diff --git a/plugin/auto-pairs.vim b/plugin/auto-pairs.vim
index 56930bd..0a3e598 100644
--- a/plugin/auto-pairs.vim
+++ b/plugin/auto-pairs.vim
@@ -72,9 +72,12 @@ function! AutoPairsInsert(key)
   end
 
   let line = getline('.')
-  let prev_char = line[col('.')-2]
-  let current_char = line[col('.')-1]
-  let next_char = line[col('.')]
+  let pos = col('.') - 1
+  let next_chars = split(strpart(line, pos), '\zs')
+  let current_char = get(next_chars, 0, '')
+  let next_char = get(next_chars, 1, '')
+  let prev_chars = split(strpart(line, 0, pos), '\zs')
+  let prev_char = get(prev_chars, -1, '')
 
   let eol = 0
   if col('$') -  col('.') <= 1
@@ -151,9 +154,11 @@ endfunction
 
 function! AutoPairsDelete()
   let line = getline('.')
-  let current_char = line[col('.')-1]
-  let prev_char = line[col('.')-2]
-  let pprev_char = line[col('.')-3]
+  let pos = col('.') - 1
+  let current_char = get(split(strpart(line, pos), '\zs'), 0, '')
+  let prev_chars = split(strpart(line, 0, pos), '\zs')
+  let prev_char = get(prev_chars, -1, '')
+  let pprev_char = get(prev_chars, -2, '')
 
   if pprev_char == '\'
     return "\<BS>"