, only to find his set in ablaze. We stopped dancing. “But I don't think there's anything wrong with it. What's wrong with being a non- typical, uncultural, unromantic woman? Doesn't she deserve love? What's wrong with a romantic person being with a less romantic one? And what's wrong with a person like me, going for a FWB relationship? Natasha, I don't know what kind of mindset you have built up for dating but you don't need to be a certain character in order to date. I'm sure there are many 'uncultured', 'unromantic' woman out there who are in a relationship. It's not a job where you need a resume.”
His gaze eventually softened as he placed a hand on my cheek, “You're awesome as it is. Infact you're better than many selfish, manipulative, whiny bitches out there. You deserve to be loved, too. Someone who gives you the world. Correct me if I'm wrong but your family isn't very... supportive of you. They don't seem to get you. And if that's the case then you certainly deserve more. You need to see what the world is made of. It's vile and all kinds of disgusting for sure but it's a beautiful place too. You just need to live that side.”
The DJ switched the song to an old classical one which Rithik mentioned was his favourite and how it brought memories of his childhood. I was more than grateful for the distraction. But it wasn't enough. I danced along, smiled and even laughed in between but it still didn't swallow the lump in my throat. It stuck to me like glue ever since he opened his big, fat mouth. Why did he have to be so kind, so affectionate? He made it difficult to leave.
My hands and legs seemed to have a mind on it's own as they moved along the beat. Our movements slowed down to the point where we were simply swaying our bodies left and right. We placed our arms on each other (his were on my hips while mine at his shoulders), looking- eye to- eye. Funny how I was avoiding his eyes earlier, now I couldn't stop looking into them. They seemed more brown and lucid under the lights. I could loose my footing and I still wouldn't look away. He looked so dazzling, this man. Everything— from his words, to his gestures, to his eyes, were affecting me in a way like never before. I felt sensitive to it. I felt like I could fall deeper and deeper.
I could simply fall for him.
Maybe he was right on rejecting my invitation tonight.
We stopped as the song neared it's end. Rithik stole that moment to lean his forehead against mine, his gaze heavy on me. It strangely reminded me of the first time we met at the bar and our first kiss. But instead of smirking at each other like that time, we were smiling with our eyes closed. With that, we finally exited the stage.
The world suddenly sparkled. I was aware of the people around me yet I couldn't feel them. They could be just a walking, talking piece of cardboard. That's how little they mattered. It was just Rithik and me, amongst various souls and events clashing around us. We walked hand in hand wherever we went. It could be at a Vada pav stall or getting stuck amongst the crowd. I even stole a chance to kiss him on the cheek once. There was a moment where we bumped into Shivani and Devki. I left his hand out of sheer embarrassment, only to hold it again after they left.
At times he was nice, at other times, he was a prick. If any Cinderella happened to talk or nearly flirt with him, he would distract them by saying he and I had something to do, clearly making them suspicious. If in case, the reverse happened, Rithik would let the guy know he was my date tonight, also making it look suspicious.
The juniors were standing on the stage, gifting seniors an item, and a specific title that was previously decided by the classmates through poll. I was given the cliched title of 'beauty with brains'. Nonetheless, I was estatic receiving it. When I saw Shivani, Devki, Rithik and a few other classmates, cheer for me, I became nostalgic. I suddenly found myself going down the memory lane when I first arrived to college. My first year wasn't anything special. I just got through it by attending classes like a machine while indulging in few conversations in between. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, to be honest. I wasn't expecting to make friends. My previous years at school had murdered all my hopes.
But, I did.
It all started with Khushboo's offer to share the apartment with her during my second year. That's when things got a little exciting. I never thought there would come a day when I would stand on the stage, facing my class with a genuine smile on my face. I never thought I would come across friends with whom I could share my bitchy side. I never thought that the man I admired from afar in a fashion walk would be amongst the crowd admiring me.
The world is vile and all kinds of disgusting for sure but it's a beautiful place, too.
Maybe living wasn't such a pain in the ass after all.
* * *
Rithik stayed with me all throughout the farewell party. Infact, he accompanied me home to make sure I was safe. Typical male chauvinist. It was eleven at night. We were taking a small walk towards my apartment, holding hands. The streets were silent, the shops were closed. I could feel our date was coming to an end as the building came into view.
When we entered the empty staircase, I grabbed him by the tie, pulling his lips to mine. A few seconds into it, he grabbed my hands, pinning them to the adjacent wall and kissed me more passionately this time. I let out a soft moan as his leg pressed warmly at my pussy. His wet lips left mine to make its mark around my neck, all the way to my cleavage. I leaned my head back to give him access. His head rose to the side of my neck, when suddenly he spun me with my front facing the wall, brushed my hair aside and kissed my back till where it was bare. My lips parted at the suddenness of it. His hands grabbed my butt to his groin where I could feel his hard-on. My lips parted.
When I turned around, I took control by inserting my tongue into his mouth. My hands apparently knew no bounds as it opened the buttons of his coat, feeling the white shirt beneath. I grabbed a fistful of his shirt, aching to feel his skin. I could hear him muttering ‘damn it!’ in between. I knew I was driving him wild. I just had to push his buttons a little further.
We were breathless by the time we broke the kiss. I stopped him by the hand when he leaned in. “You gotta move it to the bedroom if you want to experience the full show.”
He seemed to be in a war with himself as he shook his head but refused to step away. He looked enchanting with half of his body basked in moonlight, coming from the corridor. Before long, I stood in my tiptoes, smiled at him and placed that smile on his nose.
“Fuck you for being so irresistible!”
Apparently, a smile was all it took.
“That's what I'm good at.” I shrugged and began climbing the stairs.
“You think you can have your way, don't you?”
