Namastey Reality ⭐

CHAPTER 15. SAVE YOUR TEARS

SHRADDHA P.O.V

The sun peeked through the bedroom's window, the vibrant gleam casting a light on the soft cotton wrapped around my body as I sank deeper into the sheets. My eyes suddenly fluttered open when my arms instinctively attempted to reach for Dhairya within the bed, but his side was cold and bare. Curiously, I sat up and looked around this unfamiliar bedroom. Everything was neat and clean. The bedroom was just tidy enough to show that he cared about the space, how his apartment looked. He really cared about his sacred cocoon, his place of safety. He was kind of a clean freak, maybe.

The light colours, sky blue and beige, mostly brightened up the whole room. It was also filled with different kinds of art, pictures and painting. On the opposite wall facing the bed, there was a big black framed photo of him and his sister, I assumed. They were all smiles and holding each other in a close embrace. On the right wall, a famous painting by the artist Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory, was hanging. He liked art, I guessed. I love that.

I let out a sigh of delight, he seemed to have good taste. His bedroom smelt like fresh vanilla. His bedroom looked, smelt and felt good. There was a kind of calmness, a serenity, a deep feeling of security in his private cocoon.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, my body stretching out before untangling myself from the sheets. I stumbled as I tiredly tiptoed across the room, tired from the drunken evening of last night. My head was still pounding hard as I rushed into the bathroom.

After finishing my shower, I grabbed one of Dhairya's Balenciaga t-shirts to cover my exposed skin, a bit too big for me though, as my yesterday's clothes couldn't be found. I breathed in the fabric, and it smelt just like him, his aromatic woody cologne. Oh my God, I love that smell.

Gripping the handle of the door, I swung it open and wandered down the placid hallway. There, many framed family photos were hanging on the wall. He seems to be a family guy, I love that. He looks so happy around his family.

The closer I got to the kitchen, the more pervasive the aroma became. Is he cooking, isn't he? It smelt like picked eggs and pancakes, and I instantly felt my stomach churning.

When I finally reached the kitchen, my eyes fell upon Dhairya moving around the space. He poured the pancake mixture, levelling the batter by swirling it in the silver pan and waited as it cooked against the heat of the stove. He didn't seem to notice my presence, as his humming turned into quiet singing. He successfully flipped the pancake and proudly smirked at himself.

Oh my freaking God, he is so sexy while cooking.

He wore a kitchen apron and I assumed that he was shirtless underneath it, which allowed me to see the curves in his broad shoulders while the top of his muscular chest was a little exposed. His body was a masterpiece chiselled by the God above. Can we just go back in bed right now? Oh God, you really need to calm your hormones, Shraddha.

"Dhairya," I said suddenly, causing him to jump a bit and hold on his chest. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm so sorry!" I couldn't help but giggling at his reaction.

"Oh no, don't worry. I'm really easily scared, if I'm being honest." Dhairya chuckled, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "Did you sleep well?" He asked so nicely, his gentle voice sending shivers down my spine. This guy is so caring.

"Well, yeah..." I answered, almost inaudibly. Shraddha, what the fuck is wrong with your voice, girl? "You?"

"I can't even remember when I had such a good night's sleep." His words made me blush like a teenager, as I sat on a stool in front of him.

Last night had been magical. My very first kiss with my crush, Dhairya Karwa, had been amazing. I could still remember how his lips tasted, and how he would touch me so softly, making sure I felt comfortable. I could still remember how his warmth against my bare skin caused my heart to beat faster, and how our bodies moved in a so perfect rhythm. It sent me goosebumps just thinking about it.

I was fulfilled and happy when I was around him. He gave me a safe feeling, and always tried his best to make a random moment together turn into a real special one. I could feel it deep down, he was a very good man, sincere, selfless and altruistic. I felt it deep down. And, I wished we could start a steady and solid relationship together.

"Hold on, just get up real quick." He eyed me closely, as I did what he asked me to. A huge smile immediately spread across his face, a little gleam lighting up his pupils.

"What?"

"N-Nothing. You just look really beautiful wearing my t-shirt, that's all."

"Thanks. I'm sure you do look better with that t-shirt on." I smiled shyly.

"No, you do look better." He playfully winked at me.

I tried to keep a straight face, but miserably failed, as blush crept onto my cheeks again. Shit. I was an utter mess. I looked pathetic, blushing like a dumbo at whatever he was saying. I felt so ridiculous, being so nervous around the guy who was supposed to be my boyfriend, after the steamy night we'd shared together.

"Um..." I started, clearing the lump in my throat before continuing. "It actually smells very good. What're you cooking?"

"I thought I could surprise you with breakfast." He shrugged timidly, his eyes focused on the pan. "I'm usually not having breakfast, but I decided since you're at home, why not prepare a nice breakfast for you. So, I made pancakes, fried eggs and fresh orange juice." He explained with a boyish grin. This man is perfect, I swear. The perfect man.

"Oh, you really didn't have to. It's so cute, thank you. It's so so cute."

My heart skipped a beat every now and then, as I stared at him swaying around the kitchen, his mind anchored on the breakfast being prepared. He looks so sexxx. That jawline clenching whenever he was focused on something made me so hot.

Those long veiny hands grabbing the kitchen utensils with such a tight grip, made my kneels shaking with desire. I observed his every movements, from the way he would flip the pancakes so smoothly to the way his back muscles manifest exceptionally well with each movements. I honestly couldn't help but admiring him. I love men who can cook.

"Staring is not nice, young lady!" The cook intoned in a sing song voice, glancing up at me. His voice cut through the kitchen, breaking me out of my dreamy reverie.

He leaned against the counter and his hand reached for mine from across the table, squeezing it gently. I shivered at his warm skin wrapping my tiny hands. I bit down my lip, not so sure how to react. God, it feels so good.

His cheeks flushed a little, realizing I caught him staring back at me. So freaking adorable. My gaze met his intense stare, and I suddenly felt the urge to intertwining my fingers with his. He glanced down at our hands with that little loving smile, then looked back at me. My heart was pounding like crazy, I just couldn't control it. Wow, that man.

"You're just so beautiful," He muttered. His voice was incredibly sincere, my entire essence shaking at his words. "And smart, talented, kind. You're the whole package." So much compliments, boy? It melt my heart in the warmest way.

"Thank you... Uh..." I giggled nervously, covering my mouth with one hand. "Sorry, I don't mean to mock you or anything. I'm just... Sorry, I'm..."

"Embarrassed?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, embarrassed. Why are you making me blush so much, uh?" I tried to slap his shoulder, but he stepped back, avoiding it.

"You're blushing, uh? I love that, darling." He stroked my cheeks ever so gently. Darling? Did he actually call me that? Fucking calm down, Shraddha.

"I love when you call me darling." I got a little more serious but, held my goofy smile across my lips. You're so fucking ridiculous.

"You're my darling, aren't you?" He said teasingly, wrapping his arms around my neck and bringing me closer, his plump lips brushing against mine.

I pulled him into a kiss. It was soft and full of passion as his fingers glided across my back, only adding to the butterflies in my stomach. I shivered at the warmth and the sweet taste of his lips lingering far after we'd pulled away. I was in heaven, it seemed like I was flying in the air everytime Dhairya kissed me.

It had been so long since I had felt this way about a man. It had been exactly 2 years and maybe a half, I didn't remember much, but still it'd been a while.

To be honest, I'd never really got over my break up with Aditya. This period of my life had broken me so much. I'd never quite managed to forget about this and move on, and maybe start something else with another man. It truly left me in a slight trauma. But, this time, I felt it deep down, Dhairya was the one. He was the one, a real kind guy at heart who was never going to hurt me in any way.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked lowly, resting my forehead against his.

"Anything you want," He pressed a gentle kiss on my lips, before locking his eyes with mine again, waiting for me to continue speaking.

"Uh..." I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, still not at all sure of the right way I should formulate all those ideas rushing through my mind. "You know last night?"

"Yes..." He nodded along with my words, his face completely stoic.

"I don't know about you, but the night we'd shared together is something really sacred and intimate for me. I'm not someone who fuck around, I am really not like that, right? I like you a lot, Dhairya. And, I mean it when I say that." He seemed to be hung on my every word. "I don't wanna start a fling, 'a not so serious relationship', or anything. I wanna something solid, strong, steady, you know what I mean?" He didn't say anything, he simply cupped my cheeks and looked me straight into the eyes. What is he gonna tell me? He looks so serious.

"Listen to me, I'll never hurt you. I'll always protect you and make you happy. You're so precious to me." I melt away at his sincerity. He'd told me exactly what I wanted to hear from a man for so long now. "I have feelings for you, Shraddha. And, I want to start a steady, strong and solid relationship with you, okay?" I giggled at his attempt to be playful or something, echoing my words from earlier. This man. He's so perfect.

My face flushed the deepest red, but this time I decided to ignore it. I felt so good with Dhairya, little futile things didn't matter to me anymore. I titled my head to the side a little, before his sweet honey-like taste lips put on mine. That sensation, gosh. My lips began to move in perfect sync, slowly. He exhaled a small breath through his nose, not wanting to let go. My hands moved from his cheeks to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair. His fingers lightly pulled me into him, adding more pressure to my lips, deepening the kiss.

But I quickly broke the kiss, causing his eyes to narrow in confusion as I began to notice the familiar scent of smoke coming from the stove.

"Oh my... I think your pancakes are burning!" I exclaimed, uncontrollably letting out a chuckle.

He immediately broke away from my arms, flustered by my words. He rushed towards the hotplate and flipped the pancake onto a separate plate placed on the counter.

"It's still good enough to eat, isn't it? I hope it tastes better than it looks." His disappointed gaze lingering on the noticeably burnt pancake.

I pressed my lips in a straight line, trying to hide the mocking smile which threatened to appear across my face. His defeated expression was just so adorable and hilarious at the same time. He glanced up at me, noticing my hand covering my mouth. That simple look made me uncontrollably burst out laughing, as he tossed his head back and started cracking up too.

"I'm a bit distracting, I guess?" I pouted teasingly.

"Yeah, this whole thing is because of you!" Dhairya joked, wagging his finger at me. "Anyway, here for you, Ma'am." He placed a plate full of pancakes with melted dark chocolate and fried eggs. I smiled down at him, playfully winking at this handsome cook. Such a perfect man.

"You're the perfect man, aren't you?"

"I'm your perfect man." He walked towards me and softly kissed my cheek. I'm literally dating the perfect man. What a dream.

VARUN P.O.V

Nothing was working out the way it should. This morning I'd spilled tea all over my white sweater which permanently ruined its collar, my home keys were nowhere to be found and once they'd reappeared it was already too late, I'd missed my flight. And additional to all of that, I'd realized I forgot one of my bags up to my apartment once I was on my way to the airport. I just wanted to freak out. Why was I so unlucky this morning?

Everything was going in the wrong way. It seemed like when I was pretty upset and worried about something, I just couldn't get this out of my mind and it caused me to fuck things up. Stress was the reason. And guilt.

