Conundrum 》ICT AU

-24-

"Love is quite weird, don't you think?" A 13 year old Virat asked Gia, who was sitting next to him. They were with Gia's family in their vacation home in Manali, enjoying the cold.

"What's so weird about it?" She said. "I for one, think it's quite straightforward."

"No I mean, how do you know you're in love?" He muttered. "My parents say they married because they loved each other but they just fight nowadays. They stay separate. Where's the love?"

"Love is an everyday battle, Vee." Gia took his palm and put it on top of hers, closing her fingers in a hold. "Love is when you're sick and tired of the world and seeing that person at the end of the day can make your day end right."

"Oh wow. Where did you get those lines?"

"My dad told me."

-

"Why did you ditch Virat?" Ritika asked, as the boys spoke amongst themselves with the girls watching them as they drank.

"Even since I realised something, I've decided that Virat might be the closest I've ever got to a person and he might be my other half." Anushka sighed. "But we're two sides of the same coin, Rits."

"Meaning?" She looked at her.

"Sometimes, a different thing is also good. We're too toxic for each other and besides, no one can steal Gia's position in his heart." She sighed, knocking back her drink.

"You gave up." She smiled. "Do you know how long I've been waiting to get our girl gang back? Nupur will be so happy and so will Gia!"

"I think this time you've got to make an exception for Simran too." She chuckled. "She was my best friend before the whole Virat fiasco."

"Dude." She drank her glass. "We've always had Simran. Its going to be so much fun! Hey Nupur!"

—

"Gia."

She stopped walking, only to shake her head and walk faster.

"Hey." He held her hand, stopping her from walking any further.

"What, Virat?" She turned around. "What do you want?"

"For you to give me a chance to explain." She scoffed, looking down. "Please."

"How do I know you aren't lying to me, again?" She muttered, looking up. "Anyways, it's better if we don't talk to each other. We're fine without each other."

"How can you even say that?" He thundered, looking at her with anger, sadness and love in his eyes. Wait, what?

She must be mistaken.

"I'm not fine without you, Gia." He spoke, his voice on the verge of breaking. "I want you with me, beside me. Didn't you say you're with me for better or for worse? I want you to be with me, baby."

"Don't call me that." Tears started pooling in her eyes. "Don't call me that if you don't mean it."

"What do you mean?" He asked, stepping one step closer as she stepped back. "Please, Gia."

Here goes nothing. It just might be the last time they talk and at last, she was going to confess.

"I don't know what it is about you." She giggled, as tears ran down her face. "But God I love the way you talk to me. I love the way you laugh with your head thrown back, eyes twinkling with joy and carefree of everything. I love the way you look at everything with intensity and how you take everything as a competition, that fierceness in your eyes. I love the way you always look out for me, even if I'm pissed at you. You always know what to do to calm me down." She sniffed, looking down. Hell, this was too much on her. But she knew she had to finish. She looked up right into his eyes, and said her last line.

"Virat Kohli, I love you."

—

Virat didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe a lot of crying, thundering off, shouting from both of them but he wasn't expecting this.

He wasn't expecting this.

"Gia." He mumbled, unable to look at her in the eye. Gosh, he should have really said something else. He didn't know what to do.

"Shh." She said, hugging him. "I know, you don't feel the same." She moved back, as if something had struck her. That was probably the shortest hug they had ever had and it didn't sit right with him.

"I had to say it." She shrugged. "I know you've got Nushki and now Meera and I can't break their hearts. So I don't expect anything from you, Vee."

She moved back, almost leaving.

"Gianna."

"No." She shook her head, moving backwards. "I think it's best if we don't talk anymore. It's only going to get more awkward and I don't think I can handle that. But I'm going to be there for you, just not now."

She walked away.

Goddammit. He put his hands through his hair, shaking at the confession. She hadn't even let him speak more than a word.

He needed to have a drink. A lot of drinks.

—

So this was coming, I know.
The real question is whether Virat likes her back🐌
If you've read my other Virat books, I'm obsessed with #Vianna since 2017, I had to (I'm sorry) HAD TO bring it to this book.

But they might not end up together🥨
(Or they might?)