Ishq ki Kahaani

Misunderstanding - A Date

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.