It wasn't the first time with this Dhruv's hot and cold behaviour, but his words did sting like a bee.

One second he was kissing my face off like a dying man another he calls me friend.

Typical Dhruv, I shook my head maybe I was coming off too strong on him, we have to take centimetres steps no actually.... millimetre steps.

Why can't he see that for whom I was doing this all?

Right now, I wasn't even trying to hide my feelings. Maybe Tashfee was right, I was hopelessly falling for him with no self respect

I need to shut off this overthinking, it was ruining the night.

I ambled around smiling at people. Payal found me, she started talking amiably about whose engagement it was, then she and her brother Nikhil the cute cheeky one in blue suit joined. They all were blessed with sharp features and sharp wits traits, like Dhruv.

"How did you manage it Silver? Was there an actual plan or something? Girls have been trying since he was 14 to make him fall in love, no offense you are beautiful but he had eyes on him of like French beauties, our abroad relatives remember Nikhil? he never batted an eye" Payal asked as we walked.

"Oh come on, he isn't in love with me" I said.

He considers me nothing more than a friend, that too I made him after long persuading.

"What are you talking about? He stayed for more than 10 minutes in a function you made him stay, that itself is an achievement " Nikhil said.

"I can't believe you guys that he never entertained girls before, " I carefully looked for more information on his past life. He wasn't a Saint, I was aware of it very well

"He didn't entertain I meant nothing in a serious way, flings and hookups he had plenty of them when he transferred. His friends from previous school were bad news, you must already know " Nikhil glanced at me with cocked eyebrows

"Yeah, he has an interesting past" I replied

I never met his so called bad news friends

But hookup and flings, I will so run after him with a knife at him if he indulges into them again.

"The easiest way to find if he's in love is if he's possessive of you then damn sure he is in love with you. Our family love language is possessiveness" Payal said laughing giving knowing eyes to Nikhil who agreed,"no kidding there, Dhruv sure is possessive of you he won't even let me look at you without giving deep threatening scowls"

"Wait" he raised his arm,"let me look at you properly since he isn't here"

I stopped, posing dramatically"you can even take a picture" I suggested jokingly

"Noo" he shook his head chuckled,"Dhruv will have me buried 6ft under ground " he checked me out with a hand on his chin nodding approvingly,"you do have a style, you passed the vibe check, welcome to our family Silver"

"Oh phew I almost had a mini heart attack there" I said.

••

I watched the ceremony, the bride looked so in love and also the groom, it felt strange to see it in real.

Did this kinda love really exist? This true promising and commitment one, some years back my parents did these things too, they must also be in love.... then what happened over the period that they separated in such a brutal way. That they even threw aside the only living existence of their love.

"You seemed to not share the festive mood" said an unfamiliar voice standing where I stood. Nikhl and Payal went to do other ceremony stuff I guess.

I recognised him, it was Dhruv's brother. I had met him from afar and not had a personal one on one introduction. He was aloof and reserved like Dhruv, taller well built in a sleek grey suit made him look like some CEO of the company .

When Dhruv had this anger blazing heat as a character his brother was polar opposite cold, like a brick of ice. He had thunder storm clouds scary eyes,"I have heard about you before Silver Singhania, I am Reyaansh Dhruv's elder brother" he introduced briskly.

Heard about me?

I was confused

"A month ago, I was called in the office because you and Dhruv were made to call your guardians. Words are your step mother slapped you there," He said with no filters definitely, Dhruv's brother

I regarded him with caution usually would have shrugged it off with a flirty remark. He was older, probably in twenties and the guy, I was head over heels brother

"You know school teachers, they go overboard with rules sometimes," I said with a light laugh

His scrutinizing stare made me awkward as heck. I need to leave ASAP. Good decision Dhruv, maybe his family weren't all nice

"Your mother, she was a former runaway model she abandoned you, did she ever contact you?" He asked

"Excuse me" I straightened my shoulders with indignation

"Might haven't I guess.... a mother plays a crucial role in a child's development else the kids go astray" the way he said and eyeing me at that statement like I was the best example, it had me filled with rage and shame. He was looking DOWN at me

"What are you trying to say?" I asked with a clipped tone

"Though my brother is spoiled he isn't a lost cause. He has a future laid down for him, a responsibility, a business to handle he can't waste time in meaningless adventures. Moreover, he has a family, people looking out for him, we can't let some random wayward girl become his downfall"

I sucked in a breath never been this level insulted,not even at my home. And the harsh truth was I can't even argue.

