Around You

Chapter 12

And so we finally find out...

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My brows scrunched at the intruding ruffle of noise before I abandoned my comfy spot to peek down the handrail of the balcony. And there I saw, a tuft of curly hair peeking from the darkness as a few exhausted breaths echoed in my ears.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I sharply barked at him, trying to surrender my growing curiosity to the familiar anger he had ignited.

He finally looked up, his mouth slightly ajar, the green in his eyes glimmering still. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

I rolled my eyes at the obvious and huffed in annoyance, "Go away, Sumedh."

"Or else?" He challenged, swinging his left foot to the next step.

I stuttered for a second, debating on a convincing threat before muttering, "Or else, I'd have to demean your actions as utterly unprofessional."

He chuckled lowly, pushing his head to his chest before fixating his gaze back on me, "I won't complain."

My face crinkled in confusion while my heartbeat started to speed. The tattered wooden ladder creaked against the parapet and I immediately rushed to the edge in fear. He still had a smirk plastered onto his face and I looked away, miserably trying to act indifferent around him. It was only when I felt a cool whiff of breath on my knuckles that I realized the dangerous proximity between us. His hands clutched the edge of the balcony handrail just centimeters away from mine when he whispered softly, "Mallika."

That was probably my undoing. Because only his voice made me gulp in fright and exhilaration, making my nerves thrum for his presence.

I finally built the courage to connect my brown orbs to his, "Haven't you said enough already?"

His eyes roamed around my face, as if meticulously searching for something before settling on mine, "Not quite."

My lips pursed and my neck craned to one side with a scrutinous glare, "Really?!"

He wore an amused expression before raising his eyebrows to motion me to one side. When I stayed put, he forced the words out, "Will you help me out a little? I'm barely balancing on this not-so-sturdy ladder."

I threatened, "I'd rather push you away from here."

"You wouldn't dream of it." He cockily said.

"And what makes you so confident?"

"'Cause that's not you. And you wouldn't let someone like me tarnish the very morals you've spent years building." His lingering smirk had begun to irritate me to no extent and yet I found myself moving, leaning my back against the balcony. I folded my arms in front of me and waited for him to swing over the ledge, still managing to hold the ladder in place.

Sumedh took a few steps and looked around eagerly, "You've put a lot of thought into this place."

Of course I did. It was my favorite part of our home. It was the very reason I had strictly requested my mother to allow me to make this balcony into my very own safe haven.

And so my lips curved into a slight smile when I found him playing with the transparent drapes in admiration. The smile deepened when his head tilted back to see the replica of a thousand fireflies adorning the ceiling with one dimmed fluorescent lamp on two corners of the outdoor space; each placed on smaller round tables. However, that smile soon turned into a frown when he made himself comfortable in my swing chair and held the tub of icecream in his hand.

Taking a spoonful that he had stolen from me, he savored it, "Mmm. Butterscotch, my favorite."

The relaxed expression on his face threw me off guard as I wondered why he kept this side of him so secluded from the world. What had life given him that changed his persona so drastically, that turned him into this cold-hearted person he never wanted to be?