Posted: October 22nd, 2019

✤ Sanya: 1.36 - Piece of Us ✤

I am rudely awakened by Kriana barging into my room yelling, "Look who's back!"

As I cringe both at the loud voice and the brightness in the room, I try to stretch only to realize Rihaan's arm over my stomach is pinning me to my place.

Before I say anything to my darling cousin and best friend, she shrieks again, "Ahh! My virgin eyes!"

"Shut up, Kriana." I mutter as I sit up and Rihaan's arm falls to my lap. She was just being dramatic. Rihaan and I may be sleeping on the same bed, but we were both very much dressed. Well... I was. I can't say when Rihaan removed his shirt in the middle of the night. All I remember is that I'd fallen asleep while we were watching Netflix and he must have followed soon after.

It's the end of summer, we've been back from New York a long time ago, and it's been one of the best summers with so many amazing memories that are a story in themselves.

I rub my eyes while she asks, "Am I good to open my eyes?"

If I could, I would roll my eyes, but it is a struggle to simply open them completely right now. "Yes, Kriana." I say with a yawn.

She must have opened her eyes since a moment later, she jumps on the bed. "What were you two up to last night?" She asks wiggling her eye brows.

I cringe again at the creepy expression on her face, "Never wiggle your brows like that. You look creepy."

She scoffs, "Whatever," before pouncing me with a tight hug. "Ugh. I can't believe I am saying this, but I missed your stupid face."

Stupid face?

Now, I do manage to roll my eyes and manage to peel her arms off my body, "I've heard of people changing over summers, but instead of changing for the better, you've turned meaner than ever." My scowl is turned upward as consciousness finally slips in. "Wait, you're back! What day is it? Weren't you supposed to arrive on...?"

Chuckling at my absent state, she points out, "Today is Thursday. Keep up, will you? Would I have barged in here yelling 'look who's back' otherwise? Speaking of, you still need to explain what's going on here, missy." She demands as if she is my mother while pointing towards Rihaan and I.

I tilt my head to the side to question if she is being serious right now and when she returns a dead pan serious look, I drag out a sigh. Why is everyone's first assumption that something must have happened if two people are sleeping on the same bed, regardless of whether or not they are in a relationship. "We fell asleep watching Netflix."

She makes a face turning to sit beside me, fixing my pillow, and lying back. "How boring. Atleast tell me you have juicy deets from the past two months."

"Kriana." I say her name in a scolding.

She defends, "What? My life was hell! Try staying with my grandparents for two months and even you will start behaving like this."

Simply shaking my head in response to that, I waddle down to the foot of the bed and step out. "I'm going to shower."

I wait for her to leave, but when I don't hear her behind me, I turn towards her. She's pulled the blanket over her legs by now and on catching me look at her, she waves me off. "Well, don't expect me to join you. I don't roll like that."

Oh, God. Why is she back?

Well... I say this because of her blunt comments, but ofcourse I am happy that she is back. Sadly, it is also an indicator that summer is about to end. We have 3 more days left - 4 if we count today as well. But, come Monday, it's going to be a heck of a school year.

I don't know if I am ready for that. I have already started collecting some of that nerves. I have been trying to shove them deep down to the surface, but let's see how long that lasts. Probably not long.

*✧✤--------------------------✤✧*

Roughly twenty minutes later, I step out of the bathroom. Quietly closing the door, I turn towards my room and stifle a laugh seeing the sight in front of me. Kriana is long gone - by that, I mean fast asleep with quiet snores. She must be really tired from the flight back and I'm sure she'll take some getting used to the time change. However, that wasn't even the best part. The best part was how Rihaan had his arm and one leg over her. The boy has no idea who is next to him.

Grinning like it's no one's business, I quietly walk to the bedside table, pick up my phone, and walk back to the end of the bed to take a picture.

Good blackmail material, am I right? Yeah yeah, go on and be surprised. I would not be thinking this way last year at all. But things change.

The door opens behind me as mom says, "Sanya, did Kriana...?"

"Shh," I hush her with a finger on my lips and she opens the door completely to step inside and take in the same sight that I had seconds ago. She chuckles coming to stand beside me. "They're never going to believe this when I tell them this."

She says, "Tell me you got a picture."

"Ofcourse," I wave my phone to her which is in my hand. "I'm sure I'll find good use of it some day." It's going to come in handy to blackmail the two of them.

