Finding Him and Me

Chapter 39 - Winning Me Over

"Shit." He curses.

"I bloody told you this was a borderline stupid and creepy idea!" I panic, a frigid chill rattling my vertebral column.

"Shhh." He admonishes nervously as we hear footsteps coming near the balcony above the pool. "We need to run. Fast. Now." He rushes out.

"What are you crazy? No way! There's a blasted guard, for security!?" I screech.

"Come on Alia." He growls grabbing my hand.

Suddenly my inner Alex Rider comes alive. After all that's the result of reading every kind of novel. "No! I know what to do. Try to play along." I whisper taking charge. He runs his hand through his slightly gelled soft hair and I lose focus momentarily.

When a short haired pretty looking girl in a black dungaree leans against the balcony railing to get a better view of the two of us, I start of in my sweetest voice. "Hi! Oh dear, I don't even know how to begin!" I sniffle for effect, "we're guests at the Varma Mansion and my brother Arjun and I were playing badminton. Oh I'm so sorry. The shuttle cock fell inside and the guard let us in to search for it." I bury my face into my hand. "We couldn't find it, but then we came across this beautiful pool and it was just so enticing. So without realising we got compelled to sit here for some time." I look at her with a big fake apologetic look. "It won't happen again, I promise. We'll get going." I say pulling Arjun behind me.

"Wait!" She commands. Okay we're royally screwed.

Arjun and I turn slowly, he slips his fingers into my fist and laces our fingers. What's that for? I wonder as my heart skips a little beat.

"What's your name?" Aaradhya asks.

"Alia." I respond.

"Alia, I'm sorry you lost your shuttle cock. If I happen to find it, I'll send it across to Varma house. And please don't worry about hanging out here. I love company. I apologise for being rude earlier. We're neighbours after all." She's so kind.

"Thank you! Thank you so much." I smile and turn to leave.

"Oh and - " she stops, "please bring your brother along." She finishes clearly dazzled plenty by Arjun. She's all white teeth and smiles for him. Ew.

"Why not? Sure." I snap. Stop looking at my prince hungrily you bitch because that's never happening.

*********

"That was damn good Cinderella." Arjun says as soon as we make it out of that death trap of a house.

"Good huh? We were a second away from falling into a ton of trouble! And how many times do I tell you not to call me that name before you get it into your thick skull? You got us into so much trouble today! Shona would lose her head!" I howl at him, unleashing all my anger.

He looks at me seriously and then his pretty face cracks into laughter. And then he looks even more handsome. Shit. "Alia, what matters is that nothing happened. And she gave us full authority to come and go as we please. Full credit to you ofcourse. But you need to stop stressing so much and lighten up." He says placing his hand on my shoulder.

I yank it away and walk off, disgusted. He is so fucking daft, pig-headed and immature. I can't deal with this right now.

Unfortunately, he isn't having it. Ridiculous. His hand grips my arm and pull me towards him.

"Arjun let go me!" I seethe through a clenched jaw. I'm so mad that I can feel a migraine hitting me, threatening to spit my skull open.

"You need to listen." He fights. Like fucking hell I do.