I felt no pain, no anger, no despair. I felt nothing. 

I wanted to break down, but didn't have the strength to do that even. I finally acknowledged the truth.

'You are horrible person.' My mind screamed and for the first time my heart didn't protest. Avinash's Instagram pictures had laid down before me the very truth I had been denying to see.

Damini and Avinash were happy with each other, and I was the skunk who wanted to break them up.

I was the antagonist in this story. All along I had been the antagonist in Damini and Avinash's story. Damini was never at fault. We both liked Avi, like thousands of other girls. But Avi had chosen Damini over everyone else.

Damini had fallen for him the very first time she saw him in the courtyard. Just like I had fallen for him in the corridor outside the cafeteria. Avinash hadn't even noticed me in the corridor, yet he had kept stealing glances at Damini in the courtyard.

It was all in plain sight. He had nothing for me. Rather I was throwing myself at him, scheming to steal him away from his girlfriend.

Damini and Avinash probably loved each other, but hadn't realized it, just like Mandy-Natasha and Mia-Fatima. Yet I wanted to separate them. I wondered how I would feel if someone tried to take Natasha away from Mandy, or Fatima away from Mia.

When did I turn into this monster? I have to stay away from Avinash. All this while I felt Damini was horrible, but in reality it was me who was the horrible person.

Just like a meteor across the night sky, the truth flashed across my mind. I finally realized what this meant. I had been in denial for too long. I pretended that I just wanted to sleep with him.

I was so scared of its intensity that I had tried to push it away. But if not to anyone else, I needed to be honest to myself.

Yes, I was in love with Avinash Chauhan.

I knew it would be never be reciprocated, yet I wanted to hold on to this feeling. The feeling authors wrote poems about.

Though no poems, no words, nothing can ever describe it. Unless you feel it yourself, you won't know. To each, it is different yet same. When I embraced my feelings for Avinash, it was easier to let go of all grudges and disappointments.

I was ready to accept him with Damini. I wanted him to be happy with whomever he was. Even if it meant my heart breaking into thousand pieces, I wanted him to be happy.

"Naxi," a nudge on my shoulder brought me to the present. I was still seated in Avinash's passenger seat, but my mind had drifted off to a parallel world.

"Where were you?" He asked worry etched on his forehead. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry, must have zoned out." I replied rubbing my nape. 

"Where are we?" I asked. Our car was parked outside a creeper-covered wall.

"The Forest Cafe and Lounge." Avinash said cheerfully.

"I thought you were going to drop me to the hotel." I tried not to look at him.

"I thought you wanted to see The Forest," his voice faltered "you said back there."

That was just to calm his nieces.

"Never mind," I unlocked the door and climbed down.

The Forest indeed was beautiful. There was an open-air courtyard cafe, which was separated from the lounge bar by a glass wall. Both the cafeteria and lounge bar were decorated with fairy lights. Avi walked me to the lounge where no kids were allowed.

James Blunt's 'You are beautiful' greeted us once we stepped into the lounge. One of the servers led us to the only vacant cabana. The small pool around which the cabanas were put up, was strewn with rose petals.

"You should try their Sangria it's amazing." Avinash told me.
I nodded.

"Two Sangria," Avinash told the server.

The other guests danced on the makeshift dance floor. Everyone seemed happy and relaxed. Avinash too seemed cheerful after a long time. I didn't want to dampen it with my sorrow and despair.

"This place is mesmerizing."

"Isn't it?" Avinash beamed.

The Sangrias appeared after few minutes. I had never tasted red wine before so cautiously sipped it. Unlike Rum or Beer, Red wine felt velvety against my tongue. I downed it in one gulp.

"Whoa, Lady Hulk, take it slow." Avinash exclaimed.

"Can I have one more?" I asked eagerly.

"You can have as many as you want, but keep in mind, we will be leaving at 4 tomorrow and it's going to be a long journey." He reminded.

"Don't worry I will be fine." I assured him and ordered another Sangria.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, sipping the red wine.

"Sure." He half-shrugged.

"Today in the car, when you were speaking to Damini, why did you pull away my headphones?" It had been bothering me for quite some time; why did Avinash want me to listen to his girlfriend's dirty talks.

"Well!" He smiled shyly, "I find it hilarious, how she moans and purrs not realizing that I am not one bit into it. It's absurd how she gets started even if she knows that I am in the loo, doing my morning business. Yet I have to Ooh! and Aah! to keep her satisfied." He scratched the back of his ears "I couldn't share this ridiculous experience with any of my friends. I am not aware whether you noticed it or not, but none of my friends like Damini."

'They didn't like her' was an understatement. His friends despised Damini. If Oly was given a chance, she would have happily shaved off Damini's eyebrows.

