By your side

Chapter 14 - Danger

Ishaan and I confessed to one another on November 30. That night in Goa was a turning point in our relationship, which had been going on for about six months. We had been hesitant to express our feelings before, but the beautiful sunset and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore made us realise we didn't want to waste any more time hiding our love for each other.

Whatever occurred on the beach, was it a dream or reality? I couldn't believe it. I'm not a romantic person. I've never been a fan of fairy-tale love stories, but when Ishaan said those three magical words, I wanted to believe them. The following day, we travelled to several Goa tourist attractions. We were scheduled to depart the following evening on a two-night trip. There was still time for a fantastic party. We invited our friends to join us, and we had a blast. Ishaan and I danced the night away, and it felt like nothing could ever come between us.

Shweta and Gaurav kept disappearing for brief intervals to God knows where. Now that we were officially 'In love' I did not know what to do next. Technically, it didn't make any difference to our relationship. We were the same as before.

"Ishaan confessed," I told Shweta while we were alone at another beach shack while the boys were out in the sea.

"What!" she nearly choked on her beer.

"You are now officially a couple...aw," she exclaimed.

"Shhh, Shweta, don't be so loud," I advised.

"Did you have any sex?" She inquired.

It was my turn to choke on my drink. "WTF! Shweta!" I said while wiping my lips. "That is not the case. We're taking things slowly."

I was flushed.

"How slow is it? As if you intend to do something in the next decade?" She stated.

"Shweta! You're drunk! As a result, saying nonsense. We'll talk about it again when you're awake."

"Awww, my Victorian maiden," she laughed. She put her arm around my neck. "I am happy for you, dear. You snagged our group's hottest guy. Oh! I can't wait to see Priya's expression when she realises, you're 'official.'"

"How are things with Gaurav?" I laughed with her.

"Great! We did it on the beach! " She grinned at me.

"Woah! That's a lot of information, and you're moving at breakneck speed." I spoke.

"Isn't that, right? It's fantastic... Wow, look at that!" she mumbled, distracted.

Ishaan was approaching us in his swimming trunk. I'd never seen him so 'naked' before. He had the physique of a Greek God! Water glistened on his flawless abs and biceps. They were simply breathtaking. I couldn't help but stare at him in awe, my heart racing. As he approached, I realised I'd been holding my breath the entire time.

"How are you dealing with it, Aadya?" Shweta stated.

"You're drooling over my boyfriend, Shweta."

"Yeah, whatever, I can't help myself. We should admire even males for their beauty." She stated. I was never truly envious of Shweta's obvious admiration. I was used to her brashness.

"Ladies, today is too beautiful to waste sitting in the shack. You must enter the water." Ishaan said as I tried not to look at him.

"Hello, Ishaan. I am happy for you," Shweta said.

He cocked his brow.

"She's drunk. Ignore her," I snapped. I removed my cover-up to reveal the black bikini I had purchased specifically to dazzle him. His eyes widened, and he appeared to be frozen.