FRIENDSHIP TRACK + ROMANCE

- 10/08/24

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Vansh Rai Singhania.

A man of few words. A successful businessman with copious amount of power in his hands. A mysterious entity with a heart, frozen and hidden in the shadows. His face, chiseled in stone and marble, displayed an expression of annoyance of all times.

A wanted bachelor at twenty-six, Vansh kept away from all women, unless necessary. For women, Vansh was a jackpot on their list. A look, a word, a moment of attention; it was enough for them to begin persuing him relentlessly. Some women even went as far as stalking him.

Yet, Vansh wasn't bothered since none ever reached the boundaries of his mansion. And in time, came up various rumours about him; ranging from him being impotent, to having a lover in hidden.

"You're just another woman for Vansh." Kabir grumbled. Taking a large sip of his drink, he slams the glass on the table.

Riddhima, Vansh's girlfriend, left out a sigh of deny. Letting out a few exhaustive grunts, he took in another large swig. "Ragini, Ahana, Kaira. Ha, the number of women he's dated so far cannot be counted anymore."

"Every two months, a new woman would declare herself as his girlfriend. You are just another woman, Riddhima."

Riddhima couldn't refute. Kabir wasn't wrong; she was just a fill-in for the next woman to come in. And yet, a part of her blindly believed that Vansh loved and cared for her. That she was the last woman in his list.

A hope kept her anchored to Vansh; a hope of a lifetime companionship.

As if on cue, her phone rang.

A smile curved on her lips. She answered. "Hello, Vansh."

"Hi," Vansh spoke stiffly. A moment of silence later, he continued, "The weather today seems good for a walk."

'Oh, Vansh!' She giggled. 'You're still shy as ever. Using the weather as excuse to spend the evening together.'

"Ice cream?" Vansh mumbled softly, taking in deep breaths.

"Mhm, shall we meet near the lakeside park?" She suggested, grabbing her belongings and making a dash for the door, "I've been craving their ice cream."

"Okay." He waited, trying to form more words.

"I'll wait for you at the intersection point."

"Okay," he replied, his voice laced with relief. The meeting point was two kilometres away. Ditching the public transport, Riddhima walked her way down.

She wore a pair of semi-formal black pants, a beige coloured shirt along with grey sport shoes. Adjusting her bag across her shoulder, she jogged down to the signal, making it there before Vansh did.

Sweat trickled down her forehead, the cold breeze soothing her. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned back on her weight and waited for Vansh.

"Hi," Vansh greeted stiffly.

"Hi, Vansh!" She greeted him back brightly. "Guess what? I beat you by five minutes." Grinning, she hugged him. At first, Vansh went all stiff as a board, but slowly he relaxed. By the time he reached out to hold her, she had pulled back.

Vansh mentally cursed his shy and closed off nature. He scratched his neck, holding a hand out for her. Riddhima slipped her hand into his larger one, their fingers entwined.

Vansh led her to the car, helped her sit and drove them to the park. Riddhima ordered two cups of hot chocolate fudge with a generous amount of nuts.

Passing him a bowl, she led him towards a seat by the river. The two sat, relishing their dessert in silence. Their shoulders brushed against each other every now and then; they remained unfazed despite the butterflies in their stomachs.

Riddhima stole glances with Vansh. The rays of the setting sun kissed his gorgeous being, highlighting his soft features; a true apple in her eyes. She gulped hard, the melted ice cream flowing down from her mouth to her chin.

"Uh, you, um." Vansh pointed towards her chin, trying to form a decent sentence. Pulling out his kerchief, he set his ice cream bowl on the bench and wiped it off her chin. "There was ice cream there." He mumbled, passing the kerchief to her.

"Thank you." She acknowledged, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Vansh's phone rang, breaking the silence. A smile appeared on his lips, Riddhima noticed, as he answered the call.

"Hello!" Vansh spoke. "Yes, I'm with Riddhima right now. Just send me the list, I'll buy it. Don't be sorry. Yes baba, I'll be home by eight. No, I won't forget to drop her home. Bye!"

