Vivian approached me, his steps deliberate and heavy, and said in a cold, dark tone, "Are you planning to put on this drama in front of the whole world too?"
Confused and a bit startled, I asked, "What drama?"
Vivian pointed at my mangalsutra, his e...
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𝐀 𝐀 𝐑 𝐈 𝐍 𝐈
"Enjoy your dinner," he said, placing his hand on my cheek. His touch was warm, almost comforting, and it sent a wave of unfamiliar emotions coursing through me. His blue eyes, which usually held a storm of intensity, were different today-calm, serene, and somehow even more captivating. It was as if they were pulling me into their depths, drowning me in their tranquility.
I watched him walk away, feeling a mix of confusion and something I couldn't quite name. Those last two words he said-they echoed in my mind, but their meaning was just out of reach. I tried to grasp them as I absentmindedly spooned more of the Italian ice cream into my mouth. The sweetness on my tongue did nothing to clear the fog in my head.
What did he say? What did he mean? I couldn't even remember how the words sounded, let alone figure out what language they were in. Italian? Maybe. But I wasn't sure. And why was he speaking another language to me? Did he think I would understand? Or was it intentional, meant to leave me wondering, just like everything else about him?
Why did he have to be so... complicated? And why, despite everything, did I want to dive deeper into that complexity, to unravel the mystery that was Vivian?
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but the lingering warmth from his touch, the way his voice had softened when he spoke those final words, stayed with me. It was all too much, and yet, I found myself craving more. More of his touch, more of his words, more of him.
And that realization scared me as much as it excited me.
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𝐕 𝐈 𝐕 𝐈 𝐀 𝐍
I took a deep drag from the cigarette between my fingers, letting the smoke curl around me like a shroud as I stepped out of the restaurant. I could feel the familiar burn in my lungs, the sharp taste on my tongue, and the slight rush of calm it brought-though calm was the last thing I felt. The rage inside me was barely contained, simmering just beneath the surface.