Mom looks at me in surprise at first that I suggested that, before she grins back as if proud of me. "Now, you are finally my daughter."

I grin back before we decide to let them sleep.

After breakfast, however, I decide it's time to wake them up - or, atleast wake up Rihaan and mess with him a little.

Walking into my parents' room first, I fetch my dad. Holding him by the wrist, I drag him to my room telling him I want to show him something. He assumes it's a painting and so says, "San, I'll see it later, na? I'm getting late for a meeting. I'll already have to fight traffic to get there."

"Arey, just come na." I continue pulling him down the hallway once we reach the second floor. "It'll only take a minute."

He exhales in defeat. Reaching my room, I push the door and bring him in. Nodding towards the bed, I say, "Look at that."

"It's just..." He starts to speak casually before trailing off and looking at me with a raised brow questioning if I am suggesting what he thinks I am. I nod in confirmation and he fights to hide his smirk.

Oh yeah. He's proud of the way I am starting to think too.

Clearing his throat then, he masks a dead-serious face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he raises his voice, "Rihaan Armaan Gupta!"

Now, it's true that with some incentives, I have learned the secret of waking up my dear boyfriend. But, otherwise, he is still a heavy sleeper and not easy to wake up. However, get my dad to yell his name in that condescending tone and he'll jump up in bed fearing for his life.

He sits up at once and his eyes fly open. I am sure they must burn with the sudden intrusion but he fights it as he swallows looking at the fake-angry look on dad's face and believing he is actually pissed at him. "U-Uncle, uh... hel-hello. G-good morning."

Oh, boy. It is extremely hard to not laugh.

Dad raises a brow as he begins his interrogation, "Where is your shirt, son?"

Rihaan glances down at himself. Then, his eyes widen as he looks back up assuming that Dad is pissed because he must think the two of us were doing something we weren't supposed to. He begins fumbling to explain at once, "No! No, uncle. It's... it's not what you think. I swear. I was just sleeping. We were just watching Netflix."

"Decide, were you sleeping or watching Netflix?"

"Uh..."

Before he can reply, Dad overwhelms him by asking another question, "And what do you think you are doing cheating on my daughter under my roof?"

"What?" Rihaan questions utterly confused.

Dad says, "What else? I have to walk in here to see you with Kriana?!"

"Kriana isn't even..." Rihaan starts to say instinctively but pauses when Dad raises a brow. Sensing a movement next to him, Rihaan cautiously turns his head to the side as if it's a scary movie and the lead turns to the side expecting  monster to jump on him at any second. "...here" He finishes the statement seeing her fast asleep next to him.

I speak finally, "I didn't expect this from you, Rihaan."

His head snaps to me as if just realizing I have been in the room all along. "San..." he whispers looking back at me, scared and worried.

I look away pretending to be hurt. "You don't even know the difference between me and Kriana?"

"No, San, that's not..." He starts to explain in defeat and that is when neither I nor dad can continue the act.

We burst our laughing, high-fiving, while the poor guy stares at us in confusion.

Mom speaks coming in, she must have been watching standing behind us by the entryway. "Okay, you two. Stop pulling his leg already. Look at how terrified he is."

Dad drapes his arm over her shoulder while I take out my phone and capture the look on Rihaan's face. "Come on, honey. When would I have ever got this opportunity? I had to make the most of it."

I walk over to Rihaan and show him the picture I just took of him, "Look at yourself!"

Logic seems to be catching up slowly - his brain does take time to become fully functional first thing in the morning. "Did you both just prank me?"

I can understand the shock in his tone. He is the one to usually prank everyone. Him and his dad. But... well, dad and I just proved that when we team up, we aren't too bad ourselves.

"What do you think?" I smirk at him.

He pushes the blanket aside as he stands up slowly while I turn the phone back to me and look at the capture. "I think..." he says and I look up to find him glaring at me.

Uh-oh.

He takes a step towards me while I take a small one back. "Run." He says quietly and it comes off as dangerously.

When his arms reach forward, I yelp at once, dropping my phone, and do just that. Run, that is. Circling my parents, I run to the first place I can think of. My safe-haven.

My brother's room.

It's a good thing that his room is only two rooms down mine because otherwise, Rihaan would have caught me with his large strides compared to mine. I know I should knock especially since he hadn't woken up yet, but I still barge into his room yelling for him.

