Perfect Soulmate?

Sambhavna

Something is sketchy about these women. It's weird to be sitting here alone at a café-I wish I had one more person added to my lonely ballad. College used to be so easy a month ago, now it's a sick joke. I belong nowhere. I flip through the pages of a graphic novel and sip the cola from the can. None of them have been answering my texts and this feels like last year all over again.

Huh. I wonder how Mayank even likes one of these novels-they suck.

My gaze drifts towards the door as the familiar guy saunters into the room-what's his name again? Argh! Why can't I remember people's names for god's sake? This is such an annoying vice. He stands near the counter to place his order and I force my gaze to steer away from him as I get back to reading the novel. His laugh pierces through the air and I cringe silently.

Our gaze locks in the next beat and he waves his hand at me. Not knowing what else to do, I wave my hand back at him. He flashes a charming smile and saunters to my table. "Hey, you're friends with Ella, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah," I mumble as my brows knit quizzically despite myself and he takes his seat across me. Conversations by Lucy Rose plays over the speakers and I shut my novel quickly. "I didn't realize you know me."

"No, I've seen you around before," he says and I nod slowly. "I'm Jordan, by the way. We don't exactly run in the same circles but stuff seems to faze into each other these days."

"They sure do," I chuckle awkwardly and he smiles again. "I'm Sambhavna."

"I know." My brows shoot up in surprise and he laughs. "Any idea where Ella is?"

"Not really," I say and sip my beverage. "She must be busy with Aagnay." Because that would explain why we aren't catching up with each other lately. Jordan deliberates silently, looking away and I think I noted a flash of disdain cross his face but I can't tell. "Or I may be wrong," I quickly add and he snaps his sharp gaze on me. "We haven't talked lately."

"Is that Royal Blood, you're reading?" he asks, eyeing the graphic novel and I roll my eyes as I hand it to him.

"I'm sorry but I think it's utter garbage," I say before I drink the cola and he chuckles.

"I used to respect Alejandro Jodorowsky until he released this," he mutters, shaking his head and that makes me smile. "Didn't realize you're into graphic novels."

"I'm not," I confess. "I was reading this for a friend." He eyes me silently, urging me to go on and I bite my bottom lip. "This guy somehow likes graphic novels so I thought I should try...just to check the appeal but now I can't stand the fucking face."

That makes him laugh. "You know if you want to impress someone with things like these, then you should go for the safe bets."

"I barely know anything about comics," I assert sheepishly, lifting a shoulder meekly and he smirks. "Have you read this before?"

"Oh I love graphic novels," he beams. "But this one is shit. Fucker drew faces that are so punchable, my fingers twitch." We both laugh and his coffee arrives. He thanks the server and turns back to me. "You should try reading From Hell. It's this horror fiction novel by Alan Moore. I think you'd like it."

"Sounds cool," I admit and he blows the steam off the surface of his mug. "So do you often hang around with Ella?"

His gaze lands on me and his steaming mug halt midway near his lips. "Eh, not as often as you think." He sips from his mug. "It's rather a quite recent affair."

My brow arches up to his choice of words. "Affair?" He nods in agreement and I look away, feeling a sudden pang in my heart. Poor thing has no idea what he's getting into. "Do you...like her?"

"I love her," he confesses placidly and I mentally wince. He is in for a rocky ride that can only lead to a single devastating destination. Upon not devising any right words, I simply nod awkwardly. He smirks and looks away. "What is it? You don't approve?"

"Trust me, I'm the last person to approve any of Ella's business," I chuckle and he slides the sleeve of his varsity jacket up his arm. "But I hope you guys find a way out."

"Yeah, I hope so too," he mutters and drinks from his mug. "She isn't gonna break up with Aagnay, is she?" His tone catches the qualms of disparity and I squirm inwardly. Never.

"Ella and Aagnay are...well, they are complicated." To say the least. He doesn't know how the dynamics work with those two. It's a fucking nightmare to be in a relationship like that.

"Figures," he murmurs and looks away. "I saw the gossip blasts about you." His phone chimes in his pocket and he draws it out, glancing at it. "It's sick whoever is behind that crap"

"Yeah, can't exactly help it now, can we?" The damage is already done and who knows what's next in the line.

