Chapter 2

Two weeks of talking to Vikram, Subhadra felt good. She knew she shouldn't be happy from receiving a text from Vikram, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't remember feeling this excited...since forever.

So, they decided to meet up. Subhadra arrived at the time agreed upon to the park and had to wait a few minutes for Vikram.

When he arrived, they hugged each other and Subhadra looked around. Everyone was a busybody who thought other's businesses were their business, especially the nosey aunties.

She didn't want anyone she knew going to her parents and tattling on her for meeting a guy. They would nag her on getting married for the umpteenth time.

"So let me get something cleared up. You're interested in me right?" He asked her.

"Yes. That's why I'm here. Are you?"

"Of course I am. I wouldn't be here either if I wasn't."

Subhadra shrugged. "That's good then."

They started walking side by side.

"Let's play twenty questions." She suggested.

Vikram hated questions and he hated people questioning him, but he could make an exception for Subhadra, so he nodded.

"Favorite color?"

"Black." He answered. He watched her roll her eyes and laughed.

"What? Not a good enough color for you?"

"It's nothing like that, but black...has no color. Your turn."

"Favorite animal?" It was the only thing that popped into his mind.

"Dogs, of course. First love?"

Vikram put his hands on his head and sighed. He didn't like reciting his love story, but he could do it this once for her.

"It's a long story, but I'll cut it short." She looked excited to know, so he decided to tell her a major portion of it. He was an honest man who never broke his promises and he wanted Subhadra to trust him.

"Her name is Nehra. I've loved her for six years. I still do. I only met her once, that's it. There's no way for us to be together. I'm not the same caste as her. Her family would never accept me."

He could see her looking at him in his peripheral vision. He liked having her eyes on him.

"That kind of sounds cowardly Vikram."

"We don't communicate with each other. It's been six months. There's only so much I can do. You wouldn't understand." He knew she wouldn't.

"So help me understand." He looked at her then. He liked her. He liked her willingness to listen. Her willingness to understand.

He slipped his hand in hers.

"You're right Subhadra."

Subhadra liked his hand in hers. His situation was a little similar to hers actually.

"You know, this reminds me of my first love actually. His name was Aslan. He was a transfer student from Turkey. I didn't care about him for the longest time, in fact neither of us liked each other much and bam! Suddenly, one day, when I saw him talking to and smiling with some other girl, I didn't like it. At all. Apparently, he had done that on purpose. For me to notice. His family would never accept me either. A few years after that, I moved. Now, I'm a different person and he's a different person."

She saw his face immediately change and didn't understand why. She had just told him about her first love as he told her about his.

"Okay. Enough about the past. Let's talk about the present. What's your favorite color?"

So, they continued to talk and soon, it was time for Vikram to go as he got a call from work. Subhadra had tried to peek at his phone screen, even though she knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help herself. She had the sense to be ashamed when Vikram caught her and laughed it off.

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Three weeks later :

Vikram never replied to Subhadra's texts on time. Maybe he was busy, but was he busy late at midnight? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. She didn't know and she wasn't desperate enough to ask him.

It hurt, but it was nothing big. Vikram was the first guy she felt anything for after Aslan and that was saying something. There were many guys, but only Vikram made her feel something.

She didn't know what to feel anymore.  Sometimes she felt like she wasn't getting back the same energy from him as she was giving. What she felt for him was stronger than like, but less than love, so she decided to take it one day at a time.

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One week later :

"Vikram, what am I to you?" Subhadra asked Vikram on the call.

There was silence on the other end. Of course. His highness didn't like being asked questions, but she wasn't letting go of this. She wanted to know.

"Go on. Tell me." She urged him.

"Subhadra... I love you. After Nehra, I only feel this for you. What you do with my love is up to you."

Subhadra was shocked and didn't know what to say.

"I like you too Vikram. Very much. But what about Nehra?"

"What about Nehra?" He asked.

"What about her?" He repeated when she didn't reply.

"Well, don't you still love her?"

"I lost touch with her Subhadra. She doesn't want to be with me. She doesn't come into this equation."

"Alright." She conceded with him.

She wouldn't tell him that she loved him, because she wasn't quite at that stage yet. Frankly, she was a bit scared to fall in love again after Aslan, but she would get there. She knew it deep down in her heart.

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Two weeks later :

"Vikram! It's your birthday and you didn't tell me?"

"I don't take my birthday too seriously sweetheart. I didn't think it was important."

Subhadra was stuck at work and unfortunately, meeting him wasn't possible. She deeply regretted it, but it was beyond her control.

"I'm sorry I can't meet you honey."

"It's alright Subhadra. I don't mind."

After they hung up, she decided to make a video for him. Complimenting him and pasting alluring pictures of him. She added some music to the background and sent it to him via W******p.

If her boss found out what she had been doing, she knew she would be in big trouble, but for Vikram, she felt as if she had to do it. It was the least she could do.

She immediately got a call from Vikram.

"Subhadra, you're amazing. This is wonderful."

She giggled at that. "You like it?"

"I don't like it honey. I love it."