Chapter 2

Pai rubbed his face as he looked at the man who was now asleep in his bed. The wedding tuxedo was lying on the chair in front of the bed, reminding Pai of how forbidden this relationship had become now. Pai felt amazed at how at-home and peaceful Siri looked as he slept in his tiny room, which was barely big enough for a Queen-sized bed. All Pai had in his room, that was his entire house, was a mini refrigerator, a stove-top, a collapsible wardrobe, a bed and a plastic chair. Those were his meagre belongings and this man who was currently sharing his bed when he should have been with his new bride was the only heir to multi-billion dollars empire. As fate would have it, Pai and Siri had met, somehow fallen in love even after clashing heads all the time and had maintained a relationship for over three years.

Pai can still remember the day Siri said he would make Pai his wife. Pai didn’t know but a small smile had crept on his face as if he was re-living the memories. The days in the university when Siri questioned everything Pai had asked of them and challenged the seniors at every turn. He wished he could have finished his graduation and had been able to grab a nice job. Even with having partial scholarship, Pai still had to drop out soon after he started his fourth year. By that time Pai was acutely aware of Siri and his feelings for the senior. The young man had found out about his senior dropping out and had tracked him down. Siri had continued to chase Pai, who had finally after several months given in to his own feelings towards the dashing young man.

Thinking back, Pai couldn’t pin-point a specific moment when he had realized that he had fallen deeply in love with Siri. All he could remember were just symptoms: His heart racing at the sight of a certain freshman, the millions of butterflies in his stomach, the shivers that ran through his spine at the simplest of touches, his heart swelling at the young man’s smile, his face heating up at anything even remotely suggestive.

That was all he could remember, other than the loneliness when Siri was away working for his father, the creeping fear of losing this man, the irrational insecurities and everything in between. Jealousy and possessiveness when the ex-Engineering student had found out that Siri was being set up for marriage. The heartache when it had finally dawned on him who Siri was in this world and what it meant. The bleeding wound that he had to forcibly seal so that he could persuade his Siri to follow his father’s wishes. The fact that Pai had to make his younger lover understand what was expected of a person in his position as he had to lock his own feelings away, was something...Well, let’s say he had not felt such a pain ever before, not even when his aunt had passed away.

Now he saw Siri sleeping soundly and feels that there could not have been a truer bond than the one which the two of them shared. He still feels the ache in his chest when he contemplates the difficulties the two of them will face as they both will work to maintain what they have. He knew the young man will die before he gave Pai up, even with everything going on. The fact that he was here on his wedding night only strengthened that belief. Pai might have pushed Siri to do this and take over his rightful position, but he could never deny his beloved anything. So Pai was sure that the two of them would be playing the game of hide-n-seek from now on, hiding from everyone and seeking only each other in their own little world.

Pai sighed as he smoothed the hair on Siri’s forehead. It was nearly half-past three in the morning now. If Siri had to sneak into his mansion of a house he would have to wake up and leave soon. As Pai caressed the frown lines on Siri’s forehead, the said man blearily opened his eyes. The dark orbs saw the angelic face of Pai and smiled brightly.

Pai smiled back softly, “What were you thinking in your sleep, huh?”

Siri whispered, “I thought this was a dream…”

“Huh?”

“Me being in your bed..”

Pai swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. The love that reflected in Siri’s eyes was enough to make his own eyes glisten. The lovers just stared into each-others’ eyes with a longing that seemed unparalleled. As the two hearts beat in tandem and eyes shone with silent tears, the only witness to this magical moment was the dark velvet sky of the silent night.