Chapter 23: Chapter 23

*Anitha Pov*

“Thank god! You are here on time. Why did you switch off your phone the day before yesterday and even sent that cryptic message saying that you will contact me first if you need anything and to not disturb you.” Keerthi asked while I sat on the chair to get my make-up done before changing my attire for the first shooting.

“What happened?” She continued frowning and I sighed gesturing the artist to start doing her work.

“Anitha!” She used my real name instead of the stage name and I finally shifted my eyes to look at her.

“What happened? I was this inch away from getting seduced by…” she covered my mouth with her hand before I can continue and gave the artist an awkward laugh.

“Dear! Why don’t you check her outfits once to have a more clear idea about how her make-up should compliment?” She asked smiling at her and the artist slowly nodded before walking towards the other side of the room to check the outfits.

“Be careful about what you say with that mouth. Don’t you care about your status?” She asked frowning at me before removing her hand.

“You asked me! And I am not talking about any stranger but my fiancé.” I pointed out and she continued to frown.

“So, you got seduced?” She asked staring at me.

“I said that I was this inch away from getting seduced by him to shift to his place.” I repeated by showing a bit of distance between the fingers.

“He is really cruel and not at all cute.” I added frowning at the memories and tried to forget them while my artist returned to finish her work.

#Two Days Back#

What? He likes me now? Why is he suddenly saying that when I was getting ready to move on from him?

How can I even have trust in those words? But he is fine even if I don’t trust. Wait a minute! Why am I waiting for him to return from his shower?

I shook my head to lay on the bed like he suggested as that couch is really uncomfortable to sleep on.

However, when I closed my eyes, I can hear him whispering in my mind, “I like you, Anitha!” and that just made me open my eyes immediately.

“Good that you waited for us to take one picture before sleeping.” He mumbled from the washroom doorway before walking towards the bed.

I closed my eyes with the way he looked at me while approaching the bed. No! All this is not real and he acts like this just when we both are alone but in the presence of the third person, he will be like a stranger.

“That one picture was enough?” He asked curiously and sat beside my sleeping form.

“Two! You uploaded one, right.” I pointed out and opened my eyes only to find him staring at me.

“Fine! Let’s take another one.” I mumbled remembering the comments that are supporting that guy’s post.

After sitting up, I took my phone from the side table and stared at him. He stared back without moving a bit.

I sighed shifting towards him and placed my head on his shoulder but couldn’t take the picture properly.

“Let me!” He said taking the phone from my hand and shifted his other hand to circle my waist and pulled me completely closer before clicking a picture.

After he passed the phone, I tried to edit a bit and added an emoticon before posting the picture and frowned realizing he is still holding my waist.

“You can let go of me.” I mumbled but he just tightened his hold.

“Do you know how I realized that I like you?” he asked when I placed my hand over his to remove his hold.

“When you told me that you will no longer like me and come over your feelings.” He continued and didn’t wait for me to reply.

“Maybe you just like knowing someone likes you and didn’t want to lose that feeling from someone. So, you don’t like me.” I concluded making him frown.

“Then why didn’t I say the same when a few confessed to me before?” he asked back and this time I frowned.

“Who?” I asked shifting my eyes to stare at him and he smiled seeing that.

“Let go of me!” I mumbled even though it feels comfortable to be like this.

You don’t have any shame, Anitha! You were so hurt by him a few hours back and now you are fine with him.

“Okay!” he mumbled letting go of me and for a second I paused before shifting back to lay on the side I generally sleep when I stay at his place.

“Good night!” he said switching off the light while I calmly closed my eyes and tried to ignore his confession completely.

“What happened?” He asked after an hour when I still rolled a bit not sleeping mainly because of the thoughts that are not leaving my head.

“Why are you still awake?” I asked turning around to stare at him instead of my back towards him.

“I am just thinking about today’s events.” He replied and turned to lay on his side to stare back at me.

“I can’t believe I actually like you. Why was I so involved in hiding everything in my mind instead of expressing it like you?” he asked in a confused tone.

“It would have saved me from thinking too much if I had just expressed whatever I felt.” He continued and I just stared at him.

“Maybe you are not thinking straight.” I mumbled while cursing myself.

I was so keen on hearing him say that he likes me back all this time. But now I am scared to accept it and even finding ways to let him know he is wrong in thinking he actually likes me.

