Two Birds One Arrow (Completed)

Chapter 17

Gautham kissing me out of nowhere will forever be one of the most surprising moments in my life. Before my brain could comprehend what was happening, my lips automatically started moving in sync with him. I was slowly getting breathless and by the time we broke apart, I opened the car door and ran like there was no tomorrow.

After I locked the door shut, I was trying so hard to catch my breath due to both the kissing and running. I was panting really bad with my hands on my knees.

By the time I looked up, I saw both my parents staring intently at me. By the looks they were giving me, I was pretty damn sure that they found out what had happened. My mom was smirking at me while my dad had a pretty grossed out expressy. Plus, they didn't actually have to see what I had done to find out. There were three things that just gave it away - my heart beating so loud, my blushing, my lack of breath.

Before they open their mouth and say something, I tighten the grip around my handbag and run to my room and slam the door shut. I lay my head against the doorframe and breathe out and then blush for some more time and then jump on my bed face-first.

I pull out my phone seeing that it has been continuously beeping with messages. I open it only to find that most of them are from Gautham. I skim through all his messages.

So you will kiss me back but you won't tell me that you love me, right?

I simply smile to myself and turn the lights off and go to sleep.

*

I had a very hard time sleeping last night. The kiss seemed to play like a never-ending movie in my head and no matter how much I toss and turn , it simply won't let me sleep at peace. Even if I manage to get myself some sleep, it all goes in vain as even the small amount of sleep continued to be disturbed.

I eventually gave up and turned towards my phone. The entire time, I had also been thinking why not tell Gautham that I love him. He seems to have no problem in telling me that he loves me as well showing it. Maybe the fact that I am not telling, hurts him or something because no matter how much he asks I don't seem to cave in.

I take out my phone, go to his contact and type out an 'I Love You' to him. But, just before I hit send, I change my mind and hit backspace.

I have this small uncertainty at the back of my head whether he would stop showering me with his love if I told him that I loved him. Like, the thought seems stupid but my insecurity doesn't seem to agree with me.

I then go and binge watch some shows and before I know it, it's time to wake up.

The mission for today is: Getting Gautham out of my mind.

My friends have been complaining that I had not been spending much time with them nowadays. So, I decided that once I take a break from my job, I'll plan for a day out with them.

So, today we will be heading to the mall. Personally, I am not the kind of girl who loves shopping at the mall. I go there for two reasons- window shopping and the food court (mostly for the second one, though).

I asked my Dad whether I could take the car. He told that I could but at the same time asked me to return before five in the evening since he and Mom will be going to invite some of our relatives.

I'm the designated driver today and I'll be picking Ananya, Bhavya and Deepika on my way whereas Simran would join us directly.

The car ride seemed really fun due to the gossips and singing along. It had been so long since the five of us had a proper day out and nothing is going to stop us today.

We finally reach there and meet Simran. We begin to simply roam there without any destination in our minds.  Looking at them, I realised how much I missed them. Things really change when we grow up. Simran was the first one to get married in our gang. Since then, the time we spent with each other slowly decreased and now even talking to each other in the phone for more than half an hour seemed like a big deal.

I also felt guilty that I had been spending so much time with Gautham lately instead of them.

When a group of girls begin talking, you will have no idea as to how the topic diverts from one thing to another. The same thing happened. We starting talking about getting matching tops and before I even realised, my marriage is the topic of discussion now.

"I always thought Neha would be the one to get married first. She was always the one who was the most hopeless romantic." Bhavya said.

"Forget even getting married first, it's an arranged marriage. Can you believe it?" Simran said.

"Hey, inspite of their marriage being arranged, both of them are no less than a couple whose marriage is a love marriage." Ananya interjects, seeing that she's the one who is closest to me and also the one who had been to shopping with Gautham and I the other day.

That I guess we are.

"Tell us about you guys." Deepika said.

And thus I'm left thinking about Gautham again.

"Hello guys." A voice greets from behind me and I am left startled.

I turn around only to come face-to-face with Gautham.

"Hi, Gautham." My friends greet him as if it's not even unusual in the first plan.

"Are you a stalker now?" I ask him, really shocked. This was supposed to be a day out with my friends, not a date with him.

"Hey, no. It was us who invited him. You have already met all of his friends. Should we not meet him? It is quite unfair. Seeing that you took no step to arrange us a meeting with him, we took the matter in our own hands."

Just great.

So the conversations begin and before I know, they start walking with Gautham, completely forgetting the presence of their awesome friend.

Too much for getting him out of my mind.