~Sanvi's POV~
There were many things that I wanted to change about that situation but weirdly enough, Rishabh Singh Rathore being in my room in the middle of the night wasn't one of those things.
I knew I'd be slapping myself for this in the future but him just being there, sitting on my bed beside me, caring for the wound on my arm made me feel things that I didn't know I could feel.
But I wasn't going to cloud my mind with that superficial warmth. Things had been hard for me and I didn't want to complicate my situation anymore. I had to be mature. I wouldn't allow my mind to fall for those petty weird feelings.
"I should get going..." To my relief, I felt him stand up and my eyes followed his movement from the bedside to the table.
"It's already late and you should sleep. Maybe get your head and erm... body straight before the practice begins tomorrow." I hummed as he scribbled something quickly on that school group photo and stood up abruptly from the chair.
"Wait...how do you suppose I get out of this house?" His confused tone made me chuckle.
"I don't know. Maybe ask you genius brain to forge another ridiculous plan of getting out just as it did while you were getting in. Now that you've already broken the one ladder, climb down the wall like a spider for all I care. " He squinted his eyes with a hint of disapproval at my jest before throwing the picture on my lap.
"A present for you." He added before haughtily strutting right out of my door. I could barely stand up from the bed to stop him before he had vanished amidst the darkness outside my room.
I scrambled to run behind him in a jiffy and caught hold of his tee-shirt in the nick of time before he could step further down the stairs.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I whisper-yelled as he jerked his head back.
"My poor back would very much prefer it if we now go out through the front door rather than climb twenty feet down the window." He whispered back as I stood a step above him in the pitch-dark stairs.
The light out of my room remained restricted to the upper landing and all I could see was the faint glow of the porch light through the main door a few feet below us.
"I don't give a damn about your back. Who asked you to break into my house at the middle of the night with your damn back? Do you even know how loud your damn elf-feet sound banging on the floor right now?" I tried to keep my whispers as low as possible but that guy was just getting on my nerves with his absurd ideas.
"I asked you to suggest me any other way but you had to go all Sanvi and insult my genius mind. And elf-feet? My feet are perfectly shaped!" He sounded really offended. Well, I was going for offence.
"Okay okay okay.. Our whispers might just wake them up now. Come with me, I'll sneak you out the kitchen door. And step where I step. Not an inch away from that. Ours is an old house, if you haven't noticed, Mr. Bigshot."
"You know. Bossy Sanvi isn't really a good look on you.."
"How can you say that when we can barely see each other's faces in this darkness?" I enquired restlessly.
"Exactly. How am I supposed to know where you step on, Miss Genius?" His words dripping with sarcasm made me scoff at my own idea.
Ridiculous.
"Ugh. Let me get the flashlight. Stand here. Don't move!" I walked back to my room and fetched it out before joining him in the middle of the stairs.
"Stay behind me..." I whispered and held his right arm, guiding him through my very squeaky house. I was cautious not to knock onto any of the furniture laid haphazardly throughout the rooms.
Once we were in the kitchen, I sighed in relief at the idea of being at a proper talking distance from my parents' bedroom. I dropped his hand and walked upto the kitchen door to let him out when I was suddenly wheeled back by my arms to face Rishabh.
"Will...will you be able to come to school tomorrow?" The streetlight seeped through the kitchen window, illuminating his weirdly bright and sympathetic eyes as I stood there grasping the flashlight to my breast.
"Uhm yes. Yes, I will." I didn't know why but I felt a sudden hollow dip in my heart.
"And you'll register your partner for the Championship as...?" I sucked in a whiff of air when he came dangerously close to my face with that question. A childish anticipation worked in his voice.
Why was he being so damn insecure about that? I did agree to partner with him; albeit half-heartedly, but I did!
"Rishabh Singh Rathore. Yes. Now get out before I throw up from your nonsensical behaviour..." He moved away quickly with a satisfied smile on his face.
I was so over that night. As much as I wanted it to end, I couldn't help but feel a little dejected then. What the hell was wrong with me? What was up with the periodic duality? I wasn't PMSing as far as I knew.
"Prepare to win the Championship for St. Louis with this nonsensical man then." I scoffed as he winked at me once on his way out.
So cringey.
I kept staring at his back through the kitchen window as he walked down the stone path wrapped around the house. He was already out of my sight when I suddenly heard a knock on the glass window of the living room.
What the hell.
I ran to inspect if he was having any trouble with the rusty gate. But there he was, standing outside the window, with his cheek smushed against the dewed glass, looking on expectantly at me to open it.
Ugh, troublemaker.
I tip-toed to the window and carefully slid it up.
"What? Have you finally gathered the courage to tell me that you've been kicked out of your house?" I remarked sarcastically as he poked his head halfway in.
"Yes.. please take me in. I have no one to turn to expect for you in such a bad situation... Will you let me share your bed with you? Don't worry, we'll just sleep." He spoke with a dead-on blank face, making me roll my eyes at him.
"No, you can have the damp shed in the backyard lawn. The mosquitoes can keep you company." I sniggered and gave me a 'really?' look.
"Shut up. Look, I have to tell you something and I don't know how you might take it. But I just can't leave without saying it." He whispered in such a seriously brisk tone that it immediately cut the humour out of the conversation. Uh oh.
"What more do you have to sputter out?" I whispered back with restlessness.
"Look, you see, I...I mean, we.. I know.. ugh..damn it." Rishabh definitely was struggling with his words and needless to say that was the first I had seen him struggle with something.
"Just say it, Rishabh." I was getting worried. Was he finally addressing it?
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To Be Continued.