"Why do you want to stop it?" I was curious. Why was he pushing me away? Why does he often make me feel I never deserved him? "Am I that bad?" The sudden feeling of insecurity overpowered my heart. Wasn't I aware I could never match him? He deserved far better... far amazing than me. My head lowered in embarrassment.

"Hey," he defended. His finger slowly raised up, compelling me to stare into his brown orbs. "You can never be bad." He uttered, staring deep into my orbs. Allowing the mask to wash off from his face, allowing me to get a glimpse of his inner feeling. Those emotions he had mastered to mask from the world around him. "You had made me believe in kindness, innocence..." He uttered, searching any sign of belief but found nothing.

It wasn't easy for my insecure self to believe him. I was born and brought up in such a society where often people had questioned me in numerous ways. The insecurity building inside me resulted from my worse experience. How could I believe it? A popular, attractive guy, the boy gifted with so many talents. If he wished he could be rewarded with the beauty the world process could be attracted towards a naïve, normal, reserved girl like me? If I believe in it, I could be labelled as a fool.

On finding my senses filled with insecurity, he cupped my face further forcing me to stare into his deep intense orbs. "Look into my eyes..." He commanded, making my racing brain halt. Those orbs could turn my mind fogging, making me lost in those chocolaty waves. At moments, I would forget the existence of the world around me.

"My eyes won't lie to you." He whispered, his low, deep, intense filled voice was making me shiver. It felt as if he was allowing himself to unbottle. It wasn't something happening for the very first time, he had done it before. Trusted me with some of his secrets, indirectly asking me for a solution. But unlike before his eyes weren't closed but staring deep into mine. As if he wasn't scared that I would glimpse some of his hidden emotion as if he wanted me to know the real Ehaan Kashyap.

"I don't know if you believe me but it's true... I am getting attracted to you." He confessed, his eyes glittering in adoration. "Why? How? When? Those are questions, I keep asking myself frequently." He answered, his eyes not moving for a second. Assuring me not a lie was rolling down from that tongue. "Man! It scares me, the strong emotion felt towards you. I don't like making people my weakness but unknowingly you had become mine." He slowly leaned our forehead my grip from his collar loosen, cupping his cheek. "I had never felt something... I feel for you, maybe you won't believe it. I don't care..." And there I saw it, his eyes for a second diverted indicating the last word was a lie.

"You do!" I pouted, his eyes darkening. His eyes wandered from my eyes to my slight pink lips. His thumb slowly caressed my lower lip, eyes sparking in desire.

"Fuck!" He shut his eyes in exasperation. "You aren't in your senses..." inappropriate words rolled down his tongue. I twisted my nose in disgust, he opened his eyes. "I will lock the main door." Finding an excuse, he walked away. Once again leaving me. I frowned, stamping my foot in annoyance. What did he mean with me, not in senses? I am in full senses! Though I am behaving like an insane. I knew something was wrong with me yet I was enjoying the newfound confidence in me.

The fury of his frequent ignorance was troubling me. Suddenly an idea popped into my head, on seeing him busy locking the door. I slowly slipped from the living room towards the kitchen. He had troubled me enough it was my turn. I giggled at my naughty thoughts. He was going to regret not listening to me.

I slowly slipped under the kitchen counter. One of my favourite places to hide as a child while playing hide-and-seek. I could hear his frequent shout, yelling my name. I pressed my palm to stop the giggles reaching his ear. I wasn't letting him win the game. The shout was coming near with each passing second.

"Stop this nonsense! Come out! I am not in a mood for all this foolishness." He was scolding, yelling but I wasn't going to come in his words. "It's time for your parents to arrive... are you coming... out?" He seemed as if was drained. I pouted. He was maybe exhausted. I shouldn't have troubled him.

Before I could announce my presence, I saw a foot before me and soon he was on his knees staring at me. His orbs indicated he was furious but later amusement passed his senses. Me fitting inside the small place could amuse anyone.

"You surprise me at every given occasion." He muttered, he was adoring me. "Now will you..." Before he could extend his hand, we heard some blabber and soon mom's voice got in my ear.

