King of my Heart-Unroyals #1

17 | Aftermath

[unedited]

Himani tossed and turned in her bed. The night was eerily silent, and the only sound that broke it was the ticking of the clock. She glanced at the clock; it was nearing two o'clock in the morning, and Lily was deep asleep beside her. Feeling a little bit jealous of how Lily was able to sleep so calmly, Himani stood up and walked towards the window. She pushed open the window pane. A cold gush of wind hit her face. She looked out; the school premises were engulfed in darkness. 
Her mind began to drift towards the Halloween party. She felt her mind disassociating from her body. She could still feel his warm lips on hers. 

What if he's playing with her emotions? What if it's a prank that his friends suggested?

But she thought the same, that it was a prank when he asked her for a dance.

What if it's not a prank?

That's even scarier.

Her heartbeats became louder than ever. It's just a kiss. It's just a kiss. Her brain tried to teach her heart. 
She disliked him in the beginning. He tried to silence her. He is a prince and she dislikes the monarchy. The worst kind of people. She remembered what happened to his mother, what the royal family put her through—that poor soul had to take her own life to escape from the constant scrutiny. Their lives weren't a big mystery. Being one of the famous families, all those secrets were at least once published in the media. She remembered reading the rumours about Kedar's love life on various subreddits. He was often linked with different girls. It shouldn't be bothering her now, but it did. 

She shouldn't waste his time on him. He might be worse than Ehan when it comes to relationships. He might not even remember about the kiss the next day. She decided and left for bed.

The next day, she felt much better than the night before. Lily had already left for her home to get ready for school when Himani woke up. She climbed up the stairs to the school, hoping not to see him. But the odds weren't in her favour. Kedar stood on the steps to the main building, a beige backpack over his shoulder, his hair a bit messy from the slight breeze. He looked straight out of a poem. She could see why he had so many girlfriends. His eyes widened as he spotted her, and his gaze stopped her in her tracks. She could feel the heartbeats rise in her chest, and she feared that her heart might jump out of the cavity. 

Should she go say hi or walk away as if nothing happened the night before? But she could not move a single step as if her legs were cemented to the floor. As he inched forward to walk up to her, Zara appeared out of nowhere. 

'Aren't you going to class?' She asked. 

'I... Yeah. I'm.' He stutterd a little. 

'Then come on.' She nudged his
shoulder and walked ahead. He stood there for a few seconds, looking at her before turning on his heels and walking away.

She encountered him again that day during the math class. Mr. Iyer had already started teaching Kedar. As he walked in, his eyes scanned the whole classroom until his gaze landed on her, making her breath stick in her lungs. He made his way to the empty chair behind her. It scraped against the floor as he dragged it and took the seat. It was hard for her not to think about him or the night before, as he was right behind her. Her thoughts began to tangle like long strands of fibre. She couldn't shake off the thoughts of him, his lips soft against hers, his hands caressing her face. What would she do if they end up in the same situation...again? The thought consumed her. She could sense blood rushing to her face at the thought of it. The whole world seemed to be a blur, and Mr. Iyer's voice was muffled as if she were underwater.

'Himani, how about you quit daydreaming and focus on the lecture for a change?' Mr. Iyer mentioning her name quickly pulled her back into reality.

Some students laughed; some turned their heads to look at her. She wished the earth to split into two and take her in. Throughout the lecture, her face was a bright shade of red from embarrassment. And when it ended, the shade only deepened. 

The whole class emptied within minutes as the lecture ended. She was busy arranging her desk when she sensed someone behind her. A spark of electricity surged through her as Kedar's breath whispered in her ear. 
 
'What were you daydreaming about, darling? ' He asked, too close to her ears, placing his hand on the table. Her whole body went cold as she looked into his eyes, as if they could read her mind. She quickly averted her eyes to see if anyone was watching them. Luckily, people were already out of the classroom. And then, before she could respond to him, he was gone, like a wind.
 
She did not see him again until in the evening while she was in the library, searching for a copy of Orlando in the British Literature Section. She was strolling through the aisle, stroking the cloth-bound books, when a hand swiftly grabbed her and dragged her to the much darker corner of the alley. 
 
'What the—' Before she could complete her sentence, Kedar placed his hand over her mouth. 
 
'Shh.' He said and removed his hand.
 
The alley was darker, and only a narrow thread of sunlight filtered through the yellow window panes. Himani stood her back against the bookshelf, facing Kedar. The narrow space enveloped them. She could sense his scent amidst the smell of old books. He smelt like walking through the woods full of cedar trees on a dewy morning. He looked calm, his eyes locked on to hers, and it was the same calmness that was making her heartbeats escalate. 
 
'I needed to see you.' He said, stepping closer to her. 'Alone.'
 
She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. His charm was irresistible, and it made her melt like a wax statue on a hot summer day.
 
'You know you can't hide your blushing.' He said as he slowly caressed her cheeks, and impulsively she placed her hand over his left chest, where she could feel his heartbeat. Kedar's face drew closer to her's, almost his lips brushing against hers.
 
'Someone will see us.' She pushed him a bit. 
 
'I don't care.' He smirked a little.
 
'I do.' She sighed. He blinked his eyes at the sudden change in her expression. 
 
'Look.' She took a breath. But before he could reply, he interrupted her.
 
'I know what's coming after that "look". You don't have to explain. You think yesterday was a mistake. I understand that. I shouldn't have troubled you.' He said and walked away before she could respond, leaving her a bit brokenhearted.

Sorry for this looongg delay. Hope y'all understand the plight of a professional student. :')