Married to my best friend

17. Babe

I thought I knew better but may be I didn't.

N A N D I N I

"This place is bustling with couples."

"We are a couple too." he said as he forwarded his right hand towards me. As much as I wanted to deny it, I strangely liked the sound of it.

"Oh really my dear friend." I replied as I held his hand and he let out a sigh, tightening his hold on my hand and leading me towards the table that the waiter had previously shown.

"Ever wondered how it would feel like to be on a date?" he looked at me and now that made wonder ' how it would feel like to be on a date with him? '.

"No never. I've had enough of those blind dates."

"I am not talking about those blind dates stupid." he stopped his steps and fully turned to look at me. "How would it feel like to be on a date with the person you know?"

"Are you telling me you want this night to be our date night?" I asked with my eyes fixed to him. I had no idea as to how this topic started or why we were even talking about it in the first place when we were clearly nothing but best friends. But still I liked the whole idea about the date. Strange I know.

"Do you want to try?" he sounded hopefully. "You know. Nothing serious. Just playing along based on the mood."

Manik had dated quite a few girls but each one of his dates were like a one time thing. He never really had committed himself to anyone but now I was suddenly curious as to how he treated his dates?

"Hmm. Okay." I agreed, thinking that we would just be playing around. He smiled, before loosening his hold on my hand but the very next moment he interlaced our fingers together. Just those simple move of his made me feel strange.

"Let's go, babe."

I was dumbfounded. Those words unexpectedly sounded so good from his lips that I wanted to hear it again. Something is really wrong with me.
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"What would you do if you get to know that the earth will cease to exist tomorrow?" I asked, looking at Manik. Apparently we were playing 10 questions, something that we had never played with each other, but we just decided we should after referring to a dating website. I thought I knew him pretty well but guess what I still don't know so many things about him.

"Spend the whole day with you." he said without even giving it much thought.

"Seriously. I mean just think about it, the earth would cease to exist and there would be nothing left tomorrow and all you would want to do is spend time with me?"

"What's there to even think about?" he held my right hand that was on the table from across the table. "You are all I need."

Those words of his had my heart racing yet again. "What about you?" he asked, caressing my knuckles ever so gently with his thumb. "What would you do?"

"I-I would-" I couldn't think of a single thing except for being with him. No matter how annoying he was, he was all I had ever needed. He was my solace, my safe home and my comforter. And if I had just one day left to live then all I would want to do is to spend quality time with him.

"You would?"

"I don't know." I looked down at my half eaten chocolate mousse. "May be try all the desserts from all around the world." I lied. I might be a sucker for desserts but desserts taste the sweetest only with him around.

"Even until the very end, you won't leave your desserts hah." he let out a sigh.

Twirling the dessert fork on the chocolate mousse, I shrugged. "Nothing beats my desserts." except for you.

"It's the last question, right?" I asked.

"Yeah." he nodded. "And it's your turn first."

"Hmm let me think umm tell me-" I mulled, playing with the dessert fork. "about your first love? Who's she?" Manik had told me that he liked someone back in school but he never told me who she was. I asked him once about her but he never answered and I never pestered him about it.

"My first love?" his smile grew wider. "She's shorter than me. She talks a lot, annoys me a lot and she acts like she doesn't care but she worries about me a lot. When she smiles, she looks the cutest but when she's angry, she's no less than a time bomb. "

May be because he was saying all this looking directly into my eyes, I felt like he was directing this all to me and strangely I was liking it.

"She is a sucker for desserts and I will never understand as to why she loves visiting those boring botanical gardens so freaking much."

"Huh?" I looked at him confused. Had he really been referring to me all this time?  Had he?

"I was just kidding stupid." he let out a soft laugh and I seriously didn't know how to react. I  felt kind of disappointed. I looked down at my plate and munched on my chocolate mousse. It didn't feel as sweet as before.

"Hey Nandini. You angry?" he squeezed my right hand which was in his hold ever so lightly. "I am sorry na." his soft voice made me look at him.

"I am sorry babe." he apologized and that was all it took to wash away my disappointment.

"But I am still very angry-" I deliberately paused before adding, "babe."

His lips curved into a smile and I knew I had been smiling too. At this point I didn't even know if I was just playing around or if I really meant it.

"If I take you to your favourite dessert shop, will you then stop being angry babe?" he asked earnestly.

"Hmm first take me there and may be then I'll consider-" I paused, smiling widely at him."babe." I bet we both looked like two foolish lovesick people to the people around but I knew better as to what we were or may be I didn't.

******
Or may be I didn't ;p. Someone's resolve is shaking. Anyone enjoying this? I am though.

Don't forget to drop your comments and votes. I am waiting to read them.

Stay safe, stay happy and stay healthy.
Love ❤️
Aaku