I couldn't help but feel this heavy feeling inside my chest every now and then. The guilt that was resting at the back of my head last night, slowly ate up my conscience until my mind couldn't think about anything else but what I had done. Regret coursed through me like ice, as I let series of flashbacks take over my head.

Honestly, it was my actions itself that caused me so much regret, and not the consequences. I had acted like an asshole, and I fully assumed it.

I had been so mad at Alia and so hurt that I'd wanted to make her feel as bad as I felt, by pushing her buttons. And, I knew exactly what buttons to push. This girl was the sensitive subject, every time I would come up with her, it was always going to start a fight. It really was a source of conflict in our relationship.

And last night, I'd only wanted to kind of provoke Alia, make her feel as betrayed and hurt as I actually felt, by calling her over my house. But now, I wholly regretted my behaviour. I realized how dumb and childish I'd acted. My guilty conscience made my heart ache, casually making me die inside. Deep down, I knew she didn't deserve what I had done to her.

It wasn't uncommon for Alia and I to disagree on some subjects, just like any other couple often would, we did fight more violently sometimes than others, but no big deal.

In the 6 months we had been dating, I couldn't even recall how many times we've had a massive argument. It was quite common between the both of us. The fights would be about things that didn't even matter anyway. Stupid stuffs. But, last night was the biggest fight we've ever had. We've never had such a huge argument like this one.

I'd thought long and hard. I had been thinking a lot. As they said, night was the mother of counsel. I regretted my actions. I knew I'd hurt Alia. But, she'd hurt me too. She really did. I would have never imagined she could hide things from me, and especially such an important story. I knew I had misbehaved towards her last night, and I really didn't mean to.

I'd drunk so much that I had not been able to control my anger, my gestures and my words. I'd acted like a vulgar rascal, wanting to get into a fight and being all violent and aggressive. I hated the way I'd behaved towards Sid and Alia. I felt guilty for the hurtful words I'd told them. I felt utterly guilty. I'd gone too far. I wanted to reverse time and avoid repeating the same mistakes again.

But, I couldn't deny the fact that I still was a bit upset about the whole situation. I had never suspected anything between the two of them, and it kind of hurt me even harder. The fact that Alia could keep things from me so easily left a very bitter taste in my mouth. It stabbed me right in the chest.

Anyway, this story had happened a long time ago, I needed to move on and forget about it. I didn't want to lose my girlfriend for a shitty futile story which had happened many years before we'd even started dating.

I wasn't a very vindictive person, sitting on bad feelings, especially when it came to my girlfriend. Fighting with her made me feel so cold, so empty. I couldn't support being angry with the woman who meant the most to me, my everything.

I rubbed my temples, hesitantly grabbing my phone and going through my favourite contacts list. I let out a deep sigh, before reluctantly pressing on her name, save as my Alu baby.

It rang, but she didn't pick up the call, directed to leave a voicemail. I knew it. I shouldn't have tried to reach her, she was surely still mad at me. Maybe I should just lay low? I pressed my lips into a thin line, staring into space. I've really fucked up.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on my screen. I narrowed my eyes questioningly, and clicked on it. It was a text message from Alia, my heart stopped. What is she going to tell me? Wow, I'm anxious as ever.

My Alu Baby 🥰💜

Don't call me, i'm working.

11:29 am

i'm sorry,
can we talk later then?

11:30 am

Abt what?

11:30 am

I flinched, reading her reply. I could feel her coldness through the screen. I could almost hear her frustratingly sigh, as if she was in front of me. I knew she was exasperated and sick of the situation.

She just wanted to clear her mind and have some space, by working and shooting her upcoming projects on her own. I knew she didn't even want to talk to me, and it was quite understandable, considering the whole mess I'd made at Karan's birthday party. This moment had supposed to be a time for friends, love and cheer, but it had literally turned into a big drama, along with shouting and unnecessary fighting. I was so ashamed. I had screwed everything up with my asshole behaviour.

I stared at her text message, not so sure what to answer. Typing and retyping the message I wanted to send. Normally, words would come quite easily when I talked to Alia, but at that moment I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to act too innocent or even too normal, as if nothing had happened, if it did make sense.

What happened last night.

i just wntd to tell u
i'm sorry.
i really am.

i know i went too far,
and i didn't mean to hurt u.
i'm so sorry, baby

11:33 am

The whole situation
isn't only abt us.
You need to
apologize to Sid too.
11:35 am

I'm gonna do it

11:35 am

Tbh your apologies don't
change a thing
I still feel real broken
and hurt
Being drunk doesn't
excuse eth
11:36 am

You've treated me
like shit.
I felt so humiliated
in front of all the guests
I don't think you even
realize how bad
you behaved to me
11:37 am

Reading her words cut me deep in the heart. I guessed, she felt even more hurt than me. And, I felt so guilty for that, but I didn't have a clue how I could make up things to her. I knew I couldn't possibly win her back until she'd decided to forgive me. And, Alia was resentful, very resentful, I knew what I was talking about.

I know, I really do.
I've behaved like
an asshole.

But, I was so hurt that
u kept such an impt stuff

from me for so long.

11:37 am

I'm not going for
that again, Varun.
Don't put the blame on me.
I'm not going for
this again.
Pls, stop.
11:38 am

Can we just not do this?
11:39 am

Do what
11:42 am

Fight over the phone,

i hate that.

11:42 am

You've started
this thing, okay?

Stop sending me
messages then
11:43 am

i'm not gonna stop

Pls, babe, i'm sorry

I can't stop thnk abt
the whole situation

11:44 am

Neither do I
I nvr thought you
cld behave like this
Being all violent and
aggressive
11:47 am

I slightly pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth, as I got a giant pit in my stomach. I got this strange feeling in my whole body, realizing what I'd said, the way I'd acted, really wasn't okay. I felt even more guilty than before, if it was even possible. I hurt her, why did I do that? There was this pit which developed in my stomach and didn't go away. I felt sick.

i'd acted like an ashl

i don't knw what
came over me

i'm not usually
like this, right?

u know it, bb

11:49 am

I don't know, Varun
I really don't
I've seen a cmplt
diff side of you
And, it kinda scares me
11:50 am

I've scared her? Those words destroyed me from the inside. I've scared the woman I love more than anything else? I really did? My heart hurt right now. This pain wasn't going to fade away until she would forgive me. I needed her. I really needed her in my life, and knowing she was hurt because of me was making me sick.

i'm not violent, u know it, pls

i didn't mean to hurt u
or even scare u, bb

but, just put yf in my shoes

that story with Sid and
stf hurt me in a way too

11:53 am

i learnt that you
slept with my "frd"
couple of yrs ago

and never told me
about this

11:54 am

And again, you try to
make me look
like the mean one
I'm fucking not going for
this, Varun
Just cut the bullshit

I'm sick of hearing
the same shit att
Your only argument
lame as fuck
11:54 am

This little thing
doesn't justify your
violent behav
11:55 am

ur right, but it neither
minimize ur lie

11:56 am

Oh shit, I shouldn't have said that. You're dumb as shit, bro.

You're acting so
fucking childish
and you're saying
I'm the childish one there

11:57 am

Varun, just stop now
I'm sick of this
Lma
11:58 am

but, I really wanna
clear the air

11:58 am

Wonder yrf,
then we're gonna
clear the air

I don't wanna talk to
someone so egoistic
11:59 am

egoistic?

12:01 pm

Or whatever,
I don't care
what's the word
12:02 pm

we're not gonna
fix the situation if

u don't wanna talk it out

12:03 pm

Minutes flew by, I was waiting impatiently for her answer, and a little anxious, I got to admit. My phone buzzed, I directly clicked on the notification, my heart pounding as ever.

I don't even know
if I wanna fix this
12:05 pm

I read the text message over again and again, not so sure if my eyes were failing to read it correctly. It couldn't be possible, it really couldn't. I took in a shaky breath, as I felt my heart being twisted in my chest.

what do u mean?

12:06 pm

I just don't know if
we can carry on
like this
12:07 pm

u wanna end things
between us cause

of this shit?

12:08 pm

Cause I still feel
humiliated and hurt
12:09 pm

pls, that's ridiculous, bb
12:10 pm

i'm so sorry,
what more can I do?

12:11 pm

Lma and let me
thnk a bit

12:12 pm

okay, but i feel so guilty

pls, don't give up on us

12:13 pm

Varun, just stop acting
like a child
Begging and stf
12:14 pm

but, put yf in my shoes, bb

12:15 pm

Stop saying that
You piss me off
12:16 pm

People thought you
were gonna
hit me last night
here's the truth
12:17 pm

So, just wonder yf
How can I put mf
in your shoes
when even people
think that abt you?
12:19 pm

I frustratingly gulped, my mind racing a thousand thoughts a second. I wanted so badly to go back in time and deal with my mistakes. I felt like the most awful man ever, shouting and almost being violent towards his girlfriend. I wasn't usually like this. I really was not.

Did she really think I would hit her last night?

Did people really think I would hit my girlfriend last night?

I'll never hit my Alia. Never.

You've scared her. You've fucking scared your woman.

You're such an asshole. She doesn't deserve it.

You don't deserve her.

u know i'll never hit u, right?

12:20 pm

pls, bb, u know i'll
never even harm a

hair on ur head
12:21 pm

Whatever, Varun..
12:23pm

don't whatever me

12:24 pm

u know i love u and
i'll never hurt u, right?

12:25 pm

You hurt me physically
and mentally yesterday,
so I don't know...
12:26 pm

it's nvr gonna happen again

12:26 pm

i love u, alu

12:27 pm

I gotta go
bye
12:30 pm

Tears prickled at my eyes as I focused down at the phone screen. The pain shot up my whole body again. It made me dizzy. It made it difficult to breath. I was completely broken. I'd fucked up. I'd screwed things up. Is there a worst pain than hurting the woman you love? No. It just doesn't exist.

SIDHARTH P.O.V

The following days after I had this fight with Kriti, the two of us didn't say a word to each other. It was kind of puerile, but that was the way we both worked. It was our process.

Whenever we got into an argument, we didn't speak to each other for a while, living on our own, doing our respective stuffs, refusing to talk it over and trying to find a way to settle things down.

We were both very bull-headed, always sticking to our guns and having difficulties to see the other's side. Kriti could be such a kind and loving girlfriend, but when it came to question herself and admit that she might be wrong, she was completely unable to do so.

She would always put the blame on me, acting like I was the one creating problems in the relationship. But, to be honest, she was mainly the one starting unnecessary fights.

I wasn't perfect, of course, but she was definitely more in the wrong than me most of the times. Having fits of jealousy left and right, being insecure at my every single behaviour, letting her possessiveness getting the best of her every now and then. She was tough, she really was.

And I didn't want to sound mean, but it was pretty tough to be in a relationship with her. Since we started dating, I'd done everything to put her mind at ease, reassure her, make her feel secure and safe. It wasn't like I'd cheated on her or something in the past, I'd always been faithful.

