"khadoos" she laughs before pinching his cheek, and he tries moving away from her grasp which just elicits another laugh from her.
she says it with fondness, one that makes him smile. never did he think, that someone would be able to make a place in his heart so seamlessly. at the start, he tried ignoring her because he felt that it would be for the best but the aura she had made her presence unignorable- she was vibrant and filled with love.
he would never understand what she exactly saw in him since the first day, he was abrupt and off- handish towards her but she still persisted. unknowingly she always stood up for him from the rest of the cast mates who regarded him as annoyingly quiet.
it was there from the start.
"she adores you" was something that multiple people told him, and he would just nod with a brief smile and try to joke about something so they could move away from the topic. but the next time he saw, he would be extra nice to her because something would pinch his heart.
they were both strong headed people- though opposites - she had a temper while he was ever calm which guaranteed fights and arguments- which eventually became a love language of it's own but when things got rather entangled with their feelings and the lines they had drawn became rather blurry - things went out of control.
they didn't talk to each other for five months. the longest they have been. ironically, on screen they had the best track running for the fatejo fans which was the complete opposite for priyankit.
there were many times, ankit would want to forget everything and just go talk to her because deep down he knew that she became really important to him without him even realizing how much she did. but something would snap him back, and he figured that even if they went back there was always something more between them and those feelings might end everything they had- so he decided to stay quiet.
but as the show drew to an end, they had started becoming polite to each other and had brief conversations. it was small and nothing compared to the hours before, but it was still the most significant part of his day.
when he had got an offer to go to bigg boss, his first thought was to reject it. he wasn't the type of guy to do reality shows in general especially something as controversial as big boss. he had been vocal multiple times before that he wasn't made for something like this nor that he would enjoy it in particular.
yet when kamal had told him that priyanka did too, something changed.
"tume bhi mila" she asked him between a shot, and he looks up at her. "i mean big boss ki invitation"
"haan" he clears his throat, he does want to say something more but he stops himself.
it's as if she was expecting it, for him not to try and it did hurt so he asks, "tu jayengi?"
she opens her mouth to respond, but the director yells directions towards them and their focus is shifted away. the chance slips away from him to talk to her for the rest of the day. soon the days blow past each other, and he gets it confirmed that she is going into the house.
he's still undecided, but he's scrolling through instagram and old pictures from her birthday in goa show up on his feed and he feels a sense of longing. a small laugh slips out as he comes to the realization that both of her birthdays had them in the midst of a fight. he suddenly misses her, it's a weird sensation because it's stronger than all the other times because he feels like he's drifting apart from her life.
and it hits him, everything at once. from the moment he first saw her smile to the rare glimpses he catches of her nowadays. and he makes him his mind, that though big boss was the most controversial reality show that wasn't made for him- he would go and for her.
