More than all the stars in the sky - An Addicted Prequel

I'll be there for you

Virat was going restless since the last 24 hours. Manvi had not called him back. He went to see her off at the airport and that was last evening. She had promised she would call him as soon as she landed.

Where the hell are you, Manvi? He kept looking at his phone all day. She would not even answer his calls or texts for that matter. He did not even know if she landed safely.

"Hey, we were waiting for you in the conference hall since the last 10 minutes ? Where are you?" Tanya asks him walking to his cubicle.

"Sorry... I am going to pass on this meeting. I am too distracted." he tells her.

"What going on?" she asks.

"It's Manvi. I haven't heard from her." he tells her worried.

"You are worried because a girl isn't calling you. Usually you are 'scared' if a girl calls you back after you are done with her." Tanya laughs.

"She is not just a girl." Virat looks at her surprised at his own outrage at her comment. "I mean..she is my girlfriend. I love her, Tanya."

"Love?" Tanya stops and looks at him ludicrously. "You are taking this up a notch. Aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Virat, love? Seriously? You look like a lost puppy right now. Look at yourself. Love is not for you and me. I thought you and I have a deal."

"Which is...." Virat looks at her uncertainly.

"When we broke up...we broke up because being in a committed relationship was too boring for us. The deal was that you and I can see other people. But, we stick together. I was silent all this time coz I saw you were badly smitten by this Manvi girl and I thought you will eventually get bored with her...but this is going over the line Virat - shake it off...we have plans. We have goals. You cannot let a stupid girl distract you."

"Don't call Manvi stupid, Tanya."

"What do I call her? What does she do? She sketches weird things for a living. Really? That impresses you."

"Yes, it does. She is an artist. Art to her is what business is to you and me. Just because it is different that what you do, does not make it stupid. Further, that is only one of the many things that impresses me. She is an amazing girl, Tanya."

"You are gone mad. I want you to stop seeing the person who is responsible for this change in you. This is crap. You are losing focus."

"Tanya, I love you...You are one of my best friends but it really is none of your business."

"VIRAT!?" She looks at him shocked. "You are saying this."

"I am taking the rest of the day off. Call me if there is an emergency." he tells her and starts walking away.

"And Tanya.." he stops and looks at her with a blank face. "You and I - we broke it off because it wasn't working out. I never said anything about an open relationship. I am sorry if you misunderstood."

"Really? What about all the times we hooked up after we broke up?"

"Do you really want to act like a victim? Tanya, almost all those hook ups happened because you came over, or called me over. It was fairly obvious that it was just for fun."

"And Manvi...with her, it is not just fun."

"Don't you get it - I am in love, Tanya. I am head over heels in love with her."

~~~

As he was walking out of the office, his phone rings. Finally! You are so going to get the third degree Manvi. He looks at the phone murderously before answering it. "You do remember me?" he asks angrily.