He was right, I was alone neither I had anybody as my family nor I was a goody girl with a clean reputation.

"I bet you haven't even informed at your home you are here" he said, the last straw for me I walked away as if pretending to not hear those words. I had nothing to defend nothing to say. I slumped down on the random seat contemplating what I was doing here actually?

Living in a delusional world. Where I hoped everything will just be alright?

Hell even Dhruv doesn't consider me more than acquaintance. I wanted to leave, and felt sick to my stomach.

Right at that moment, Dhruv appeared bringing me out of whirling black thoughts.

•

I met every member like even the distant's distant then the kids, I knew Dhruv was doing purposely like see you are gonna get bored but I was far from bored. I enjoyed talking to everyone, he forgot I was a social butterfly by birth, when he preferred antisocial stay in a corner behaviour, I basked in attention, compliments, affection but none were negative aside from his brother, I decided to clarify with Dhruv at the end of the night what he really thought, I wasn't stupid or weak enough to step back because of his Righteous brother, my relationship was with Dhruv not him or anyone else to act on their words. He might be right but it was Dhruv's choice at the end of the day.

Anyway, the reason I enjoyed it here was the warm welcoming attitude, Never got a positive response from my family side whenever I go they make me feel like an outsider compelling me to create a scene acting bitchy instead of crying about being outcast. At last, I stopped going to any, it became more tiring than enjoying.

But with Dhruv's family, I felt included I felt happy, I shoved aside the dull pain maybe it would be the only time meeting them.

"You are still quiet" Dhruv commented when I swirled the ice-cream with the spoon in the cup getting distracted with thoughts they weren't just stopping now.

"Why? Do you miss my flirtatious talks?" I teased taking a spoonful of the ice-cream slowly while looking into his frowning eyes. They darkened but he gave me a look, he was way too well versed with my pretend.

He leaned towards me while telling me in a solemn tone.
"Listen my brother he is overly protective -

"Come man leave her alone for a fucking moment and let us boys get some booze" Nikhil pulled him up with his arm around his neck

Dhruv narrowed his eyes at him

Nikhil raised his arms in surrender stepping back.
"What? She won't go anywhere! Silver you are going anywhere?"

They all looked at me now

I shrugged grinning,"who knows?"

"You aren't helping much" Saurabh groaned. They were hounding Dhruv to get him drunk, Payal said, he was a sight to watch when he was drunk. I also wanted to see that.

"Fine, I am here, I am not going anywhere" I said rolling my eyes nevertheless smiling

Dhruv looked at me once like silently checking if I was alright. Since I said I wasn't feeling well he had turned to full pampering mode. It created a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, only Dhruv could make me feel so loved and hated the other moment.

I nodded with a pouting look I wanted to kiss him. He left not before, shooting me a heated glance.

"God you both are eye fucking each other" Palak gagged

"Absolutely not" I touched my warm cheeks.

••

"What did you guys give him?" I asked, seeing Dhruv's state with amusement.

"That's a secret thing Silver, we don't just tell it to anyone, you are not that close yet " Nikhil answered dramatically.

They were gathered at the Bar area. Dhruv aside on a secluded stool with a notepad and pen writing something on the bar counter his coat laid lazily at one side and sleeves of his white shirt folded back on his tanned arm while he was immersed in stabbing the paper with the pen.

"We were just waiting for the part where he drunk dial his ex instead he started making a debt list, can't believe I owe him 10,000!" Saurabh frowned

"He won't budge or stop drinking I thought maybe you could help" Abhinav suggested .

