Aru usually hated silence.
It was always awkward and uncomfortable. It was almost always a sign they'd run out of topics to talk about and that they didn't have anything to say. She'd usually stare at the wall, wishing it would swallow her up. She'd usually rack her brain, trying to find something to say.
Key word: usually.
This time, she didn't want the silence to break.
Her hand in Aiden's felt so right, somehow. Like they were meant to be held together. They hadn't said anything for a while, just looked at the pictures he'd taken.
Then finally, he spoke up. "So what are we, Shah?"
Aru's heart started beating quickly at the sound of his velvety voice. Then she grabbed ahold of herself and rolled her eyes. "Friends, obviously."
Aiden frowned and her brain went, 'Nice going, Shah.'
But then she saw amusement in his eyes and calmed down.
"Ma'am- yeah, we're totally friends. Because friends kiss all the time, right?"
Aru tried to keep her face casual. "I named you bestie on my phone."
Aiden looked at her incredulously. Then he took his phone in his hands and said, "That's it. I'm naming you buddy on mine."
"Fine by me."
"But honestly," Aiden rolled his eyes. "Answer my question before I get embarrassed."
"I'd honestly love to see you embarrassed."
"I'm pretty sure you have."
"Your neck and ears get all red," Aru paused. Then continued. "It's cute."
Then he got flustered. "Shut up."
"Look at you, getting all flustered," She teased.
Aiden got up, covering his face. Aru called after him, "That's not going to do anything, your neck and ears are still red!"
He looked back at her in semi-annoyance and embarrassment. "Could you just answer the question?"
"I'll think about it."
"Arundhati Shah."
"Fine. We're dating. Happy?"
"Happy. Let's get out of here," He offered, outstretching his hand. Aru took it and let him pull her up.
"Out of here we go."
——
The knock sounded in the door. Which was strange, considering she was expecting no one today.
It was a very hot day for April. In Atlanta, summer honestly started from April. Aru cooled herself down by putting the fan on full speed and eating ice cream, watching tv at the same time.
She begrudgingly got up to answer the door, putting her bowl of ice cream on the table. (She had history with cones...they'd always fall on her shirt and foot)
She was not expecting Malini Acharya at the door.
The older woman stood there awkwardly, looking anywhere but Aru, and she found it slightly offensive that Malini wasn't looking at her.
This time, the silence was the most awkward one she'd ever been in, and she'd been in many.
"...hello?"
Aru mentally hit herself on the head for breaking the awkward silence and making it more awkward.
Malini cleared her throat. "Aiden told me you two were..."
She trailed off, and Aru found herself tapping her hands against her thigh.
Then she realised that she was being a bad host.
"Do you, like, want to come in?"
Malini just nodded.
Yup. Awkward.
They sat in even more silence in the room, just two people looking anywhere but each other, until Malini cleared her throat again.
"I didn't like you in the beginning."
Wow. That didn't hurt.
"Don't take me wrong." The older woman said, her voice getting a little shrill in her panic, just like Aiden's voice always did.
"It's just that with what happened to me, I wasn't exactly too comfortable with letting Aiden near girls he so obviously liked. It was my way of protecting him. But then..."
Her eyes turned slightly glassy, and she blinked them away,
"Then, I found out my efforts were futile. Just because the guy I thought I loved, no, the man I loved, turned out to be the biggest jerk ever doesn't mean you would be like that to Aiden. I came here to apologise. I... I never wanted you to be uncomfortable in front of me–I never want you to be like that, since you and Aiden want to spend your time with each other."
Aru nodded, not really knowing what to say.
Malini let out a breath, extending her hand towards Aru and smiling one of the most sincere smiles Aru had seen on her face.
"I want us to have a normal relationship. You're my son's girlfriend, I'm your boyfriend's mom. I'm Malini Acharya, and you are?"
Aru laughed, not being able to hold it in anymore. She shook Malini's hand. "I'm Arundhati Shah, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Malini."