The Rivals (Rewriting)

Shot-15

Sanvi's POV

I had rigorously trained my mind not to fall prey under his willful physical advances. The reason behind it obviously remained that I wouldn't be able to hold myself back if we delved further into our suddenly erupted physical intimacy. However, right then as Rishabh's mouth showered tantalising kisses down my jawline, my heavily aroused mind seemed to have lost all connection with the rational side of my mind. An inexplicable joy worked through my instincts, making me involuntarily wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, in a way, surrendering to my animalistic desire. But a nagging notion at the back of my head remained active to restrain me from allowing him a full access.

He doesn't feel the same way.

He's playing with my emotions.

He has figured out my weakness.

He'll jerk away from my body in no time.

He'll make fun of my weak demeanor towards his advances.

He'll laugh and point fingers at my disheveled self.

I am but a plaything to him now.

He isn't worth it.

My rational mind wanted to push him off and slap him right across his face for invading my personal space once again for the umpteenth time since that accidental kiss. I tried to follow my mind but my hands didn't seem to comply. My throbbing heart yearned to remain in his warm embrace, feeling wanted even if he had been feigning it.

I felt his head tilt against my cheek and stop the sweet torture for a momentary gap. I knew he must've been checking out my bare, shameless scrunched up face. The thought should have repulsed me and fuelled me to punch him off of my frame. But I seemed to have been petrified; my senses weren't in my control anymore.

The inexplicable attraction I felt towards Rishabh might have erupted from the night of our accidental kiss but I insisted that it was just a play of the pubertal hormones. However, I just couldn't interpret why I felt so warm, and in a weird sense, calm and relieved around him,-quite ironic to our usual bickering stances. It made me physically nauseous how swarms of butterflies invaded my stomach whenever we came in touch with each other. I felt lightheaded and giddy, practically just ready to plunge into any whimsy as his fingertips brushed against any part of my skin. These newly erupting emotions could never be named by my clouded mind.

"What... is this..?" I felt myself shudder while the words involuntarily made their way out of my parched mouth.

His hold around my frame at that particular moment seemed to entirely distract my mind from any other external influence that used clouded my mind at any given point of time,-the chaos in my house, my dysfunctional family. My anti-social demeanor as a result of it. I was habituated to loneliness. I had a best friend for namesake, a mother whose tired and burdened face constantly guilted me and a lonesome apartment with countless cobwebs and spiders for companions. I sought companionship in my books and in the academic competition against Rishabh. I had never allowed anyone inside my lonely world. I feared attachment. I had seen my parents at each other's neck, although they had once been one of those couples, drenched in love and practically giddy about their companionship all the time. Now, there wasn't a night in my life that I didn't wake up with a startling nightmare of walking into the main house to the dead body of my mother, either hanging from the ceilings of one of the dingy rooms or sprawled across the living room floor, abandoned and killed by her lover.

The thought seemed to slap me back to reality.

Rishabh's POV

I felt myself losing control with each sharp intake of breath that the movement of my mouth extracted from her. I let my mouth suck on the base of her jaw, and her arms around my neck tightened at the action.