I didn't know where those problems of trust and jealousy came from, but it sure didn't come from me. If she didn't try to work on that, our relationship definitely couldn't last, as it already hung by a thread.

Yes, I had lied to my girlfriend, and it wasn't right in a way. But, I still thought that it was my right to keep certain things to myself, and nobody would ever change my mind about that.

And if she couldn't understand this, our relationship wasn't going to work out. I could figure out that my way of thinking was a little weird and messed up to some people, but it was me, and Kriti must accept that. She must accept my whole personality, from my qualities to my flaws. I could work on some sides of myself, but I definitely couldn't change my way of thinking.

What had happened with Alia, Jacqueline and Kiara was all in the past. I've had done nothing wrong but enjoying my bachelor life. Since then, I'd moved on. Since then, I'd started dating Kriti. It was so different. She was so different from any other girls.

I'd never developed any feelings for Alia and Jacqueline. On the opposite, I had grown strongly attached to Kiara, quickly catching little romantic feelings for her, but it couldn't even be compared to my love for Kriti. I had never been so in love. I had never loved someone like that. I was so crazy about her. All those girls I'd dated before were meaningless to me. She was utterly different.

Those 6 months of dating Kriti had been amazing. I had never felt so good, so peaceful, so at ease in my life. Our relationship immediately had started out to be all passionate and intense. It felt so right. It felt like we'd been dating for years and years. She made me feel special, always complimenting me, always making sure I was fine. This woman was incredible, and I could never deny this fact.

But sometimes, love wasn't enough. A relationship was much more complicated than just love, affection, fidelity and stuff. There was sometimes deep problems which needed to be fixed in order to move forward and make the relationship work.

I knew we couldn't possibly make progress if we didn't talk the issue over, but I really wasn't in the mood to do so. She'd gone too far the other day, insulting me, screaming at me, acting like a fucking child the whole fight. I was still mad at her, and it wasn't going to change any time soon.

In my head, I knew it would be tough to overcome that couple crisis. We both had different views, both sticking to our guns which made it worse.

After 5 intensive hours of filming on Marjaavaan, it was agreed that we all deserved a little break. While Tara was finishing up a scene, I kicked back in my trailer to rehearse my lines, after a nice lunch with the whole staff.

I sat in the blue couch and put the script on the small table facing me. I slouched back, crossing my arms across my chest and looking around the trailer, a little smile hopping on my lips. Being in there reminded me of her. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, as memories flooded my mind in an instant.

-------------------------
FLASHBACK
-------------------------

Everything was perfect. From joking around with the staff, having fun and filming on the last romantic scenes of Border. Kriti and I were currently in my trailer, waiting to be call on set. We were most of the times more cuddling than rehearsing our scenes together.

"Are you seriously gonna wear this straw hat all the time?" Kriti asked through her fit of giggles. I slightly frowned, pointing at my fashion accessory.

I had stolen this hat from Adrian's belonging, Kriti's makeup artist and friend, wearing it and joking around since the beginning of the shooting.

This awful red straw hat was apparently his favourite accessory, his good luck charm as he would say. He would wear it whenever he felt stressed out or at different important events, or even at home to bring joy and great vibes inside his house. When I'd found out about this, I couldn't help but get the giggles along with Kriti.

"Yeah! What's up with that hat?" I said, jumping onto the small couch she was sitting on.

She directly got up from her own seat and crawled into my lap, snuggling into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I felt like flying in the air, every single time I got to hold her in my arms. I felt so completely at peace, whenever she buried her head into my neck and softly pecked my skin. She made me feel so good. She made me feel so happy.

"I hate that hat," She grimaced a little, causing me to chuckle. "But, you still look so hot with this on though." She whispered in her sensual low tone. I uncontrollably smirked and kissed her, letting my lips linger for a moment.

She pressed another soft kiss on my lips, then pulled back, looking up at me lovingly. The smile on her face sending joy and butterflies through every inch of my body.

I got lost in her brown dazzling pupils, my heart skipping beat every now and then. She looked so gorgeous, so adorable, so perfect. I just wanted to hold her in my arms, hug her tightly, kiss her the whole time. I was so completely addicted to my girlfriend, it was crazy.

"Come closer, please." I groaned like a kid, pulling her even closer than before, closing the small gap between the both of us. She let out a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. I knew I could be such a cheesy boyfriend, always wanting to cuddle and kiss my girlfriend.

"Why are you like this?" She playfully rolled her eyes, cupping my face as I pursed my lips towards her.

She placed multiples kisses on my lips, giggling in between each of them. Hearing her laugh made me smile like a little boy. We looked like two teenagers in love right now.

"I'm such a big baby, huh?" I muttered, burying my face into the crock of her neck. She noticeably shivered at my gesture. Her addicting honey vanilla scent intoxicated my nose. She always smelt so amazingly good. It made me want to eat her.

"You're my big baby, huh?" She smiled ever brightly, her fingers gently playing with my hair.

"I'm all yours, and you're all mine." I dramatically flirted, my hands gesturing between the two of us.

A deep red shade coloured her cheeks at my cheesy comment, as she slightly punched my chest. Damn, her blushing is the cutest thing on this planet. I threw her a teasing glance, lacing my arms around her waist even tighter.

"Don't look at me like that, babe." My girlfriend chuckled so cutely. I melt away. "And, take off that stupid straw hat!" She pulled the Adrian's hat off my head, throwing it away. I bursted out laughing at her sudden gesture.

"What are you doing? Give me my hat back!" I whined, tickling her ribs.

"No! Babe, stop it!" She squealed, slapping my hands.

"Nope, give me my hat back!" I smirked, continuing to tickle her sides.

"What the fuck! Stop it... Baby! Stop... Please!" She shouted, trying to squirm away from my grasp.

The way her body would move in all directions to get out of my tight grip around her waist was so freaking funny to see. I loved teasing my girlfriend, it might be one of my favourite hobbies. Her laugh made my heart beat so fast, pounding against my chest.

"Give me my hat, would you, jaanu?"

"N-no," She gasped between laughs. "I'm not gonna give you that ugly ass hat back!"

"I won't let you go if you don't give me this back!" I exclaimed, resting my forehead against hers.

"W-well, well... Okay, okay!" She nodded, as I directly stopped at her words. I watched her getting up from my lap and picking the hat up from the ground. "Happy now?" She huffed, handing me Adrian's good luck charm.

"I love when you're being such a good girl." I cheekily grinned, pulling her into my lap again. She instantly blushed and stuck out her tongue at me, pretending to be mad. Why so cute? My girlfriend is being such a little baby. My little baby.

"You're so silly, I swear." She punched my chest hard.

"What the hell? What is that for?" I held onto my chest, looking over at her with wide open eyes.

"What is that for? Really?" She punched my arm with all her strength this time. "You've tickled me so hard that I couldn't even breathe, remember?" Another punch on my leg. She did have a lot of strength, to be honest. Her punches literally made my body parts go sore. My girlfriend had practised boxing for 5 years when she was much younger, better not mess up with her.

"Arrey, don't hit your boyfriend!" I rubbed my sore shoulder, as she started laughing at my reaction.

"Aren't you so bad now, are you?" She teased, grabbing my jaw and making me look at her. Our eyes met so intensely, I got shivers down my spine. This woman is making me crazy.

My lips suddenly crashed onto hers. Her lips felt so good as ever, warm, soft, inviting. She threw her arms around my neck as my hands wrapped tightly around her angelic face.

Heat was practically radiating off our two bodies, the gap between us disappearing within an instant. I felt in heaven, forgetting the world, the time and everything else around us. It wasn't me and her, it was just us. My heart was pounding with each movement of our lips dancing against each other. Damn, damn, damn.

As we both pulled away, she pressed another kiss to my jawline. Her warm lips colliding with my skin made my body shaking a little.

"My little baby, you know I feel so good with you, right?" Kriti cooed into my ear, while adjusting her head against my chest and wrapping her arms around me. Nothing but warmth and pure content was felt between the two of us. I could stay in this position for ages. Only us in each other's arms.

"And I feel even better with you, jaanu." I smiled, glancing over at her as she was already staring at me lovingly. My heart fluttered, like it had never before. It exploded, setting every nerve inside me off, igniting every inch of me and my thoughts only projecting her.

We sat there, intertwined together in a close embrace, listening to our heartbeats. Soon, I found myself somehow even more relaxed than before. I craved for the effect Kriti had on me. The way that no matter how I was feeling, I could be certain she was going to fix it. She snuggled her head further into the crook of my neck as my hands were roaming around her body, appreciating every single inch of her. I could stay in her arms for ages.

-------------------------

Such beautiful memories. I let out a pensive sigh, before turning my focus back on the script. I still remembered this moment with her like it was yesterday. If only someone could bring me back to those precious times...

1 WEEK LATER ...

ADITYA P.O.V

Friday nights, the nights where I stayed at home, eat, sleep, watch movies and series, and sleep some more. That was what I did every single Friday night for the past two years, but tonight I'd made up my mind.

This tradition was definitely ending, because I was going on a date with Manushi. Since I'd started dating her, I had to force myself to go out a lot more, as I was pretty much of a homebody. I got to admit that it was tough. I loved the cosiness of my house, and leaving my place to go on dinner dates really busted my chops. The only valid reason to get out of my home was working. The other stuffs were shit.

My lifestyle had already caused a lot of arguments with Manushi, as she didn't understand why I would act like this. She'd snapped at me for not being romantic and caring enough. I hated fighting with people, even more when it came to my girlfriend.

Alas, since the beginning of our relationship, we couldn't stop fighting over every little things. She didn't understand me, and I didn't understand her. I felt like we just didn't understand each other.

It had just been one month since we started dating, but it seemed like we were already going through a couple crisis. The only "good" moments we shared always ended up in an unnecessary fight.

To be honest, this situation really started to get on me. She was nosy, cranky, sometimes capricious. She never made some efforts to understand me and adapt to my lifestyle, always reproaching me things and making me feel like the worst boyfriend ever.

That was why I'd decided to organize a dinner date tonight. Maybe, it was going to fix things between us. And in the process, I'd invited Shraddha and Dhairya to join us to get to know one another. It was going to be a double date, and I thought it would be a nice idea to relieve the tension.

Honestly, I really didn't want to have a one-on-one time with Manushi, as I knew an argument could explode between us at any time.

When Shraddha had told me that she was going on a dinner date with Dhairya tonight, I'd done my best to persuade her to come along with Manushi and me. I still couldn't stand this shitty Dhairya, and I didn't want her to be alone with him. I found him fishy and weird in a way, I couldn't explain why. I just trusted my instincts. I was very protective of Shraddha, and it was never going to change.

-------------------------
FLASHBACK
-------------------------

"You're going on a date?" I asked, following her into the studio.

"No," Shraddha answered flatly.

"Is it a date or not?" I frowned, a little confused.

"Yes, it is! I'm going with Dhairya!" She rolled her eyes, taking off her jacket.

"Dhairya? Why?"

"Because he's my boyfriend?" She said sarcastically, mimicking my voice.

"Your boyfriend? Really?" I scrunched my face at the word she would use to talk about him. "This guy is your boyfriend?"

