Aisha and the Prince of Wales

Chapter XIV: A Romantic Getaway

"When you asked me to go away with you for the weekend, I thought we would be going somewhere in England. Or at least, in the UK!" called Aisha over the whirr of the motorboat. 

Nick, sitting across from her, looking more relaxed than she had ever seen him in his casual shirt and shorts, sunglasses perched rakishly on his nose, flashed her a smile.

"Any objections?" he called back.

Aisha turned to look at the bright blue water of the Aegean Sea, even bluer than the clear sky above, and the faint outline of the powdery, white sand just visible across the Greek coastline.

"None at all!" she laughed, "I've always dreamt of visiting Greece!"

Nick had deliberately kept the location of the trip a secret, playfully refusing to divulge the details, no matter how much Aisha prodded him. 

"You'll see when we get there," he had said, his eyes bright with mischief.

The flight had been the most luxurious Aisha had ever known. Travelling on a private jet, they had lounged on monogrammed seats, plied with champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and had even watched a movie together, cuddled up in the comfort of the plush blankets supplied by the stewardess.

When they began their descent, Aisha peered out of the window, hoping to get a clue as to where they were going. The white sand, pristine blue sea, and clear skies were unmistakable. She had seen those pictures on the Internet several times, wishing with all her heart that she could go there herself.

"Greece?" she breathed, turning to look at Nick with wide eyes.

He smiled. "Yes. Mykonos, to be exact."

"Oh, Nick," breathed Aisha, turning to gaze, mesmerised, out of the window again.

"You had mentioned on our first date, back at the flat, that Greece was number one on your list of top ten places to visit," said Nick with a bashful smile, "So I thought, why not?"

Aisha turned to face him, beaming. Kissing him soundly, she said, "I really don't know why you went to the trouble."

"Oh, I have my reasons," said Nick mysteriously, laughing when she gave him a poke in the side.

*

The weekend passed in a blur of sightseeing, sailing, and eating. Never in her life had Aisha felt so happy, so relaxed, and so at peace. 

After dinner, they would take long walks on the sand, hand in hand, and then proceed to their room, where they would make another kind of happy memory.

Aisha woke each morning with a blissful smile on her face, her toes curling with excitement at the thought of what the day had in store for them.

On Sunday, she found herself avoiding the sight of her watch, wishing time would slow down. She had had the most beautiful time with Nick, and after this weekend, going back to her humdrum routine in London seemed like waking up after a lovely dream. She wanted to hold on to the threads of the present as much as possible, to photograph everything in her memory, so that she never forgot the happiest two days of her life.

Nick and Aisha were having a late lunch by the sea, watching the translucent waves gently kiss the shore as they ate. The food was delicious, as was the champagne, and Aisha was sure her floral sundress was getting a little tight, given all that she had eaten in the past two days.

She looked up to see Nick smiling at her, his beautiful eyes unreadable.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, setting down her glass.

"I'm thinking how beautiful you are," replied Nick, leaning across to hold her hand, "And how much I love you. And how I wish we could spend every single day together, like this."

Aisha smiled, squeezing his hand. 

"Wouldn’t that be lovely," she said, gazing into the depths of the eyes she had come to love so much in just a matter of months.

"You make my every day beautiful just by being with me, Aisha," continued Nick, reaching into the pocket of his shorts, "Which is why I've decided to ask you something."

Aisha's breath caught as Nick came over to her side of the table, and went down on one knee. This was surreal. Was this really happening?

He popped open a dark blue velvet box, in which lay the most beautiful diamond ring Aisha had ever seen.

"Aisha Kaur Ahluwalia," said Nick, looking up at her with eyes filled with love, "Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"