After the Ball
Shristi was waiting for Wick outside because he had to discuss something with friends.
Shristi saw Vivaan with his girlfriend.
Shristi wasn't hurt and sad because they aren't together but because she used to thought that Vivaan understands her but his words that No one will ever able to bear her burden of getting into troubles these words were the reason.
The night was silent, the city lights flickering in the distance. A cold breeze swept through the rooftop, but Shristi barely noticed it.
Because her mind was still trapped in the moment Wick had said it.
"Be mine, Shristi."
Simple. Direct. Like everything Wick did. But it carried a weight she wasn't prepared for.
She had always seen him as untouchable. Unshaken. A force of nature that couldn't be controlled.
And yet, here he was. Asking. Not demanding. Not assuming. Just... waiting.
Shristi clenched her fists. Her heart was racing in a way she didn't understand.
"You can't be serious," she muttered, looking away. "You don't even... I mean, you don't like me like that."
"Says who?" Wick's voice was calm.
She turned to him, frustration creeping in. "Says the way you've treated me since day one. You were arrogant, rude, dismissive. You never-"
"And yet, you're still here."
Shristi froze.
Wick stepped closer, his presence suffocating yet magnetic. "You never left, Shristi. Even when you had every reason to."
Her throat tightened. He was right.
She had fought him, challenged him, insulted him. And yet, Wick had never pushed her away.
Not really.
Instead, he had protected her. Respected her. Let her see sides of him that no one else had.
She swallowed hard. "Why now?"
Wick exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck-a rare sign of uncertainty.
"Because I didn't know how to say it before." His voice dropped slightly, losing its usual sharpness. "Because I thought if I let you in, I'd lose control."
Shristi blinked, caught off guard. Wick was always in control. That was his entire persona. But now, standing in front of her, he looked...
Real. Vulnerable. Human.
She crossed her arms, trying to keep her voice steady. "And what if I say no?"
Wick's lips curled into that signature smirk. "Then I'll walk away."
Shristi arched an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"That's it." Wick nodded. "Because for the first time, I'm giving someone a choice."
The words hit differently.
Because Wick never gave anyone choices. He took control, dictated the terms, and won every battle. But this?
This was him surrendering.
His sharp gaze scanned her face, reading everything she wasn't saying.
And then, in a voice so steady it made the ground beneath her feel solid again, he said-
"I know he was your first love, but I intend to be your last. However long it takes."
Shristi inhaled sharply.
She had expected silence from him. Or maybe one of his usual sarcastic remarks.
But this?
This was raw honesty. Unfiltered. Undeniable.
"Wick..." her voice wavered, betraying her more than she wanted. "I... I don't know what to say."
He waited.
Not rushing her. Not demanding anything.
She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "You always know exactly what to say to mess with my head."
The corner of his lips lifted slightly-not a full smirk, but something softer. Something real.
Shristi looked away, gathering her thoughts. "Vivaan was... my safe place, Vikram. My first taste of happiness outside of myself. I thought he understood me, but I was wrong. He didn't see me for who I was. He only saw the trouble I carried."
Her fingers curled into her dress. "But you..." she swallowed. "You showed me you're willing to fight for me. For us. Against the world."
Wick's expression didn't change, but his eyes darkened-intense, unwavering.
She hesitated before continuing. "You're unpredictable. And you have a darkness inside you that should scare me. But it doesn't."
The confession hung between them, charged with something too fragile to name but too powerful to ignore.
"I'm not ready to say yes," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not completely. But... it's not a no either."
Wick tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was a puzzle he was willing to spend a lifetime solving.
Shristi exhaled, her voice steadying. "You've changed. A lot. And when I think of a world without you in it..." she trailed off, biting her lip. "There's a hole. A space that no one else can fill. Maybe that's crazy, but... yes."
Wick's grip on his blazer tightened slightly.
Not because he doubted her words, but because he felt them.
Felt her.
Then, Shristi smirked slightly, tilting her chin up. "But don't think for a second that I'll make it easy for you."
A soft chuckle escaped Wick's lips. She had always been like this.
And God, he wouldn't have her any other way.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," he murmured.
Shristi stepped closer, voice lower now. "It's a risk, a huge risk, but... I think we can face that together, Vikram."