"Oh my God... Aditya, you know it, right? We've been over this." She deeply sighed, facepalming.

"No, we haven't been over this." I shook my head vehemently. "Why would you date him, huh?"

"What's up with you today? Leave me alone!" She bitterly giggled.

"Shra, I'm not kidding!" I stood in front of her, blocking her way. "Can I come with you and Dhairya?"

"What? No!" My little Smurf shouted, shoving me aside to enter her trailer.

"Why can't I come?" I huffed like an angry kid as I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "That's not fair!"

"Because I'm sorry but... Adi, you know, I like you a lot but...I wanna spend time with my boyfriend, just him and me!" She tried to sound the kindest possible. This girl is so cute, I'm telling you all. "This isn't personal, you know it, right?"

"I know it, Shra. But, I wanted to learn to know Dhairya, your boyfriend. That's why I wanted to come along with both of you."

"Really?" Her eyebrows drew together, definitely not convinced.

"Mhm... Yeah, we've never really met since Shakun's birthday bash. And, it's your boyfriend, I wanna get to know the man who makes you happy." Lie. Lie. And, lie. I don't give a fuck about this ugly jerk.

"Oh yeah? What's his last name then?"

"What? What's this question?" I let out a laugh, raising my hands in surrender.

"Just answer it."

"It's off topic!"

"Answer it, dumbo!" She spat, slightly punching my shoulder. My mouth froze as I opened it and realized I didn't know the answer. I knew it started with a "K" but I was totally unable to remember his full surname. Kadak? Kaimal? Kakkar? What is it again? Shraddha shut the fridge door and started drinking her water slowly with an eyebrow raised, waiting for the answer that I didn't have.

"I know his surname, it's just I'm totally blanking right now!" I protested, pointing at her as she was eyeing me accusingly. "Who the fuck cares what his last name is anyway?"

"You're being mean! It's not funny at all, it's really not! See you don't even care about him!" She groaned, putting her water bottle back on the small table. "I'm talking about him all the time, and you don't even remember the main stuffs!"

"Come on, I was joking!"

"I bet you were not." I heard her mumbling.

"We are friends, aren't we? What about a double date then?" I blurted out, a smile hopping on my lips.

"A double date?" She looked over at me suspiciously.

"You, Dhairya, Manushi and me. This Friday's night at Oheka's restaurant." She rolled her eyes. She didn't comment and just brushed right past me.

I knew it was her way of ending the conversation, so I hurriedly followed her out of the trailer. She sat down on a chair besides Shakun and started a discussion with him about Aap Ki Kasam's shooting. I stood there, pretending to check my phone till their little chatting ended.

"Yeah?" My best friend sighed, her eyes glued to her phone screen. "It's no, Adi. Sorry, but I haven't spent a lot of time with Dhairya lately, so this dinner date on Friday's night will be just between the two of us."

"You don't wanna get to know Manushi, my girlfriend?" I pretended to be offended, spreading my hand over my chest.

"What? No, no, no, Adi, it's not about that. I really want to get to know Manushi, I'm sure she is a great girl but..." I could tell she began to feel guilty about the whole situation. "Maybe another time? Set a date, and I promise you, I'll come. And same for me, I'm gonna set a date and you're gonna meet Dhairya. And maybe, we can do that all together? I don't know, we'll see." She gently patted my shoulder. I shivered at her touch. This girl was so soft, so kind at heart, never wanting to hurt people on purpose. This Dhairya doesn't deserve her.

"Well... Fine." I shrugged nonchantly, letting out a small huff. I was going to leave, when a pair of tiny hands grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"You, Manushi, Dhairya and me. This Friday's night at Oheka's restaurant." Her tone didn't leave space for any questions or arguments. I maintained a straight face, but inside I was jumping with joy. "Dress up to the nines, Aditya Roy Kapur." She intoned, playfully poking my nose. I adore this chick.

-------------------------

"You, Shraddha, Dhairya and me?" Manushi growled, glaring at me through the mirror. I rubbed my temples, keeping my head low. Fucking shit. Another war was about to start. I really was sick of her constant tantrums over every single tiny thing. It felt like holding a time-bomb which was going to explode at any minute. "We're going on a double date? I can't believe you're just telling me this now!"

"Oh fuck, stop shouting for God's sake!" I adjusted myself in the bed, glancing up at her.

"Well, I'm gonna speak slowly and lowly now." Her tone was sickly sweet as she shot me a fake smile. "I thought we were gonna spend some time alone, but you're just telling me now that we're basically going on a double date with Shraddha and her boyfriend? What the hell?"

"I thought it'd be cool. This will be an opportunity to learn to know one another, right?" I yawned, before continuing speaking. "You've never really met my friends since we started dating. Here a great occasion to get to know my best friend."

"Oh wow! Stop trying to make me feel guilty about that, okay?" She spat, turning around to face me. What the fuck is she saying? I got to admit that I probably should have told her earlier, but it'd really slipped my mind. I was maybe a little in the wrong, but it didn't justify her aggressive behaviour at all.

I could blame her for so many things, but I just didn't do that for the simple reason that I hated fighting with my girlfriend, unlike her. I could blame her for the fact she'd never made efforts to meet my circle of close friends.

I could blame her for the way she would always throw tantrums for absolutely anything and everything. I could blame her for being judgemental about my lifestyle and not supporting me in my projects or whatever it was. It was all about her, her and her.

"But, what... What the fuck are you saying? I'm not even trying to make you feel guilty or shit." My eyebrows drew together, as I sat up, leaning against the bedhead. "You're annoying, Manushi." I groaned under my breath.

"Am I annoying? Like seriously! You're bringing your shitty stupid best friend along with us on what was supposed to be a private dinner date, and I'm the annoying one?" She fumed, her voice sounding like a capricious kid.

I was sick of that. I was sick of her shit all the fucking time. And hearing her calling Shraddha "my shitty stupid best friend" was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was a very patient person, but this sentence really made my blood boil. The annoyance was beginning to get to me. She had no right to insult my friends. Especially Shraddha.

"Just shut up, Manushi! That's enough now! I'm fucking sick of your shit! Do you understand me?" I yelled, getting up from the bed and heading towards her. She flinched at my loud voice and mechanically took a step back. My hands turned into fists and my heart was pounding with anger against my chest.

"Y-You know what? I don't wanna go." Her voice was sharp and provoking, as she abruptly unbuttoned her beige shirt. I nonchalantly gave her a shrug and walked past her, without even glancing at her.

"Then don't go." I mumbled, before slamming the door behind me. Just so annoying, how is it even possible?

I took a deep breath, feeling unable to erase the smile from my face. It was going to be perfect. It was supposed to be a double date, but since Manushi had refused to come, it was more a simple dinner between friends : Shraddha, her boyfriend and me.

I had a complete image of a lovely and chill dinner in my mind, without unnecessary shouting and tantrums. It was the opportunity to get to know Dhairya a bit better, and maybe I was going to change my mind about him. Maybe I was all wrong about him. Maybe he was a good guy, and the first impression I had of him wasn't the right one.

I didn't know why, but a part of me kind of hoped that I wasn't wrong about this Dhairya. I kind of hoped he would get away from my best friend as quickly as possible.

I checked the time on my watch, it was half past the eight o'clock. I used my thumb to rub at the frown forming between my eyebrows. I was late. 30 minutes late, to be exact. Shraddha had told me to arrive at the restaurant at 8 o'clock sharp, considering she'd booked a table for this hour. Well, that's a miss.

I quickly stepped out of the car and hurried into the restaurant, ignoring the camera flashbulbs. There, I was about to go over the reception, when out of the blue a pair of tiny hands grabbed my arm. I twisted around to see Shraddha standing in front of me, and a tall guy right beside her. Well, it's probably that moron.

"Hey, Adi! We're here!" Shraddha chirped, hurriedly engulfing me in a hug.

"Hey Shra!" I glanced over her shoulder at Dhairya who was giving me a tight lipped smile.

"Hold on a second, where is Manushi?" She asked, a little confused. Don't mention her, please.

"Um..." I cleared my throat before speaking. "She felt a bit sick, so she stayed at home." I shortly said, without going into details.

"Oh, that's too bad. Is she alright?" Shra seemed genuinely concerned, not suspecting anything.

"Yeah, yeah, she's just a little... Um... Tired and she caught a cold."

"Really too bad. I hope she'll get well soon. Tell her I said hi, okay?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna do that." I nodded, smiling at her.

"Well guys... I think you've already met each other, but anyway..." She clasped her hands together, nervously giggling. "This is Aditya, my best friend. This is Dhairya." She introduced, gesturing between the two of us.

My eyes fell upon him. He wore a blue turtleneck with a bomber jacket and some black pants; the outfit topped off with white sneakers. Shraddha and him were dressed almost the same, twinning in black and blue. Should I say couple goals? No.

He was very tall and pretty handsome, I couldn't deny this fact. He looked very neat and tidy, a kind of a clean-cut Boy Scout image. I tried to smile at him, but it probably came out looking like a grimace. We shook hands, as our eyes met for a few seconds. His dark pupils left me with a weird feeling. Those pair of charming brown eyes didn't inspire trust in me. I didn't know why, but I felt it deep in my guts.

"Um... Nice to meet you again, Aditya. Shraddha has told me a lot about you." Dhairya spoke, friendly smiling at me.

"Oh really? She's told me a lot more about you." I smirked, tightening my grip on his hand before pulling back. I could see Shraddha playfully rolling her eyes in my peripheral vision.

"Oh my God... Adi!" My best friend giggled silently, as she started walking ahead of us. We finally reached the table, Shraddha and Dhairya sitting next to each other, me sitting alone across them. I felt a bit like a third wheeling, but nothing really embarrassing. Wow, he didn't even pull the chair out to her. What a gentleman.

The night went on, we ordered drinks and food, making small talk about everything and anything. I had nothing to report so far. Dhairya behaved well, being all nice and trying to be funny, but kind of failed on this. But still, he had those weird vibes. He seemed fake. Too good to be true. His face was difficult when it came to expressions. My eyes quickly scanned his face, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but I turned up with nothing.

"Can I know how it all started?" I asked, taking a sip out of my drink. "How you guys started dating?"

"I think, I've already told you." Shraddha chuckled nervously.

"No, but I wanna hear Dhairya's point of view." I pointed over at him, as his head snapped upwards and he raised an eyebrow.

"There's nothing special about how we started dating. Actually, it was pretty normal. We started hanging out together a lot, and getting to know each other little by little, and then it's happened quite..." Dhairya trailed off, not so sure what to say. "Normally." He shrugged. Shraddha nodded along with his words, a smile hopping on her lips. Seriously? Is that all? He doesn't seem enthusiastic.

"Oh, okay. No candlelight dinner?"

"No, nothing too fancy." He shook his head. Stupid jerk. Shraddha loved candlelight dinners and he didn't even know that. She was very fond of romantic stuffs, but he apparently didn't give a fuck about her likes. Stupid moron.