"Except ignoring it, not much." He pushes to his feet. "Anyway, I should get going." He drops his smartphone in the inner pocket of his jacket. "Oh and Ella isn't with Aagnay," he grins as he backs away to leave. "See you around." I watch him jog out of the café and sigh heavily.

So the girls are ignoring me all over again.

*

I GROAN EXASPERATEDLY AS THE line leads me to a dead-end and I stare at Maira's name on my home screen. Why isn't she answering my calls? I ignore the furtive glances in my direction as I stroll in the hallway after I make my way out of the library.

I halt in my tracks as my ears perk up to a familiar low voice in the lecture hall. At least someone's around. I advance to the lecture hall but pause at the threshold, not believing my ears as I inch behind the wall and listen a little carefully this time.

"Ranveer called quits on me," he growls lividly, and my brows furrow in bewilderment. "He has suddenly grown a moral compass."

What did Ranveer do? And why is it such a piece of news to me?

He pinches the bridge of his nose as I sneak a glance at him. "No we have to do it ourselves and this time," he says icily. "No damned slips. Last time we were lucky enough. We can't afford another." He pivots and I shift in my stance to hide behind the wall. Thank God, there aren't any students in the hallway anymore.

I watch him write something on the markerboard. "No Ella will be taken care of," he says and I have never been more lost. "I'll make sure of that." What the fuck is going on here? Aagnay tosses his phone on the table and rubs his nape indignantly, and I think I'll do something stupid if I don't get the hell away from here.

He kicks the chair and the clamor slices through the tension instantaneously, making me shiver to my bone. What does Aagnay know that we don't?

Vaanya

I feel my sneakers sink to the sand as I stroll towards the somber waterline. The white noise of the waves crashing against the shore echoes through the salty air and I let the serenity wane my jitters.

I spot Ranveer seated near the waterline on the sand, smoking a cigarette, absorbed into the beauty of the vista as I advance near him.

"Why didn't you tell me you planned on visiting the beach tonight?" I ask before I plop on the sand beside him and revel in the air. Ranveer's eyes grow darker as he averts his gaze on me.

"Didn't realize I had to plan on anything with you," he says frigidly and my heart cracks in my chest to his icy tone. "Wait, how did you even find me?"

"You know you can't run away from me, right?" I smile at him, masking the burning pain that he inflicted on me a moment ago.

"Unfortunately," he mutters and takes a long drag. I watch the tip of the cigarette glow orange and I sigh heavily.

"Are you going to remain mad at me forever?" I ask lowly, feeling feeble abruptly and he cocks his head in my direction. "Please Ran-"

"What?" he snaps and I back away reflexively. "What do you want Vaanya? Why can't you leave me the fuck alone?"

"Because I love you!" I bite back and he sniggers mockingly. His haunting laughter churning the air around me and I gasp harshly.

"Love me?" He arches his brows challengingly and looks away, his lips curving to a sickening smirk that only roils my gut even further. "You should be the last person to talk about love."

My lips tremble and I bite back a whimper. "Please don't say that-please don't-"

He exhales the smoke and averts his gaze on me. "Hate you?" He finishes the line and my chest deflates to the unbearable pain, searing through my heart. He scoffs, "Yeah, too late for that."

I shake my head and catch his wrist gently despite myself because I can't bear to be away from him. Ranveer is everything I love, he is all I have. "Please, please..." My voice cracks as I fail to form a coherent sentence. "You have to listen to me," I manage to say as he takes another drag from the cigarette.

"Listen to you explaining how you had to sleep with a fucking professor for grades?" His voice echoes in the air and I wince to myself. "That must be one hell of a story Vaanya but sadly, I'm not interested."

"So you're just gonna give up on us without even hearing my side of the story?" I demand harshly and he falls silent, gazing at the amber hues in the sky and he inhales sharply.

"Did he force himself on you?" he queries curtly and tears dart the corner of my eyes. He searches my face for another beat and looks away. "Because if he did, you know he won't see the light of another day. You know what I'd do to him."

Oh My God.

"So tell me Vaanya, did he force himself on you?" he queries impassively and I feel my throat turn sandpaper dry, constricting on me. He chafes his fingers against his face and curses under his breath. "Just tell me damn it."

"No!" My dam breaks and a series of sobs escape me, vibrating through my chest and shaking my whole body as I break down. "No, he didn't."

