𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬

CHAPTER 33

Kiara dancing with the children above.

harana

(n.) men serenading a woman to express love in the language of song

Having taken Chris to every possible tourist attraction and go-to spot in India over the past few days, Kiara decided they could take a day off and was currently sat cross-legged on the floor as they wrapped gifts up for the local orphanage. She felt the Indian public's reaction both to her and their relationship overwhelmed him and knew how suddenly his anxiety flared up so wanted to offer some much needed respite from public scrutiny. Being well-accustomed to the protective nature of her fans, she expected their hackles to be raised at the sight of him beside her but the outpour of hatred had certainly stunned him.

Folding a corner over, he snorted, "You now people told me about how loved you were but I don't think I fully comprehended just how much the Indian public worships the ground you walk on!"

She raised a brow, "I don't know whether you're making fun of me or complimenting me."
"It's a compliment!"

"They don't worship me, they just appreciate my honesty and know I'll stand up for what is right."

"I've never seen fans react the way they do around you."

"Yeah but that kind of love can change to hate real fast. Being so emotionally invested in an actor and idolising them means the sense of betrayal when something small goes wrong is so much more magnified. They are so much more volatile because of it."

He smiled softly and nodded, "It's understandable though. It would be difficult not to love you."

"Oh really? Are you saying I'm easy?"

"Trouble, nothing about you is easy but everything about you is worth it."

Leaning over to embrace him, she brought their lips together for a heated kiss, "I love you."

Interrupted by Kiara's phone chiming, she stepped away reluctantly to check her messages and was shocked to see Kabir fully freaking out. Reading through his multiple texts, the common theme was him discouraging her from going online and reading the media's comments but she of course ignored his warning and dived right into the internet. Each hurtful accusation of him being a 'commitment-phobe' or the comments of him and Ana being their 'OTP' only added fuel to her growing doubts regarding their relationship so she locked her phone, closed her eyes and took a breath to relax before returning to the living room.

The minute Kiara stepped back in, Chris could tell something was wrong. Each of his loving words seemed to grate against her nerves and she stiffened whenever he touched her body. Having already been alerted by his own PR manager of the social media storm their relationship had caused, he almost immediately realised why she seemed so fraught but the sight of her downcast mood and uneasy frowns only further worried him.

Gently gripping her chin to tilt her head to face him, he playfully quoted her retort from an old interview, "I thought you never let the words of someone who's never lived a day in your life affect you?"

She sighed, "Don't mind me, I'm getting worked up over nothing. I swear to god I'm mad at you for something you haven't done."

"Thank God, you've realised."

"Wait a minute," realising he just parroted her own words, she gasped; "did you just repeat what I said about haters?"

"Uh huh."

"You've been watching my interviews?"

"Yep."

Scrunching her face in mock-disgust, she laughed, "You're obsessed with me, stalker!"