Unconditionally

Promotions

It was the first day of Ram-Leela promotions. Deepika and Ranveer were at The Front Row with Anupama Chopra studio getting ready for their first ever interview together.

"Be good. Speak well. Don't talk too much," instructed Deepika.
Ranveer knew what she was referring to but for their hostess' benefit, "first one together," he clarified.
"Really?!" Anupama was very excited by this information that she actually used it in her introduction.

The interview started and the first thing Ranveer said was "it's destiny." Deepika's eyes almost left her head and she chocked out, "WHAT?!" She tried unsuccessfully to hold herself from doubling-over. What has gotten into him! They talked about this!

She did her best to steer the conversation to a safer place and everything was going relatively well until Ranveer started talking about "the best kiss in cinema history ever" which inevitably lead to the question:

"There's a lot of buzz, rumors, speculations around all this steam all this passion. You," Anupama pointed at Ranveer, "are fueling it by saying things like 'I have Loveria.' You're giving interviews like that," she almost rolled her eyes at him. "And you," she pointed at Deepika, "are not saying anything. I'm really confused. What is going on?"

Deepika realized that she wasn't breathing properly since the interview started. She only remembered to breathe when it was absolutely necessary. She wanted to kill him but her outward reaction was laughter.

To his credit, Ranveer looked really embarrassed. "That was a day after I got out of the hospital with dengue.."
"You're attributing it to illness?" Interrupted the host.
"No I'm attributing it to.." He started again.
"Mental illness!" Exclaimed Deepika in a very passive-aggressive manner.
"Brain fever," he laughed.
"It's got to his brain," added Deepika bitterly with a laugh.

Poor Ranveer tried to explain himself to the best of his ability. Of course, even if he was medicated, and no one doubted that he was, it still didn't explain what prompted him to say those things.

Anupama was having a field day with Ranveer's visible discomfort and Deepika's passive-aggressive behavior. So she took a shot again, "do you get mad when he does things like that? Do you just tell him, 'what were you thinking'?" She laughed.

Shaking her head, Deepika shrugged and told her how this is what makes him unique and pleasantly different from everyone else. Her mouth was saying nice things but her eyes and demeanor didn't match, which confused him into nervous laughter.

"Okay," Anupama looked between the two of them, "so officially are you or are you not seeing each other?"

Ranveer looked at Deepika. Was he expecting her to answer? "What are you looking at me for?" She asked incredulously, "you gave that loopy interview," she said accusingly.
"I'm the irresponsible one. You really want ME answering this question?"
She couldn't believe him. Why was he putting her on the spot like this? She is so going to kill him. "Yes, she's asking you," she said coldly.
"NO." he said a little too firmly that it was actually comical and made her laugh.
"No? Your answer is no?" Anupama clarified.
"Yes, my answer is no," he replied ridiculously mechanically.
"And your answer is?" The anchor to Deepika.
"I've always said no." To her staggering surprise, even her answer came out comical! Damn his infectious energy!
"Why do you both look like you're completely lying?" It wasn't a question.
"I don't know. I'm not lying," shrugged Ranveer with too straight a face.
Deepika glared at him as hard as she could considering they were in a public platform. "Act properly no," she demanded.
Their hostess burst out laughing at her rather interesting choice of words.

Deepika took a deep breath, put on her best nonchalant face, and talked about how funny she finds the whole thing and thankfully Ranveer backed her up on it and they weathered their way out of it seemingly unscathed.

Throughout the interview, Ranveer was speaking honestly. Too honestly, she thought. He talked about how beautiful he finds her, about how he feels about working with her, how hot he finds kissing her. She didn't like that. Been there done that, kind of thing.

Since her first public appearance with him through a week of promotions, it baffled her to no end how people assumed and believed they were together. She expected speculations and humorous probing. It came with the job. But she never expected people to tell her, not ask her, that she was dating Ranveer and then accuse her of hiding it! And he wasn't helping either. It's true she told him to wait for her but that doesn't mean he should put a public claim on her. All of this is making things awkward for her and between them. She's still trying to sort her feelings out and this is not how she wanted to do it.

She needed him to understand they were not together, yet. She isn't ready. The last thing she wanted was hurt him. In fact, a huge part of the reason why she hadn't jumped in a relationship with him yet is because her intuitions are telling her this is it. Her gut is telling her to be careful and to not mess it up. The way he is, the way she is, everything about them is forever. So she can't just jump into it without fully knowing she's ready. He deserved better. The wait is as much for him as it is for her.

"Ranveer," she began one day when they were on a plane going to some city for promotion.
"Ya?"
"Don't get upset," she started carefully, "but you do know we're still not together together, right?"

This caught his attention. He sat up with his hands clasped between his parted knees. Considering his answer for a moment, "maybe not to you," he began. Turning to her, "to me, I've been yours since the day you walked into my life," he stated matter-of-factly.

Her heart jumped to her throat silencing her.

"I want you. All of you. I don't know what love is but I'm pretty sure this is it. I never thought I'd want to get married and have a family but now I do. And I want it with you. I don't care how long it takes, if it's waiting you want, I will wait for you. You're it, Deepika. And I'm not letting you go. I've waited my whole life for you and I will wait to the end of it for you," he declared passionately.

She was staring at him. Stunned. She could never imagine someone feeling this strongly about her. The girl who couldn't keep a man interested for more than a year. The girl who wasn't interesting enough for a man to stay for more than her looks.

Her heart ached. How she wished she could heal her heart, repair her soul, and erase her past for him.

"Why though?" He asked when she didn't say anything.
"Oh um," she looked down embarrassed, "I just wanted you to tune down the public flirting a bit," she mumbled.
"Arrey but I'm trying to woo you," he said in all seriousness that it made her laugh.
"You don't have to. I'm wooed," she smirked.
"You are?!" He sounded genuinely surprised.
"I am," she smiled and her eyes softened.
He stared at her the way he always does, "I really want to kiss you right now," he blurted out between gritted teeth.
"Too bad we're on a plane," she said playfully.

He was about to say something but was interrupted by the air-hostess telling them to get ready for landing.

Disclaimer: This story is loosely based on real events, using real actors as characters. They are solely for entertainment, without intending to obtain a benefit, injure, or defraud neither the people depicted in this story, nor any reader of this content.