"I would have asked the same question to Manushi if she was there, Adi." My best friend teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

"But, unfortunately, she is not." I retorted, mimicking her gestures. She bursted out laughing, spreading her hand over her chest. Oh damn. She was arguably the cutest girl ever, I couldn't emphasize that enough. She was heavenly gorgeous, it was impossible to take my eyes off her. This jerk is fucking lucky.

Dhairya awkwardly giggled at my joke, but I could tell he felt extremely uncomfortable with my bond with his girlfriend.

I could tell it by the way his eyes would flicker between me and her as if he wanted to check nothing was happening between the two of us, by the way he would press his lips into a tight line whenever we were laughing together.

I felt like he didn't want to show that he might be a little jealous about our friendship, but deep inside his anger was boiling up. I understood men's body language, and I could clearly read through his eyes and gestures. This guy appeared to be hot-tempered and possessive.

"I think, um ... Shraddha's told me you were a model before starting an actor's career, right?"

"Yeah, I was a model." He nodded, proudly smirking. "Actually, I grew up in Dehradun. When I was around 15 years old, I've been enrolled in a boarding school where I pursed my MBA. Um... Then, I decided to move to Europe for my further studies, and I started playing basketball there for a couple of years. I then came back to Mumbai, and landed a few modelling assignments." He rattled on. I wasn't asking for an autobiography, bro.

I turned my head to see Shraddha lovingly staring at him, literally hang on his every word. My little Smurf seemed to be very much into this guy, so in love. She was crazy about him, it was plain to see.

My stomach dropped at the sight of them making long eye contact. I hoped he wouldn't break her heart, otherwise I was going to break his bones. I hoped he was going to protect her and love her as much as she did.

To be honest, they looked very good together. I would be lying if I said otherwise. They looked a bit like an Instagram couple, the handsome tall guy and the gorgeous small girl. Physically, they were perfect together, but it ended there.

When it came to their bond, I didn't feel the tiniest bit of chemistry between the two of them. I found them almost awkward in the presence of each other. For example, when Shraddha shoved his shoulder, he would try to avoid it, acting all weird and hung-up. Chill, man.

Maybe it was just me, and there was nothing wrong about him. Maybe I was overanalysing him, inspecting every little details and looking for imperfections. Just stop that, Adi.

"And he actually has been roped in an upcoming action film along with Vicky Kaushal. What's the name already?" My best friend softly patted her boyfriend's shoulder. I couldn't help but staring at her pretty little hands resting on his upper shoulder. Fuck him.

"Uri," He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh really? I've heard of that. Congrats, man." I feigned interest, trying my best to sound cheerful.

"By the way, how is going Aap Ki Kasam's shooting?" Dhairya questioned, a fake smile plastered on his pretty annoying face.

"Babe, it's so much fun." Shraddha gushed, looking over at him affectionately. My heart seized at the nickname she used to call him. I swallowed the lump which I didn't know was forming in my dry throat, watching them smile at each other.

"Little fun fact, Dhairya." I spoke, obviously wanting to start some shit. "We were shooting in Agra, I guess? Or maybe Delhi? I don't remember well, but anyway... We were on set and everything was going smoothly. At some time, Shakun wanted both of us, Shraddha and me, to ride a bike for some romantic scenes. So, we got on the bike and-"

"Oh my God ... No, please..." Shraddha mumbled, facepalming. "Adi, seriously? Don't." She gave me a stern look to silence me. I even felt her leg kicking me under the table. I let out a small groan at her hard hit on my lower leg. Dhairya was eyeing us very closely, confused about the whole situation.

"Um... What comes next then?" My best friend's boyfriend raised an eyebrow, utterly intrigued.

"Oh, you wanna know? It's really nothing important. That's a little useless story happened on set, right? Right, Adi?"

"If it's nothing really important as you said, let Aditya tell me the story." He insisted, his eyes suspiciously flickering between the two of us.

I covered my mouth with one hand, suppressing a laugh. This story was maybe one of Shraddha's most embarrassing moments ever, and I thought it would be funny to tell Dhairya about this, but she apparently felt differently.

"I mean, this story sucks, baby. Why do you wanna know?"

"Because it's funny, I love on-set anecdotes! Aditya wanted to tell me the story, let him do that." He forced a smile, but it was plain to see that he was genuinely upset. Oh fuck, why did I start this shit? I didn't want them to argue over the whole situation.

"Well, okay. Tell him, Adi. Tell him." Shraddha gave a nonchalant shrug. She sent me a warning glare, before turning her head back towards Dhairya, smiling at him. I have to create a whole new story now.

"Where was I?" I cleared my throat, a little destabilized by Dhairya's insistent look on me. "We got on the bike and we ... um..." I glanced at the two people across me, waiting for me to continue, but I just didn't know what to say. Please, Shra, help me.

"I... Actually... Uh..." She suppressed a laugh, before speaking again. "I got behind the wheel and started driving the bike. But the fact is that I actually can't drive, right? So, we bumped into, like, a tree. People were like laughing at us and stuff. This scene was so ... Ridiculous." Wow, thanks Shra.

"And that's all?" Dhairya narrowed his eyes at us.

"Yeah, that's all. It was real embarrassing, man." I scoffed, shaking my head. And the whole true story is even more embarrassing, man.

"Mhm...That was real embarrassing, for me especially." She subtly gave me a knowing smile. I couldn't stop the flutter I felt in my heart when she did that.

"Oh, I thought it would end up worse." He chuckled, titling his head to the side to look over at Shraddha. She instantly blushed when her eyes met his. Fuck him. "Remember when you almost burned down my kitchen last morning?" Shraddha playfully smacked down Dhairya's shoulder for his comment.

She bursted out laughing, resting her hand over his upper arm. If only she knew how cute and beautiful she looked tonight wearing that blue and black babydoll dress and her hair up in a ponytail. If only she knew how adorable she looked whenever she laughed. Damn. If only she knew...

"Shhh!" She giggled so cutely, holding her finger over her lips. I couldn't take my eyes off her, smiling like an idiot.

"You know what, Aditya?" He started, but she placed a hand over his mouth.

I let out a fake laugh, not to say a bitter laugh. I hated seeing my best friend "bonding" with this Dhairya. He didn't deserve her. He wasn't fun, he wasn't that cool. He didn't seem caring towards her. What did she see in him? He was fake. Everything about him appeared to be fake. He was fucking fishy, I felt it. He was just good looking. And fuck him for being handsome.

"Baby, nooo! Please!" Her giggle fit sent shivers down my spine.

I was most familiar with that laugh. I'd made her laugh like that all the time. It was kind of weird to be gatekeeping someone's laugh. But the fact that Shraddha found this boring bloke funny made my skin crawl. Fuck you Dhairya Karwa for making my best friend laugh.

"I love your laugh." Dhairya whispered under his breath, staring at her. It's fucking embarrassing. Please, help.

I mentally facepalmed myself, this stupid jerk wasn't even good at flirting. A small blush crept along her cheeks at the compliment, but she chose to break the eye contact, turning her head over at me. I smirked like a devil at her gesture. What about that, Dhairya?

"Arrey, dude, why so romantic?" I teased.

"He's always like that." Shraddha said coyly, nudging him.

"I'm very very romantic, that's why so much girls fall for me." My eyebrows knitted together at his comment. So much girls?

This boring jerk thought he was a casanova now. He was just handsome, but when it came to personality, he was just bland. Nobody fell for him. He was just super lucky for having succeeded in wooing Shraddha Kapoor. And, he better not cheat on her, otherwise I'm gonna kick his ass.

The dinner date came to an end. It was around 11pm when we decided to leave the restaurant. Despite Dhairya's presence, this little dinner all together had been really nice. I had learnt to know a little better Shraddha's boyfriend, and even though I still wasn't too fond of him and will never be, I've had a great time.

"Bye guys! Thanks for this fun time!"

"Bye man! Let's do this again some time." We dabbed each other. No thanks, bro. I don't wanna see you again. Shraddha looked over at Dhairya and me with a smile, waiting for us to finish our small talk. Once our gazes met, she literally pulled me into a tight hug again.

"See you on set on Wednesday, Adi! Don't be late." She playfully slapped my back, causing me to giggle. "And tell Manushi I say hello, okay?" I nodded, smiling. My eyes fell upon her flawless face, while she was talking. She is so pretty, how is it even possible?

"Take care and have a good night you guys!" I waved at them.

"Take care of Manushi!" Shraddha exclaimed, sending me a blowing kiss. Oh damn, why so cute?

I stepped into my car, exhaling a sharp breath. A thousand thoughts fought in my head. I didn't know what to think about this Dhairya. On one side, I could hardly appreciate him, finding him fake and patronizing.

I felt like he kind of kept his true nature hidden. He hid who he really was. I got a feeling deep in my guts. I knew this guy was no good for Shraddha, yet I couldn't explain why. He deserved her.

But, on the other side, this same guy made my best friend happy. She seemed completely fulfilled and happy whenever she was in his presence.

And, I didn't want to appear like the friend who stood in the way of her happiness. I had already warned her about Dhairya, but she wouldn't listen to me, so I couldn't do anything else.

Let her be happy, Adi.

Let her be happy.

This man makes her happy.

So, let her be happy.

ALIA P.O.V

I took a deep breath, standing outside the pad's door. The wind was blowing coldly, I shivered, hands in my purse trying to get the keys. I finally had come back to the town tonight, after wrapping up Gully Boy's promotions all around India. I wasn't entirely sure whether I should be happy or not to be back home. Because coming back to Mumbai implied seeing Varun. And, we hadn't met since the incident at Karan's birthday party, namely pretty much 8 days.

We had called each other and texted every now and then, but it didn't really fix things. I couldn't get over that massive argument and his behaviour towards me. I had never seen him so mad before.

Of course, many times his anger had been directed to me, but never had he got as loud as he had been this night. Of course, when we did have fights, he could get angry and raise his voice on me, yet still that wasn't such a big deal.

But, the argument that broke out at KJo's birthday bash had been the final straw. He had literally crossed the line. He'd acted aggressive, violent, mean and belittling as ever. He'd turned into a complete different person. He'd even wanted to start a fight with Sidharth. Fucking puerile and stupid.

His behaviour had truly scared me, shouting at me at the very top of his voice and abruptly pushing me against the wall. Being drunk didn't excuse everything, neither diminish every action. I felt horrible. I still felt horrible, despite the time that had passed since the incident. I still felt humiliated and tarnished in a way.

On one side, I got to admit that I was partly responsible for what had happened. I was somewhat to blame, I must admit it. I should have told Varun about my one-time fling with Sidharth. Even if this shit meant nothing to me. Even if it had been a real long time. Even if at this time, we hadn't even been dating. I'd done wrong. I knew I'd done wrong. And I was to blame for that.

But honestly, I didn't even remember that one night stand. It had happened so brief, so hasty, I didn't even remember well the act. It had just been about two single adults having a quick sexual intercourse in between a film shooting. No feelings, no affection, no love, no passion. Since that, we'd both moved on, Sid was dating Kriti and I was dating Varun now. We'd completely forgotten about that little fling. But still, I should have told Varun about that, and I felt guilty for kind of lying to him.