Riddhima stared at Vansh in awe. Just who was the caller that made Vansh speak in full sentences? She tried to peek at the contact, but looked away immediately; her conscience pricked her hard.

Vansh Rai Singhania has a lover in hiding.

You're just another woman for Vansh, Riddhima.

Riddhima gulped hard. She shook her head, denying the words and rumours. Gulping down the last bits of her ice cream, she tossed the empty bowl into the bin.

"Shall we walk around for a bit, Vansh?" She asked, holding her hands behind her back. He nodded, throwing the empty bowl into the bin.

They walked along the lake side. Riddhima glanced at the stores in curiosity. "Isn't this cute, Vansh?"

Hearing no reply, she turned up to look at him. Vansh was no where to be found. Riddhima panicked, looking around. Stepping back, she was about to retrace her steps when -

"Riddhima, wait."

- Vansh called her, two packages in his hand.

"If you were going to shop, you should've atleast told me." She scolded lightly. "I thought you got lost."

Vansh lips curved into a small smile. He held out a package for her. "This is for you."

"And that?" Riddhima asked, looking at the second bag.

"That- it... I got this my sister." He confessed. "She likes soft toys."

"Younger sister?" Riddhima held the bag close to her chest.

"Elder." He clarified. Holding her hand he continues, a deep shade of red appearing on his cheeks, "I've even told her about us. She... she is excited to meet you."

"Does that mean I'm the girl you love?"

Vansh stared at her as if she had grown two horns on her head. "I mean, you've dated so many girls before me. I thought... I was just one of them."

"Girls?" Vansh raised a brow, flabbergasted. "Riddhima, you're my first and last girlfriend."

"But those rumours..." She trailed off, sitting on the stone bench nearby with a thud.

Vansh placed the parcels on the bench and kneeled before her, holding her palm in both of his. "Riddhima, I swear on our love, I've never dated anyone before you. You're my first girlfriend, and I intend to keep you as my only one."

"So you really didn't date Ahana, Ragini and Kiara?"

The names struck a cord in his mind and he realised everything. "They were dating, Kabir, not me. Just think about it, if I had dated them before would I have been so... so shy around you?

Riddhima, I love you. And I will only love you.

But I don't have any experience with any women beyond my sister. All these dates, these gifts - I was clueless about everything. I knew your tastes, but," He panted, catching his breath.

Riddhima searched his eyes for any deception but found none. A small smile appeared on her lips.

"You're the romantic type, Riddhima. I'm not, urgh, I can't do it as easily as you. That excuse of a nice weather was to go on a walk with you. To hold hands with you. To spend time with you."

Before he could speak any further, Riddhima silenced him with a kiss on his lips. Vansh stumbled back, pulling Riddhima down with him, his eyes wide open. Vansh's arm was draped over her waist, holding her in place, while her palms rested on his chest.

They locked gazes, lost in each other as the world around them faded. Riddhima's sweet perfume filled the air, Vansh's rapid heartbeats filling their ears.

Vansh tucked a strand of her behind her ear, running a finger down her neck. "I love you, Riddhima." He breathed. His cheeks were deep red which made Riddhima giggle. "Oh, Vansh! You're such a softie." She teased, pulling his cheeks which made him blush more.

Riddhima slid off his thighs and stood up, helping him stand up. "Even my sister calls me that. You should meet her someday. You'll become best buddies."

Riddhima stepped closer to him, their bodies inches apart, and Vansh's heartbeat picked up. "Sounds tempting." She whispered in his ear, her breath fanning his neck. Kissing his cheek, she stepped back and grabbed the two packages. "Let's go to your house for dinner. I wanna meet her."

Riddhima strutted ahead, a whistle on her lips, while Vansh followed behind, his eyes and heart fixed on her.

:::

Vansh pulled up near a medical store. He unbuckled his seat belt. "I need to buy some stuff for my sister. Shall I get something for you?"

"What are you getting for Di?"

"Sanitary pads, dark chocolates, painkillers - " Vansh opened his phone to check the list of items his sister had sent. "- some general medications and first aid."