"Bhai! Save..." I freeze with my eyes wide while Aarav snaps away from Annie who pulls the blanket over her face. "Uh..." I lower my gaze as I am sure my face is turning red.

Aarav clears his throat while I lightly hear Annie's chuckle from under the blanket.

Turning, I decide it's best to leave without saying anything.

Ofcourse, the embarrassment is prolonged as Rihaan runs in and captures me in his arms. "Gotcha. You're so going to regret..."

"Rihaan," I scold him trying to push him back so we can both leave the room.

Oblivious, he looks past me to complain, "Bhai, you won't believe..." And then, he trails off. Yup, he finally catches on to the awkward silence in the room. His arms drop around me in shock. Taking the chance, I walk around him and run off but not before I hear him say, "Uh... carry on."

Okay... facing bhai and Annie later is going to be very awkward.

But, I can worry about that later.

For now, when Rihaan pulls the door shut behind him and his eyes catch mine just three feet away, I realize I need to run again. That awkward run in is not going to stop him from getting his revenge - though I think walking in on my brother and his girlfriend making out should have been revenge enough.

Oh, well. Where do I run to now? Seeing the stairs, I take them to the third floor towards my studio when really, I should have taken them down so I could have run out and avoid being cornered. My brain wasn't thinking as fast, however. It only thought of the places I feel comfortable around.

I try to push the door shut after me, but I did not realize that Rihaan has been right at my heel. Ofcourse, my strength is no match for him. he pushes his way in and I take a couple of steps back resorting to pointing a finger at him in a warning, "Rihaan, don't..."

"Or what?" He challenges smirking back and stalking slow, deliberate steps towards me knowing that the longer he took to get to me, the faster my heart was beating.

I try to walk back sideways hoping to circle around so I can get to the door again and make my escape. As I do, I reason with him as best as I can, "Come on, na. It was just a prank. You've played tons of them before."

He makes a very important point, "None on you, San."

Damn, it. I have no rebuttal to that. It is true. He's never troubled me as such.

"But... you should have realized it was a prank na." I try a different tactic.

He arches a brow making a move to leap at me and screeching, I jump back only to spill an open can of paint on the floor. "Oh, so now it's my fault for freaking out when that is thrown at me first thing in the morning? And that too by your dad?"

I am sure I will care about the tipped can and the dripping paint later on, but right now, my priority is to maintain the distance between us in hopes of escaping.

"Okay but come on. How could you really think...?" I almost sigh in relief when I look behind me and realize the door is only one more step to the right. I go to take that but freeze when from the outside, I hear the door locking and keys jingling.

Wait... tell me I hadn't left the keys hanging in the door knob... and that someone didn't just lock us in.

I proceed to jiggle the door knob but it goes nowhere. Yup, locked. I look up at Rihaan who realizes the same and smirks at me in victory while my face pales.

From the other side of the door, we hear a very familiar voice. "Carry on, Rihaan."

Annie, what did I ever do to you? I have always been sweet to her. Just because the two of them spend more time together watching cricket - even when supporting different teams, but that is not the point. This is no fair.

His smirk ofcourse widens as he speaks back, "Thanks, di" and takes the last step towards me. I try to move away from the door but again, my luck has abandoned me. He places his arm on the door by my face followed by the other, trapping me in between. He arches a brow while leaning in, "You were saying?"

There is only one option left now.

Smiling sweetly, I look back at him with nothing but hope in my eyes. "I am sorry?"

He smacks his lips, shaking his head. "Naw, too late for that."

I beg, "Rihaan..."

He moves his right arm off the wall to point a finger at me, "Nope. No, San. None of that cute pouts and quiet whispers. That prank was really cruel."

Okay... if I put myself in his place, I guess it was cruel. Lowering my gaze, I nod. "I know."

His finger tucks under my chin and he lifts it slightly nudging me to look back at him. His face nears as he leans in resting his forehead against mine. "I don't want you ever thinking I could ever cheat on you."

Though it was just a prank and while I know without a doubt that he would never, I suppose I can understand why he is reacting this sensitively. "I know," I repeat, my eyes closing as I exhale. Lifting my hands, I go to hold my ears, but he must have caught my action since his fingers wrap around my either wrists to stop me. When I open my eyes, he shakes his head at me telling me not to do that. So, I only say the words I planned to say while holding my ears, "I am sorry."

