APRICITY [Completed]

12. SURBHI

I watch as Vihaan inspects his cheek in the mirror. A small frown plasters on his face and I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. I got him bad last night.

I slapped him and got all my frustration out. I know it wasn't my best move, considering he's been groveling for months now. Yet, I'd be lying if I said that returning him a little hurt of his own did not make my heart feel lighter.

Vihaan has been nothing but good to me all this while. No matter how much I tried pushing his buttons, he didn't budge. I have had doubts in my mind about his intentions but last night changed everything.

He is the one for me. And now I know that he realizes it too. To my shock and pleasure, he appreciates it as well. He catches me smiling and I'm pretty sure he knows what I'm thinking from the mischievous glint in my eyes.

A smile tugs on his lips and he covers the distance between us. He scoops me in his arms and hugs me tightly, like he's been needing to do this for a long time.

"Can I kiss you on your head? Please." Despite living together, Vihaan always asked for my permission to touch me.

I nod and he plants a long kiss on my hair.

He pulls back and I straighten. It's time for some serious talk.

"Will you go on a date with me?" He asks.

I blink at him, surprised. Those are not the words I expected him to say. Yet, butterflies dance in my lower belly. His expression changes to one of worry when I don't reply immediately.

"Yes," I reply and I watch as he exhales a sigh of relief.

"In that case, I need to go and make some arrangements. I'll pick you up at 12. Does it work for you?"

I nod. I expect him to leave but something keeps him from going. He opens and closes his mouth but doesn't say anything.

When I realize what it is, I get on my tip toes and kiss him on his cheek. His cheeks turn pink as he blushes. I too keep my head lowered because I'm sure I'm red like a tomato.

-------

I look at myself in the mirror wearing a yellow dress. I'm grinning and bouncing like a teenager who's boyfriend just asked her out on her first date.

To be honest, this is my first date. I am an average looking girl whose nose was always burried deep inside books in school.

I never gave men the time of my day, until Vihaan. I have had a crush since I first saw him. I put on some makeup and apply the lipstick he likes the most on me.

Ugly hippie

He called me that once. My hands instantly halt. I wait for the sense of insecurity to fill me, but it doesn't come. He has been complimenting me every morning for such a long time now that I have started believing those words.

In the start, I used to wear simple pants and loose t-shirts. But as Vihaan's daily compliments kept sinking in, I started putting efforts in my appearance. I wanted to see that look on his face where he stands and watches me.

His lips part and his eyes roam over me. His expressions suggest that he sees nothing other than me, like the entire world just stopped for him. Before he utters the words, "You look pretty today."

After living with me for three months, he has seen me with pimples, dark circles and drool on my face. Yet his compliments never ceased.

I smile as Vihaan says the exact same words to me today, standing on the threshold of the apartment and accept the flowers he got for me.

"And you look handsome," I return the compliment. Hand in hand, we walk to his BMW and he opens the door for me. I've sat in his car before on few rare occasion, but this feels very different. Today I feel welcomed in his personal space.

"Where are we going?" I ask him.

"Surprise," he says and that does nothing to quench my curiosity.

----

This is the best date anyone could have ever planned for me. We're in the middle of a park under a huge shady tree. Vihaan set up beautiful flower and butterfly paper hangings dangling from its branches.

He brings me a orange flower from a nearby shrub to match my dress and secures it in my hair with a clip. I sit on the pink bed sheet he has spread on the grass. He also brought a picnic basket with food and sweets.

His hand slowly approaches towards my arm. His eyes meet mine to see if I pull back or say no. I do neither. His finger trails a path on my arm. Goosebumps erupt on my skin and fire burns in the wake of his finger.

Tension sits thick in the air. However, we both know that we can't delay the inevitable, especially when we are on borrowed time. I keep my hand on his, offering him a small smile.

"Surbhi," he starts.

"Me, mom and dad, we were a happy family. My mother was a bright woman. I can't recollect a lot of my memories but I remember that she was an easy going, happy woman."

"People tended to like her and enjoy her company. We used to spend a lot of time in our little playroom, painting canvases, learning animal and plant charts, doing homework, crafting and what not."

"Unlike what one may think, my dad was an amazing husband and father too. Before leaving for work everyday, he'd tell mom that she was looking pretty. In the evening, he would come home at 6, sit with me and mom and listen to us ramble all about our day."

I watch Vihaan's face. He's lost in the world of his memories as he tells me about his childhood. His expressions are serene, just the way I always want him to be. But then, his face morphs into a sour expression.

"That night, when mom died, nobody told me about it. For hours after my dad came back, I kept urging him to tell me and talk to me. That was the first time he raised his hand at me. I was 8."

"I was too little to understand the concept of death but I knew that I'll never get to see mom again."

His grip on my hand tightens and I brace myself for the worst.

"Dad spiraled out of control. Drowning himself in alcohol and beating me wasn't enough for him anymore. He started destroying all her memories. He wanted to erase her existence. He started by burning her photos, all her stuff and..."

He chokes.

"And our playroom. It was difficult Surbhi. It was so difficult not being able to understand what happened to mumma and getting abused by papa everyday."

"I wanted her to come back. I wanted her hug me and soothe my pain. I always cleaned up after my dad. Sometimes he was so out of his element that he wouldn't remember eating."

His hands start to shake. I want to stop him from speaking further and hug him but I refrain.

He needs this