When I Met Him | fin.

Three

It was twenty-second of March. The next morning was Devansh's twenty-fourth birthday. They were engaged for almost a month by then and Rishika wanted to do something special for him. She lied to her mother that she was going to her friend's place for group assignment. She did go to her friend Priyanka's flat, but to bake a cake for Devansh.

At sharp twelve in the morning she reached outside his house on her scooty wearing a white night suit and a mask with the cake and the gifts she had bought for him. She was hiding behind a tree and continuously calling him.

Devansh couldn't pick her calls because his family had also brought a cake for his birthday celebration. After ten minutes, he called her back. She told him to come out. He looked down from the balcony and saw her standing outside with her scooty. He was thinking that she was calling him to wish him on his birthday but there she was, looking so cute and holding a container in her hands and a bag on her shoulder. He quickly went down and hugged her.

“Happy Birthday, Dev!” She whispered in his ear and he held her waist.

And that was the moment when Rishika and Devansh both felt like if they have to marry someone, they'll marry each other only.

They went to a nearby park and cut the cake. She first gave him a birthday card and a phone case. And then an expensive watch. Devansh, much to her surprise, scolded her for buying such an expensive watch for him because according to him she was still in college and shouldn't have spent so much money for his birthday. But in Rishika's perspective because Devansh must be used to wearing such expensive watches, it wasn't a big deal.

And this tiny argument was an example that just because you are right, doesn't mean the other person is wrong. Sometimes both the perspectives can make sense.

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The next day, Rishika and her family were invited to Devansh's birthday party. Rishika chose to wear a pastel blue saree with a sole intention to surprise him. And Devansh had the very same reaction that she had expected. To him, she looked tiny in that long saree but in a cute way. She looked innocent to him, just like every other time.

They didn't get to spend much time together that night. But Rishika enjoyed talking to Devesh and Deveshi, Devansh's siblings who were twins and about Rishika's age. It was after the cake cutting that they finally got some alone time. Devansh took her to the garden at the backside of his home. Their parents didn't stop them because they understood that they wanted to spend some time together.

In the garden, Devansh saw his pet dog, but no one was allowed to call him a dog, whose name was Buddy. Buddy sounds cute by his name but he was quite big in size and white in color. For someone who had phobia of dogs, Buddy would be a nightmare.

“Rishu, meet Buddy.” Devansh introduced her to Buddy. Buddy began sniffing her and lunged at her taking both of them off gaurd. Rishika stepped on her saree and lost her balance but Devansh held her. Buddy began barking and ran away from there but they were left in a very intimate position. Her saree got loose from stepping on it. And her mind went blank for a moment. Moments later, he let her go and realized her saree got loose. So he turned around. So that she could adjust her attire. Rishika felt a sense of respect for him when he did that. But she didn't know how to adjust a saree. She couldn't even call her mother because she would scold her. Which is why Devansh helped her.

For Rishika, it was a little accident when they got closer intimately. She might forget the details of the moment in the future, but she couldn't forget the feeling it brought.

Later, they sat under a tree and talked about random topics like her college, his office, the cake and the food menu.

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That day Rishika wanted to go out. She was craving momos and gol gappe. However, her father and brother weren't home and she couldn't go to that insanely busy space alone. So she told Devansh that she was craving momos and gol gappe. She wasn't expecting it but he actually came to take her out right after his office hours ended. But it only backfired her when she got an earful from her mother for bothering poor Devansh who might be tired after working in office yet came there. But nonetheless, they went out together and ate momos and gol gappe. But it again backfired her when the momos chutney set her mouth on fire.