Exclusively Mine

6. Oh Kitten.....

Kunal

I go back in my room after seeing off Karan. Not actually seeing off because I was busy saving Sirisha's contact number.

But you know what?

I don't really care.

I sit back on my bed and gaze at those ten digits looking back at me.

Should I call her?

Now?

What will I say?

"Hey Sirisha! Kunal here. Karan gave me your number." I whisper practicing what to say.

God! I am such a confident person yet I feel nervous in calling her.

Come On Kunal you can do it. It's just a mere call. You talk to her every day. Well, not actually talk fight to be more specific.

But I can do it, can't I?

I tap on the call button on the screen and the letters of her name appear in big font on the screen.

• • • • •

Third Person

Sirisha is busy preparing the batter of the cake and the ringing of her mobile takes her mind off the batter.

Sirisha shouts from the kitchen "Hey Sam! Answer the phone call for me."

Sam a.k.a. Sameer is her little brother six years younger than her. He likes Kunal because both of them have a common interest. Gaming. Kunal teaches him new tricks and ways of playing.

"I will not. It's from an unknown number." Sam yells back.

"Ok, just give it to me, then."

"No, I can't I am busy." He says looking at the mobile, hitting the characters in the game.

"Yes yes, why not busy playing games? Get my mobile right now or you won't even get to smell the cake once it's done." She warns.

Sam picks up the mobile from her bed and runs to the kitchen to hand it over to her. He stops beside her and swipes up on the screen picking up the call.

He puts the mobile between Sirisha's ear and shoulder and she grips it by pressing her shoulder against the mobile and answers "Hello, Sirisha here. Who's this?"

Her voice sounds feathery sweet. Kunal never noticed it earlier. He speaks coming out of his thoughts "Hey! Kunal here."

"What?! Who?" Sirisha asks totally startled as she stops whisking suddenly.

"Kunal" he repeats nervously.

"Oh....Just stop fooling me around, Kunal doesn't even have my number. Who the hell are you?" She huffs in a warning tone.

"Hey! It's really me, Kunal. Karan gave me your number." He says clarifying himself.

"Oh! I am so sorry, you were speaking so sweetly that I couldn't recognize you." Sirisha says. "So, what's the reason that you took my number from Karan and called me?" She continues as she starts whisking the batter again.

What should he say?

That even though they fight with each other all day long, just forget everything and come for a movie with him?

That he wants to take her for a movie, just like that?

No! She will definitely assume him as a fraud. Thinking, he, Kunal, can never ask her out for a movie.

"Hey! Speak up! You there?" Sirisha asks and Kunal shakes his head.

"Uhmm... Are you free on Sunday?"

"Yup... Kind of, why what's up?" She asks doubtful.

"See, don't freak out because it might sound weird. But, would you go out for a movie with me?"

Sirisha stops whisking suddenly once again and that very moment there was complete silence.

"Hey, didi! Are you even baking the cake, anymore? You have stopped whisking for the second time already! Have you dropped the plan of baking the cake?" Sam asks desperately.

"Shut up and go back to your room." She utters lightly enough so that Kunal can't hear.

Sam leaves and Sirisha continues "What? A movie.... like in the movie theatre? With me? Why not Karan or your elder brother?"

"Please, don't be shocked. Actually, all of them are busy and I am too lazy to go alone. So," He explains.

Kunal bites the skin on the pad of his index finger in nervousness as Sirisha continues to interrogate him like a detective.

And it was fair for her to do that. After all, she would never expect Kunal to call her out of the blues and be like, hey wanna watch a movie with me?

And even if someone would call her claiming to be Kunal she would laugh her ass out and drop the call without listening further.

But in reality, she didn't do anything such that. Mostly, because she recognised Kunal's voice.

That clarity.

That delivery of speech.

But she didn't hear that confidence this time, he always carries.

"Okay.... So, why me? Why not your other friend?" Sirisha continues her interrogation. She still can't believe the fact that Kunal just asked her out.

What should he say now? That he is suddenly eager to know more about her? No way, he will sound stupid.

She would die laughing for such a reason. Though, he really wants to know more about her.

"Umm.... Because Karan told me that you love Marvel. So, I thought why not you? You are a good option too."

"Oh Gosh! Don't tell me that you are taking me for Black Widow!" She chirps jumping.

"Yup, but how do you know that?" He asks confused.

"Stupid! It's the only newly released Marvel movie and besides, you have Disney+Hotstar to watch other Marvel goodies."

Okay, he has just realized one thing, that she knows about him way more than he knows about her. She is more observant than him, maybe. He doesn't really pay attention to things.

Damn It! He thought they would get to know each other. But, seems like now he is the only one who needs to know her.

Like, God! She even knows about his Disney+Hotstar.

"So, you are coming right?" He asks nervously.

"Two questions to confirm that you are Kunal. One, what was the last topic we fought on? Two, what does Kunal call me all the time, that pisses me off?"

Kunal laughs "Oh Kitten," and Sirisha's shoulders supple from the tightness when she hears the word kitten. It's definitely him.

He continues "Last time we fought over a frog. How I told you that they are cute and you told me that they are-"

"Gross." They say in unison.

Okay, now it's 100% confirmed that it's Kunal on the other end of the line.

"So, will you come?" Kunal asks still a bit nervous.

"Yeah, definitely. Thanks for inviting me. "

"You're most welcome!" Kunal says smiling.

"Wait, what's the timing of the movie?" Sirisha asks as she realizes that she forgot to ask the most important question.

"It is 5:00 pm, it might get late while returning. I think so you should ask your mom."

"Definitely I will ask her. I have to ask her even if the movie is at noon. She is my mother after all."

"Right." He shakes his head at his stupid statement.

They both laugh.

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