On the other side, my mistake didn't justify his violent behaviour at all. I could understand his anger towards me, and maybe Sid also, but definitely not his verbal and physical abuse. He'd gone too far, and I couldn't get over that. And to deal with the problem, I knew that all we had to do was having a mature discussion about the whole situation. No shouting, no words said in anger, no wides gestures.

I took another shaky breath when I opened the door, all the anger taking over me again as soon as I walked into the flat. Varun raised his head and jumped to his feet when he saw me. His hands were placed on his hips, as he looked over at me. His brown eyes rimmed red and sad sent me a pang in the heart. I hated seeing him in this state, it fucking hurt me.

"How long have you been sitting here?" I asked, avoiding his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something but he stopped, only to take a big step forward, coming closer to me.

"Ever since you texted me and said you've landed in Mumbai." Varun admitted, forcing a small smile. "How are you?"

"Just fine." I mumbled, immediately walking in the bathroom and letting him all alone in the living room. I heard him let out a frustrated groan as I locked myself in there.

When I finally opened the door of the bathroom one hour later, all showered and somewhat ready to have a discussion, I found Varun sitting on the couch and watching Stranger Things. He was so focused on the TV screen that he didn't even notice I was standing near him. Shivers ran down my spine, thinking I would have been snuggled up to his chest, watching TV with him on the couch, if this fight wouldn't have happened. If only...

"Can we talk?" I broke the silence, sitting beside him.

He nodded and grabbed the TV remote, pausing the series. His sad eyes fell upon me, waiting for me to say something. It felt so weird to finally have him in front of me, after what had happened.

My heart was pounding hard, my throat going dry as my eyes met his. I was at loss for words. I had kind of rehearsed all I was supposed to tell him but then when he was finally in front of me, it was like all had been taken away within a second.

I wished I could just take him in my arms and forget about everything, but it just wasn't possible. The rough patch we were both going through couldn't be fixed in a snap. We needed to talk it over and clear the air. That was all we needed for now.

"Well, I'm gonna start then..." Varun spoke, rubbing the frown that had formed between his eyebrows. "I could tell you this a thousand times, but still it couldn't fix my mistake, neither make you feel better, or excuse my behaviour, but I'm deeply sorry. I really am, Alia."

"Your behaviour was just so..." I paused, deeply sighing. "So humiliating for me. Well, I can understand that you were kind of... Kind of upset over the situation and stuff, but it didn't give you the right to treat me like shit."

"Yeah, I admit it. You're fully right on that."

"What'd happened with Sid is in the past, and we've both moved on since that. We're not even that close now. I didn't have feelings for him, it was just kinda a one-time fling. Nothing more. It's been a while, Varun. By the time, we've started dating and I fell in love with you." I wholeheartedly said, nervously tapping my fingers onto the arm of the couch.

"I know about that. But what got me mad isn't the fact Sid and you might still have something for each other, it is the fact that you kept such an important thing from me. I felt betrayed in a way. I thought we could tell each other everything." He explained, looking at me in the eyes the whole time.

"Mhm... I see your side, and I'm sorry about that. I should have told you, I admit it. I've fucked up on this point. But, it doesn't justify your behaviour, you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." He mumbled, scratching his beard. "I know I've done wrong, and I feel so guilty about it. It's been a little over a week, but still I can't stop thinking about that. I can't sleep, I can't barely eat. Knowing I've hurt you makes me die deep inside. I know I've done a mistake, and I want you to know that I really regret it." I nodded along with his words. I had heard his apologies before, but still it hit differently every single time. Sincerity was burning in his dazzling chocolate pupils, sending shivers down my spine.

"I don't know, Varun." I swallowed the lump in my throat, before continuing. "You've hurt me so bad, you know it, right?"

"And, I'm so fucking sorry for that. I'm not gonna hurt you ever again, understand?" He muttered, his hands cupping my face.

This man. Varun Dhawan. I could literally write a whole book about him. How his eyes could make me forget everything. How his touches could send me to heaven. How his smile could make me melt away. The way his intense eyes when meeting mine could make me forgive him about everything and anything in a snap.

"You've scared me." I whispered, tears burning my eyes. He exhaled a shaky breath at my comment, and lifted my chin with his hand, making my eyes look straight at him. I nervously bit down my lip, as he wiped a tear which mechanically ran down my cheek. Electricity took over my whole body at his soft touch.

"I didn't mean to. I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise you, it's not gonna happen ever again. I promise you. But please, tell me everything next time. You know I'm listening, I'm not gonna judge you. We're a couple, we're a team, aren't we?" A little smile hopped on his lips at the end of his sentence. This smile made all my walls fall to the ground, crumbling to pieces all around me.

"Mhm..." I nodded, biting back a grin. I love this man so much, it hurts. "Don't ever do that again. Ever." His forehead was resting against mine, as he shook his head "no".

I pulled him into a hug, making our bodies crash into each other. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, squeezing me almost painfully. I shut my eyes when I breathed in his neck, his familiar scent giving me goosebumps.

My hands rested on his muscly back, taking in all the warmth of his body against mine. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, starting a whole war inside of me. I'd missed him so badly.

Suddenly, he pulled back, loosening his grip and stepping back a little from me. I narrowed my eyes at his unexpected gesture. His expression instantly changed, almost looking like a grimace, but I told myself it was probably just a trick of the light.

"What's up, baby?" I asked, a little confused.

"Uhm, Alia," His voice sounded nervous this time. I took note of how he said my name, so seriously, so grimly. Something was definitely up, but I couldn't say what, and it made me even more nervous. "I have something to tell you." My body tensed at his words.

"Of course. What is it about?" I replied, allowing him to hesitantly take my hands in his. The warmth from his skin comforted me, telling me that I'd only been overthinking. I hope so.

"Alia," He said quieter, then took a breath as if for preparation. He seemed to avoid my gaze, looking down at our hands intertwined together.

My heart was pounding, and I was almost sure I could feel his rapid pulse through the parts of him that I was touching. I started imagining things in my mind about what he could possibly confess to me. My body began to shake uncontrollably. I was attempting to brace myself for whatever words came out of his mouth, studying every possible part of his body as he sat next to me.

"Just tell me, I'm all ears."

"Before I say this, I just want you to know that I love you. I really do." His voice cracked. A small smile came naturally to my mouth, though I had a bad feeling about why Varun suddenly chose to say such things. I listened as his words messily came out of his mouth. "But, I've fucked up again. I know you-"

"Varun?" I began questioningly. "I just don't understand what you mean. What do you want to tell me?" I bit down my lip, my heart beating so fast.

"Alia, I'm so sorry." He finally turned his head to face me, his eyes were red and sad. I felt my heart breaking in million pieces. He stared at me, guilt shadowing over him. "Coming back from Karan's birthday party... I've called Natasha over to talk. Nothing's happened between the two of us. But, I wanted to tell you the truth and set my mind free. I know I shouldn't have done that, but I was so deeply hurt that night. I couldn't think straight. I felt so betrayed, I needed comfort and-"

Again. A mistake. My breath hitched, making my lips trembling. His eyes deepened with hurt, as my hands pulled back from a body I no longer wanted to touch. My boyfriend had called his ex-girlfriend over his home, when we were actually having the biggest fight we've ever had in our relationship. It didn't make sense. So, at the least sign of weakness, he was going to go back to her? Go back crying to her? Go back asking for comfort? Go back complaining to her about our relationship, which should be the most sacred thing to us?

I felt like being in a trance, like if I managed to actually see my surroundings then I might physically broke. I briefly inhaled, though all my movements seemed to be at a very slow pace. I thought my heart was already split into individual atoms at this point, but I was proved wrong when I felt the ache deepening in my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to clear my mind, trying to think straight.

"Why would you do that? Why her?" I allowed my voice to raise as a whisper, staring into space.

"I don't know. I couldn't think straight that night. I don't know what came over me." Varun answered, desperation clear in his voice. "Nothing's happened, I swear."

"I was going to..." I took a deep breath, before speaking again. "I was going to forgive you and start all over again. But, you're telling me this now..."

"I'm sorry, Alia. Please, I'm sorry. Natasha means nothing to me, you know it, right?" He pleaded, his hand reaching for my arm but I pushed it away.

Anger thrummed through my veins. My heart rate increased, if it was still even possible. I shut my eyes again, hoping that the next time I opened them I would wake up from a bad dream. I didn't. It was all real.

"No... No, no, no..." I mumbled to myself, shaking my head. I couldn't believe what was happening.

I couldn't believe what he'd just told me. I couldn't believe he'd called his ex girlfriend over his home after we've just had a massive fight, knowing she was the most sensitive topic of our relationship. Knowing that me and her were on bad terms, to say the least. Knowing it would hurt me.

Why her?

Why did he call her?

Why not his best friends or family?

Why Natasha, his ex-girlfriend and the girl who utterly hates me?

And the worst part was that the two of them weren't even on friendly terms since their break up. Varun would tell me how she behaved towards him throughout their long-time relationship, acting mean, scornful, and selfish. He'd even told me that he truly hated her and he wouldn't get back in touch with her for the world, about one month ago. So, why would he do that to me now? Why? Disrespect level on 100.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Alia. I was so lost, I-"

"Don't say sorry! Don't fucking dare to say sorry! Don't say that!" I snapped. Breathless with anger, I stood up and stormed out of the living room. He followed, walking towards me as his arms attempted to reach for me.

"Alia, just wait! I'm really sorry! I know I've done wrong! Natasha means nothing to me!" I didn't say anything, I just looked at his broken and vulnerable facial expressions and turned around entering the bedroom. "I just wanted you to feel as hurt as I was at this moment!" He grabbed my wrist but I pulled away, and smacked him across the cheek, tears falling from my eyes. He stepped away, holding on his slight red cheek.

"Why would you do that?" I screamed, making uncontrollable wide gestures with my hands. "Why would you call her over? Why your ex, Varun? And, it isn't even just some ex, it's Natasha! The girl who's hurt you the most in your life, according to you! The girl who's put you through hell for 5 years, according to you! The girl who hates me!" He winced at my loud voice, shamefully looking down at the ground. This man just disgusted me to pieces, the man which I used to call my boyfriend. I never thought in million years he would do that to me. Why her? Why his ex? Why?

"I wanted to hurt you, I just-"

"Hurt me? Hurt me, like seriously?" I scoffed bitterly, crossing my arms across my chest. "Are we kids? Are we kids in the playground? Are we fucking little kids playing in the school-yard? No, we're fucking supposed to be grown ass adults! We're a couple, we're supposed to talk things over and not act like little babies, trying to hurt each other on purpose!" I bellowed, shaking with anger. He hesitantly took a step towards me, but I pointed my finger at him warningly, stepping back. I didn't want him to be close to me, even the slightest.

