PAST II

It is been 2 years since we both started dating during the initial days I always woke up with a fear that Rohit might leave me and he proved me wrong every time by showering his love and care for me. He visits my house now and then for studying, I was not only a boyfriend to him but also a tutor.

He was on my bed lying on his stomach and scrolling his phone while I was completing my assignment.

"There is a modeling audition this Sunday", he said. Ever since he got to know that I am interested in modeling he has been pestering me to go to different auditions and I refuse him every time.

"We already have discussed about this many times, I don't want to do modeling. You know my parents don't like that.", I said nonchalantly

He walked towards me and straddled me.

"I will speak to aunty about this", he said

"But..."

"I will not take no as an answer from you. So, better prepare yourself for the audition and right now I am going to speak to aunty now.", he said.

He held my face and looked straight into my eyes with a demanding look. I sighed and nodded. He kissed me and ran out of the room excitedly. My parents know about the relationship between Rohit and me. We came out to them 5 months ago and ever since then he has become the favorite son in my house and my parents have kind of forgotten me. I take a stroll to the living room to know how he is convincing my mom.

"YOU ARE THE BEST, AUNTY", he shouted and hugged her. My dad was just sitting quietly there, he has never said 'no' to Rohit. My parents spoil him a lot, even more than the way I spoil him.

"Akash aunty agreed so this Sunday we are going for your audition", he said enthusiastically jumping. This boyfriend of mine is the cutest creature alive on Earth. Then he ran towards me and jumped on me. His hands were around my neck and his legs were locked around my waist.

"My boyfriend is going to be a model", he said and giggled. I chuckled at his reactions and then saw my parents smiling at us. They are the best.

It's been a month since I started modeling. I had photoshoots every weekend and I was happy that I am doing my dream job and this is all because of Rohit only. I am experiencing the jealousy side of Rohit nowadays. There is a colleague of mine, Krupa who has been crushing on me since the day we met. He hates her because she likes me and she is a partner in my photoshoots. I was standing in the corner of my room after posing for a few photographs.

I was scrolling through my phone when Krupa came toward me.

"Hello, Akash", she said

"Hi", I replied

"I like you"

"Same here, even I like myself"

"Akash listen be my boyfriend"

"I am already committed"

"Just leave that person and be mine", she said taking steps towards me, she was holding my blazer. "Be mine", she whispered in my ears and someone pulled her off me.

It was ROHIT and he was fuming in anger. I am going to have a nice day ahead.

"Can't you hear what he said? He is committed. He has a boyfriend and that is me. You better stay away from him", he said

"Akash you have a boyfriend and that too this bloody faggot. Leave him and come to me..."

"Wow miss you have no right to call me a faggot. By the way, you know what he hates your type, actually, he loves only my type more specifically he loves only Rohit and no one else"

"You.."

"Shoo off", he said.

He held my wrist tightly and pulled me out of the room. He forcefully took me to my home and didn't utter a word. As soon as we reached my home, he dragged me to my room ignoring the questions from my parents asking him why did he bring me here in the middle of my schedule.

He pushed me inside the room and locked it. He walked past me, sat on the bed, and his head buried in his palms. He was fuming with anger and I was scared to speak to him. My boy might be younger than me, look cute and silent but remember never judge a book by its cover and so is he a wild kitten with innocent looks.

"Rohit", I murmured

"SHUT UP AKASH", he yelled "What were you doing there standing still? Are you bored of me or what? Were you enjoying the closeness with her?"

"No, Rohit I have eyes only for you"

"Listen Akash you are grounded"

"What the hell?"

"For the next 24 hours you are not leaving this room", he said and walked out of the room.

"Wow Akash you are grounded", I said to myself, jumped on my bed, and dozed off without caring about my outfit.

I felt a warm hand on my stomach, a head on my chest, and warm breath on my skin. I knew how it was so I just turn, cuddle closer to him and sniff kiss his forehead. He stirred in his sleep and snuggled into my chest and continued to sleep.

"I love you", I whispered and he smiled in his sleep.

I kiss his hair and fall asleep with my love in my hands. Then the next 24 hours we stayed in my room, watching movies, playing, studying, and enjoying each other's company and warmth. This was more like a boon than a punishment. If this is the punishment he gives I want to keep committing mistakes so I can spend romantic time with Rohit.

"Akash, can we do this some other day", I was nervous as hell. We were in Rohit's house car parking. We were going to reveal our relationship to his parents.

"This will end up well. Stop freaking out baby", he said.

He cups my face and tilts it to make me face him. He goes on his toes, places a kiss on my forehead, a peck on my lips, and grins at me.

"I am nervous", I said and he made grabby hands toward me. I gave a sheepish smile and hug him. I exhale a long breath and relax in his hold and scent. We walk to his front door, the whole time I was holding his hands tightly. Then suddenly a thing flashes to me, my eyes widen and I bring my hand to my mouth as I gasp.

"Rohit what if they are homophobic? Will they break us apart?", I asked him.

He hit my head and said, "Even if they are homophobic I will never leave you. I love you"

"I love you too"

"What if they don't like me?"

He started laughing loudly, pulls me into a hug, pats my head, and releases me after kissing the side of my head.

"Whatever happens I won't leave you baby", he said and I nodded

I started thinking about Rohit to calm down my nervousness. I remember that he sleeps over at my house very often nowadays. His clothes are in my cupboard, my room is filled with his accessories and even our photographs together are hung on my bedroom wall.

