~Sanvi's POV~
"Do you feel anything unusual, Rathore?" I whispered as I tried to keep the jitters at bay and concentrated on recording his reaction of everything that I did.
"Nothing.. " His breath hit my lips with such a sensual propensity that it entirely contradicted his present unnerving state. He didn't feel anything about our closeness. Of course, he wouldn't. In fact, he shouldn't.
But why did it sting me a little?
"This isn't affecting you in anyway?"
"No.." He gulped cautiously not to accidentally brush his lips against mine. "Should it?" I gazed deep into those beautiful brown eyes and found something strange, some form of an erratic inquisitiveness.
"No... " I clarified before letting go of his collar and moving back to a safe distance from his lips.
He didn't feel a thing.
I didn't feel a thing.
No, I absolutely didn't.
Either he was an absolute master at veiling his emotions or I was a complete fool to even think that that kiss held a grain of a meaning to him. Chances supported the latter. I was a blithering fool.
"Let's partner up." I voiced out and he beamed up all of a sudden. Of course, he immediately went back to his usual stern expression and simply replied with a curt nod.
"But we'd need some ground rules.."
"Big surprise. The good girl needs rules. " He rolled his eyes before standing up and returning to my desk and resuming his doodling.
"I am all ears. Shoot. Let's negotiate." His back was turned towards me and all I could focus on was how his shoulder muscles swayed against the white tee-shirt as he used his hand.
I shook those thoughts out of my head. This was a terrible decision. I cleared my throat.
"The First Clause: We're both in this as partners, so our opinions and choices are of equal value. I will not be your subordinate and neither will you be mine. We're both equal and one-handed choices will be thrown off the table. Actually, the table itself will be thrown off if I see you taking decisions on my behalf, without my input." I began typing the words out in my phone as he turned to look at me with an exasperated expression.
"Debatable... " He began spouting nonsense yet again but was immediately shut down by my hand. He rolled his eyes and turned his back towards me.
"Secondly, whatever task we need to practice for, it should be done outside this house. That means this is the last time I'll entertain your presence in this house." I asserted the last sentence and made sure it sunk in his hard head. He simply shrugged without turning in response.
"Hmph. The third and the most important clause will require your absolute abiding or I will back out the moment it is broken."
"Wow, I wonder what that will be..." I could almost feel him rolling his head deep into his skull from his back as he began scribbling aggressively.
"I do not want to bring up the notion of our accidental kiss while we're working together. Neither do I want you to touch me inappropriately in anyway. We'll maintain a proper professional distance while working without any unnecessary contact. I swear, I'll break your nose if you try anything." I gripped my phone tight as he immediately turned his head to look at me like I had broken the news of our divorce or something.
Wow, Sanvi enough with your weirdly suggestive analogies.
"And does that rule apply to either of us? Cause I distinctly remember YOU groping me out of nowhere just few minutes ago." My cheeks swiftly warmed up at his accusation.
"I was checking something!" I sprang up from my bed like I had been sitting on a plaque of pins all the while.
"Yeah? What? You were checking if I am attracted to you or if YOU are attracted to me?" He stood up from his seat and advanced towards me, making me back away a little.
"Which one was it?" My back hit the wall but he was still a massive six feet away from me. He just stood there, staring at me with the same expressionless stare that had always baffled me. It was piercing and I felt scared all of a sudden.
Thankfully, something else caught his attention in the meantime before I could have a heart attack. His hand darted to grab the photo frame on my little dresser propped up against the wall beside the bed.
Oh no.
"IT WAS BOTH. " I exclaimed out in panic. I bolted to his side and grabbed the photo frame before he could inspect it any further.
He was caught off guard by my sudden action and he immediately winced when his fingernail incidentally grazed the wound on my hand, making blood ooze over the lathered ointment.
He knocked the frame out of my hand and pulled me behind, making me tumble onto the bed.
"Are you truly dumb? Sit your ass down here and just use your mouth to stop me. Besides, I won't touch anything anymore. So relax." I grimaced as he picked the frame angrily and placed it where it was without a second look.
This wasn't normal for me, having a person... guy... that too Rishabh Singh Rathore there in my room in such secrecy. I felt like I could cry after he leaves.
It was a picture of a five year old me, sitting on my father's lap with Mom embracing us from behind. I had scratched that man's face vehemently on the photo when things had escalated to the extreme one night.
I had forgotten to put it away once I had done that. I hardly stayed in that room so I didn't have to look at it. I distinctly remembered that night.
Why wouldn't I? I had to get three stitches on my forehead after being pushed off of the stairs by that man in his drunken state.
The picture now held a botched demonic figure staring back at me while me and my mother are beaming beside him.
Those days. Those calm days before the storm. They haunted me in my dreams then.
I didn't notice when Rishabh had begun pouring water on the cut on my wrist which was bleeding profusely.
"I am not going to allow you to be like this when we practice for the Championship. Wounds like these get infected easily. Would you please, for the school's sake, stop being so clumsy?"
I didn't utter a word. I had no retorts to that. I was a mess. All I did was stare on as he dressed my wound.
Rishabh Singh Rathore knew my secret. And I didn't know why I wasn't panicking at all.
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To Be Continued.