Riddhima imagined Vansh standing in the ladies section, going through the various companies of sanitary napkins, his face red like a tomato.

"I'll have a look and decide." She said, stepping out, not wanting to miss the scene.

The medical store was empty, the room air conditioned and scented with a lemon flavoured floor cleaner. Their heels clicked against the floor, Riddhima's eyes following Vansh who moved to grab the sanitary pads.

She watched him scanning the shelves, scratching the back of his head in confusion. He looked like a lost puppy, his eyes wide open and movements frantic.

"All good, softie?" Riddhima suppressed a giggle, standing beside him. Vansh's eyes lit up as if he saw an angel. "Actually, the brand which Di uses is not here, and I don't know which brand can I take as an alternative. They're all so confusing. Can you help me?"

Riddhima couldn't help but melt at his innocence and nodded. "Which brand does Di use?"

Vansh showed her the name of the brand on his phone. "I use this brand too!" She chirped as if it was something amusing. "This is a really good brand. It's our savior. But there's only one problem, if you switch to another brand, you get rashes."

Riddhima turned towards the shelf, blurting out a lot of intimate information that made even the shopkeeper go red. But Vansh stood quietly, absorbing all the information with a neutral expression.

"Found it!" Riddhima exclaimed, grabbing a packet from the bottom of the shelf and handed it to him, after checking the expire date. "This is the best alternative to the brand! It is even more soft and comfortable, and prevents leakage for longer hours."

"Thanks!" Vansh smiled, holding the packet. "I'll go buy the chocolates and painkillers. You go and get everything else." She offered, moving towards the shelf stocked with various types of chocolates.

Fifteen minutes later, they met at the counter and Vansh found varities of milk chocolates in the pile. "Is this enough for you?"

"Why? Do you want to get more?"

"Sure. Take as many as you want." He flashed her a handsome smile, placing the antiseptics, ointments, general medications, bandages, gauges on the table.

"I'm not kidding, Vansh. I'll really get more."

"Me neither, sweetheart. Get as many as you want."

"I'm going to get more." She warned, moving back to the chocolate shelf and grabbed a handful.

She shuddered when she felt his warm breath down her neck, his hand snaking around her waist. "Take more, sweetheart. These aren't enough." He whispered, grabbing a handful of chocolates and giving them to her. Her hand was small and many fell down.

He cupped his palms together, and she placed all the chocolates in his palms, including the ones that fell down. "More, sweetheart. Take it to your hearts content."

"And what? Get diabetes? Cavities? No way! I hate doctors and injections." She huffed, placing the last handful in his palms.

"You can still that one. It won't give you any cavities or diabetes." He grinned, and Riddhima looked in the direction he pointed to see a pack of chocolate flavoured condoms. She whacked him on the stomach, rolling her eyes at his antics. "Idiot!" She mumbled, walking off to the counter and he followed, dropping all the chocolates on the glass slab.

"I'm being serious, sweetheart. It's healthy, and can be enjoyed by two people." He whispered in her ear, continuing to tease her. She elbowed him in the stomach and he jumped back dramatically.

"Uff! Mera dil toot gaya." He spoke dramatically, rubbing the spot. The owner scanned the items quickly, not wanting to witness their romance any more.

He put everything in a big brown bag and placed it on the counter. "Cash, card, UPI?"

Riddhima fished out her phone from her pocket, scanning the QR code.

"Let me pay, sweetheart." Vansh offered, taking out his silver signature card.

"Ofcourse, you can. I'm paying for my purchase." She smiled innocently, showing the owner the payment confirmation.

"I thought you were more of a spilt the bill type." He remarked, swiping his card on the machine and entering the pin. The receipt was generated and the duo set out of the shop.

"I am. But I am a pay for what I purchase types."

They placed the bag on the backseat and sat comfortably, buckling their seat belts.

When crossing over a speed bump, the bag fell sideways and a box tumbled out. Riddhima glanced at it and then stared at Vansh in disbelief.

"You really brought the condoms, Vansh!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. They don't expire for five years. And that's just a year after our marriage."

"You're incorrigible, softie."

Vansh laughed.

• TO BE CONTINUED •