Abhay drives Sarika home; he parks in her driveway.
"Sarika, um . . ." Abhay looks at her and stalls, unsure of what response he would get.
"Yes?"
"I don't want to come off too strong, but I'd um. . . I'd like to take you out again."
"But we've cleared whatever there was. So. . .?"
Sarika's heart beats hard in her chest. Was he feeling what she was feeling? Did he feel that connection as well?
"Um. . I'd like to get to know you better. So if you'd like can I take you out again?"
Sarika looks at the hope in his eyes before her ears turn red.
"Do you mean . . . um. . . Like a d-date?"
"Yeah," Abhay breathes out watching her fiddling hands in her lap. She was a nervous as one could be, but so was he.
"I don't know, I'll think about it." With that, she wishes him good night and hurries off inside leaving behind a smiling Abhay.
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It's been two days since the dinner, Abhay's been eager to text Sarika and see what her response is, but he's held back not wanting to scare her off. She's been at the back of his mind for years now, but since he met her at the bookstore, he can't stop thinking about her. Her cherry lips that have graced him with a breathtaking smile, her big round amber-coloured eyes that twinkle when she's happy, her heart-shaped face with rosy cheeks that redden even further when she's shy, nervous or frustrated. Her waist-length brown curls, that fly in the wind when she hurries off. She's just perfection a true Goddess.
Abhay sighs as he relaxes back into his office chair. "Abhay sir, what would you like for lunch?" Abhay daydreaming is interrupted by his secretary's chirpy voice, he lets out a frustrated sigh before saying, "Simmi, I've asked you multiple times to enter my cabin without my permission. You are to knock, wait for my permission and then enter."
"I-I apology-" Simmi is interrupted by Abhay's phone ringing. Simmi watches as Abhay pulls it out of his pocket, looks at the screen and his scowl vanishes, replaced by a faint smile.
"You may leave."
"But sir, lunch?"
"Leave."
Simmi's face scrunches before she stomps her foot and leaves.
"Hello." He says.
"Hi."
"I uh- How are you?"
"I'm g-good thank you. How are you?"
"Great, I'm great." He was doing much better than great now that she had finally called.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"No not at all, in fact, I've been waiting for your call Sarika."
Sarika blushes at his deep voice coming through her phone.
"Umm well I was thinking that. . . ."
"hmmm?" Abhay encourages her, eager to know what she had been thinking.
"Well, my lunch break starts in 15 minutes. If you want, we could have lunch together."
Abhay bites his lip to suppress his smile at the soft request being made, his heart did a summersault in his chest at her words.
"Of course!"
"But um Anshu will be there too."
Abhay's smile falters. Anshu?
"Who?"
"Anshuman, he's my best friend. We work together and grab lunch together. I hope that's okay."
"I – uh yeah. That's fine. Besides Abeer will probably be tagging along too."
As just like that his heart sat back down and pouted like a baby.
"Okay, I'll see you guys soon. At the café?"
"Sure, see you soon."
And just like that the two brothers were waiting in a booth for Sarika and her best friend.
"Bhai, stop looking at the entrance. She'll be here soon."
Abhay had made Abeer sit opposite him, so he had a 50-50 chance of Sarika sitting next to him in their booth.
"I'm not. And sit up straight. Look at your posture."
Abeer laughed at his brother before straightening up.
Ting.
The door opens, Abhay looks up and sees the woman he's been waiting for and along with a man he knows is Anshuman. They make their way over to the register before telling the girl something. It was the same girl from the other day, Poonam.
Anshuman engages Poonam in conversation as Sarika looks around looking for the brothers. Once she sees them, she waves and takes a few steps in their direction. Noticing her friend is following, she turns to see him talking, more like flirting, with Poonam. Sarika rolls her eyes before grabbing Anshuman's sleeve and pulling him over to their table.
"Hi!" She says as he slides in next to Abhay.
"Hi," came the replies. Abhay smiles at the fact that she chose to sit next to him. Near him.
Sarika introduced her best friend to everyone and Poonam comes around to take their orders.
"If Sarika had told me earlier I wouldn't have tagged along. But she told me that you guys would be here as we were about to walk in." Anshuman laughs.
"Me too! But seeing as they've been silent it's good we came. Otherwise, it would have been super awkward ." Abeer adds. The two carry on their banter as they wait for their food.
"I'm sorry. This idiot has always been like this." Sarika flicks a napkin at him. "Hey!"
Abhay watches the pretty girl next to him laugh and tease throughout lunch. So free. So joyous. So serene.
Once lunch is over, Anshuman turns to Sarika and reminds her of the book she's been wanting.
"I've got to run though, pehle hi mere do designs rejects ho gaye hai. Bye, guys!" And with that, Anshu is out the door.
(Already two of my designs have been rejected!)
"Actually Dad was asking me to join him for a meeting. So I've got to go too, don't want to be late." Abeer says as he slides out of the booth and leaves.
Anshu's designs aren't due until next week. When did they get rejected? Sarika thinks.
Dad isn't even in today. What meeting is he talking about? Abhay wonders.
The two watch Abeer run out before turning to each other with an awkward smiles.
"So do you want to grab that book?" Abhay asks.
Sarika nods before moving towards the store. Sarika goes towards the counter and asks for her book. The cashier places it on the register before Sarika asks him to wait as she wants to look around some more.
"I wanted to look around some more. Is that okay?"
"Of course. Maybe I'll find something too."
They skim through the aisles for about 15 minutes before Sarika turns to Abhay and says she's done. She takes the other two books she liked and pays for them. Abhay opens the door to the exit for her as they leave. The cold winter breeze hits their face. Sarika pulls the coat closer.
"I'll walk you to your office."
Abhay walks alongside Sarika as they progress towards her office. It's quiet. Nervousness buzzed around them.
"Umm, Abhay?"
"Yeah?"
"About that date. . . ."
Abhay's heart rate increases, his breath stops, and his step slows down.
"Yeah?"
"If I were to say yes, where would we go?"
"Anywhere you want."
Sarika's cheeks turn rosy pink, Abhay couldn't decide if it was because of the wind or because she was blushing. He watches her bite her lip as she peers up at him.
"Ah I-I want to do something fun. Adventurous. L-like hiking! Papa never lets me; he says it's dangerous."
"We can go hiking!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah! So. . . . Is that a yes to the date?"
"Yes," Sarika whispers.