What is wrong with me? I thought frowning but he ignored my words saying, “Even Shrishti and Vikranth felt I like you. Can you believe it?”

“Stop saying it so many times, Prathap.” I said turning away to lay back with my back facing him.

Is it not enough I am thinking about those words in my head and now he is saying the same words so many times.

“Okay!” he mumbled and I felt his hand circling my body again.

“Relax! It is better for us to have a good sleep and I guess this is the solution for our struggle to sleep.” Saying that he pulled himself closer and stopped me from saying anything.

“Good night!” he whispered and I hummed before drifting off into sleep not feeling the same hurt I felt a few hours back and it’s like whatever I heard at Kanika’s house was a dream and him liking me is the only reality.

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“I am fine with just juice. I can order from outside.” I mumbled when he called me again to ask if I need something else when it’s still nine in the morning.

“Okay! Let me know if you need anything.” Saying that he cut the call and it’s already the third call.

The first time I said I don’t want anything but when he called the second time I accepted some juice which he got delivered to his flat within a few minutes but he again called to ask if I need anything else.

I sighed locking my phone before turning my attention back to the script but of course just like sleep even this is not working and I am not worried about it as I am completely prepared for this.

I closed my eyes but groaned hearing my phone ringing within a few minutes and I picked it up asking, “What is it now?”

“Were you expecting my call, darling?” I felt chills hearing that voice and immediately sat up and checked the number.

“Who are you?” I asked frowning and his next words made me realize who is he.

“Just accept my statement and it will be good for both of us. Do you know the harm I got into because of those articles last time? Just go along with this.” He warned before cutting the call.

I closed my eyes remembering the articles that were released saying I am having an affair with a married man and they even released a blurred picture saying it is me entering his house.

We were able to strike it off because of Prathap and he is helping me again from yesterday night otherwise the fight would have damaged the filming atmosphere.

Why am I behaving so rudely to him when he never said he liked me before and then changed his words that he doesn’t like me? Maybe I have a right to be mad after he invited me to live with him but now I am treating him wrong no matter what and that too when I claim to like him.

I called him up before saying, “I am switching off my phone, and for lunch, I can come downstairs to have it with you.”

“Okay! Let’s have lunch together. Is something wrong?” he added at the end but I said nothing’s wrong before cutting the call.

After that, I messaged Keerthi and Kanika before switching off the phone as that one phone call disturbed me more than I expected.

“What’s wrong?” Prathap asked again while having lunch but I kept quiet while shaking my head in negative.

“Nervous that shooting will start soon?” he added and I slowly nodded.

Then he started talking about the dish he prepared especially for me as I had to look after the carbs I intake and calmly listened while feeling the disturbance in my mind slowly leaving a bit by bit.

Somehow I ended up staying in his cabin instead of returning to his room as I felt to stay with someone suddenly. And it feels good to be here even though there is a lot of noise instead of his room right this moment.

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“Anitha! You need to tell me what happened.” He demanded the next day when I stayed silent near him all this time no matter what he did or what he said even when he took pictures of me without asking me ahead.

I stared at him from the bed where I am sitting down right now while absentmindedly turning the pages and he is frowning from the other side of the bed after pausing his hand on the phone he is typing on.

“Just go to sleep.” I mumbled and shifted my eyes to stare at the script.

“Anitha!” he whispered holding my face before shifting it to face him.

I stared at him for a few seconds before closing my eyes when I felt the tears forming and are ready to roll down.

“What is it?” he asked pulling me into his arm to hug me and I hugged him back before explaining yesterday’s phone call.

“That… How dare he! Did you inform Vikranth?” he asked letting me go to stare at my face and I shook my head.

“Why?” he asked frowning.

“He is already trying to do so much because of that incident. I thought it is better to just ignore his phone call.” I explained.

“But you are not ignoring it, right? He should know what happened.” Saying that he called Vikranth and explained everything himself.

“No! She is not in the right mind to talk to you and just tell me what you want to tell her.” He added and cut the call after a few seconds.

“What did he say?” I asked staring at him while he brushed my tears away.

“He said not to worry about it as at present that person lost all his chances in the industry and is even getting divorced soon. So, he tried to intimidate you.” He explained.

“He didn’t intimate me with that weak voice of his.” I mumbled and he nodded while cleaning my face with the tissues I generally use to clean my face.