"Oh! Shit!" Ehaan groaned and without letting me register anything, he pulled himself under the counter. The place wasn't enough for both of us, moan escaped from my mouth as his sudden move caused my head to dash with one of the corners. His hands covered my mouth, eyes wide in horror. "Don't" He whispered, my eyes brimming with tears. The drink had knocked my senses, I was behaving like a kid.

We heard mom's nearing steps, he pushed himself further under it. But been extra careful not to hurt me in any manner as a result he had to carry me in his arms, resting me on his lap. I stared at him. We were in such close proximity. His brown orbs stared at mine with some longing.

"Raunak, it wasn't that bad. The new project would help our company..." Mom like any other day was discussing their office matter unknown to the fact, her daughter was hiding under the counter along with... Who was he to me?

"What's I to you?" I inquired, whispering slowly. Pointing at me than him, a smile crossed his spirit as that word rolled down his tongue.

"Angel..." He whispered back in my ears his rough, deep voice made me shiver. And those intense orbs were further knocking the breath out of my chest. His thumbs slowly draw patterns around my cheek. "The one that brightens my world with her mere presence." I grinned at his words.

"Is she so special?" My eyes were overjoyed with happiness. Deep desires to be special for someone overpowering my senses.

"Special would be an understatement. She is my world." My heart was racing in my chest, my mind not bothering to question it. I wanted to keep my eyes open, live the moment fully. I feared it to be a dream! But it wasn't in my control, my eyes banged shut. I groaned in displeasure, "have a beautiful sleep, angel." Those were the last words before darkness engulfed me.

____

The bright light oozing from the curtain compelled me to wake. I groaned loudly, nuzzling my head into the soft pillow. Closing my eyes to gain some sleep. A few minutes passed but the sun rays weren't ready to allow me some extra hours of sleep. Giving up! I turned myself, opening my eyes to the new morning waiting for me.

It took a minute for my eyes to get adjusted to the brightness around me. The minute my brain wasn't any longer foggy with waking up a minute back, it started discriminating my surrounding from its daily routine one. It wasn't my room, for sure! The walls were dark in colour contradicting my light one. My mind rewinding flashes to reason out my situation.

Taking a break... Samaira along with the gang walked into my house... The game... Behaving weird... Asking for a kiss... Hiding under the counter... Ended up sleeping on Ehaan's lap.

That round of flashes was driving me deep into the ocean of embarrassment. I got drunk! What would my parents think? I! Wait, I even demanded Ehaan to kiss me. What the hell! I covered my face in shame. What a huge embarrassment! I wouldn't be able to face him ever. What would he think of me?

"The one that brightens my world with her mere presence."

Did he mean it? Or was he having fun with my drunken self? His orbs were yelling sincerity. I couldn't ignore it. Damn! Why was I remembering all of it? Wasn't it suppose to be lost? Didn't that happen in the movie? Why do I always have to stand out of crowd? Man! Where on the earth, was I?

I stared at the room, for any source of familiarity. But my brain yelled, I had never come across this room. I slowly stood from the bed, stumbling back on the soft mattress as a huge pain surrounded my brain. Oh! It felt as if someone was hammering. Man! Stop it! I groaned in pain. Maybe hangover was something like this. And it was only increasing my state of regret. Why would I drink in the first place? I don't remember anything... other than the conversation they had.

Had Aarav mixed any...

Before my mind could further analyse, the door was opened. I anticipated some familiar face but was offered with an unknown, pale face of a housekeeper. The apron hanging around the neck, and her shivering hand around the tray, conveyed she was working in the place. Where the hell was I? It was making me anxious! Planting worse scenarios in my mind.

"How are you doing ma..." Before she could complete her polite question I busted on her. The pain in the brain was frustrating me to the deepest level.

"Where on earth, am I?" I yelled, grabbing my head tightly.

The women glanced out of the door. Rushed to shut the door, glancing at me with pleading eyes. "Please ma'am... don't shout and have the lemonade... you will feel better." Her eyes conveyed she was frightened.

"I will!" She sighed in relief, "but not before I get to know who had held me captive?" My heart was riding in fear though I had succeeded to act strong before the women.

