Part 10

"So, won't you be coming every day henceforth to relate your anecdotes?" she asked, her mind reeling from the happenings. She did not want to lose the company of Vihaan, no matter what they shared in the past or her relationship with Vivaan.

"Of course not. I will come. We also have our walks, right?" he asked. He had provided assurance to her, but wondered if anything could provide assurance to himself regarding her.

"I...I... Let's go for the walk," she requested, unable to voice her concerns if he expected their relationship dynamics to change after that.

"Sure," he obliged, reading the turmoil in her eyes and the way she was biting her lips in nervousness. She was used to rolling her index finger and thumb together when she was anxious and replay of that habit made him ponder over if she would remember them as well as her subconsciousness remembers her habit.

"Before, I used to think that teasing me was your hobby, but now I have felt that you are making it a habit," teased Vivaan, pulling her over as she crashed into his chest.

"Hmm. When you are my passion and my habit, I thought I should also have some habits associated with you. And I found nothing more enjoyable than teasing you till now," she replied, leaning towards him with a seductive smile which he knew all the same.

She loved making him go weak at her antics and then exploit that moment of weakness to leave him craving for her.

"Where have you explored things with me, darling?"

The wave of nostalgia made a sorrow splayed smile sway over his lips as they trembled with several emotions. That image of his Vrinda smiling at him in a sultry manner, that hint of mischievousness in her sparkling eyes, that slight upturning of her lips into an inviting smile, seemed to entice him more than anything as he found himself craving for more of her divine essence.

"Vihaan?" she called out, realizing that she lost him to his thoughts. It made her heart skip a beat in concern with the way his eyebrows knotted and his downcast eyes fluttered before training them on her.

It felt like icy water being thrown at his face. His craving had to wait and pining had a long time to bear fruit.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thoughts," he replied, bending down to adjust the wheelchair for her to be seated.

He held her hand and helped her to take her seat. As much as he craved to lift her up in his arms and place her in the wheelchair, he knew she had to learn or else her muscles could never regain their strength and her another love would remain forgotten by her - dancing.

He guided the wheelchair through the balcony, which lead to the lawn outside, reminiscing about the grace and love with which she danced. Dancing was another passion of hers which did not receive support from her family. Her father strongly believed that members of higher societies should not indulge in dancing, but her mother had provided her training secretly with some help from Sucheta at whose home the dance teacher used to take lessons to avoid being caught by Bhanuprakash.

"You loved to dance, you know? Once you can walk properly and regain proper balance, I would love to see you dance," he said suddenly, a smile playing on his lips as the visual of a young Vrinda dancing appeared on the canvas of his mind.

"It seems so far-fetched now. You think I will do it once again?" she asked, an unknown fact about herself diverting her thoughts.

"Of course. You are a fast learner. You are learning to control and balance fast enough. You may have to take the course once again. I have some videos of your dancing. I will show you once we get back from walking," he said, bending down to adjust the footrests in a manner that Vrinda could stand up.

"Try to stand now," he instructed, looking for any signs of instability in her lower limbs.

"Is our past the reason that Vivaan is not ready to meet me? I mean, it is understandable that if we have shared so much, it might be tough for him to not see any sign of familiarity in my eyes towards him," she mused, trying to take larger steps than the previous day, closely followed by Vivaan.

"You do not know," he muttered under his breath, turning away from her so that she would not see the shift of emotions in him.

"You should really learn to answer to the question rather than mouthing that same dialogue repeatedly," complained Vrinda, rolling her eyes at the way he excused himself from answering to her questions.

"Sometimes time answers questions better than people and I just thought that it is best if I leave it to the time to answer your tough questions," he replied, a whimsical smile playing on his lips in a manner which seemed to annoy Vrinda.

"Your riddles! I don't know what to do with you and your riddles!" she berated, turning away from him and trying to walk faster.

"Arre! Don't vent your frustration regarding me on your legs!" he remarked, catching up to her, slight smile playing on his lips at her progress in walking and her words which reminded him of his old Vrinda.

"Now you are smiling to yourself! You love to incite me, don't you?" demanded Vrinda, pointing her index finger at him questioningly.

He did not understand what had come over him, but he certainly knew what had caused it. Her words, her antics and her frustration were so reminiscent of the one he had known and adored that he had pulled her up against him as he locked their eyes in an embrace of a storm of emotions.

"I love a lot of things about you and related to you. And oh, you do not know," he teased, a naughty smirk playing on his lips as a warm blush splayed itself over her cheeks along with a smile which seemed to stretch on its own accord.