Exhaling as well, he lets the matter go and dropping my hands, places his hands on my hips to bring me closer, away from the door, so he can hug me. Resting my head on his bare chest, I wrap my arms around his torso and lull myself in a sense of safety hearing the soft thumps of his heart beats.

There is a piece of us that will always continue to beat in the other's heart.

A moment later, he speaks by my ear, "Just don't tell people I forgave you so quickly?"

Chuckling in response, I lean back to part from the hug. "Your reputation is safe," I assure him grinning up at him.

He must know it was silly too to be worrying over it, but I guess this is something he prefers keeping between us. I don't mind it either. "Thanks," he says leaning down to kiss my cheek and I turn last second so that his lips plant on mine instead.

He pulls back, surprised, while I wink back at him. "I win."

Let me catch you up. A couple of days ago, I had pointed out to him how after the very first kiss the day after his birthday, he hadn't initiated any of the other kisses. I had taken that to claim he was a shy guy to tease him. He had brushed it off saying he could very well kiss me if he wanted to but that, for him, emotional intimacy mattered more. Ofcourse, that had led me to tease him further eventually ending with daring him that I would only believe he wasn't shy if he kissed me. He had said it would prove nothing and that he wasn't going to change his ways by initiating a kiss to prove me wrong. Since then, he must have had tons of opportunities to kiss me. Heck, I'd presented a few opportunities myself. He just wouldn't fall for any of them.

Rolling his eyes, he counters, "No, it doesn't count."

I shrug my shoulders to convey I was going to count it.

He adds locking his fingers around my back, "What side of bed did you wake up on, anyway? You've been in a mischievous mood."

Again, I shrug my shoulders locking my hands behind his neck, "Maybe I just want to make the most of last days of summer." I take a small step towards him to close the distance between us and he traces it back raising a brow at my intentions. I justify, "What, you heard what di said." He lowers his gaze for a second, biting his bottom lip in a muffled chuckle. Reaching up on my toes, I kiss his cheek right where color had started to appear. Then, I whisper by his ear, "Adorable, when you blush."

"I'm not..." he begins to counter.

Shaking my head, I rest back on my feet. The space lets me gaze into his eyes and he takes another step back, starting to unwind his fingers from around my back. I keep my arms on his shoulders though, following him. His brows pull together in a faint questioning look. "If you don't want them thinking you forgave me too quickly, we need to stay put for a bit before asking them to let us out."

He falls for that reason, "Oh. Right."

Ofcourse, it's one of the reasons, but not the only. Like I said, making the most of summer and like he said, I seem to have woken up mischievous. Maybe everyone's influence is finally catching up to me.

He looks back at the tipped over paint, "Maybe we should clean that."

"Mhmm," I reply, making no move to actually start on the task.

He taps my cheek to the right, "Stop looking at me like that."

So, he did know my intentions. He just did not want to oblige.

As he steps out of my hold, I place my hands on hips and question, "How are you your parents' son?"

Like, seriously. Look at the two of them. Still so much romantic towards the other. And this boy. He seems to have inherited none of that. Sure, he can be charming as hell. He's got the looks too. The musical talent, yes. Romance, however? Yes, it is intense emotionally. We have never felt closer to each other and each day passing only brings us closer. But, when it comes to taking advantage of the situation, he won't. What teenager is this decent? Especially with their girlfriend who wouldn't mind?

He retorts as he walks over to grab an old torn up piece of cloth to wipe up the paint, "You can ask them yourself later."

As if. I'm not having that conversation with them. Awkward!

Given as he starts trying to put the paint from the surface back in the can, I exhale and walk over to help. But, as I pick up another towel, I get an idea. Okay... we'll do something about my naughty brain another day. For today, let it be free.

Instead of wiping it up, I dip my fingers in the paint on the floor and when he least expects it, I touch his cheek. My fingers make an imprint there with the paint. His eyes snap up to mines and I smirk back, "Consider that revenge for what you did to me this Holi."

It was months ago, but isn't there a saying that revenge served cold is sweetest?

"You know what?"

I push his buttons by cheekily asking, "What?"

"Today, you are just asking for it." He says sweeping paint on his palms as well and leaps towards me in lightening speed.

Squealing, my intention is to stand up and make a run for it but as I put my palm on the floor to help push me up, it slips from the paint causing me to fall back and him towering over me. I take a second to clench the pain away as my head hit the floor while Rihaan pulls back enough to look at me with his upper body still towering over me. As our eyes meet, we start laughing.