"Captive?" She got stunned, "no, ma'am." She denied, "you might be mistaken. Ehaan baba hadn't held you captive... he just brought you as your condition wasn't proper." And on listening to Ehaan's name, I sighed in relief. It was Ehaan! I was in his house.

The sudden sense of safety stunned me as well. Did I trust him to that extreme level? I wasn't bothered, any longer.

"Ma'am..." As I was lost in thought, she called me. "Please..." She stretched the tray in her hand, I slowly took the glass from her. Maybe it would lessen some pain experienced by me.

Finishing the glass to half, I took a pause shutting my eyes in pain. "Take rest, you will feel better in a few minutes." Whispering and pressing a smile at me. She made her way out. I was offered some peace of silence. My eyes wandered on the room. The walls were dark in colour, I raised my head above but found the portrait missing. It confirmed my doubt it wasn't the room, Ehaan dragged me on the party night. Was it some other room in the mansion? Was his mother aware of me spending the night in the room? And what about my parents? Were they aware of my absence?

So many questions were clouding in my brain and I won't be offered any answer if I kept waiting. I shook my head, placing the glass on the table beside. I collected myself, withholding the slight pain my head was experiencing. As I made my way out of the room. The view before me answered some of my confusion. It wasn't a familiar long corridor waiting for me, painted with beige walls while the flooring was of black marbles. Instead, I was rewarded with a dark atmosphere, were the walls black in colour? The view from the room towards the corridor varied to such an extreme that I felt, I entered a completely different world.

The dim light radiating from the ceiling helped me to descend. My mind fogging with worry about the unknown mansion before me. Though the maid had taken Ehaan's name yet I couldn't help but turn anxious. As I roamed around the living room, that for a change seemed more welcoming. As the darkness on the wall had vanished a grey colour covered it. Whoever's mansion it was. He had worse taste in interior designing. I twisted my nose, not liking the décor as I kept on looking for a way out of the suspicious mansion.

"Ehaan, now you can't keep on shouting on me for it." The voice was familiar, unknowingly my feet walked in that direction. There was a large door opening for a garden, I took a careful step inside. Maybe the big mansion also had a beautiful garden, something contradicting to the interior inside. The mansion wasn't as lively, as flowers or greenery in the garden. Maybe that was the reason the feeling of anxiousness and fear swept away as I walked into the green field.

"And what should I do? Reward you?" Ehaan's voice felt in my ears but they weren't in view. "Are you aware of what your small prank could result in? Their life isn't like ours... Unlike us, they have a family to answer." I could sense fury in his voice, the anger he was holding inside.

"Don't you think, you're getting overprotective towards her?" Aarav sounded pissed as well. Were they fighting about the previous night event? Though I was furious at Aarav for pulling such stunts I didn't want to be a reason behind friends having a war among them. "She is fine, cool bro." He attempted to cool down the situation but his carless attitude wasn't fitting well with me. "It was just alcohol and she isn't a kid..." But before he could complete, he was interrupted with a loud shout. It made a shiver run down my spine, as I could see a glimpse of them.

"Fucking, shut your mouth moron!" His shout echoed in the garden, "do you have any idea if her parents had caught us under the counter what would they have done with her? It will be a joke for us but not for her. She would have ended up into the worse..." Aarav interrupted him back.

"From when you started worrying about others?" He walked towards Ehaan. I could see their face clearly as I had walked forward. "It isn't something new! We had pranked more than a million times and worse than this one, even bullied many. Are you forgetting our deeds? Or is that girl making you soft?" He shook his head, "don't forget Ehaan, we are the devil and we will remain so till our last breath." With those words he walked out, halting when he glanced at me. Pressing a smile, he walked away. I couldn't depict whether it was sadness or empathy lacing out of it.

I kept staring at Ehaan, a few distances away from me. His back facing me. Unlike his normal upright figure, his shoulder lowered, head bending down. As if he was broken! What was he troubling himself with?

I took a step forward, knowing I was landing myself in the hole of darkness. I knew the world wasn't for me yet I stepped inside, for him. As if I believed he was devil and me, his angel. The one meant to heal him! It sounded insane, utter nonsense. But I wanted to listen to my heart, that was craving for darkness, for the devil.

"Ehaan..." I choked at the end the overwhelming emotions were aching my heart.