Guilty Pleasures

21

"There is a deep connection between us, something more than love or lust, a soul connection. It can't be explained; only felt...and it precisely because of this, that I find myself back in your hold even when I said I wouldn't be..."

Pallavi cursed herself again, her hands dancing around the rim off the alcohol glass that had been handed to her on arrival, a hand moving to rake through the curls that Mansi and Amrutha had worked on hours prior.

This habit was becoming out of control; and yet every time she and Raghav seemed to fight, a call for alcohol to momentarily try and forget him was her answering.

It remained futile however; and she knew that; for even in drunkenness, her lips slurred only one name.

Pallavi was at no means of being drunk at the moment but looking out towards Mansi and Amrutha she could tell they were.

A soft sigh had escaped her lips; a sense of regret threaded threw the heavy breath, as her wrist moved to twirl the light liquid in the glass. And now not only did she regret coming here, but also the harsh words thrown in the heat of an argument.

Her mind couldn't help but play them on repeat but more than his words; she was drowning in her own.

The harsh blare of the music did nothing to awaken the dancer within her nor did it drown out those said words.

Her lips were pressed together in an almost sad look, her eyes heavy and focused on nothing but the liquid in the glass, before picking it up and throwing it back.

Her eyes clenched shut at the familiar burn at the back of her throat, she had always hated whiskey, and yet she had ordered it because it made her feel connected to him.

She had no idea how he could drink this poison like it was water and yet she did. She knew why he did it; for the pain that kicked at the lower end of her throat was proof that he was human, and like her he used this as his means of making something hurt louder than his heart.

Her head had unceremoniously dropped into her right hand, her body angled so her back was turned towards the rest of the seating behind her, but a sudden voice jolted her from her self wallowing.

The crisp demand, for his drink slipped out of his lips with such precision that Pallavi felt her heart speed up at the rawness of his voice. Her eyes however displayed her predicament.

The bartender had returned with her drink moments later and Pallavi who was trying to think of rational methods to try and successfully avoid the don in front of her, had forgotten her manners in the midst of planning a route to survival.

The bartender eyed her suspiciously, as if knowing she was scared or simply just didn't belong in this scene. Both assumptions were correct, but he placed her further in a dire situation by asking a question that would require a response.

"Are you okay Ma'am?" She heard, and she could now already make out Raghav's piercing gaze raking up her barely clad body.

The maroon dress was stunning, but the length of exposure was concerning, she wanted to go find Mansi and scream at her for putting her in such a promiscuous dress because the realisation had dawned on her that his eyes weren't the only ones on her. Her exposed back that was barely covered with flimsily crossed strings suddenly causing her to shiver was a sight that many men were beholding.

She looked back at the bartender who was staring at her with the same prowl of lust, and suddenly her grip around her new drink tightened.

She found a method to avoid exposure, lightly nodding and passing him a smile that she hoped would shut him up for the remainder of time that she was present.