Unfazed

67. Cookie Dough (Deeksha)

(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.