"I fucking know it! But, put yourself in my shoes just a second, okay? I've heard from Vicky that you and Sid fucked and you kept that shit from me! How would you react to that, huh? I know what I've done isn't good at all, but don't put the whole blame on me!" He protested, slamming his hand against the wooden table.

I loudly groaned in frustration at his comment. Without giving a thought, I grabbed the lamp from the night-stand and threw it on the floor, wiping the angry tears off my face. I felt betrayed. I felt broken. It physically hurt.

I wanted to break all his stuffs, to throw things at him, to shout at him for hours and hours. I tried to breathe even though the tears falling from my eyes also somehow tied a knot around my throat. Pain froze my chest and pained my stomach, but still my hands kept gripping random stuffs and abruptly throwing them on the ground.

"What the fuck are you doing? Just stop it, Alia!" Varun yelled at the top of his voice, rushing out of the bedroom.

"You know she hates me but still you've called her over! Why did he even cross your mind to call her over?" I spat between gritted teeth, ignoring his previous comment. "Why didn't you call somebody else? I don't know, your best friend for example! You've disrespected not only me, but our 6 months relationship also! So, yeah, I'm gonna put the whole blame on you!" My voice cracked, as I muffled my sobs to my palms.

My eyes fell upon him, and saw how broken he was. It didn't matter to me, though, all I could focus on was my pain inside. I wasn't even sure if he was allowed to be hurt, considering he was the one who had actually broken what supposed to be the dearest thing to both of us, our relationship. Why was he hurting? He wasn't hurting in the moments that he'd betrayed my love and my trust.

"I'm badly sorry, what else can I say?" He frustratedly sighed, placing his two hands on the back of his neck. I gulped, swallowing a lump that I didn't realize was there. I then managed to take a long deep breath, though still shaking from my anger hysteria.

"We're done." My words were calm and steady, a signal to Varun that there would be no going back to me after this.

I started picking up my stuffs in the closet and put them in my bag, without addressing him a single glance. I felt his gaze burning holes in the back of my head. I could see his mouth slightly agape in my peripheral vision.

"Alu baby, we're not done. We're not done." He pleaded, sitting on the bed. "We've only chatted a little. I didn't cheat. I didn't sleep with Natasha, I swear on my life."

I lifted my head to glare at him, not having the energy to go on. I just wanted to shake him to knock some sense into his head. I didn't care if he'd actually cheated or not, still he'd disrespected me. Calling his ex-girlfriend over his home was enough, a deal-breaker for me.

"Oh, so you want me to applaud you for that? Oh wow, you didn't cheat! Varun Dhawan didn't sleep with Natasha! Congrats, man!" I scoffed, dramatically applauding him.

"It's not over, stop that drama."

"That drama?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Okay, I'm just not going for this... I'm tired." I sighed, closing my bag. He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it away. It was the last time he would feel the warmth from my body. I didn't have the energy to go on with that relationship. I didn't have the strength to forgive him.

"Alia, you know I-"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know." I muttered almost inaudibly, biting down my lip.

Hot tears uncontrollably ran down my face. Our eyes met for the last time, as I walked out of the apartment. He stood there in the middle of the hall, staring at me, arms crossed across his chest.

I felt like being crushed and having my heart ripped apart. I was physically sick, so deeply and badly hurt. He'd screwed up everything. He'd fucked up a six months relationship. And, I knew I wouldn't be able to forgive him. I knew I wouldn't be able to get over that mistake. My fingers curled around my forehead and brushed away the last heavy tears burning a path down my heated cheeks.

KRITI P.O.V

Tonight was my night. No stress, no work, just a lot of fun. It'd been ages since I had some good time with my best friend and my sister. I had really missed our ritual together, a nice girl's evening all together.

Since I had been working awfully hard lately, I started to forget myself a little and spend less and less time with my loved ones, which was a terrible thing. I didn't want to become one of those overworked people, who considered their job more important than their family and friends. I didn't want to become that kind of shitty people.

Those last few months had been crazily hectic to say the least, professionally as well as personally, so I'd decided to get some time for myself tonight. I needed to relax and take my mind off my troubles. And for this, what was better than a sleepover with my two favourite girls? Watching series and movies, having late night discussions, chilling out was all I needed right now.

I walked to the open kitchen and grabbed three water bottles in the fridge. On my way back to the bedroom, I rolled my eyes at my sister curled up into a ball, already half asleep. It is only 2 in the morning for God's sake.

She claimed that she never fell asleep during a slumber party, but every time we had our ritual, she was always the first one to fall asleep on the bed or the couch or whenever we were. She ended up sleeping the whole night there, without even knowing it. God, this girl.

"Nups," I groaned, gently shaking her.

"Mhm?" Nupur responded, rubbing her eyes. The tone of her voice told me that she was clearly sleeping like a log.

"You were sleeping." Nila, my best friend, giggled, turning the TV off.

"No, I wasn't." She protested, sitting up.

"You were, sista."

"No, I was watching that. I wasn't sleeping." She shook her head vehemently.

"Oh God," I facepalmed, causing Nila to laugh. "I was pretty sure you would be the first one to fall asleep as usual."

"But, I wasn't sleeping, I'm telling you. What's up with you?" We bursted out laughing at her small tired eyes, as she let out a sharp breath. "See, I'm perfectly awake."

"Well, if you say so." My best friend laughed, laying down on the bed. "Kriti babe?" I lifted my head up from my phone, glancing over at her. I knew what she wanted to talk about, and I really wasn't in the mood to have a discussion about him. But anyway, she already knew about the whole situation, and I kind of needed to get those problems off my chest.

It was tough. I couldn't deny that it was tough as hell to talk about this story, and eventually my feelings and emotions, because it kind of stirred up all the pain and the hurt that I had been trying to hide for one week now.

One week. It hadn't been the longest we'd been away from each other, but it might as well been with how we'd left things. To be honest, I wasn't so sure if there were things to still come back to. There had been tears, screams, and slammed doors. I was tired, exhausted, sick of everything. And, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to come back to this relationship. I didn't know if I would be able to forgive him all his lies one day. I wasn't so sure if I still had the energy to go on.

I was so disappointed and hurt. I couldn't get over the whole situation. I couldn't get over everything that had happened between the both of us lately.

All those lies utterly disappointed me, disgusted me to the highest point. Sidharth disgusted me to the highest point, the man I used to call my boyfriend.

I wasn't even sure if I still wanted to be with him. I wasn't even sure if things could ever get better. I wasn't even sure if I wanted things to get better. All I knew was that I didn't have the energy to fight with him again over that story. All I knew was that I wouldn't be able to trust him again. He'd broken my trust for ever, there wouldn't be any turning back.

My heart was shattered into million pieces, rattling around in my chest. The feeling of sadness and emptiness overcoming me the whole time. All I could think about was him and that fucking situation. It made me sick.

I was mentally screaming in pain, pretending to be all okay in public. This intense pain made me feel like I was dying inside, crushing my soul and squeezing my heart so hard. I'd never thought I would suffered that much in this relationship with Sidharth. But after all, I should have expected it, considering he was known to be a play boy, not to say a complete fucker.

Since my last break up, I'd promised myself I would always walk away from a relationship which caused me pain, but I realized that it was much easier said than done. It was way easier said than done, especially when you love the person who made you suffer, more than anything in this world. This was the situation I was currently in.

What killed me the most was the radio silence. And to be fair, I didn't attempt to reach out, too. I wasn't in the wrong after all, it wasn't up to me to make the first move. I was sick of always making all the efforts. He was the one who had to apologize, definitely not me. He was the one who had lied to my face for months and months after all, definitely not me.

Knowing him, he was surely thinking that he wasn't wrong at all, not even questioning himself. It is my right not to tell you everything, blah, blah and blah. Bullshit. He wouldn't even call me to apologize, try to talk the issue over, and eventually fix things. Nothing.

And like the super sensitive girl that I was, I went through the paces of a breakup on my own anyway. The crying, the "quit eating thing", the working non stop to keep my mind occupied, the whole shot. It was silly to mourn a relationship I didn't even know was over.

Every single day, I was opening Instagram and looking through his Stories and liking his posts, even though I knew he was going to see that I checked up on him. I didn't care, as he was doing the exact same thing to me.

And somehow every single day, I found myself checking up on his manager's, Tara Sutaria's, Ritesh Deshmukh's and anyone else I knew that was with him for Marjaavaan's shooting. He seemed to be doing okay. And I didn't know if that broke my heart or made me happy.

"Mhm?" I hummed, looking back down at my phone.

"About Sid and stuff?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly. My heart skipped a beat at his name. "Tell me everything, girl."

"There's nothing to say, really." I shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm sick of that situation, Nila. We're ignoring each other for one week now, and it starts to get on me."

"So, make the first move. Stop being so stubborn, and tell him everything that is on your mind."

"I'm not gonna do that. I'm really not gonna do that!" I shook my head frantically. "We're supposed to be two people in a relationship, huh? Why am I always the one who makes all the fucking efforts? And, I'm not even in the wrong! He's behaved like the last asshole, lying to my face and keeping from me that he almost fucked everyone in Bollywood, but I've to make the first move? No way!" I snapped, irritation uncontrollably taking over me.

"Listen, I completely see your side and I'm hundred percent for you, right? But, this childish feud about who is gonna make the first move and stuff, won't lead you to anything good. It'll just increase the distance between the two of you, damaging your relationship and ending up in your break up. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but if you kind of make the first step, it's gonna show how smart and mature you are about the situation." She explained, her voice holding complete seriousness.

She was right. She was totally right, but still my mind was telling me not to stoop to his level. If I made the first move, he was going to take me for granted and think I was always going to apologize for anything.

"I don't know..." I sighed, running my hand over my face. "I still don't understand why he would lie to me like this. I thought we were going strong."

"Yeah, and I don't even know if he actually realizes that he's being the biggest asshole-"

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't. He thinks that he is in the right as usual."

"Oh God..." Nila's pupils rolled in circular motion at my comment. "It's not like he's lied about one thing and that's all. No, he's actually lied about dating Kiara, fucking Alia and being sex friends with Jacqueline."

"To be honest, I'm not blaming the girls, because we aren't even friends. And, it's not their fault if my boyfriend is a lying ass."

"Sure, they aren't in the wrong. It's just about Sidharth being the biggest liar ever."

"I know right." I mumbled, picking at my fingernails. "And then he's gonna put the whole blame on me, saying I'm over-possessive and jealous. But, how can I not be insecure? He's never working on himself. He's being flirty with every of his co-stars, not even caring about my feelings." I groaned in frustration.

"I feel like, um... He can only see your flaws. And, he can't question himself, and eventually admit his mistakes. That's a real problem." Nila added, leaning against the bedhead.

"Yeah, definitely. He has a real problem." I nodded, letting out a bitter giggle. "I don't know whether I've told you about that story. Last time, we've fought over the thing that he wasn't much answering my texts. I mean, it wasn't a big deal. I wasn't asking for the moon, I just wanted him to send me a quick message, saying he was okay and stuff as he was in Delhi for Marjaavaan shooting. But, you know what? He didn't answer me for like, um ... 3 days ... Then, he came back home and blamed me for sending him too much messages while he was working. Like seriously? I swear, I've sent him just two texts, and he didn't even reply to it. He was definitely in the wrong, but once again he put the whole blame on me."

