Billboard Lovers

Chapter 1: Mon Cherry

After an entire year of being friends, Aashna could still not understand his erratic behaviour. The most seemingly normal conversations would suddenly turn so hurtful that it itched her to say similarly spiteful things back. But there was something called humanity that stopped her, and it wasn’t like her anger was any less predictable.

He’s going through a lot. These emotions are reasonable.

“You didn’t even want any of this. What makes you suddenly so passionate that you can’t think rationally?”

“We are sixteen, Mayank.We are still trying to understand our likes, dislikes, wants and needs. And I have realised that I like this sh*t. What’s so difficult to understand?”

“I’ve got nothing with your passion for acting. Go do it along with someone else! Why Vikrant? Why him when you say you hate him?”

Aashna never said she hated him. Not that she doesn't, but she never discloses her emotions about someone to others. As a person of few words, the last thing she would do is be careless with her word bank.

All that screaming seemed to have made Mayank exhausted. He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving Aashna’s face in wait of an answer.

“I’ll leave him soon, I promise.“

That didn’t satisfy him. His room suddenly felt smaller today, with each wall closing in on her by the second. Mayank nodded his head in agreement. Today, he won’t let her off without an answer.

“You know, Mayank, Aashna breathed. “In order to achieve something, you have to sometimes shake hands with the wrong people because it is difficult to fight them when you have nothing.”

Mayank frowns.

”But once you have achieved something known as money, respect, and support in society, it’s easier to strike back.”

“Oh, stop bullsh*tting me! You can do all of this under some other agency without going through this sh*t. You have the talent, so you’ll thrive anywhere."

He moves closer towards her, his voice growing louder with each step.

“But I’m already in this sh*t!“

“What shit, huh? What you saw and thought was his worst is literally just him being his best.” Aashna feels her feet involuntarily step back. He was getting too close.

“DO NOT! Do not put yourself in my shoes, “he howled. She was already against the wall, with nowhere else to escape. ”You won’t last a day in the asylum where they raised me.”

Aashna quivered. She had never seen him like this. “I-I-“ her brain was clouding, just like her specs with his breath. ”I’ll make sure things won’t get that bad.”
Stupid thing to say.

“How, honey?“ He grabs her arms and asks, “HOW THE F*CK?”

“He'll go to jail if he does anything to me. I’ll fight back. He knows that.” She struggles under his grip and his glare.

“Then how come he’s the reason you get panic attacks and vomit after every other meal, yet he is roaming out free?”

That is evil. Health issues are not grounds to mock someone. Her eyes twitch from both anger and pain. His words remind her of why she had hated him from the very first day of coming here.

“Who is the one Daddy issues?“ She blurts it out, not feeling pity anymore.

“I might not say it out loud, but I never lie about it.” He pins her hands above her, softly blowing her bangs off her eyes. “Unlike someone.”

She felt humiliated as his dark brown eyes scrutinised every inch of her.

“Let go of me!”

“But you seem to enjoy this, “he taps his nose to hers,mon cherry.”

The cherry was, of course, her good ol’ pink face that returns in every situation of nervousness.

“I’m not blushing," she wanted to protest, but nobody ever believes that.

“Is this how you said you'd fight back?” He steps lightly on her left foot, the other leg in between her, “Against things you don’t like.”

Any attempt at releasing her feet would make Mayank increase his pressure on her. She couldn’t really kick him between his legs. Headshot? He was taller than her.

“Let me go.”
“I don’t want to.”

With his free hand, he lifts her chin up to meet his eyes. His slender fingers grazed her neck and down her collar, stopping at the very first button of her shirt.

“You have beautiful lips, he whispers.

She couldn’t help but notice his as well. Soft, shaped just like a petal. Then they came down on her. She slammed her eyes shut.

Updates every Saturday.If you have made it till here,thanks you so much for reading!!Let me know in the comments what y'all feel about our main leads❤️❤️