He mentions, "I think you'll have to take another long bath."

As he does, I feel the back of my clothes wet along with my scalp. Though I should be irritated at how much effort it'll take to wash my hair, I just laugh. "Atleast my state will give them the impression you didn't go easy on me."

His lips tug upwards in response, "There's just one more thing."

"Yeah, help me up?" I ask putting my hands on his shoulders to nudge him back but instead, he leans closer.

His eyes flickers to my lips and the smile that had been constantly playing there starts to fade. Is he really going to kiss me? Each rise and fall of my chest feels like torture. Just when I think our lips will meet and so my eyes close, I wait but it does not come. Then, I feel his warm breath over my ear. I wait for him to say something, but that does not happen either. That sensation trails down to my shoulder and unknowingly, my lips part as if needing my mouth to breathe for me as well.

My head turns in the other direction of where I feel his face is. He doesn't kiss my shoulder. He doesn't say anything by my ear. He doesn't kiss me on the lips. What is he up to? Just as I question it, I feel a slight movement before his cheek meets my nape. The sudden intrusion causes me to inaudibly gasp. Seconds later, there is a breadth of space between my neck and his cheek as he pulls back but I am sure he smudged some of the paint off his cheek and on my neck.

I would scold him for it if it hadn't stolen my breath away. I suppose I shouldn't challenge him. I had asked if he was really his parent's son. Just when I think I know him, he'll surprise me with some fresh action.

I wait for him to lean back and move aside, but he has other ideas first. His lips press under my jaw, right over my raging pulse. My stomach pulls in as I hold my breath for a second waiting for the tingles to pass. Over the summer, he has definitely learned that forehead kisses and shoulder pecks melt my heart. I suppose today he learns what drives me in when he kisses in that particular soft. As if to convey he noticed, he kisses me there again and I can feel the smile on his lips.

Then, he speaks over my ear, "Now, you win." He says to convey this was an initiation on his end and though it was not a kiss on the lips, it still counts.

I end up pulling my bottom lip in my mouth and lightly shake my head with a smile. He should be working towards his own victory, but it's as if he would much rather prefer I win. People say that when they are in love, their partners win is their own even if it means they themselves lose. Such may be the case, but the added benefit here is that he makes me win.

Our heads turn towards the door when it suddenly opens to reveal my parents, Kriana, Aarav, and Annie. They take a moment to grasp the scene before grinning like fools. Kriana adds, "Now we know why we didn't hear anything for a while."

It tells us that they must have had their ears glued to the door.

Rihaan scrambles to get off me before asking for my hand and then helping me stand as well.

Annie suggests, "Maybe we should lock them up again."

Aarav sides with her, "Yeah, that'll keep them from interrupting us again." He receives a swat on his either shoulders - one from mom and the other from Annie. He frowns at his love, "What, you first complain I am not..."

She covers his mouth, "Shut up! Have you no filter in front of your parents and little siblings?"

Kriana snaps before he can reply, "Okay, enough lovey-dovey in front of the only single person here. Shame on you." She turns to dad, "Don't you have a meeting to get to, mister?" She tells mom, "You, missy, what will it take for you to feed a poor soul?"

"Arey!" Both of my parents gape at her as she pushes past them in a melodrama while we look at her retrieving self in amusement. Leave it on Kriana to make everyone feel like she is the only mature one around and shaming others for not having their priorities straight.

Aarav comments, "I feel like she is turning into Arshiya by the day."

I speak in her defense, "She just missed her probably." We all know how close the two of them are and I can also bet - out of all of us, she must have missed Arshiya the most while she was away for the summer.

Annie suggests, "Speaking of, we should get ready so we can go pick her up."

She was coming back form her cruise today as well. It was planned such that everyone could have atleast a few days together before we'd have to separate in our individual priorities until next holidays would roll around.

The two of them leave and Dad makes his exit as well by kissing mom goodbye. She looks at us afterwards raising a brow as if to convey if we were waiting for a special invitation. Taking our cue, we speed walk out of the room, passing her with our heads lowered, and walking down the stairs.

*✧✤--------------------------✤✧*

| Author Note |

Maybe a filler chapter but hope it makes you smile! I'm working on creating an update schedule to try and get back to regular updates. Will keep you posted :)

QOTC: Any clue what is about to happen next? 😈

Be sure to leave a vote and your comments! Love reading them <3