Dawn at Last

The First Glance

"At first glance it may appear normal, but look again. Always look again."

"hmm?" she asked physically having to tear her eyes from him. 

Jay just raised his eyebrows "where are you lost?" he asked 

"Nowhere, you continue na" she replied and then acted engrossed in what he was telling her. But her eyes betrayed her as they seemed to wander every few minutes and then rest on his familiar figure. 

She studied him, the way he folded his arms across his chest, the way his eyebrows were scrunched in a frown. And then he burst out laughing and the sound... oh the sound made the butterflies in her stomach wild. 

It was the same deep sound that had reverberated through the salon that day. He was walking out with someone on his arm. He was staring at her, laughing at something the lady on his arm had said. It was the same sound that had enchanted her then, so much so that she had forgotten where she was and collided straight into him. 

Her hand had instinctively rested on his chest and she had felt the brief rumble before his laughter stopped abruptly. The vibration of the sound had made the tips of her fingers tingle. They tingled with excitement and they tingled whenever she remembered this moment. 

"Sorry" he had whispered moving aside without so much as a glance towards her. But she had seen him, she had heard him laugh and it was enough for a fire to ignite in the pits of her stomach. 

It was then she had thought. When would she find someone who would look at her they way he was looking at that woman? When would she find someone who would laugh with her the way he had been laughing with that woman? Love had been far from her life but that never meant the yearning had ever stopped. 

Little had she known then... the answer was very soon. 

She snapped back to reality as Jay laughed at something, and she passed him a tight smile as if she knew exactly what the joke was. But she didn't know and at this point she could care less. Right now she wanted him by her side, she needed him by her side.

Her fingers itched to stretch out and reach for his hand. She missed the warmth of his touch, she missed the way his thumb would casually stroke her knuckles, she missed the way his eyes would shine as he smiled down at her, she missed the reassurance his callused palm provided and oh she missed the strength it would give her. 

She dared to look at him seated across from her, and was that a horrid mistake. He caught her looking, and she saw the same desire burning in his eyes. The heat in them, the intensity of his stare all making her a little weak in the knees. 

She wanted nothing more than to close the distance, lean in to him and let the world disappear. But alas, if only that were possible. Finding nothing to do, and yet having his gaze stuck on her, unwavering, she had to escape before her resolve weakened. 

She excused her self from Jay's monologue to use the bathroom. 

The brown of his eyes darkened just slightly as she stood up, following her path. She knew he continued to look, his gaze burning holes on her skin. Their trail leaving behind the smoke of desire, and one whiff would make her spin out of control. 

7 steps left

4 steps left 

3 steps left 

2 steps left 

and she was stopped. She looked up to see Vishal intersecting her path. His cologne hit her stronger than her annoyance at his presence. It made her want to puke, but she resisted the urge to scrunch her nose in displeasure and instead evened her face out, hoping that her annoyance did not crack through the mask she had just placed.

He wore a smile that stretched from one ear to another. 

"Hi! I don't think we met properly. Vishal" He said extending his hand out 

"Vishal. Of course we did, on stage. Nice to meet you. Tejasswi by the way" She replied meeting his hand for a few brief seconds before pulling back again. 

From the corner of her eyes she saw Karan's leaning figure straighten, his eyes still only on her. She needed to leave, she needed to escape from his gaze before her legs found a mind of their own and sent her running into his arms. 

Visibly gulping she managed to force the words out  " I'll catch you later? I need to use the washroom" And she hurried before Vishal could even reply. 

Flinging the wooden door open she stepped into the washroom and banged the door shut. Leaning against the frame of the door she finally exhaled. A shaky breath left her lips as she allowed her shoulders to fall. This was going to be hard...harder than she had thought.

But then her lips curled into a smile. He knew the kind of power he held over her, he was well aware of the kind of power he held over her body. And while the desire in his eyes had been nothing but true, its intensity unfiltered she knew he was teasing her. He could have looked away and made it easier, it had been less than an hour in the house and he had started teasing her. 

He was playing games. So then she will play too.

"Karan Kundrra you have no idea what you have started...the game is on" she whispered under her breath. 

***

Short update... but it's just the beginning. 

Team Teja or Team Karan? 

Who will win in this game of desire? Who is going to drive who crazy?