Do Love Lasts?

chapter 14

Gautham’s POV

Friday evening

Shit, I’m running late. The early morning rounds with the residents took a little longer than usual. 

Every morning for this week, I go to the hospital at 6 am as usual. After doing rounds, I would immediately leave to get coffee and pick up Ananya at her house. 

I have been pretty discreet about my schedule, so she probably has no idea that I have been rushing around back and forth like this. And I would do anything to prevent her from having this knowledge. 

As luck would have it, she’s not outside her house waiting for me. I wiped the sweats on my forehead, and took deep breaths composing myself, trying to calm my nerves. 

Couple minutes later, I saw her face out of my window. She struggled to keep the corner of her lips from turning upwards. Cute. She waved her hand in the air, saying hi. How could I not smile at her? She’s so ethereal and it's only half past seven in the morning. 

This is exactly why I was willing to drive back and forth in the middle of my work to pick her up. Who needs coffee when she jolts up my nervous system better than anything else? 

Soon, she settled in the passenger seat like the princess she is. We talked a bit as usual, sharing the details of the day ahead and any anecdotes that happened recently. 

As the car reached closer to the destination, our conversation became quiet. It’s Friday, meaning the last day I get to drive her around. As much as tiring it was the last four days, I don’t want it to end yet. But I have zero idea how to prolong this small routine of ours without coming off as a total simp.

“I know this was a part of our bet, but I feel really bad.” Ananya spoke as I halted the car at the usual drop off point near her department building. Her lips slightly jutted out, making her look impossibly cute.

“C’mon, it was our deal. This was my price to pay for your cookies.”

“Still! You even get me coffee. Maybe I can do something in return? It is my mid semester break next week, so I will be mostly free.”

“If you insist.” I tapped on the steering wheel, thinking of something or more like hesitating before saying my words. “Are you free tomorrow?”

Ananya doesn’t even think before answering, “I am sorry, but that’s gonna be a no. I have a lunch date tomorrow.”

Oh. Date?

She must have noticed something wrong with my expression as she corrected herself instantly, “It's with my friends. You know, Sam and the other girls. I can’t get out of that commitment.” 

Oh. Okay.

I felt slightly better knowing that. A new idea popped into my brain, “How early can you wake up in the morning?”

Based on her expression that was not a question she expected at all. “I… can be early, if you want,” she hesitated.

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Author’s POV

The next day

Jo joined the table with two girls conversing back and forth interestingly. “What are you guys talking about?” She asked as she settled down to sit opposite of them both.

“Just one of Sam’s crazy ideas.” Priya rolled her eyes off the shorter woman beside her.

Jo groaned at the topic, “I have been meaning to talk to you about it. What were you even thinking when you came up with such a plan?”