"I didn't want to humiliate her by sharing this with the people, who were always insulting her," he pursed his lips, "but I desperately wanted to share this with someone so that I could joke about Damini's perennially-overcharged sex drive, without hurting her. People usually share these with their best friends, but in my case it's not possible."

He looked at me grinning playfully. "I knew you won't humiliate her even if I told you." He chuckled taking a sip of his Sangria."Zoravar and Olivia would have probably rubbed it on her face, how her boyfriend pretends to be involved in phone sex when he is actually engrossed in Candy Crush or Temple Run."

"You care for her a lot, don't you?" I quizzed.

"Yes I do." There was certainty in his voice. "We all have our flaws and I hate it when my friends mock her for hers. She is always nice to them, yet they are rude to her, especially Oly and Zoro." He stared at his drink pensively.

"Are in love with her?" I knew the answer already, but still wanted him to say it aloud.

"I guess, Yes." He said with conviction. I turned my face away and ordered another glass of Sangria.

I was five glasses down when a man spoke on a microphone from the makeshift dance floor.

"Since you all know this year's Christmas theme is Love," The man grinned excitedly, "So all you lovely couples come down and show us your sizzling chemistry."

All the couples gathered at the lounge, some hesitantly and some excitedly, took the dance floor.

"You there in white sweater," the man with the microphone boomed looking in our direction, "don't be shy come on up." 

"Oh we are not a couple," Avinash shouted back, "just friends."

"That is the lamest excuse," the man boomed, "I can feel the tension between the two of you from here."

Avinash rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a spoilsport," the man continued egging us, "get down here with your girl." The other couples gathered in the dance floor mimicked the man with the microphone, cheering us to join.

"Hey come on man," one of them shouted to Avi.

"Don't be shy boy." Another screamed.

"The typical Indian mentality," Avinash muttered. "A boy and a girl can never be just friends."

I was equally embarrassed, completely aware that every pair of eyes in the lounge were upon us.

"Come on," Avinash looked at me, "let's be done with it." He extended his hand, expecting me to take it.

"Avi I don't dance." I squeaked, absolutely flabbergasted.

"Hey girl stop acting pricey," someone shouted.

"Trust me." He said, and I trusted him once again. The other couples cheered while Avinash lead me to the makeshift dance floor. Christina Perri's musical voice filled the air with 'A Thousand Years'.

Avinash placed his hands lightly on the sides of my waist. I looked around and copied the couple nearby, placing my hands on Avi's shoulders. Avinash was nearly half a foot taller than me so I had to lift my head to look at him.

He shifted his left foot to the left, his right foot filling the space his left foot had vacated. He then brought his right foot back to where it was, his left foot returning to the place, it had moved away from. I followed his steps and we moved to the slow beats of the song.

"See you can dance too." He said softly, beholding my eyes with his hazel ones.

I could tell the wine was kicking in, because I felt a little light headed. The familiar Playboy Malibu fragrance didn't help either. My head fell back a little.

"You okay?" Avinash asked shakily.

"Mhmm," I nodded.

I circled my hand around his neck shuffling closer to him. His hands snaked around my waist resting against the small of my back. Our eyes glued to each other, his ragged breathing making his chest rise and fall rapidly. Our faces were inches apart from each other.

I knew this moment won't last, or happen again. We were not meant to be together, just like the Sun and Earth. I would forever love him from afar. Watch him flourish and prosper while I burned.

I was ready to burn, if it meant I could brighten his life, just like the sun burned to brighten Earth. Like the Sun I am forbidden from moving closer to him. He was not mine, he could never be mine. I would rather stay away from him than destroy him by moving any closer. For the Earth to be peaceful, the sun must stay away. Yet my arms held on to him.

Just a little longer my heart begged to my mind. I could feel his cold breath caressing my lips. His pupils were slightly dilated while our lips inched closer.

Avinash P.O.V

Every Mitochondrion of my body screamed me to move away, but I couldn't. I was slipping into the snare she had laid down to trap me.

This was all probably her attempt to win the bet she had placed with her friend. For once I couldn't care less. This moment, having her in my arms, felt right. Yet I knew it was wrong. She was not mine, and never would be. She was right, people like me, deserve girls like Damini, not her. But I wanted her to be mine. I wanted to be the only one who could hold her like this.

Her kohled dark brown eyes were impossible to decipher. I was merely a bet to her, but I wanted her to win the bet, even if it meant I would have my heart broken. I wanted to stretch this moment forever.

It felt like a piece of me had been missing all this while, and now I have found it. I felt complete with her. I could see the moisture on her lashes as I felt my face inch closer to take those plum lips into mine.

The music stopped and was replaced by the sound of applause, before the couples around us dispersed. Taking with her a part of me, she pulled away. The moment was gone, and I was left with a void I had never felt before, filling my heart.

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