Addicted - BOOK 1

19-ii

I idly go exploring the house, there were a lot of rooms that I haven't seen yet - this place is like a palace. I don't understand why we need such a big house. So far, I have seen a pool room, two guest rooms with a breath-taking view of the city and a prayer room. I am surprised as I cannot believe Virat thought about having a prayer room. I enter inside and look around, it is more or less empty. I feel like I should do something here. The next room is a library - huh? Go figure! Virat and books? It is a fairly small collection. I try to find a good book, anything to get my mind off things.

To my surprise all these are my books, from before, neatly stacked and arranged author-wise. Oh my! My lips curve into a big wide smile. Virat,why are such a sweetheart! I grab a book and start reading - CRYSTAL FLOWERS: POEMS AND A LIBRETTO - its one of my all time favorites and Virat had gifted me this first edition of it on my birthday. Remembering that day still brings back a face-splitting smile. We were already engaged and it was my birthday - he was out of town all week and had specially flown in for me, he was waiting for me at the cafe of my art school - my crazy jealous aashiq.

I spot him from a distance and he is gazing right at me, frowning. He looks mad, why does he look mad? Then it hits me - I am walking with Chris, my classmate. I frown back at him. I enter the cafe and stand in front of him, he is packing his laptop and books, never taking his eyes off me.

"Hi!" I wave at him.

"Hi!" he replies indifferently. My heart free-falls into my stomach. We just had a huge fight about Chris on the phone, the previous day - Virat doesn't like me working with him at all. I ignore his mood and launch myself into his arms and hug him. "I missed you!" I tell him sweetly. He says that there is a magical ring to my voice and I try my best to bring it out to help him snap out of his mood. He sighs, folds his arms around me and buries his nose in my hair. I look at him with a flushed face but he is looking at Chris who was sitting across from us with some other people from my class.

"Your dress is very short." He says, still frowning at me.

"You like it?" I ask, giving him a quick twirl. It is a peachy soft sundress, probably more suitable for the beach but today is such a lovely day, the sun was out and I decided it is a good time to get some color on my skin.

He is smiling looking at me twirl. "You look gorgeous baby but I don't want anyone else to see you like this."

"Oh! Come on Virat, its summer." I wave my hand dismissing him.

He looks at me unamused.

"For godsakes jaan, it's my birthday, don't be like this." I snap at him.

He rolls his eyes and says "Let's get out of here, your fan club is having a blast looking at you like this."

"Will you stop it? For the millionth time, Chris is just a colleague; we are working on our project together. That's it. Why can't you trust me Virat?" But before I finish, he takes my hand and drags me out of there.

"For your information, I trust you blindly. It is him that I don't trust. I just don't like the way he looks at you." He murmurs without looking at me.

Once in the car, I change gears. "What if we were at the beach?" I ask him.

"We are not at the beach." He cracks.

"Would you mind if I wear this at the beach."

He looks at me incredulously "No." he finally tells me.

"Well then, imagine that we are at the beach."

"Should I wear just my swim trunks to work? Imagining that I really am in a swimming pool?" he asks me with an absolute straight face.