“But I felt disgusted hearing that voice and somehow it affected my emotional status.” I added while letting him finish clean my face.

“It happens! Even I feel sad or hurt even if a stranger comments on my cooking or bash the restaurant even though I know that person is wrong.” He nodded and I stared at him hearing those words.

“Isn’t it good like this stay and have meals together whenever it is possible and talk to each other? And also to care for one another. Let’s not forget sleeping together. It is nice to stay together at one place, right?” he asked smiling and I nearly nodded my head after hearing those words.

“Thank you! I will go to sleep.” I said clearing my throat before laying back to sleep properly and he smiled before following me.

As usual, he pulled me into his arms and I drifted off into sleep while forgetting everything else and at the same time thinking how weak I am before him to nearly accept his invitation to stay together again.

#Present#

*Prathap Pov*

“She seduced me completely.” I mumbled and Shrishti choked on the bite she just took from the lunch she ordered in my cabin.

“Are you okay?” I asked passing the water glass and she took a few minutes to control the coughs before staring at me.

“You just made me feel regret even taking this job of being your listening ear.” She stated before taking another bite and calmly chewed while showing her hand to stop me from saying anything else.

“Now, tell me how did my poor friend got seduced?” she asked with a glint in her eyes.

“She seduced me in a way that I want to live with her at a place like these two days.” I replied and she scoffed.

“Forget it! After hurting her like that, why would she easily accept it? You need to work hard for sure.” She mumbled and I nodded while smiling at her.

I can’t believe how everything changed so fast from me liking Shrishti to me talking about my relationship problems with another woman near her.

“Now, did you send any flowers to her shooting site to support her?” She asked looking at me while I frowned.

“Why? I already wished her best today morning when she left my place to reach the shooting site.” I pointed out.

“God! I know you are dumb for this but this is too much. She got hurt recently by you and you are trying to make up with her. Today is an important day and who knows how will it be at that place and what kind of people will be there. You should send flowers as a support to make her feel good but also to show everyone that you both are still going strong.” She said with a very strict tone.

I nodded obediently before asking, “Are you not feeling jealous anymore?”

“Don’t you know who I am? Of course, I am feeling jealous right now more than ever when you are just talking about her from the time I came here. But that is my problem and it’s not like I am going to plan and separate both of you because of my stupid jealousy. Why would I want to hurt you?” she asked frowning.

“And I am having doubts recently regarding Vikranth too.” She continued making me frown this time.

“What is it?” I asked but she shook her head.

“Let me think more before saying it. It is not a simple matter and it is better if I think hard and talk about it.” She replied and I slowly nodded.

“So, my dear seduced friend, am I going to get some dessert or will you continue to talk sweetly about Ms. Anny and say that is dessert.” She added and I sighed before calling the kitchen to send a dessert of her favorite but she showed two fingers and I followed her instruction.

While she sat there enjoying the desserts, I opened the home page of a floral site and followed her advice in choosing the flowers before sending it to the address Anitha already talked about as the shooting is until night time.

“I think you should check at what time the shooting will finish and go to the hotel with some packed food.” She mumbled nodding to herself.

“Are you making me do everything you want a guy to do for you?” I asked staring at her.

“Of course! I don’t know when it will happen for me but I can enjoy it while knowing it is happening for someone, right?” she asked smirking.

“Do you remember how I directed you when you want to reject those proposals during college days? I remembered the ways I would be fine to hear if someone rejects me and made you do it.” She added.

“Of course! You said that way I will not hurt them and they somehow continued to like me even after getting rejected.” I mumbled and she nodded.

“When will someone propose me, Prathap? I have so many ways to either reject or maybe even accept and also the ways I want that person to date me.” She said with a dreamy look.

“Those are just words from you but let’s be honest. You never glanced at anyone else other than Vikranth and would have continued if he hadn’t got married.” I stated and she stared at me before looking down.

“Even I thought like that until a few days back but now… I am thinking of something else.” She mumbled while I frowned at those words she is using but I know she will not say a word until she is ready.

From the time she was a kid, she never hid anything from me and never shied away from expressing her thoughts even though childish ones many times. But if she really doesn’t want to say something then no one can make her say it. That’s why I never stopped myself from sharing any secrets and it’s vice-versa. I guess I need to wait.