He was taking in her appearance as if trying to memorise her features. The wine red dress made her look like a temptress. She had her hair let down freely and some of the unruly fringes resting on her forehead. Her face was clean, probably with very light makeup and only her eyes were done. The lip gloss made her lips look more succulent and plump. Her neck was empty except for the dupatta hugging her neck. The neckline of the dress she wore once again helped to accentuate her collar bones. Something he wanted to run his fingers over. His breath almost hitched when she tucked her hair behind her ear and closed her eyes as if she was enjoying the evening breeze. She suddenly felt conscious of him and cleared her throat. He averted his gaze immediately and shuffled his legs.

"Some tea for you ?" She asked

"No thanks. I am more of a coffee person" he replied and she sat back playing with the edges of her dupatta,

"No tea for you ?" He asked

"Not today" she said and offered him some of the snacks instead.

His hands automatically went for the cookies and he took one when his hands accidentally touched hers. He mumbled a sorry and withdrew his hands.

"Wanna play 20 questions ? I mean that's what they do right" she asked him unsure.

"Too cliche. Why don't we talk about something else" he asked and bit in to the cookie.

"I specialise in paediatrics. I can sometimes forget the world around me when I am in the hospital which has annoyed quiet a few people" she said embarrassed and looked up at him and found him giving her a genuine smile.

"Well I am pretty sure you would have googled about me ?" He asked.

"I did want to but then I was only going to read about what you want the public to know about you. I rather hear it from your mouth" she said genuinely.

That made him feel good.

"True that. I did finish my masters in civil but my love for numbers pushed me to finish a masters in finance and then you know going to business school" he said and she could feel how proud he was about what he had done.

"Well that is something I can most definitely find anywhere about you" she replied knowing this kind of news was there everywhere.

"Well let me ask you then, where do you see yourself after getting married ? I mean like what do you want if we were to get married?" He asked.

"I want to settle down eventually, but I don't want to be someone attending parties and socialising with the women out there. I want my identity Avinash not because of the person I am marrying to but because of who I am" she answered and looked at him.

The way she said his name had a nice to ring to it he thought. He could listen to her voice all day and the way she pronounced his name surely pulled a string or 2 in his heart.

"I don't want a trophy wife either Aadhya. You haven't practised all these years to attend parties and throw it all behind because you are marrying someone who isn't in the same field as yours" he said.

Oh how much he wanted to call her by her name "Aadhya".

"I can't say a yes now. I mean I want you to know how it can get when I get these emergency calls. I can completely go without replying for hours" she explained about her work.

"Let's talk about my out of nowhere business trips. I can be here talking to you all night as if I have nowhere to go but tomorrow I could be packing my bags for a week long trip" he said and found her listening to him attentively.

"Understand" she said and once again a comfortable silence enveloped them.

"What do you want us to do ? Do you want us to try? I mean get to know one another so that we play your 20 questions and then say yes or how?" He asked her.

"Sure. I can't believe this" she exclaimed.

"What's unbelievable?" He asked.

"I just attended your father's birthday party and within a week we are being bound together" she said with a smile on her face.

He almost laughed and said "you aren't the only one to think that way. But I must add, you looked beautiful in blue that day" and winked at her.

A red hue painted her cheeks and she looked everywhere but him.

"Shall we go inside ?" He asked not wanting to do or say unnecessarily.

"Sure" and she got up from the swing adjusting her dress.

"I don't want them pouncing on us and bombarding us with questions we don't have answer to" he added not wanting her to feel bad.

"Very correct" and she was about to lead him the way, when her toe hit against the tea table making her groan in pain.

He held out his hand to her without hesitating a second and asked if she was fine. He made her sit on the swing for a few more minutes but never found the will to leave her hand. After a few more minute, he took it upon himself to lead the way with their hands still locked.

She stopped just before they could join the rest of them and tugged his hand. He turned to look at her smiling at him.

"Thanks" she said and removed her hand out of his hold almost blushing.

