TejRan: What The Heart Desires

Part-17

"Karan you didn't have to do this....first this is expensive and second i agreed for dinner so obviously i had thought about getting seen and all...." She said genuinely. "How did you manage to book the place today in such a short time?"

"I booked a few days back...." He said slowly. No more lies. "I wanted to ask you for dinner tonight because it is a special day for me....on this day i came to Mumbai for my first show and it changed my life....this day is special and i didn't want to spend it alone....although I didn't know if you would agree or not....just took a chance and booked it...." He said honestly.

For the second time in the same night she was touched. There was no doubt that he liked her. And what she felt was beyond what one could put in words. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she had goosebumps in her body. He liked her back. There was no doubt to it.

"Congratulations for completing?" She raised her brows.

"Thirteen years...." He said with a smile.

"Thirteen years in Mumbai...." She said with a huge smile. "And a lifetime of a career which will keep growing each day....touchwood...."

He smiled softly and looked at the skyline.

"You want any drinks?" He asked looking at her after a couple of minutes of silence. A silence which felt peaceful.

"You are driving...." She said immediately.

"No no...." He said immediately. "I am not drinking....i asked you...."

"Nope....some other day....together...." She said sweetly and he nodded with a smile.

They ordered their dinner and had it while chatting happily sharing to each other about their lives , their past and every small details they could think of.

A couple of hours had passed and after their dinner he called for the cheque.

"We will split it...." She said immediately.

"I don't deny when a lady offers to split the bill or offers a treat but not tonight....since it is my special day it is my treat...." He said softly.

She didn't have the heart to say no. She smiled softly and looked at the waves of the sea crashing into the shore.

"Let's go?" He asked softly after paying the bill.

She nodded and got up and he held her hand as they walked to the parking.

None of them wanted to go home but didn't know how to ask the other for some more time.

"Ice cream?" He asked looking at her. Although they had dessert inside still it was probably just an excuse. They both knew it. She wad thankful that he said it.

She nodded with a vibrant smile and he drove to bandstand and parked the car and brought two ice cream from a roadside stall. It was exactly 12:43 when he came and sat in the car and handed her the ice cream. They could hear sound of the waves. He rolled down the windows to feel the sea breeze and turned the music system on.

"I got something for you...." He said awkwardly , not looking at her.

"What?" She said while licking her ice cream.

He took out a paper bag from the back seat and gave it to her.

She peeped inside and took out a book.

Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

She smiled softly and looked at him. How well he knows her. That she loves books.

She took out another box which had some chocolates and mango bytes. She chuckled immediately.

She went back and flipped the pages of the book.

"Does this have a happy ending?" She asked. She hadn't read it but the other book by the same author had a sad ending.

"I don't know....i haven't read....i saw a bookstore on the way to your home and so I got it....Jess had once mentioned that it was a good read....Jess you know right?i told you about her?"

"Yes obviously....i asked because i hate sad endings...." She gave a small chuckle.

"Why?" He asked looking at her.

"I believe life will give everyone a happy ending....and if not then it is seen from a wrong perspective....it might look sad but actually it is not....there is more to it apart from what we can see or perhaps comprehend...." She said keeping the book in the bag carefully. She hated when her books got folded. He noticed it and smiled.

"Yoh hate folding your books right?" He asked chuckling.

"Yes...." She said immediately. "How do you know?"

"By the amount of care you are taking while putting it inside...."

"I hate it when someone folds my books....or its pages....i wanna hit their head...." She said making a face and he laughed immediately.

"Don't you think everyone gets a happy ending?" She asked looking at him carefully , trying to read his expressions. He went back to eating his ice cream. To hide his vulnerability. He didn't want anyone to see that side and she knew exactly what to ask to surface that side.

His silence spoke for him.

"Are you that broken Karan?that even when someone is ready to give you everything that you deserve you just don't want to accept it?out of fear?" She didn't know why she asked that.

He couldn't understand why she asked that. She was scary to another level. He felt bare in front of her at that moment. He gulped and took a large bite of the ice cream.

She could see him shake a little and gulp the lump in his throat. His eyes were also probably moistened but as he was looking ahead she couldn't see those. She kept her hand on his hand which was rested on his thigh.

He didn't flinch.

She felt him relax a bit under her touch. She had to lighten the situation.

"When you were about to drop me home from set in the afternoon i had a chat with Omi and figured a few things out....you were in your vanity and we were waiting for you in your car...." She said casually and had a bite of the ice cream.

"What?" He immediately looked at her. He didn't trust Omi at all when it concerned keeping his secret feelings. He must have said something stupid and gave it away to her. Shit.

"I asked him if we could pick some of your favorite donuts from that parlour....he said you never went to that parlour....neither were you so fond of donuts...." She said smiling teasingly.

If Omi would have been in front of him Karan would have balled him up and played basketball with that. Screw him. He had never been so embarassed in his life.