The creaking voice of the door opening brings me back to reality. I see his mother standing in the doorway, her face clearly asking who am I?

"Mom, this is Akash..." Rohit said

"So you are Akash, my son's best friend right", she said cutting him off. She holds my hand and pulls me inside the house.

His house was beautiful and well arranged and enormously huge. They were very rich and I didn't know about it. I knew that his parents own their own business but who knew he would be this damn rich. They were high-class people and I was hardly a middle-class boy. What if his parents reject me because of my status?

His mother introduced me to Rohit's father and he greeted me with a hug and a pleasant smile. I felt a little better. After a few minutes, Rohit squeezed my thigh and looked straight into my eyes. He is going to spill everything now.

"Mom. Dad. I want to tell you something.", he said

"Tell me dear", his mom said

"Mom Akash is not my best friend. He is my boyfriend"

"Huh! What!", his parents said in unison

"Yes we both are dating for more than 2 years now"

"YOU BOTH ARE BOYS FOR GOD'S SAKE", his father yelled

"That doesn't matter to us, we just love each other dad"

"Rohit, go to your room right now and you faggot out of my house and remember never meet my son again", he said.

I am on the verge of crying. All my worst fears are coming true. His parents are trying to break us apart and I can't even imagine a life without him. He is the oxygen I breathe, I am sure I'll die the moment he leaves me.

"Dad, if he is a faggot then remember that your son is also a faggot, he is my happiness. I love him and I will not keep quiet if I hear a word against him."

"You are just 16 Rohit you don't know what love is?"

"Wow, dad WOW! You proposed to my mom at the age of 15, got married when you were 19, and gave birth to me when you were 21."

"That is different"

"The only thing different is that mom was a woman and Akash is a man"

"I will not allow you to be with him"

"I am done with this dad. I love him and going to spend my whole life with him only and for your kind information I am vacating this house because I am moving in with my boyfriend"

"ROHIT"

"Goodbye dad", Rohit said and dragged me out of his house.

Did he just leave his family behind for me?

I love this boy more now and I'll do everything I can to keep this boy happy and protect him always.

"Ro..hit", I stammered in a low voice. He took heavy steps toward me and leaned forward and attached his forehead to mine. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slowly getting stable.

"I am sorry", he whispered

"Why?"

"For what my father called you as"

"You need not have to be, sorry baby. Thanks for fighting for me there"

"I love you"

"I love you infinite", I said. I pulled him into a hug and we stood there in each other hold for a few minutes.

I took him to my house. I explained everything to my parents and they felt bad for whatever happened and then they asked Rohit to stay with us. After a small talk with my parents, he went to my room which is logically our room now. I feel a little happy amidst this bitterness. I let him alone while I cook him, his favorite cookies.

I entered the room just to find him crying. I closed the door and stood in front of the door. I gave him helpless smile when he saw me. He jumped off the bed, rushed to me, and hugged me tightly. I held him in my arms as he cried his heart out. After a few minutes when I heard his cries turn into soft sobs, I pulled back, took his face in my hands, and wiped the tears off his cheeks.

"Rohit we will get through this together", I said and he nodded wiping his nose.

I sat on my bed, leaned against the headboard, and pulled him against my chest. I fed him the cookies. We both were talking, we talked more so that it could ease his mind.

"I am blessed to have you as my boyfriend", he said. He looked happy a little and there was love, happiness, and sadness filled in his eyes. He readjusted himself so that he has straddled my lap. He then placed his head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around him. I kissed his hair and let him stay like that. I heard his snores after a few minutes.

"Good night Rohit", I made him sleep properly on the bed and I slept on my side of the bed.

After a year, we shifted into a small, cozy, single-bedroom house with the money I had earned from modeling and some borrowed money from my friends. We got closer to each other after we start to live all by ourselves. We shared the daily chores though most of it is done by him. We had many arguments and those only made us closer. I get at least once scolded by Rohit each day because of my stupidity.

I was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Rohit came walking inside the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He looked hot with messed hair, sleepy eyes, and his outfit. He was wearing my white T-shirt which was oversized for him, it was sliding down his shoulder and it came to his mid-thigh, and the worst part is he isn't wearing any pants.

"What are you doing?", he asked hugging me, in his sleepy voice

"Breakfast", I replied and made him sit on the kitchen slab.

"Why are you not wearing your pants?"

"Simply"

"Hmm, your phone is ringing", I said.

He jumped off the slab and ran to pick up his call. He came out all dressed up and fresh.

"It was my parents, who called", he said

"Ohh", I said. Why did they call him now, after a year?

"They were sorry"

"Hmm"

"Akash they accept us, they want to see us."

"You can meet your parents whenever you want, but I'm not stepping into that house after whatever has happened"

"Akash please", he said with puppy eyes

"No"

"Akash you are coming with me, that's all", he slammed his hand on the table. It is injurious to my body if I say no once more.

"Sure", I said

"Good boy", he said and walked away.

Then we went to his parent's house and they apologized to us. They said they missed their only child. They said that they accept us. Though at first, I didn't want to forgive them but later due to their care and love I forgave them. We were all a big happy family.

After a year, Rohit fell sick, we admitted him to the hospital and then he left me forever.