“Run twenty rounds in teams. Levi and Priya can run together, while Priyank and Rish can run together in a group,” Maya announced, fire in her eyes.
“I don’t want to run with Rish. I will run with my girl only,” Priyank denied, unwilling to leave Priya’s side.
He wanted to run with Priya. After the attack, he may have been the one who bore it, but the fear of what could have happened to her was clearly eating him alive. Under no circumstances would he leave her alone without his protection. It wasn’t going to happen.
Running twenty rounds would take no less than an hour, as the place was quite big. It might even take longer than that.
“I am pairing Levi and Priya because they are both girls, and you and Rish are guys, so it will help match the strengths,” Maya sighed. She didn’t understand why Priyank always had to be glued to Priya. She may have understood a bit, but not entirely. It was just tiring.
“It doesn’t matter. I will run faster than Rish, so why can’t I be paired with Priya? I will try to match my speed with hers,” Priyank shrugged, as if he was making perfect sense.
Which was somehow true, because he was the only one who had training due to being in the Mafia. The other three were just novices with no training whatsoever.
So it had to be Rish? Why couldn’t it be Priya? He already didn’t want to take his eyes off his Angel, and there was no way he was dropping this opportunity.
Priya’s cheeks turned red as he adamantly insisted on training with her. Him calling her his girl in front of others made it even more embarrassing.
She didn’t know how to look Maya in the eyes. She lowered her gaze, biting her lips, wanting Priyank to just shut up with his tantrum.
She knew he was a bit paranoid due to the attack, but that didn’t mean he had to behave like this.
Though she didn’t even want him to take part in this, considering his injuries were still fresh, his stubbornness meant he was going to participate no matter what. He wouldn’t be stopped. She had tried to reason with him, but he had denied it all.
So she had to accept it, even though she didn’t want to.
Priya took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She knew that arguing with Priyank would be futile when he was in this state of mind. She glanced at Maya, hoping for some support, but Maya seemed just as exasperated as she was.
“Fine,” Maya relented, throwing her hands up in surrender. “Priyank and Priya can run together, and Levi and Rish will form the other team. But I expect all of you to take this training seriously. We don’t have time for distractions.”
Priyank’s face lit up with a triumphant smile, and he wrapped an arm around Priya’s waist, pulling her close. “Don’t worry, we’ll take it seriously. I won’t let anything happen to my girl.”
Priya felt her face heat up even more at his possessive gesture. She knew he meant well, but sometimes his overprotectiveness could be suffocating. She gently removed his arm from her waist and stepped away, trying to create some distance between them.
“We should start warming up,” she suggested, hoping to change the subject. “We don’t want to pull any muscles during the run.”
Levi and Rish nodded in agreement, and the four of them began stretching their limbs, preparing for the gruelling task ahead.
As they started their first lap around the expansive grounds, Priya couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. She knew that Priyank’s injuries were still healing, and she worried that the physical exertion would only make them worse. But she also knew that he was too stubborn to listen to reason, especially when it came to her safety.
She glanced over at him as they ran side by side, noticing the determined set of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. Despite her concerns, she couldn’t help but feel a rush of affection for him.
After their conversation yesterday, Priya couldn’t help but feel that Priyank had changed, and for the better.
The fact that he wanted to train despite his numerous wounds, all for her sake, shook her heart a little. Even though she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t.
As they completed their first lap and started on the second, Priya resolved to keep a close eye on Priyank throughout the training session. She would make sure that he didn’t push himself too hard, even if it meant incurring his frustration. His well-being was more important to her than anything else, and she would do whatever it took to keep him safe.
“Why are you looking at me, Priya? Focus on the ground. You are so thin, and I don’t think you’ve ever practised before, judging by the way you’re running like a snail,” Priyank commented as he matched her pace, which was so slow that he felt like he was walking rather than running.
“I have asthma. Don’t you know that? How can I do any physical activity? I’m only doing it now because I have to. Otherwise, with my asthma and breathing problems, I wouldn’t be doing it at all.”
“Shit! It slipped my mind,” Priyank cursed. How could he have forgotten? The very first day he met her, she had fainted, and he had discovered that she had asthma. He could totally understand how dangerous it was for her to run.
“Now you remember, so it’s alright.”
“I’m sorry, Priya. I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. Let’s take it easy, okay? We can walk if you need to.”
Priya shook her head, determined to keep going. “No, I can do this. I just need to pace myself.”
Despite her brave words, Priyank could see the strain on her face. Her breathing was becoming more laboured, and her steps were growing unsteady. He knew he had to do something before she pushed herself too far.
“Let’s take a break,” he suggested, gently taking her arm and guiding her to the side of the track. “We can catch our breath and then start again slowly.”
Priya wanted to protest, but the tightness in her chest made it difficult to speak. She nodded, allowing Priyank to lead her to a nearby tree.
As they sat down, Priyank rubbed her back soothingly, trying to ease her breathing. “I’m so sorry, Priya. I should have been more mindful of your condition.”
Priya managed a weak smile. “It’s okay. I just didn’t want to hold you back.”
Priyank shook his head, his eyes filled with tenderness. “You could never hold me back, Priya. Your health and well-being are far more important than any training exercise.”