More than all the stars in the sky - An Addicted Prequel

Campfire conti.

That morning, Manvi woke way before five AM. She was sitting in a corner holding her journal, looking at the picture of her Mom and Dad, touching it lovingly with her fingers. She looks up at Virat with a small smile and closes her eyes.

"How did you know Mama? That you were in love with Dad?" she saw herself asking her mother. She was just around 13 years old then.

Her mom hugged her from behind as they looked at her wedding picture together. "One evening, he took me out for dinner and we were having a really nice time. This was just a few days since we had met. Oh, your dad used to make me laugh so hard, you have no idea. And that itself is a gift more valuable than any diamond a girl could get.

That evening when I was dancing with him, I felt like this beautiful damsel from heaven or something. I mean the way he made me feel was beyond words. You feel like a woman and suddenly everything you do is interesting to somebody. I mean the smallest of the smallest things, he would notice. The whole world just blurs into insignificance and I felt like my whole life had lead upto that point. That it was enough. That I was just so happy and that I would do anything to see him happy. I cannot explain it but I just knew.

And when you feel something like that baby, when one day a charming young man sweeps you off your feet and makes you feel like that, remember this - Just seize the moment. You will never regret it."

She opened her eyes with a wide smile and looked at him. She saw the image right in front of her eyes - the desire in his eyes, the way he possessed her body, the small beads of pleasure on his beautiful face, his shy smile, the tender moments of love afterwards when he just lay beside her, gazing into her eyes, their fingers interwined and his soft kiss on her forehead before he fell asleep holding her in his arms. It was just magical. She gasped and dismissed her thoughts with a smile.

She got dressed and stepped out to take a shower. Since, nobody was awake, she did not have to wait. When she came out, Viren and Jeevs were cuddling in front the campfire that was almost out, it still had a little bit of firewood in it.

"Morning..." she walks to them and sits in front of them.

"You are an early riser." Viren smiles.

"It takes me time to sleep in new surroundings." she tells him.

"We should get ready too. And make some coffee before we head out." Jeevika tells them.

"Yep..." Viren pecks her and raises up.

"You both are so cute..." Manvi tells Jeevika.

"Thanks. Let's fix coffee." Jeevika gets up, stretching. "Wasn't it a blast yesterday. I was so drunk." she hugs herself.

~

Viren goes to Virat's tent and starts making all sorts of noises. "Wake up Vilat beta. Kitna del solega. Vilen bhaiyya tela wait kal ra hai..."

"Go away!" Virat groans in his sleep.

"ninni aa lahi hai laja beta?...bahal aa ja !!. .walna Vilen bhaiyya watel poul kalega..."

"BHAI!!!!" Virat opens his door, irritated. "I am going to KILL you."

"Good Molning..." Viren smiles.

"Remind me why I came here again?" Virat asks him.

"Chal, chal, zyada footage mat le. Get ready. And please put some clothes on."

Virat falls back, hitting his head on the pillow. He looks at the time. It was 4:30 in the morning. He looks around for Manvi. He could hear her laughing outside. He smiles instantly, forgetting all about his brother. Kneeling up on the ground, he looks for his shirt all over the tent. It was below his pillow and beside it was her charm anklet. He looks at it and shakes his head. Tinkly bells. Buttoning his shirt, he folds the blankets and put them away.

In one corner, beside her backpack, he finds her journal which fell off the bag. He picks it up. A page with a sketch of her mom was open. It was so natural. He keeps looking at the sketch. He is amazed at her talent. He looks at the next page, and next page and the next - they were all different potraits of her mom. He feels so sad. Just as he was putting it back, he finds something that freezes him. There was a potrait of him. It was in water-colors. He was sitting in a subway train, smiling.

"Wow!" he looks at it, amazed.

~

She was sitting with Jeevika and they were joking about something. She was giggling like a little girl. She holding a cup of coffee with both her hands. She was wearing a black tee with some shorts. A cool breeze was blowing through her hair. Jeevika sees him first. "Morning Virat." she gives him a cup of coffee. "I am going to get ready." she tells Manvi and leaves.

Virat kneels in front of her.

"Hi..." she smiles.

He smiles back placing her right foot on his thigh. She looks at him surprised as he puts her anklet around it. He gets up and pecks her lips. "Hi..." he smiles as she blushes sweetly. He extends his hand to her, which she softly takes and gets up. They both walk behind the tents.

"It's beautiful." she says, looking at the sunrise.

Virat stops and towers over her. He smiles and takes something out of his pocket.

"Manvi, I am going to do something and you will not stop me."

"Okay?" she looks at him, curiously.

He extends his palm out and shows her a locket.

She freezes for a moment looking at it. She looks from his hand to his eyes and then back to it. "My mom's jade..." she covers her mouth.

"Was not able to give it up..." he smiles.

"Virat?" she cries.

"Shh.." he walks behind her and puts it on her neck.

She holds it dearly as tears rolls out of her eyes. He hugs her from behind and sighs, kissing her neck. "I am an asshole. You shouldn't trust guys like me. But, since you have..." he turns her around and looks into her eyes. "I am going to try to be the guy whom you will be able to love more than all the stars in the sky." he says affectionately.

"Okay." she smiles as he wipes her tears.

"See, I am making you cry already." he shakes his head.

She laughs and throws herself into his arms. "Oh, god..." he sighs. "I am doomed..." he tells her making her laugh even more. With his arm around her waist, he lifts her feet off the ground and kisses her like his life depended on it.

~