"3 days? And, you didn't try to call him?"

"Yes, I did but he wouldn't even pick up the phone."

"God, girl, what's up with that guy?" Her eyes widened as an astonished expression rode her face.

"He's fucking weird sometimes." I shrugged, nervously chewing on my bottom lip. "And, he can be super caring, super gentleman, super nice sometimes, very sympathetic on certain things. But, when it kind of comes to him, he completely shut down himself and isn't able to acknowledge his mistakes."

"Yeah, right. But, to be honest, Sid is a real good guy. Unfortunately, he has flaws that are completely eating up your relationship." I nodded at her words. "It's just that... It isn't working the way it should be between the both of you right now. Maybe, it's an accumulation of stuffs, fights and unspoken words."

"I don't even know if I still have the energy to go on with him." I admitted, taking a rather profound breath at the end of my sentence. "I'm really sick of everything going on in that relationship."

"Honey, if you feel like it's not worth it, just walk away." She placed the palm of her hand upon my shoulder. "But for now, I just think you two need to have a good discussion about the whole thing."

"I'm lost, I really am. On one hand, I'm crazy about him, that's undeniable. But on the other hand, I don't wanna suffer, and I feel like I'm gonna get hurt in that relationship, you know?" I sighed, releasing more heavy breaths. "I don't wanna fight anymore, shout and stuffs. I'm tired of this. We really need to have a serious conversation."

"Sometimes, walk away is the best option." My best friend cleared her throat, before speaking again. "When's the last time you guys actually talked?"

"Um... Like, about 2 days ago." I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my recent messages. "He's sent me a message about whether I was gonna pick up my stuffs at his home."

"What a first move, yaar!" She scoffed, clapping her hands together.

"Look, it was the day before yesterday." I handed her my phone, pointing at the screen.

It was a simple and cordial text message, not too friendly, yet a little cold, I got to admit. I didn't know how to feel about it. If he wanted me to pick up my stuffs at his home, did it mean we were kind of breaking up? Or was it just a first move of him?

My Captain 😍💖💖

Hey, hope ur doing good

I just wntd to know whether
ur gonna pick up
ur things at home

There's still some stuffs
in the dressing
Tell me whenever
u wanna come over

See u

Thursday
6:28 pm

Hey,

Ok, I'll let you know

Thursday

8:09 pm

Read

"It's... Um... Cordial ... A little cold but cordial. I don't think his message actually implies that you've both broke up or something. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't mean it like that. It's a little move of him, I guess?" She nudged me, causing me to giggle a bit.

"A move of him? He didn't even ask me how I was doing!" I dramatically rolled my eyes.

"He said hope you're doing good!"

"Yeah, yeah, hope you're doing good is shit. His whole text message is shit. But, whatever." She laughed at my comment.

"You're being mean!"

"Oh, really?" I jokingly wiggled my eyebrows, making both of us burst out into laughter.

"Oh, girl, that's mean." She sniggered, holding on her stomach. "By the way-" Before Nila could continue her sentence, we were interrupted by a loud crash.

We both looked up to see Nupur entering the bedroom, glancing over at me with a worried expression. She seemed a little upset, I couldn't tell why. She was biting down her bottom lip, something she would often do when getting nervous.

"What's up, Nups?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Is something wrong?" Nila added.

"Kriti, promise me you won't get mad." She started, sitting beside me. I was utterly confused, I had no clue what she wanted to talk to me about.

"Why would I get mad?" My eyebrows drew together, as I looked over at her questioningly.

"Just promise me this." She insisted, her voice holding complete seriousness.

"Tell me what's happening first." I shook my head, crossing my arms across my chest. I gazed into her eyes, and I instantly felt that something bad was up. My heart rate started increasing, as million thoughts were messing up my mind. Is it about Sid?

"Well... It's about Sid and Kiara. They've been spotted together at a restaurant tonight." She showed me the Instant Bollywood's Instagram post. I felt my heart stopping and the air getting sucked out of my lungs.

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@InstantBollywood

Our cameras spotted Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani out on a dinner date tonight at Masala Bay's restaurant tonight. The two are back in the town after wrapping their respective film schedules, Good Newwz and Marjaavaan, looking dashing as ever.

While Sidharth Malhotra and Kriti Sanon have never openly admitted that they are in a relationship, sources close to them have always maintained that they are a couple. They are often spotted together but have always stayed away from posing with each other. Many-a-times, Kriti has been spotted outside Sidharth's house. But even then, she was covering her face and trying to hide. However, it was rumoured that there was trouble in paradise and the duo decided to spend some time apart. But, it seems that the actor has already moved on.

According to sources, Sidharth and Kiara seemed to be very close. They were having dinner just the two of them, chatting lively and bonding the whole time. Well... It seems like something is definitely brewing between them, right? Some time back, dating rumours have strongly been around, claiming that Sid and Kiara were dating each other for a while. But the actors have always denied it, maintaining that they were only good friends. Well... Is that beautiful jodi finally decided to patch things up?

The Shershaah pair happily posed for the shutterbugs, all smiles and blushing. They were seen leaving the restaurant in the same car. Well ... Case to follow 👀

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All of the hurt suffocating me grew with every second, and I feared that soon it would become too much to bear. Slowly, I began to feel panic rise from my stomach, something I was kind of familiar with, whenever I would grow too nervous. Only this time, I felt like I was unable to control the panic coming on; it was way stronger, way more intense. In a split second, pain went from zero to hundred, stabbing my heart so hard that I felt myself shaking.

Sid and Kiara went on a date?

He didn't do that, did he?

Why would he do that? Are we done?

Does he want to win Kiara back?

"Wait, what is that?" Nila exclaimed, as her eyes were still glued to the phone screen. "Our cameras spotted Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani out on a dinner date tonight at Masala Bay's restaurant. Blah, blah, blah... The Shershaah pair were seen leaving the restaurant in the same car."

"Such a fucking asshole." I mumbled between gritted teeth, getting up from the bed.

This evening was supposed to be chill, making me relax and get the troubles off my mind, but again this shit had to come out. This fucking asshole had gone on a dinner date with his ex-girlfriend, while we were currently going through the biggest crisis of our relationship. Disrespect level on 10.

Kiara was the main reason for the situation we were in, but all he did was going on a date with her. He really didn't give a fuck about my feelings and my emotions. He really didn't care about me. I didn't even know how I ever could have thought that he loved me. He didn't. Of course, he didn't love me, because if he actually did, he wouldn't hurt me all the fucking time. I felt  humiliated as ever. My supposed boyfriend had been spotted on a date with his ex-girlfriend. What kind of shit was that?

"It was maybe purely professional. You know, a little gathering before Shershaah's next schedule?" Nupur shrugged her shoulders.

"What the fuck? No! Kiara has wrapped her part for the film! That doesn't make any sense!" I snapped, making wide gestures with my hands.

Raw anger shot through me, I felt myself shaking and my head pounding. I really wanted to slap him and knock some sense into him. Why does he have to hurt me all the fucking time?

I didn't ask for any of this to happen. I had always been respectful and faithful to him, because I loved Sidharth more than anything in this world. But, it seemed like he was playing with my feelings and didn't give a fuck about the whole situation. It hurt. It hurt so bad. I had never felt so broken.

"Calm down, honey! Media are talking shit as usual!" Nila protested, reaching out for my hand.

"Shit? No, they aren't talking shit this time! I'm pretty sure it's all true!" I tried to hold back the tears that formed in my eyes, but miserably failed. "Please, don't tell me to calm down." My voice broke. I was sick of this. I was broken. All I wanted to do was end that relationship, maybe being the only way to make me feel better, to make me feel relieved.

"Oh, babe, don't cry, please." My sister wiped at my eyes, as my best friend pulled me into a side embrace.

"I'm fucking sick of this. I just wanna break up." I sniffed then took a deep breath. "Why does he hurt me like this, huh?" A small sob escaped from my lips.

How could this happen to me? I was so in love with him. I loved him more than anything. My heart broke all over again thinking about how he would look at Kiara, talk to her, and maybe even touch her. How he felt when she touched him. I imagined his hands stroking hers. How could he do this to you?

I mechanically grabbed my phone and clicked on his name. I just wanted to tell him what was on my mind once and for all.

"I don't think it's a good idea to text him in the heat of the moment, honey. Tonight, you might be mad, but tomorrow morning, you might regret what you've said as well." Nila attempted to talk me out.

"Nila is right, Krits."

"I don't care, I won't regret it." I shrugged them off, exhaling a sharp breath. They both loudly sighed, knowing they couldn't do anything to stop me.

You're so fucking disgusting

2:34 am

How do you live with yourself?

2:35 am

"Oh my God, what the fuck, Kriti?" Nupur facepalmed, reading the text messages I'd just sent him.

"It's not a fucking way to fix things, Kriti. You're being so fucking immature right now!" Nila spat, running her hand through her hair in irritation. Yeah, yeah, whatever. He's the most immature one, secretly going on a date with his ex-girlfriend.

At the exact same moment, my phone buzzed. It was a reply from Sidharth. I nervously bit down my lip, opening the message.

What the fuck are u
talking abt again?

2:36 am

Don't fucking act
like you don't understand.

Why are you being
such an asshole?

2:36 am

I fnk don't
understand a thing

And, I'm tired of ur drama

2:37 am

We haven't quite
talked for 1 wk

and u come back
out of thin air,

calling me an asshole

I'm tired of ur shit

2:38 am

You're in the wrong
about the whole situation,

why don't you fucking admit it?

2:38 am

You've caused this situation,
so don't say that you're
tired of my shit

when you're the biggest
asshole out there

2:39 am

Wtv Kriti

2:41 am

I don't wanna talk to u

2:42 am

Why are you hurting
me like this?

2:43 am

Don't you feel a tiny bit guilty?

2:44 am

Yeah, I'm an asshole

2:45 am

No, I don't

2:46 am

You're going on a date
with Kiara, your ex

What kind of asshole are you?

2:47 am

You don't care about
my feelings

You don't love me and

I got it now

2:48 am

I've wasted 6 fucking months
of my life with a guy like you

2:49 am

A date with Kiara?

2:50 am

What are u talking abt?

2:51 am

Anyway, believe
what u want

Believe shit if u want

Believe the media

2:52 am

I can't trust u

Again, you're lying

2:53 am

Why would I lie?

2:54 am

Ur so fucking insecure

I'm sick of this

2:55 am

Believe what u want

2:56 am

Go and get your Kiara

and stay with her

2:57 am

Great

2:59 am

I was disgusted. I was disgusted with the man I loved. He had betrayed me in the worst possible way. How was I ever going to move past this? I knew the answer. I knew I wasn't.

Sharp and deep pain grew more intense each second by. I felt so completely broken. Tears slipped down my cheeks, thinking about how I could possibly live without him.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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