An Innocent Crush ✓

40 | Straight out of Bollywood.

Reshmi glared at Vikram from the corner of her eye. "You're going to die by my hands," she whispered as they started walking backward. Vikram leaned closer to her ear, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Better than dying at the hands of your bald father," he muttered.

"I didn't sign up for this in our love story!"

"Right! Who knew our love story would involve an action-packed sequence?"

Reshmi raised an eyebrow. "Action-packed with your antics, you mean! kidnapping, family drama, and now, a potential chase scene! I hate it!"

As they edged closer to the gate, Vikram maintained his composure, he was careful of not hurting her with the knife.

"At least we're not singing and dancing yet!"

Meanwhile, her father's voice grew more menacing. "Stop right there, both of you!"

As they reached the slightly ajar gate, Vikram gestured towards the opening. “Let's make our escape before your dad rewrites this as a tragic love story!"

Reshmi rolled her eyes at his words before exiting the gate.

"You're the worst knight in shining armor ever!"

“Thank you! My princess!”

With a final burst of adrenaline, they dashed through the gate. Vikram opened the passenger door for her before rushing towards the driver's seat. Glancing at the gate once more, he started the engine.

And as they vanished into the distance, Vikram couldn't help but laugh at Reshmi's flushed face. She was fuming in anger and panic. “I hate you!” she yelled.

“I love you too!”

He increased the speed of the car as they started heading towards the highway. Reshmi let out a breath before glancing at him and asked, "Where are we going now?" She bit her lower lip.

"Kiara ke waha, Mumbai," he replied.

⚕️

Kiara stirred in bed, irritated by the buzzing phone, and with eyes half-shut, she stumbled toward her desk, encountering her arch-nemesis, the desk corner, with her left toe.

"Ouch!!" She growled in pain before snatching her phone. "Who on earth is calling at this ungodly hour?" She groaned, checking the caller ID—only to find Vikram's name flashing on the screen. With a resigned sigh, she answered.

"Hello—"

"Oi! Why did you tell me earlier that you live in a PG? Hurry downstairs, I'm about to have a wrestling match with your security guard here!" Vikram barked from the other end.

Kiara swiftly pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it back, trying to process the situation. "What are you doing here?" she asked, rubbing her eyes to ensure she wasn't dreaming.

"I'm not alone, Reshmi's here too..." he mentioned, causing Kiara's eyes to pop wide open. "Huh! Reshmi too... wait, I'll be right there," she said hurriedly before ending the call. Kiara tiptoed towards the door, trying not to disturb Shanvi's peaceful slumber.

As she made her way downstairs, Kiara couldn't help but smile at the thought of meeting her friends after years. Reaching the ground floor, she was greeted by an unexpected sight— Reshmi was standing beside Vikram, wearing a beautiful bridal saree.

Vikram flashed a grin as soon as he saw Kiara walking towards them with a confused look on her face. "Reshmi, what in the world? Are you guys playing dress-up now?" she exclaimed, a mix of confusion and amusement in her voice.

Reshmi stood beside Vikram, her eyes reflecting a mixture of anxiety and sorrow. "Kiara, this isn't a game... I was being forced into something I never wanted, and Vikram helped me escape," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, tinged with sadness.

Vikram nodded in agreement, a solemn expression replacing his usual mischief. "I brought her here after helping her escape from her wedding... Can we talk inside?" Vikram asked, and they all looked at the security guard, who shook his head in response.

The security guard, sensing something fishy in the situation, crossed his arms and gave them a stern look. "I can't let you folks in without proper permission," he declared firmly.

Vikram, being Vikram, tried to charm his way through. "Oh, come on, my man! We're in a bit of a pickle here. Just a few minutes, and we'll be out of your hair," he pleaded, flashing his most winning smile.

Reshmi, on the other hand, attempted to appeal to the guard's sympathetic side. "Sir, please understand, I was being forced into a wedding against my will! Vikram helped me escape, and we urgently need a safe place to figure things out," she explained, her eyes pleading for compassion.

The security guard seemed unmoved, his stance unwavering. "Rules are rules, and I can't bend them. You'll have to seek permission from the management or wait until morning," he stated firmly.

“They're my friend. Please, just this once, make an exception?" Kiara pleaded, attempting to convince the guard.

The guard shook his head, “I can't, rules are rules," he said, waving them through with a warning look.

Kiara lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh, her expression was sad and gloomy but soon it changed with a wide smile and twinkling eyes.

“Dhruv sir ka apartment hai na!” she exclaimed.