Risky Romance

Chapter 5

Varun closed his eyes, took a deep breath and counted to five in his head.

Why exactly did I agree to do this, he thought angrily. Trelawney here doesn't give a s**t whether I sing for her or not.

He opened his eyes and looked straight into Rhea's bewildered face, her mouth popped open slightly, and her eyes wide, beneath her round glasses. Her huge, beautiful, milky, expressive eyes...

He looked into those deep eyes and sang Enrique's "Hero", from his soul. Rhea looked puzzled and surprised, because Varun looked serious, and when she gazed into his dark eyes, she found herself losing in him.

Varun sang softly..

Let me be your hero...

If you say so, thought Rhea.

Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?

Would you run, and never look back?

Hell no, thought Rhea.

Would you cry, if you saw me crying?

Would you save my soul tonight?

Maybe, thought Rhea, as she looked into his eyes and they stared at each other.

Would you tremble, if I touched your lips?

I don't know, thought Rhea, a little shiver running along her neck, as she thought of his lips on hers.

Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this.

Now would you die for the one you love?

Love, thought Rhea, confused and mesmerized. Is this love?

Hold me in your arms, tonight..

Rhea thought of Varun's strong arms, those veins running along his muscular hands, and how tough yet soft they would feel if she held him.

I can be your hero, baby.

I can kiss away the pain.

Kiss..? Oh, thought Rhea. The thought of them kissing softly, yet passionately ran uninhibited in her mind and made a tingle shoot through her body.

I will stand by you forever.

You can take my breath away.

Will you really? Rhea found herself mentally pleading to him.

Would you swear that you'll always be mine?

Yes, thought Rhea, dazed. A thousand times yes.

‪Would you lie? Would you run and hide?

No, thought Rhea, firmly.

Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?

I don't care, you're here tonight..

I'm here, thought Rhea, trying to reassure him.

I can be your hero baby.

I can kiss away the pain.

I will stand by you forever.

You can take my breath away.

Oh, please do, thought Rhea. I'm all yours.

Oh, I just want to hold you.

I just want to hold you, oh, yeah.

Rhea thought of them together, somewhere far away, just the two of them, and him holding her, as they gazed blissfully, above, into the starry night...

Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?

Well I don't care. You're here tonight..

I'll be here always, I promise, thought Rhea. She couldn't think clearly anymore. She was the one who was in too deep.

I can be your hero, baby.

I can kiss away the pain, oh, yeah.

I will stand by you forever.

You can take my breath away.

Rhea stared in his eyes, trying to gather her thoughts as they strayed and formed images of the two of them together, holding hands, standing on the seashore, watching the beautiful sunset.

I can be your hero.

I can kiss away the pain.

And I will stand by you forever.

You can take my breath away.

Rhea tried to think coherently. What was going on? All she could think of was Varun's chiseled form, his dark eyes, his brilliant smile...

You can take my breath away..

What am I doing? Why can't I stop thinking about him? Rhea panicked inside. Think Rhea, think. But then, she looked at him again, this time, emanating all the feelings she had, trying to communicate through her eyes, trying to make him feel what she was feeling at that point of time.

I can be your hero.

Crap, thought Rhea. I think I love him.

The song ended and everybody clapped hard, some of them even wolf-whistled.

"Totally worth the thousand bucks!" yelled Bhavesh.

Nikhil nodded in agreement, "I should have known you guys are dating!"

Varun and Rhea looked at each other, at the same time, in horror, the same thoughts going through their minds.

Fuck, I have a girlfriend.

Oh no, he has a girlfriend.

What the f**k did I sing for?

What the hell was that, then?

This is wrong.

This is wrong.

But it felt right.

But I think it meant something.

What now?

What now?

They looked at each other again, trying to comprehend each others' next move.