Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

42. Arora and Gill

Kavya Arora

He stands at the doorstep, his head slowly rises up to look at me and once his eyes find mine, I feel alive again. His sight is enough to break the dam within me. I shed tear after tear, hugging myself to stop aching for his touch. It frightens me to accept how much he means to me. When I look up at him, I see a similar agony, mirrored. Why won't he just take me in his arms then?

He finally enters the lodge and closes the door behind him.

I expect a "What were you thinking?" For what I did to Anand. Or a "How could you?" For running away but all he says is,

"How's Punjab?" And with the simplest but sincerest of the question he makes me fall in love with him all over again.

"How it has always been. Absolutely loveable." I hold his gaze to see if he would understand the undercurrent of the statement and when his eyes turn electric, I know he has understood that I am not only speaking about Punjab but also him.

"Then why did you rob it of your company for so long? Why did you leave it unhinged? Torn? Incomplete?" He continues the metaphor.

"I wasn't the only one who loved it. Besides, I wasn't sure if Punjab loved me back."

He closes his eyes and exhales, brows joined together in frustration.

"I do. I love you, Kavya." He drops the metaphor and states.

I am too stunned to react. He continues speaking,

"I realised it late, Arora but you give my existence a meaning. Tu hai toh lagta hai eternity bhi nikal jayegi. Jab tujhe woh- woh, Anand lekar Gaya na, tab samjha Hell kya hota hoga. Punishment kise kehte Hain. Agar tujhe kuch ho jaata na toh."  He looks so pained that I erase the distance between us to squeeze his arms.

"Aye, tujhe chodke thodi jaati? Mere Bina Teri height kam ho jaani thi, nai?" I joke.

"Bilkul! 6 foot se sidha 5 foot ho jaata main!"

"Arey yaar phir toh dekhna tha mujhe!" I say and he purses my lips with his finger.

"No more dying jokes okay? Main sehen nahi kar paunga."

"Okay, Captain Lambu." 

Upon hearing that nickname he gives me the widest grin and wraps an arm around me.

"Fun fact batau."

"Naa bolungi toh nahi batayega?"

I missed this banter so much. Shubman Gill ko tang karne mien Jo mazza hai woh iss duniya ki koi cheez mien nahi hai.

"Kya yaar Arora itna romantic fun fact tha aur tu dekh, tang kare jaa rahi hai mujhe."

"Arey romantic tha ye pehle batana chahiye tha na Gill...kya tu bhi." He sulks and I make a puppy face pleading him.

After a full minute, he gives up.

"We did not meet in November 2022."

"As in?"

"As in our first meeting was on 18th November, 2019."

"Aise kaise? 18th November 2019 ko Mera 18th birthday tha. I was in Bangalore."

"And so was I. It was the day I was turned into a vampire."

What?

"Do you remember a guy grabbing you by the neck?"

My eyes widen. So it hadn't been a thief but it had been Shubman!

"I...do... I thought he was an amateur thief. Because instead of stealing my purse, he ran away."

Shubman chuckles upon hearing my point of view.

"I could have hurt you that day. I had no control over my thirst. Before you I had already killed 2 innocent human beings. And your blood smelled amazing."

"Ew."

"I know. But it's a fact. But even though it did, I had no urge to harm you. Instead I fled. When I told Poornima about it, she was thrilled. As a newly turned vampire, there was no way I could've controlled my thirst, unless the girl had been my soulmate."

An involuntary blush colours my cheek. Shubman doubles down and brings his lips close to my ears and breathes in his silky voice,

"And it turns out she was. Poornima asked me if I remembered anything about her so that I could recognise her. Recognise you. But I hadn't seen your face."

"You were wearing an offshoulder dress that exposed the birthmark on the upper part of your shoulder to me."

Tears well in my eyes. I'm touched by his certainty. He doesn't even wish to confirm.

"We were always meant to be, Arora. And that's why you saved me from Anand. So that I could trouble you like pehle."

He leans in but I duck. I need a few moments to process that I, Kavya Arora, can love Shubman Gill without any guilt.

Shubman grunts, pained.

"Arora..." he wills me to look at him. When I do, he drops his gaze to my lips and with tenderness, tells me,

"I will die if I don't."

Hearing that, a laugh escapes from my throat,

"You can't die, Gill."

"Then I'll be damned if I don't."

Not giving me scope to argue any further, Shubman takes my lips and me in his care.

And between kisses, I smile.

When we break apart, I realise I haven't told him something important. I haven't told him that I adore him.

"Oye sun." I tell him.

"Tu vi mainu changa lagda."

Flashing me his brilliant grin, he leaves me breathless as he conveys the same sentiment through his prefered medium.

And that day in Punjab a salient truth wins over a web of lies.