I simply giggled at his reply though I shouldn't have. Rithik caught upto me and before long, swept me off my feet. Like literally sweeping me off by coiling one arm around my back and another around my ankles. My hands instantly went to circle his neck because I fucking had to. I squealed out loud, followed by a series of expletives when in reality, I was only wasting my energy. He kicked his foot on the door, until it opened to revealed an amused Khushboo in her nightdress glory.
“It's gonna get noisy tonight. Th- thought I apologise in advance,” He told, his voice strained while I buried my face on his neck, embarrassed to bits. I told Khushboo to forget about what she saw to which she denied.
It certainly felt different making out this time. Maybe it was due to everything that happened tonight. Rithik took his sweet time stripping me off because according to him, I looked too beautiful in it. He explained the times I made him crazy. And he didn't just whisper it to me in his husky voice. He enacted on it by paying attention to that part. He cast the pallu aside, without removing the material off me, exposing my blouse and half legs (he had already pulled off my petticoat saying it was a hassle). He sized me up like a wild animal who hadn't quenched his thirst for days. His gaze was so intense that I had to divert my eyes to fight off the heat burning up my cheeks.
“My sweet Natasha,” he whispered by placing a kiss on my chin before meeting my lips. At that moment, I felt the universe collapse around us.
Laying him to the side, I closed my eyes and let his soft lips mess with my feelings. The way he looked at me today, the way he left me speechless after kissing my cheek, the way he took my breath away with those kind words of his. Tears burned at the back of my closed eyelids. He didn't realize how much those words meant to me. No one ever told me that I deserved love. That I deserved the world. I didn't know what would happen to us in the future but I would take those words to my grave.
I would cherish them forever.
His palms traced over the curves of my body like a map, touching me in places that took my breath away. He undid my blouse while peeling off the rest of the saree, little by little. Stripping never felt as sensuous. His hands squeezed my boobs as he kissed lower. His fingers brought pleasurable shivers to my inner thighs until they reached my aching cl.it. My stomach contracted at the feeling. I let out half pleasurable breaths as I felt his tongue taking over my boobs, my body, all the while digging his fingers into my wet core. By this time I was nearly naked. My hands grabbed a fistful of the bedsheets as he brought his mouth to my core. It drove me insane to the capital I.
I realised I was being more reactive than usual without being too loud. What he was doing wasn't anything new. I knew his gameplay, I knew our equation. Yet it felt different. It was the way he paid attention to me like I wasn't a person but someone who was precious to him. I was a fragile glass that he had to be careful with, and a diamond ornament that needed immense attention at the same time.
And while it was turning me on, in turn arousing him too, I wanted more. I wanted his body close to me. I wanted us to connect. So when he got down to strip his shirt after I told so, I stopped him. I sat up, smiling at him and removed his tie myself. I wasn't doing it because I had to return the favor. I was doing it to unleash my own feelings that I held in since the start of this evening. I wanted to make him just as precious.
I brought my mouth down to his collarbone, nibbling it then continued to lick his front, unbuttoning his shirt while doing so. I touched him, kissed him everywhere I could until he was breathless under me. When he was stripped bare, I took his hard length by the hand and brought my mouth to his tip, sucking on it. His hand grabbed a fistful of my hair, followed by a low grunt as I took him in my mouth. The muscles of his legs tensed as I continued to suck up and down his length. He told me to stop after a while, since he didn't want to end this way. I took that moment to raise my head at him. His tattooed chest was heaving, his mouth was slightly parted, his cheeks were flushed. He looked cute breathing like that with his eyes closed. I inwardly smiled at my accomplishment.
At this point, both of us were at our peak. We didn't waste time. I parted my legs as he positioned himself. He stilled, when he entered, taking that moment to look at me. Running my hand to his arm, I pulled him down until our faces were inches away from each other. A waved of satisfaction rushed through me. This was what I wanted. To feel the length of his body in contact with me.
At first his hips moved slowly, lightly hitting my core. Soon after, I started moving my own hips, increasing the pace. And then, our bodies were responding without a thought. It was exhilarating. Meeting eye-to-eye, lip to lip, body to body. We climaxed together, letting our breaths away. I always thought sex meant lust. Deep down, even a couple had sex to fulfill their carnal desires. But right now, as Rithik looked at me with his eyes full of love, I couldn't differentiate between lust and love anymore. It was this feeling that made it seem like my first time. Like a fire burning slowly, never actually vanishing away.
Maybe this was what the world called as making love.
Rithik fell down on me, panting. My arms instantly went around his back. For a while, we remained like that, catching our breaths. It seemed like I was hugging him. A minute later, he got off to lay besides me without facing me. Infact he didn't look at me at all after that.
*
“Come on!” I almost whined as he started making preparations to leave. I never thought there would come a day where I would plead him to stay. It was usually the other way around. Times sure change.
“Some other time, promise.” he promised with a small smile and I nodded half-heartedly. I wore my night clothes and accompanied him to the stairs.
“Thank you, Rith. I had a wonderful night.” I said. I really meant it.
“Me, too.” He said with a wave of his hand and turned around.
I turned as well, letting out a yawn. It was time for my beauty sleep.
I had barely walked towards the building when a pair of arm closed around my shoulders, nearly making me jump. It was obviously Rithik. I let out a tired sigh. “What is it now? Did you forget something?”
“Yes,” He neared his lips to my ear. If I was surprised by his return earlier then nothing prepared me from what he said next. “Bidding goodnight to you. Goodnight, Natasha. Love you.”
I froze.
In the middle of a night, under the bright moonlight, Rithik Arora had confessed to me.
Author's Note
These two chapters are my absolute favourite in this story. Hope you liked it. If you did then please please drop a comment and share your thoughts. It would mean a lot to me and give me motivation to write further bcos I really lost it after receiving no response from anyone. Please.