Blush

"The blushing cheek speaks modest mind,

The lips befitting words most kind,

The eye does tempt to love's desire,

And seems to, say 'tis "Cupid's fire."

~ James Harrington

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The next morning couldn't roll out faster for two souls far away who had spent the night tossing and turning in their respective beds. Although they were miles apart in physical presence, they couldn't be more closer to each other in thoughts. Through open eyes, both of them had jogged through their plenty-but-not-enough memories, both good and bad, the ones they couldn't help but hold onto dearly.

At nine in the morning, Avyan walked down the stairs from his room after freshening up. He had spent the better part of the morning lying on his back in the pool. His mother, or better evil step-mother, Drashti, was nowhere to be seen; not that he cared anyway. Adjusting the sleeves of his tan blazer on his arms, he was about to step out of his house, when he was stopped by the butler.

"Sir, this letter came in the mail for you a little while ago." He stated handing over a white envelope to Avyan. He ripped off the envelope seal and took out the papers enclosed within. Unfolding them, his eyes began to skim over the lines as his expressions changed from blank to furious and ending with something akin to mockery.

"Rushabh! You bas****!" He snorted as he remembered what he'd done to the man the previous day.

Shaking his head, he decided to visit Vivaan in the hospital first, not that there was anything important for him in college. He had been served with a week long suspension letter by the university, courtesy of his stepbrother who must have had gone crying 'Mommy!' to his stepmother and the Vice-President of their University. He was ecstatic though as he would get a break from all the ongoing drama in his life, at least he hoped so.

Sure, he could get to meet Nitya if he went to the University, but then Tarun would also be there with her and he didn't want to see the couple together, first thing in the morning.

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Shanaya took time dressing up that day. Donning a little red dress, with matching accessories and high-heeled sandals, she pinned up her long hair in a pretty, intricate hairstyle. Completing her look with a bold eye- makeup and a red lipstick, she looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Though she had dolled herself up, her heart was in conflict. Unconsciously, her fingers traced her lips as she reminisced her intimate encounter the previous night.

After the wave of passion had washed away, the previous night, Tarun had walked out awkwardly without a word. She didn't know what was going through his mind. Maybe he regretted it or maybe he was just guilty of cheating on his girlfriend, Nitya; and Shanaya didn't know which was better.

The thought of Nitya made her feel bitter inside. She couldn't fathom what it was about the tiny 'commoner' who had crashed into their lives like a giant meteorite, a few months ago, and managed to do the unimaginable. She might not be a genius but she was not completely dumb either. She knew that Avyan felt something, to a certain range, for Nitya, his buddy's girlfriend.

Shanaya secretly admired and at the same time, was envious of Nitya. That girl, even though not as rich as her or her friends, was brave, strong-willed and most of all, happy. She had a loving family, which Shanaya had only longed for, her whole life. And now, she had two guys running after her. God only knew how much she wanted Avyan to be like this, for once, for her.

Shanaya wanted, correction, still wants Avyan back. Why? She had no idea.

Earlier, she would have claimed that she loves him but now, she was not so sure. She did love him and she will continue to love him. But maybe, just maybe, there might be another person who could introduce her to the new definitions of love. The kind of love she had heard about in fairytales. The kind of love she saw in beautiful romance views. The kind of love they enacted plays about. The kind of love they sang proses about.

Being acclaimed as the arrogant diva always, she never admitted it out loud, but she was the kind of girl who wished for her prince arriving on a white horse. She wanted someone who would whisk her away to his castle and treat her like a queen.

She tried her hardest to find that prince in Avyan; she really did. But in her seven years of relationship with the man, Avyan was always ...Avyan! He was comfortable, caring and always there. But never did he try to become the kind of person whom she wanted and needed. And neither did she ever express what she needed from him.

Still, she felt the need to go after Avyan. As much as she was conflicted about her feelings for him and his feelings for her, she was not one to give up easily on things that were hers to begin with. Never had anyone taken anything away from her for she had always been the one to discard things that she didn't want. It was both that no one ever had she ever met someone with as much bravado to covet her things; and with her fame and beauty, everything just landed right into her palms with no intentions of leaving. She just had to say the word and her friends would get it for her. If not friends, she had enough admirers willing for her to step on them.

With that thought in mind, she ignored the nagging thoughts in her mind and gazed at herself in the mirror. In her ex-boyfriend's favorite color, she looked beautiful and she knew that! Yet her face lacked that natural blush usually evident on a lover's face.

For her heart didn't glow for the same person anymore!