"Thought so," he murmurs and averts his gaze away. "There's no way in fucking hell you can explain why you slept with a professor for grades while being in a relationship with me. With me, Vaanya. The only person who cared about you." I don't miss the strong affliction in his voice; it's a stab against my heart. He cared about me.

I sniffle softly as I wipe my tears with the back of my hands and roam my blurry gaze around his features. He is the most beautiful man I know-beautiful inside out. Nobody knows how rich his heart is and I just lost it. I lean closer to his face and he draws in a sharp intake of breath, his gaze flickers. "Do you hate me so much?" I whisper, his breath fanning against my cheeks as he glares at me.

I can barely breathe through the proximity, but my longing for his simple caress against my skin overwhelms my coursing agony. "Will you always hate me?" Ranveer's smile is so genuine, it hits me hard.

He cups my jaw and I melt into him, our lips crashing with an unchecked force; I think he'd consume me. The emotions I've been feeling since the gossip blast coalesces into a cleansing mix of emotions through my heart-grief, pain, anger, love, and so much shame.

I nearly whimper when he pulls away from the kiss, leaving behind the traces of cigarette and uniquely himself in my mouth. My gaze lingers on him for a second longer and he closes his eyes, almost as though he's in too much pain. "Let's just go to your boathouse, please?" My voice is almost a cracked whisper and his eyes snap open. "You know we can fix this Ranveer...please?"

"Fuck!" he curses under his breath and a muscle in his jaw ticks as he glares at the dipping sun behind the horizon. "You'll just never give up, will you?" I shake my head in denial and for the first time today, I smile. He sighs as he pushes to his feet and I do the same. "What do we do with your car?"

"I'll have someone get it later." I band my arms around his muscled torso and embrace him. "I'm sorry."

*

MY BACK HITS THE WALL; Ranveer's lips on mine, his tongue gliding against mine with deep licks and with so much passion, I'm afraid he'd burn me. I push my fingers against the hair in the back of his head as he shuts the door hastily and cages me in, his fingers running through the tendrils of my loose hair, and his groan washes over me.

My hands roam on his torso, against every etched muscle as I slide off his jacket and he shrugs out of it in hurried movements, lacking the finesse I have always been used to. He is impatient and rough when he pushes me onto the couch in the living room and the tear of my undergarments crashes through the air before he sinks to his knees on the rugged floor.

"Vaanya," he murmurs against the tingling skin of my inner thigh and I moan blatantly. This is exactly what I wanted-this intimacy is all I've been craving for the past few days.

His lips trail to my cleft and I bite back another moan, tugging the roots of his hair as his tongue surges through my saturated folds, claiming me, demanding me and I rock my hips to meet him; and then, he feasts on me, making me gasp to the first burn of longing. "I've missed you." He presses his thumb against my clit, rubbing in circles and I pant breathlessly.

"I've missed you too," I say as the first jolt of orgasm washes through me like a wave.

It's insane how he has me right under his teeth, right under him, under some kind of spell, I can't seem to break away from. I gaze into his flaring irises through my heavy lids as he mounts over me, and I offer my lips for him to kiss me.

"I love you," I whisper throatily and a groan fills the space between us as his teeth sink in the crook of my shoulder, his knees parting my thighs as he lowers to meet me. I release his fly hastily and tug his denim down, his mouth covering mine as he fists my hair to hold me still and lunges into me, pounding so hard, my hips churn to the burn of having him so deep inside me so abruptly. "Oh God, yes."

I bite on his bottom lip and his fist tightens around my hair. His palpable love and harsh possessiveness crazes me, quickening me with every twinge of pleasured pain, tightening my muscles around him and my nails rake against the skin of his arms. "You're so beautiful when you come," he purrs and the overwhelming emotion surges back to me, burning my eyes with fresh tears and I slide my hands against his back, toned muscles flexing to his movements under my palms.

He presses his lips against my jaw, powering into me with unabashed speed and my hands splay against his back as he lowers to my aching breasts and takes my nipple in between his fingers, tugging the hard peak and setting fire on my whole body. I rock my hips against his tempo, needing to find his stiff length to rub me right where I need it. I'm almost frenzied by my desires.

