Splinters Of Ice | Pranbir

07| The Trap

"Messing with ice meant quenching my flame yet I took this step because I knew, this was required. And with this acceptance, I knew our battle had officially began"
- Ranbir Kohli

Akela ko saath ka laalach hota hain. Woh bhale hi use dabale par jab tanha ko saath milta hain, woh usi ke peeche bhaagta hain.
(For a lone person, he is greedy for company. Even if he suppresses this within him, the moment he gets this very company from someone, he runs behind it)

Prachi smirked as these words ran in her mind. She had resolved she'll crush him before he ruins her and her mind had surely come up with a great idea. From what she had learnt about him, she knew he was an orphan and was all alone. And she decided to use this very thing against him. She wanted to lure him into her trap and then ultimately crush him.
The logic was simple. She would offer him the thing which he craves for the most but dosen't show - friendship and company. It was basically like a deal of friendship. She would give him enough moments and when he reaches a certain high, she'll pull it all away from him, breaking him completely. ___________________________________________

He actually couldn't comprehend his feelings after what he had discovered at her house. He had just rushed home as fast as he could and now sitting on his sofa, he was trying to process and accept everything he had found out in the past 45 mins
Unable to figure out even after what seemed very long, he decided to not ponder over why's and what's and instead make a simple resolve. And the resolve was to imbibe the very emotions she writes, within her. A small smile formed on his face and he felt better after making this decision.
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Ranbir was sitting at a local café, sipping on his coffee. This one was his favourite and he did not visit many places for dining anyways. The ambience of this place set in a tranquility in him and he came here whenever he was extremely happy about something or a bit melancholic about something.

"Mind me sharing the table?" a voice said almost making him choke on his coffee. He looked baffled even as she settled down across him. Her face had no expressions as usual. Her eyes though held no anger like each time which affirmed something was surely not right!

"Why why, it isn't the Ice Maiden wanting to share a table with me is it when the café is mostly empty?" he asked with a smirk, which widened when he saw her eyes fill with anger yet again. It was just so easy to slip her mask off. If only he knew the mask which she had put on had stuck to her such that it no longer could be peeled away!

"Yes it is me! You can hopefully trust your eyes that they wouldn't show me if I weren't there" she said as she gritted her teeth. Patience in conversations was something Prachi did not have in her.

"Well I trust my eyes enough but for a woman who gets angry at me for reasons well known to her, it's hard to believe Her Highness has actually graced me with her presence and that too,  on her own accord" he replied back making her even more annoyed.

Prachi gritted her teeth again annoyed but then her resolve came flashing back in her mind and she let go of her annoyance. Standing up, she moved towards him, wiping the grin off his face. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion but he kept quiet. She moved towards him, leaning near his ear whispered

"Not everyone is lucky to have the Ice Maiden approaching them. Luck dosen't knock at your door twice Sire. Learn to grab it when you get it"

Whispering this in his ears, she left to her place and settled infront of him, her face expressionless. But his state was exactly opposite. His face just showed bewilderment. But his heart was beating at its fastest pace and he almost felt it would pop out anytime. She smirked at his speechless state and decided to come to the point.

Extending her hand she said

"Will you be my friend?"

And as expected he nodded his head in a yes, still in daze causing her smirk to grow wider. His dazed eyes then fell on her extended hand and he gently slipped his hand into hers. The moment stilled as the smirk on her face disappeared, her face blank even as she stared into his soft brown orbs. For him, gazing into her black eyes felt like looking into a certain depth which concealed so much, but revealed as well.

The warmth from his palms seeped into her cold hands, bringing in an emotion which had been foreign for her all these years - comfort! As for him, giving warmth to her cold hand felt like taking the first step towards healing her or maybe putting some life in her frozen self.

The moment lasted longer than expected, a moment so special where for once she wasn't the ice and he the flame. In this moment, they were just two souls, bound yet free, close yet far, for each other yet against each other. Nothing else mattered - nor their resolves nor their behaviours nor their surroundings. The depth in each others eyes as they looked into them was all that mattered with him comprehending her darkness and she pushing past his light.

It's the belief of the world, light and darkness counter each other. But what people don't understand is they co- exist. In each soul, in each element, light and darkness coexist and that's how the world works. And that's why, Prachi and Ranbir connected to these elements in each other.

Connection - connection is something which just happens. Like love. Sometimes it may take years for a person to comprehend this connection. Sometimes it may be a moment of epiphany when this connection is realised. Sometimes it may go unnoticed completely, buried beneath ego, hatred etc.
Here too, without themselves realising, they had connected subconsciously, which in their conscious minds, they'll never accept.

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So finally updated!

RRao_13 This one's for you Raksha! Wishing you a very Happy B'day!!!❤️❤️

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Love,
Pratyusha