Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

5. It's a new dawn

Theme song - Rehna Tu (Delhi 6) 

The bistro smells of freshly baked bread. I wish to take in the creepers surrounding it but my attention is held by a very attractive French man. As I link my arm around his, the doorbell rings. Amazing. Hakikat mien toh dur ki baat hai but sapne mien bhi koi French ladke ke saath romance nahi karne de raha.

I turn to check if the sound woke Rahul up but thankfully he's sleeping peacefully. Good for whoever rung the bell. Rahul ki neend kharab Hui hoti toh mujhse bura koi nahi hota. It's 4.02 am in the morning! Itne baje kaun ho sakta hai? Did Sara dream of Shubman or something? Did Arjun have a nightmare? Thinking of the possibilities, I walk to the door.

"SHUB...."

"Shhhhh...." Shubman presses his finger to silence my shriek. I rub my eyes to make sure that this isn't another dream.

"It's me. I'm so sorry to disturb you at this hour."

"That's alright. How did you know where I lived?"

"Sara had told me that you were her neighbour."

"Oh, and you knew her address?"

"I knew where Arjun lived so I guess yes indirectly, I did know."

"Ahh, I see. Is everything okay?" I ask out of concern because he looks a little tense.

"Yeah, technically everything's fine..."

"Andar aa ja. Baithake bata kya hua?"

I gesture to him to sit on the couch as I tie my hair in a bun.

"Woh...thoda silly lag sakta hai sunke but actually I'm leaving for Bangalore for Ranji trophy. 7 baje ki flight hai. Aur baat ye hai ki..." he hesitates for a few moments.

"You wanted to meet Sara before leaving?" I ask.

"Yes!"

"Oh my god that's so sweet!"

He smiles sheepishly as he runs his hand through his hair. "Well, I wanted to ask you a couple of things."

"Shoot!"

"Pehle toh I hope she's home."

"Yes, yes she's home."

"Thank God! Uncle Aunty bhi honge na?"

"Hain toh sahi but I can call Sara here, if you don't want them to know about you both yet."

He beams at me after hearing this. "That'd be perfect, Kavya. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for my bestfriend." I say with a wink. A laugh escapes his throat.

"Aur woh na, we've been dating for two weeks. Will it be thoda weird if I wake her in the night to say bye? I mean I don't want to appear clingy because I'm not. It's just that I would like to see her before I leave."

He takes a pause. But the way he's still looking at his hands makes me feel that he isn't done.

"The thing is that I am so new to this relationship ka arena and she's so confident that at times I don't know what to say.... I mean I don't want to say the wrong thing or creep her out by doing something like this. Is this...was this a bad idea?" When he meets my eyes, I see his lips quiver with nervousness.

I move close enough to him to lay a hand on his shoulders and reassure him, "Okay Shubman. I think taking a few deep breaths will help you....inhale...exhale..."