He bands my legs around him, exposing me brazenly to him and I revel in the exquisite feel of him, panting and whimpering as the sweet tension finally finds a release and I gasp as the tremor hits me, rippling through me, clenching my muscles around him and he groans, his head thrown back and his teeth grinds. I cry out to the overwhelming sensation of having him so close to me, after so many days of abandonment, Ranveer is finally here with me, loving me.

His orgasm lasts longer, dense lashes of semen washing through me as I screw my eyes shut, and a muffled moan releases against his neck. Ranveer still doesn't stop.

*

I wake up to the incessant buzz of my phone on the nightstand and I fetch it lazily to ignore the call. I shift and hold my hand out on Ranveer's side of the bed-it's empty. My eyes fly open and I jackknife to sit straight up, wondering where he is.

I wrap the duvet across my naked body and note the time. It's past two in the morning and my phone buzzes again; it's Jia. Why is she up this late? I swipe on the home screen and type a quick text to assure her, and asses my bearings but my gaze halts on Ranveer at the threshold of the room, his muscles bulging as he leans on the frame of the door bare-chested.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I ask throatily and he saunters to the foot of the bed, his eyes never leaving mine. "I think Jia needs me, I have to go." I smile weakly only to be greeted by his loaded silence. I glance at his bloodshot eyes and exhale harshly. "You're high." I toss my phone on the bed and rub my temples exasperatedly. "Seriously Ranveer? You couldn't even wait until tomorrow to snort coke?" I'm losing it now. How could he be so disrespectful?

His mocking laughter cuts through me like the razor's edge and I gape at him. "No Vaanya, it's only fair, wouldn't you agree?"

I shake my head bewildered. "I don't know what you mean."

"None of it mattered when you're hooking up behind my back," he bites out snappishly and I grip the duvet tighter around me.

"I thought we were past that..." I tear my gaze away from him and he laughs again, so sickening I think I would throw up.

"No, we're never past that." He crouches to lean closer to me. "You ruined me Vannya. You-"

"What are you talking about?" I inquire, feeling a stab of mortification as I feel my throat close up on me again. I can't take this anymore.

"You know what I mean, damn it. You're well aware of what I've already risked for you." He glowers. "You know what I've done for you while my whole life was on the line."

"I made a mistake," I manage to say weakly past the lump in my throat. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" He arches a brow but his face screams fury. "No, you're sorry because some shit show has spilled your precious fucking beans. I wouldn't have known about this if it weren't for that."

"That's not true. I-" He grips me by my shoulders and I shut up.

"You honestly think I don't notice how you manipulate me?" he queries gruffly. "How every time you come crawling to me to screw with my head while all in the glory of screwing me?" He smirks, leaning away from me, and my jaw drops.

"I never do that." I rise to my feet, priming to defend myself and he pivots to face away from me. "You think I manipulate you through sex?"

"Yes, goddamn it, yes you do," he seethes icily, his thick voice booming through my senses like a crash of thunder and I step back in disbelief. "This was a mistake."

"You don't know what you're saying." I step closer to him cautiously and he turns his face towards me. I freeze to my stance as our gaze holds.

"I've been jeopardized enough for your sake," he says impassively. "Now I want out. This is done and I've had enough of your bidding." His gaze doesn't hold the same warmth it used to. His voice is distant and I almost can't recognize him under his cold vibrating rage.

My voice wavers through my constricted throat. "You're high and you're angry-"

"No. You deceived me." His voice echoes in the space of the room and I step back instinctively, my visions blurring with dense tears. "You had to cheat on the only person who always protected you. I protected you from Kunal while you were tossing all my fidelity right out of the fucking window. Isn't that right, my perfect soul mate?" The aversion in his face is apparent and so palpable.

I hug my tummy tightly. "I know you're hurt but-"

"Kunal warned me-he fucking warned me damn it. I was so blind."

"What?" My whisper is sharp under my breath. "Listen, I-"

"We're over Vaanya." He pivots to face the bay window that overlooks Mumbai somber skyline. "Get the fuck out of my face."

Ranveer burned a hole through my chest-the pain so abject, it feels like a bullet wound. His words are the masquerade daggers against my heart and he couldn't have devastated me further.

Kunal warned him about me? What did he do to Kunal?

~~~~

Hey Darlings!

For starters, Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.

Tsk. I feel horrible for Ranveer. He didn't deserve what he got. What do you think?

Please don't forget to vote, share and comment and I'll see you guys next time! <3