(GUYS!!!
This is the cutest (AND LONGEST) chapter I've written between Dee and Dev yet. I've finally attached the media for these chapters - so that's cool :D
Also, this is the first time ever that I'm publishing 3 chapters in a day. So WOOOHOOO!!!
But, the downside is that I'm not sure if I will be able to for the next couple of days.
I'll try to let y'all know through personal message/conversations on email whenever I can.
Thanks for all the support and love so far!!
PS - DONT FORGET TO VOTE, because what use is that little star for otherwise, right? O:)
Byes!)
The first girl I'm taking home. The first girl I'm taking – wait – he is taking home. Though I laughed along to his light-hearted banter, I couldn't help repeating this to myself over and over as we made our way to his apartment. He didn't seem the least bit nervous for taking a girl home for the first time, I observed.
Because you are his best friend's sister – probably no more than a friend to him said my depressing inner voice. But all trains of thought I had were wiped clean as I stepped into one of the most well decorated apartments I had ever seen. And believe me as someone who works with interiors and aesthetics, I meant what I said.
"Wow – not what I expected at all!" I say, literally thinking aloud.
"Haha – what did you imagine? A dingy little apartment with clothes strewn all over and three-week old pizza on the floor?" he asks me, eyes shining with amusement at my surprise.
"Well.. I don't know what I expected – It's like, um.. how do I say it, so – open. So free", I say, taking in the pastel and brown scheme of the flat. He even had a vertical garden wall and a little aquarium opposite to that with a single, beautiful fish swimming in it.
I snapped my head in his direction when he began really laughing, only to ask me, "And why does that surprise you?"
"Okay – no sugar-coating when I say this, but literally no one knows anything about you. People in the office find you damn cryptic and you just told me you've never brought a girl home. Have you even had any 'friends' over, Dev?" I ask, making air-quotes where necessary.
"Yeah – fair point. Just Tanay – to play Fifa a couple of times a year", he admits. Why did that seem like a bad thing?
"But hey – for what it's worth, you have a beautiful house. I wouldn't have pegged you to have a house like this – so warm and open and clutter free, but I think I understand why you want to keep it this way with as few people interfering as possible", I say.
"Thanks" he says, having set down our little parcels of food on the dining table for four in a different part of the house, separated from the living room by a wall. "I might consider giving you a tour of the house when I win" I hear him say a couple of minutes later and I immediately remember why we're here. I may have forgotten that in the process of appreciating his house.
Twenty minutes later, we had each tried the things picked out by the other and were ready to score. He had gotten a pretty classic array of a red velvet, a brownie and a croissant. I gave him an 8 for each and a 5 for the element of surprise.
"29 out of 40 – better than I expected", he says before assessing the parcel I'd gotten for him.
"Okay – Lavender Cheesecake. I mean, my first thought was 'Really?!?!' – but then when I tasted it, I actually liked it – so 9. A slice of rainbow cake – predicted move, Bhalla – I give that an 8. But what surprised me the most was the tiny apple tart. Man! That was Delicious!! 10 on ten", he says, savouring another bite of the tart.
"That gives me 27 so far – what about the element of surprise?" I ask. I wanted to win, so bad.
"As much as I hate to say this... Deeksha, the cheesecake and the apple tart surprised me. 8 for surprise" he says and I pump my fist into the air with a "YAAASSSS!!"
Soon, all the people following me on various social media, saw a video of an apple tart eating Dev Sanghvi, saying "Deeksha Bhalla. I hereby admit that you are the Queen of desserts", with the most heartbroken face ever. Of course, I captioned it "Guess who won the bet to choose the best dessert?" – but that's irrelevant.
Chilling in the balcony of Dev's flat after we finished the desserts and cleaned up, he hands me a cup of chamomile tea before asking, "Are you ready to talk about why you were upset?"
I knew this was inevitable – but this was Dev. I could trust him not to tease me about things that matter. "Harsh.. Is my best friend. The only one I've had all along. At least, from my end", I say, at length.
"Yeah – and you are his", Dev affirms.
"I'm not so sure anymore, Dev", I say, unable to believe I was finally letting it out to someone.
"Wait – what do you mean?" he asks me.
"Like – I don't know. I've been feeling like he's keeping something from me these days. Suddenly, he's all 'protective' about me in everything I do – more than usual. And also.. it was probably nothing", I conclude.
"Also...?" prods Dev.
"I couldn't sleep for a long time the night you and Harsh told me about your history. I was walking down to the kitchen when I heard Harsh talking to Alana over the phone. I only heard her name being mentioned and him asking her not to cry. At first I thought it was a one-time thing, but he has seemed distant with me since then. I.. I don't like it", I ramble and then pause to take a sip of the tea.
"Which is why you can't seem to help having your suspicions about Alana and even now, don't fully trust her. That explains a lot", he says, as serious about this as I was.
"And I feel silly – I do, but then, I can't help miss Harsh. Like, I know I'm busy these days with work too, but if Alana tries to take Harsh away from me", I say but before I can finish, Dev adds, "You will destroy her."
I smile sheepishly, but then it grows into a grin when he adds, "You might be surprised to hear this, but in such a case, I will help you."
He chuckles lightly for a bit and in the wind, his usually 'set in place' hair flies into a disarray that is no longer formal and suits him better. "Dee, I don't mean to take a side here, but look at it from Alana's end. She is being accused from all the directions for something she did out of desperation, a long time ago. Harsh sees that therefore, supports her. I think somewhere, he is also guilty about my whole issue with him where he refused to talk to me and isolated me. So he doesn't want to repeat that."
I nod, glad for the new perspective. "Hmm – I know. But then."
"But then, even if he ever chooses to take things forward with Alana – because let's be honest, there is clearly some sort of chemistry there – you have every right to look out for him, but in the long run, you won't forgive yourself if you stand in the way of him being happy."
"I hate that you're smart. And also, right... sometimes, you're right", I say as I lean over the parapet of Dev's balcony on the highest floor of the building.
"Hmm.. Let's see. If you give me one chance to prove I'm right all the time and I do, what do I get in return?" he asks.
"What do you want?" I ask, playing along – thankful for the lighter mood.
"When I prove to you that I am right all the time, I want you to let me take you to my favourite place in the world", he says.
"What is that? The gutter?" I ask and he shakes his head at me in disbelief. "You're impossible", he says – something he has been saying to me a lot, off late.
"Fine", I say, "provided you prove to me that you are right in the one chance I give you".
"I want to use the chance now", he says, pushing himself off the railing he was leaning against, next to me. "You may", I say with a flourish.
He takes a step backwards and spreads his arms outward casually before adding, "Back at Premium, I saw you eye the cookie dough. So I made an assumption that if I buy you some and offer it to you about now, you will agree to binge on cookie dough with me, while surfing through random things on TV."
He steps forward again, closer to me, with a smug look on his face, asking, "Am I right, Deeksha? Or... Am I.. right?"
"Ugghh – Fine. When are we going?" I ask, racing to his fridge before he can get to it.