Page 3 of Born in Sin

Virat didn’t bother correcting the misconception.

“But then,” Dinesh prattled on. “She is something else. An actress and a star. That’s a unique combination. Talent, good looks, and screen presence, it’s a combination that comes around very rarely. I don’t blame you for wanting to meet her.

“Although,” Dinesh lowered his voice confidentially. “I should warn you about something.”

“What?” They’d almost reached her, Virat’s entire body reacted to her proximity, even as she remained unaware of his presence.

“She’s the original Ice Queen man. A real cold fish. If you’re thinking of shooting your shot, don’t bother. Not unless you want your dick to freeze and fall off.”

All it would take, Virat mused, was one punch to the other man’s face to shut him up. But he wasn’t here for that. He was here for something or rather someone else. He was here for her.

“Hello gorgeous,” Dinesh said now, putting his arm around her waist.

Virat saw her tense, her entire body stilling. She pulled away from the touch and glanced at Dinesh coolly.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” he said, gesturing towards Virat. “A close friend of mine.”

She turned, her chocolate brown eyes widening for a second when they collided with his. In that second, he saw it all. Their shared past, their broken present, and their hopeless future. One second and her eyes shuttered.

“Virat Jha, meet Cara Ferns, my star. Cara, this is Virat, my friend.”

“Hello,” he said, his voice rock steady as he looked into the eyes of the only woman he’d ever loved and saw nothing reflected back at him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She stared at him, her face a blank slate. A stunningly beautiful one. Her hair and makeup were flawless, the georgette salwar kameez she wore draping perfectly over her stunning body. She was a goddess come to life.

“Ms. Ferns,” he said now when she didn’t say a word. “I would like a private moment with you, if you don’t mind. I wanted to discuss a possible collaboration for a charity I work with. It won’t take more than a few minutes, I promise.”

When she still didn’t respond, her eyes seemingly frozen on his face, he added, “Let me say what I came to say, and I’ll leave. I promise. You won’t see or hear from me again.”

Her mask fell, her eyes blazing with emotion. Pain, grief, anger, they all swirled in those beautiful depths. What he didn’t seethough was love…he doubted he’d ever see that in her eyes again. Definitely not for him.

“Please?” he said, allowing her to hear his own anguish.

Without a word of acknowledgement, Cara Ferns, the biggest star to grace the screens of Bollywood in the last decade, brushed past him and walked away. She never looked back.

Crestwood

“Hey!”

Celina dropped down on the grass beside the boy, Virat, she’d met the previous day. He didn’t acknowledge her, looking out, instead, at the boys playing football.

“How’s your back?”

Storm cloud eyes met hers for a second, before he looked away again.

“Did you go to the infirmary?”

Still no answer.

“You should go, or it might get infected. My mother says-“

“Please stop talking to me.”

The words were said with zero emotion, and he still wasn’t looking at her. Annoyed, she stared out at the football field too. She managed to concentrate on it for all of two minutes. Football was boring!!

“Are you not playing because your back hurts?”

“Oh my God! Shut up!”