I eyed all three, the mischief mongers purposely set him to make a fool out of him, anyway I reached Dhruv and bent my head to see what he was doing.

"Dhruv" I called.

He lifted his head at my voice nothing changed in his demeanor other than a pair of glazed eyes stared back at me. "Silver" he said and all of a sudden yanked me by my arm to him making me sit on his lap. My hands fell on his broad shoulders in surprise.

Okay I take back, everything has changed

"Well we will leave you love birds alone" Saurabh sang from the back. Their retreating footsteps were heard, they left talking to themselves

"Our guy is gonna get laid tonight"

"He better be calling us tomorrow with a thankyou speech"

"Wait- I called looking over Dhruv's body but Dhruv blocked my vision by moving his face with an angry look
"Don't talk to them"

"Why?" My eyebrows jumped at the gravel of his voice

"Because, I said so" he replied with a serious glare

"You are really funny when you are drunk" I said looking at what he was writing, I was sat on his lap with his arm firmly around my waist keeping me in place, my back against his chest could literally feel the beating of his heart below his white shirt this was surreal, I remembered the time back of our initial days, how he swatted me off like an insect, when I tried to sit on his lap.

Now when I think back I really do feel embarrassed of my behaviour. Back then I was so thoughtless.

We had come a long way since then, turn of the events now how he had himself pulled me on his lap like nobody else could ever belong there. I did feel pleased at it, I always knew, he was mine. It was just a matter of time

SAHIL

I focused on the paper with angry writing in capital letters.

"Sahil, who's he?"
I read out tilting my head towards him. I had a faint idea of that name.

His hold tightened on me, at the mention of his name, eyes grew shrewd he would have shut off this topic in his usual sober state but being drunk made him less cynical. "The person, I hate the most in the world"

I rolled my eyes
"You hate everyone and I thought the most hated person was me?"

"I don't want to murder you" He clarified his eyes zeroing on my lips. I looked back into his gaze grazing the shoulder where my hand was on him liking the feel of it beneath my touch. "My god, I am feeling so special, it's the top most romantic thing a guy has ever said to me" I said with a straight face. When my hands and I were finding it difficult to sit still.

"What is the second one?"he asked back with a raise of his dark brow. I traced the arch above those sexy dark brown eyes.

"That I am pretty as a serpent" I replied

"Who said that?" He said with laughter underlining his tone

"8 years old, chubby roll"

He made a face at the nickname,"he had a good character judgement since childhood"

"Mean" I side eyed him

"Why do you want to murder Sahil?" He was your best friend, I didn't tell him Divyanshi told me that.

"He is the reason what I am today " he mumbled looking away swirling the drink of glass in his hand kept on the counter

"And that is what?" I took the drink from his hand and kept it aside. He was already drunk

"A bad guy" his attention turned back at me as if challenging for me to contradict

I grew alert, "why do you think so? what have you done so bad?" Finally Dhruv would tell me about his buried past life, the one he had left behind and came back

His expression was blank and eyes flashed the dread and agony still consuming him from inside. The curiosity was killing me, he came back so spiteful after that, I want to know the reason behind it and maybe the solution also lied there

He blinked switching the guard back on and reached for the glass inclining his body over mine in the process,my face got flushed right into his neck, the corded muscles and delectable column neck always had been a fantasy to mark my lips on them.

I sighed taking in his addicting smell then twisted my body in front cause we were in public. Go away tempting thoughts.

Though there were hardly any people at the bar, at this moment and those who were they were busy getting drunk

I stopped him from grabbing hold of the glass,"that's enough Dhruv, I really never thought of you so inclined towards drinking"

"I am inclined towards most of the things you can't even think about " he said with heavy lidded eyes. He brushed my bare arm sliding down his hand to my free hand teasing my fingers, all the while gauging for my reaction

My eyes widened sensation running down my body rendering me in trance. He was flirting with me?