Chapter 5

Athira Patel

You know if you come face to face with something so unexpected then you don't know how to react to that situation, you just stand there staring where your mind will be in pause button for that sometime. That is the situation with me currently. I didn't expect that Abhilash will ask me to dance with him. So I don't know how to react to his question. So I just stood in front of him watching while he was waiting for my response. He had to shake my shoulders second time on that day to get me back to the present.

"Hey, are you in there? I asked you a question. Seems like it affected a lot on you that you forgot how to answer it." He was smiling knowingly as if he knows how much effect he has on me.

I composed myself again "Don't think so highly of yourself. I'm not least bit affected by you and I even won't" I said facing him with much confidence even though inside it's totally opposite to the situation.

"Sure, as you say darling" He laughed shaking his head. "So, shall we go for a dance then? If you are not affected by me, then it won't be a problem right." He asked sounding so confident.

I took the beer bottle from the table and have taken one big gulp from it to ease the tension that is building in my nerves. After taking two gulps I felt somewhat relaxed and ready to face him. I know that he is watching my every move by standing there but I don't care. Let him watch.

I turned towards him and said yes. He extended his right hand for me to take. I placed mine in his and he took hold of my hand and started dragging me towards the dance floor where all the couples are dancing to the slow song. Even the lights got dimmed than before giving it a romantic feeling.

He stopped us after coming to the middle of the floor and turned me towards him by placing his both hands on my shoulders. He is looking me straight in the eye while his left hand travelled downwards slowly from my shoulders to my right palm and took hold of my hand and brought it upwards in between us and interlinked our fingers slowly watching how his long fingers fitted rightly in my short fingers. And at the same time, his right hand travelled from my left shoulder to my waist and placed it there leisurely. All this while I forgot how to breathe due to his slow and feather-like touches. Goosebumps has risen on the back of my neck with his touch and these tingles started erupting in my stomach. His eyes are so captivating that it arrested me in the place where I forgot the whole world around us.

He started moving us slowly according to the music that I just copied his steps along with him. He knows what he is doing and he is good at it. Scratch that, actually he very good at it while I am just ok.

"You are good at dancing you know" I kind of complimented him indirectly without saying it directly. By the look on his face, he knew exactly what I referred.

"If I didn't know you any better I would have thought that you have complimented me darling" He winked swaying us both to the music. I placed both my hands around his neck.

"Oh don't flatter yourself," I said smiling while he is laughing.

"You are good at comebacks you know. Not every girl can come up with quick comebacks" He said dragging me close to him. There is only a small gap between us now.

"Not every girl you talk to will fall for your antics. I am not one of them. Those girls are fools. Even many of them in this pub who are watching you so dreamily from afar and giggling to themselves" I said nodding my head towards the bar where a group of young girls are watching him from quite some time "Poor girls. Their life runs around boys all the time". I said looking back to him.

"I know you are not like them. That is the reason I wanted to talk to you in the first place. You are different" He said smiling. "But what can I say. I am irresistible" and smirked. Damn him and his ego.

"You are really so full of yourself," I said shaking my head and swaying.

"Just agree, darling, Even you too know that I am handsome." He said laughing and turned me around once. I placed back my hands on his shoulders for a grip. He bought both my hands around his neck and he placed both his hands on either side of my waist. We are even close in this position.

"No way I am agreeing to that. Your ego is so big" I said watching him to see his expression has changed to one of mischievous one.

And to prove his point he started tickling me on my sides to which I started laughing. God this idiot knows my weakness.

"No. No... Sto... Stop it Abhilash. I cannot breath" I said through my laughs catching his shoulder for support.

"Then agree that I am handsome. Otherwise, I won't stop tickling you" He said winking and laughing.

God, I cannot get away from his strong grip. He caught hold of both my hands in his one hand and tickling me with another.

"God. You... You are an idiot... Ok fine. You are handsome. Now please stop it" I said unable to catch my breath.

He stopped tickling me and grabbed me by the waist and brought me closer to him in one swift motion. My breath caught in my throat due to the closeness of us since we are just apart of five inches between us. Instinctively I placed both my hands on each of his shoulders to create some gap between us but it's of no use because he is so strong for me.

He took hold of my hair which has fallen on my face and slowly placed them around my ears with his left hand. My heart is beating so fast that he could hear it very clearly as day. His heavy and warm breath is fanning on the face and I could smell of mint and vanilla in his breath which is so addicting. I slowly lifted my eyes upwards to look at him only to get lost in his intense gaze. I lost how to breath when he brought me even close towards him which left no space between us. I can feel that our bodies are touching each other completely.

Again those tingles started forming in my stomach due to his close proximity. His eyes slowly travelled from my eyes to my lips and I can see the desire in them. My heart started beating even faster than before and my whole body became so hot. My eyes instinctively went to his lips which are so inviting and tempting. His full pink lips are so soft that i want to feel those soft lips against mine and want to know how he would taste. As if he knows what i am thinking he slowly inched towards my lips while i placed both my hands around his neck and inched forward. He closed the gap between us by placing his lips on mine.

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