Chapter 9 The Heart Wants

• Trisha POV
• From the corner of her eye, Trisha could see Justin approaching with Simran glued to him like peanut butter on bread. A jolt of jealousy went through her and she couldn't help but wish that she could be that comfortable with him. But she knew that Justin would never see her in a romantic way. He may be showing an interest in her now, but Trisha knew it was only because he was stunned by the change in her and saw her as a challenge. Even if they were to date, it would be for a short while and he would soon lose interest in her. He did not do long term. He never had, even in high school and then college. She could not afford to have her heart broken again by the same man. It had taken five years and a vast distance between them for her to just get over the hurt mere words had done. What would happen if she opened her heart to him and he broke it again. She knew that she would never recover. But then again from the time she was thirteen years old, no other boy or man had ever affected her this way. No one else made her feel alive when she was around them. Lots of men had asked her out, but she had never been interested, but just seeing Justin again made her feel like she wanted to experience love once in her life. But she was an obedient daughter and she would never do anything to hurt her parents or cause them to be disrespected in their social circles or within their extended family. Maybe all her cousins and aunts were right. She would be the one to have an arranged marriage. Even though her parents tried to let them choose life partners, they also believed that arranged marriages worked. They were living proof after all. Trisha tried to focus her attention on the conversation, but all she do was watch Justin approach their little group. She eagerly awaited for him to get closer, she couldn't help it. Finally he was standing next to her and she could smell his cologne. Simran tried to get in between them, but he refused to let her and she was forced to stand on the other side of him. Trisha could not help but feel thrilled that he wanted to stand next to her. He was almost brushing her and the parts of him that touched her made those spots tingle. She did not move away from him like she would have in the past. Trisha knew that she was in deep trouble. The feelings that she had for him were more intense than five years ago. How was she going to get through the next few weeks that she was going to be here.
• "So come on guys, let's play a game," Simran said and the others groaned and said a very emphatic no. She tried convincing everyone but they were not going to be swayed by her. They all knew how her games ended. It will either end in a fight breaking out or some of the females leaving in tears. That was the effect that Simran had wherever she went. Everyone tolerated her only because of the reputation that her father had in the city and most people were afraid of her mother and what she would do to them in the social circles they were part of. Saroj Kumar ruled society. Trisha decided that maybe it was time she went home. She definitely did not want to tangle with Kavita or Simran and together these two would make the devil look like an angel. She turned to Steve, to see him looking at Justin intensely. She wondered why he was staring at Justin in that way, she would ask him later.