Love at Second Sight: A ShaKhi Romance

Chapter 6: Inclinations

Note: Characters' inner monologues are in italics.

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"Shaurya? Neeche aa jao! Dinner tayyaar hai!" Aastha yelled from the kitchen. Anokhi looked up, disturbed from her studies. For the past hour, she had been trying to focus on reviewing previous chapters but every time she tried to memorize the concepts, all she could think about was Shaurya. How she wished she hadn't made things between them awkward. Every cell of hers ached to know him better. And now? Now she would have to dine with him, without getting lost in his eyes. Ugh.

Shaurya headed out of his room and down the stairs to find Anokhi's piercing stare fixed on him. His heart skipped a beat. He could literally feel the intensity in her stare. She wanted him. Bad. It was never his intention to just attract her. He wanted her to love him, just like before. But, if attraction was the first step, he wouldn't mind. Thanking the stars for this spark of hope, he slowly walked towards the dining table, all while maintaining eye contact with Anokhi.

His stare consumed her but she liked that feeling. It was different from what she had felt before. The last time she checked, men were selfish sadists. What was so different about this one? Was he special?

Shaurya broke the stare before greeting his nana and nani and taking a seat opposite of Anokhi. She started to adjust her plate on the table, flustered. Aastha brought the rotis and dal she had prepared to the dining table. Anokhi wanted to help but fearing a mishap due to her nervousness, she decided to sit this one out.

While Aastha served everyone, Shaurya and Anokhi stole glances at each other. As an attempt to get comfortable in his chair, Shaurya spread out his legs under the table when he felt his ankle brush something. Anokhi, who was blankly staring at her plate, looked up at the sudden movement and turned to Shaurya. He muttered sorry, but he really wasn't. And she didn't need his apology. Engaging in chit chat with Aastha and her parents, dinner was soon over, a relief to Anokhi. She didn't want to show Shaurya her newfound desire for him. Chee. Aise khayaal nahi aane chaahiye Nikki! Khaas kar ke tujhe. Tu inn sab baaton mein nahi padd. Bas padhai kar. Haan.

Getting up from the table, Shaurya noticed Anokhi lost in her thoughts. She was heading to Aastha's room to get ready for bed. He wanted to ease up things between them. Looking around to ensure nobody was near them, he softly spoke.

"Anokhi?" His voice made her stop in her tracks.

She swiftly turned. "Hmm?"

Shaurya took a step forward, to which Anokhi responded with a backwards step. She couldn't prevent her blushing from making an appearance in front of Shaurya. As he approached her, she walked backwards, eventually hitting the wall of the living room. Anokhi's breath hitched as she realized there was nowhere to go. She bit her lip to relieve Shaurya's effect on her.

Shaurya noticed Anokhi's lips. He wanted to taste them. Unable to resist her, he placed his arms on the wall, cornering Anokhi. She looked at him with her doe eyes, losing herself in his hold. Anokhi clenched the sides of her kurti as she longed for Shaurya's touch. Shaurya leaned over, slightly brushing Anokhi's ear with his lips. Her hands didn't wait for her permission before moving to touch Shaurya's chest. His chest muscles hardened under her touch.

Anokhi shivered as Shaurya nibbled on her ear, his lips claiming her ever so tenderly. Her hormones were all over the place. Her body was on fire. He moved in closer, their chests almost touching. They could feel the heat trapped between them. That's when he spoke in a husky voice. "Anokhi." His breath was shaky. She could feel his warm breath on her ear. "Thanks for the chai. It was ...." Anokhi didn't let him complete his sentence.

His voice was such a turn on. Anokhi couldn't handle it anymore. She had to express her feelings. They were clouding her thoughts. She pushed Shaurya with all her might and directed him to where she was standing previously. Pinning him to the wall, she glanced upwards to meet Shaurya's brown eyes, which were full of surprise. He leaned, making it easy for Anokhi to do whatever she wanted. Tiptoeing carefully to keep her balance intact, Anokhi brought her lips close to Shaurya's. Consumed by attraction, she inched forward, placing her lips upon his. Closing their eyes, they both indulged in each other, their lips perfectly in sync.

A sound in the kitchen interrupted the sensuous moment. Anokhi withdrew from the kiss and amongst the rush, she lost her balance. Shaurya's reflexes were quick to aid Anokhi. He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him. Anokhi placed her hands on his shoulders, holding on. Her nose brushed his, reigniting the spark that was evident just seconds back. She firmly sealed her lips, not wanting to make the same mistake of kissing Shaurya. Her eyes wandered, scanning his face. He was such a handsome man, his slight stubble and sharp jawline driving her mad. Shaurya tightened his hold on Anokhi's waist, causing her to jump a little. She was now clutching his shirt in response. They shared a brief moment before Aastha called out to Anokhi.

"Anokhi? Tum kahaan chali gayi? Sona nahi hain kya? Kal hume 8 baje nikalna hai!"

Shaurya hesitantly let go of Anokhi's waist, while Anokhi eased her grip on his shirt. They maintained a steady gaze. Anokhi cleared her throat. "Woh... mujhe jaana chahiye. Main... woh... main chalti hoon." Feeling quite flustered, she couldn't string a single sentence properly. Shaurya grinned. He liked her blushing. He himself was tomato red. "Haan. Mujhe bhi. I mean... main bhi. Let me walk you." He walked her down the hallway and stopped at Aastha's door which was closed. "Sweet dreams Anokhi," he uttered. Anokhi smiled, failing to hide her excitement. Just when she was going to respond, Shaurya moved closer and whispered, "Dream about me."

Ugh. Why did he have to make it so difficult for her? Those words would be ringing in her ears all night and she knew it. His voice was enough to bring out the butterflies in her.

Lightly pushing Shaurya aside, Anokhi hurried inside Aastha's room, unable to contain her emotions. His presence was enough to make her forget everything. She would have to learn to balance her studies and her desire for him.

Shaurya ran upstairs, his heart thumping loud enough for the neighbors to hear. He was so satisfied today. He had no complaints. He had everything at the moment. His Anokhi. His mother. And his grandparents.

Getting ready for bed in their respective rooms, both Shaurya and Anokhi recalled the romantic moments that they shared. Anokhi was grateful for Shaurya. He had added positivity into her life, and she was astonished how this one day had changed her. For the first time, she was interested in something other than her studies.

Slipping under the covers quietly, Anokhi laid on her side, wrapping her arms around a soft pillow. Suddenly her senses were heightened, and she could feel every single thing around her. From the linen pillowcase to the cotton sheets. After taking a deep breath, Anokhi closed her eyes, awaiting a sweet dream like Shaurya had wished her.

Upstairs, Shaurya opened his laptop, putting his feelings aside. It was essential that he prepared for tomorrow's lecture, not only because he wanted to teach Anokhi, but also due to his passion for lecturing. He hadn't been able to lecture for quite a while. Brushing up on Aastha's syllabus, Shaurya made notes in his book. After what happened tonight, he was skeptical about his ability to focus on economics with Anokhi sitting on the bench in front of him.

The cloudy moonlit night formed a serenity as the lovers subconsciously occupied each other's thoughts. Little did Anokhi know what a surprise tomorrow held for her.