Everything felt different now.
Not in an obvious way. Not in the way people expected after two people got together.
Wick and Shristi didn't change overnight. There were no public declarations. No dramatic shifts.
But there were subtle things.
Like how Wick would casually wait for her near the campus gates every morning, as if it was just a coincidence.
Like how Shristi no longer hesitated to steal glances at him, no longer flinched under his gaze.
Like now-when she walked beside him, their arms brushing lightly, and neither of them moved away.
Later...
Shristi sat on the bench, flipping through her notes, pretending to focus. But she wasn't reading. She was too aware of him.
Across the courtyard, Wick stood with Nick and Deep, arms crossed, talking casually. His posture was relaxed, effortless-but his eyes flickered to her.
Again.
And this time, she smirked.
Because unlike before, she didn't have to look away.
And neither did he.
But then-he turned away first.
As if nothing had changed.
As if he wasn't hers now.
And that-that was what made her grip her pen tighter.
Because only she knew the truth.
For now.
---
Classroom - Late Afternoon
The moment Wick slid into the seat beside her, nothing looked unusual.
He always did what he wanted. Sat where he pleased. So why would today be any different?
Except...
Shristi knew.
And Wick knew she knew.
"What are you doing?" she muttered under her breath.
"Sitting," he replied smoothly, flipping open a notebook as if this was completely normal.
Shristi narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice. "You don't even take notes, Vikram."
"I do now," he smirked. "Gotta make sure my girlfriend stays at the top of the class."
She almost choked.
Girlfriend.
It was the first time he had said it out loud, even in private.
Shristi shot him a warning look, but before she could respond, the professor walked in, and Wick leaned back like nothing happened.
The entire class saw nothing.
But Shristi?
She felt everything.
Damn him.
Shristi picked up her pen, determined to ignore him.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Wick reaching into his bag.
A can of cold coffee landed near her hand.
She looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"You look like you're about to pass out," Wick said, voice low.
Shristi blinked. "Where did you-"
"Does it matter?" His smirk deepened. "Drink it. You'll thank me later."
She huffed but took it anyway.And when their fingers accidentally brushed, he didn't move.
Neither did she.
The moment stretched.
Longer than necessary.
Wick leaned in slightly, his voice just for her. "You staring at me for a reason, Shristi?"
She scoffed, finally pulling back. "I think you're enjoying this too much."
"I think you're not denying it."
Her breath hitched.
Damn him.
---
College Parking Lot - Evening
Shristi wasn't a damsel in distress.
She could fight. She could handle herself.
But Wick was Wick.
And that meant the moment he saw her surrounded by some senior-year guys from other college who had a little too much ego and not enough common sense, he moved.
Fast.
But not to intervene.
Instead, he leaned against his car, arms crossed, eyes fixed on her.
Waiting.
Because this was a test.
Shristi felt his gaze, but she didn't look at him. Didn't need to.
Instead, she smirked at the guys. "You're blocking my way. Move."
One of them scoffed. "Or what?"
Shristi didn't answer. She just stepped forward.
And Wick?
He smirked.
Because in less than thirty seconds, one of them was clutching his wrist, another was backing away, and the last one was swearing under his breath.
Shristi dusted off her hands, finally turning toward Wick.
He gave her a slow, almost proud nod before opening the car door.
"Let's go," he said casually, as if she hadn't just put three guys in their place.
She rolled her eyes but walked over.
No one questioned it.
No one knew.
But they would. Soon.
---
Library - Late Night
Shristi flipped through her book, but her focus was shot.
Not because she was tired.
Not because of exams.
But because of the note that had just landed on her page.
"Still keeping secrets?"
She looked up sharply.
And there he was.
Wick. Leaning against the shelf, expression unreadable but eyes burning with amusement.
Her heart thumped annoyingly loud.
She exhaled, shaking her head. "You're the one who wanted to keep this quiet."
"And you're the one struggling with it," he countered smoothly.
She narrowed her eyes. "I am not."
Wick tilted his head slightly, gaze flickering down to where her fingers were gripping the book too tightly.
"If you say so," he said lazily.
Shristi exhaled sharply, pushing the note back toward him. "You're enjoying this too much."
"And you're not?"
Damn him.
Because she was.
To be continued...