He nodded his head understanding and felt the emptiness in his hand after she withdrew hers. Her hand wasn't small but the way it locked with his was perfect. It felt right to hold her that way he thought. God was he becoming desperate or what he thought. She was matured and here he was behaving like a goofy hormonal teenager he thought and chided himself mentally. He straightened himself and walked inside as if nothing happened. She entered just after him with a smile etched on her face and joined the rest of the family.

Her parents smiled at her when they saw the genuine smile on their daughter's face. She was someone who never knew to fake a smile and that smile cleared their doubts and they were satisfied with the decision they took at last.

"So" Dadi asked looking at her grandson.

"Nothing" Avinash replied with a straight face and smirked looking at the scowl on his grandmother's face.

"Ullu ka patta (Son of an owl)" she cursed him.

"Behna" Rohit spoke near Aadhya's ears seeking her attention.

She glared at him and he winked at her.

"How did you like our CFO ?" He mumbled.

She resisted herself from blushing when she heard her brother mention "our CFO". She acted ignorant but her cheeks clearly deceived her at the most inappropriate time.

"Gadhe (donkey)" she cursed him with the redness on her cheeks still quiet visible.

Avinash rightly saw the red color on her cheeks and looked at her. His eyes were trained on her. She shook her head negatively at him and looked down. It so happened that no on were privy to the silent conversation between the two of them.

"Bol bhi do Avi (Say it Avi)" his mother said after failing to resist the urge of asking her son anything before everyone.

He looked at her and she was sitting completely fine feigning ignorance. He can't be the only target he thought.

"I thought there is a saying ladies first" he answered devilishly and threw the ball at her court.

She looked at everybody puzzled and saw him sitting back relaxed after throwing her under the bus.

"Ugh we need some time" she stammered.

"To get married ?" Rohan asked this time knowing very well what she was capable off.

"To say yes" Avinash replied and she breathed a sigh of relief while the others rejoiced.

Time had flown by quick and it was time for dinner. The huge dining table was occupied today and the two of them sat together after being insisted by everyone. She felt very conscious around him. His presence intimidated her. She knew he was nothing like that when he had talked to her but there was something about him that made her senses go haywire. She sat next to him playing with her food. He made sure when no one was noticing them, he quickly made the effort to ask her

"khaane ke saath kyun khel rahi ho (why are you playing with your food)?"

"Nothing" and she quickly filled her mouth with a spoon of pulao.

She suddenly choked on her food and began coughing. He dropped the spoon on his plate and rubbed her back. She was quick to drink a glass of water and got back to being normal in a minute. She was embarrassed. She couldn't explain his actions but deep down she had felt good without her own knowledge. None of them around her made a scene out of her choking on her food to which she was thankful for. Only if both of them knew, all had eyes on them but they had quit staring knowing very well about the two of them. Both the families wanted them to say yes and they were going to do every small thing to make that possible.

"Tum Theek Ho (are you fine)?" He asked. She was overwhelmed with those three simple words.

"Thanks" she replied whole heartedly and blinked at him.

She stood at the car park a few feet away from him car. He was leaning against the car and his jacket hung loosely on his arm. He was waiting for his parents and dadi to finish their last minute chit chat session. He at last saw his parents n Dadi walking towards the car, he straightened himself and fished the car keys from his jeans pocket.

"Aadhya" he kind of whispered making sure only she heard him.

She looked at him and took a step or two in his direction

"Stay in touch" he said and looked at her for her reply.

"You too" she replied and smiled at him.

He got in to the driver seat and brought the engine to life and waited for his folks to take their seat while his gaze stood fixed on her. She was once again spell bound and couldn't even bring herself to blink her eyes.

They waved a bye and just like that they had all left except for Aadhya who felt herself being wrapped by an emotion she was foreign to.

To be continued ~

So happy that my story is getting 1 or 2 likes and even that makes me happy ! Hahaha.

too with your comments. Thank you so much for reading.