She had taken a very lazy bath and took her own sweet time to get ready. A part of her wanted to stay in the confines of her bed and sleep like a log. But her priorities were different today. Her parents were planning a full fledged Holi party. She wanted certain things to fall in place for that. She couldn't care much about what she wore. She had managed to keep him away from picking her up. She felt that could be the time she needed to collect her thoughts, that seem to go haywire in his presence.

She stopped at the destination and sat on her allocated seat waiting for him. She was a little early. The long drapes, the black windows, the polished brown tables went well with the food they served. Should be the right place she felt. It felt nice and cozy. She saw him walking towards her, as usual looking handsome in a light blue shirt and khaki trousers. His hair was gelled this time and his beard was gone. She sipped some water feeling her throat go dry. Beard made him look sexy but with this clean shaven look he looked different. No cuts, no blemishes. It was just smooth.

He took a seat opposite to her and waited for her to come out of her dreamland which she did soon enough.

"Hi" his tone was crisp.

"Hey" her voice was rather mellow. She was little lost looking at his face but was more than glad to have reacted rather decently she thought.

"Let's date" she said when he was replying to a message.

He looked at her as if she had grown two horns.

"Excuse me. Let me send this message out and talk. I think I am hallucinating" he replied and quickly typed out the message.

"Sorry. You said something" he asked wanting to be sure.

"Let's date" she repeated and saw the myriad of expressions on his face.

"What changed ?" He asked amused.

"I need to know you before dating" she stated fondling with the napkin kept on the table.

"You know me Aadhya" he said.

"You walk around like this Greek god" she started telling her apprehensions but she was paused.

"Do I ?" he asked.

"I am not feeding your man ego today. Let me speak. I have never been in a relationship. Love isn't a foreign feeling but everything is new to me. The last 4 years I have spent my time from home to hospital and vice versa. I have slogged my life to become a doctor. I am not judging but if you have been in a relationship or any of that sort I need to know. I am not willing to say yes to a guy who has a past and suddenly the past stands before you in heels, then by no means I am going to stand you brooding about it around me or worse having to deal with drama" she spoke in a go and sighed.

"I have never been in a proper relationship but yes a few girls have clung to me like magnets. I was never serious about it. They needed name and in my case it was nothing. At times, certain business parties expect you to come along with a partner and they have been of help but all of that stopped a year ago. I attend parties if they don't mind me coming else they can shove it up their ass. Say yes and I am all yours. " he said and winked at her.

She did not know what she was holding on to till he shared about his involvement with other women. For some reason, she wanted him to be like her. She wanted to be his first.

"Let's eat" she chimed seeing the food coming their way and rubbed her hands together.

He made her heartbeat faster. She wasn't lying when she said he looked like a walking Greek god. She hadn't encountered his anger but definitely wasn't privy to his compassionate side. How much she wanted to explore him. Would it hurt too much if she said "yes" to him already. Was the concept of arranged marriage so bad she thought suddenly ?

He was making her do things she never bothered about. She couldn't doubt the man anymore. Her father and brother wouldn't have spared the man had she spend the night with another guy in the same room. They trusted him. They had not questioned her, not once about him or even when the time he took her out.

"What are you thinking about ?" He asked seeing her not eating the food she was so excited about.

"Nothing" she stammered and continued with the food. She loved the food without a doubt but he wasn't allowing her to eat. He was invading her thoughts all the time. She dropped the spoon on the plate making a noise.

He looked at her wondering what happened now

"Drop me home" she said feeling tensed.

"What happened? You look troubled" he asked.

"I need space Avinash" she said firmly.

He ran his hand through his neatly set hair and wiped his mouth with the napkin.

"Let's leave" he said without questioning her any further. Irritated was an understatement. He couldn't bear to sit with her any moment knowing his patience was wearing off.

"Your food ?" she asked. She could see the change in tone. His expressions were new to her. The man standing before her was different. His ears were red and his eyes were unusually dark. She took that as a sign and did as she was told.

None of them spoke after. His car managed to go past all the nasty Colaba traffic pretty quickly. She held on to the seat belt dearly. And they had reached her house in no time.

"Bye" she said.

He did not fail to notice the tremor in her voice. She was testing his patience and he was failing badly but he had enough. He wasn't going to be pulled and pushed like a freaking puppet. Without saying a word, he started the car after she had gotten out of the car.

He had scared her. She was afraid of rash driving and he drove like a maniac. Her voice was struck in her throat when she wanted him to slow down. His eyes were furious. She knew she was unreasonable. She had asked him to drop her off at the middle of their lunch without even waiting for their lunch to finish. She had behaved pathetically. She couldn't blame it on anyone but her.

She entered her house and it was nothing short of a fish market. So many decorators and in the middle stood her mother, ordering everybody around her.

"Mom" Aadhya called.

"You are back so early from lunch ? I thought you and Avinash weren't going to be available till late this evening" she asked still checking at something.

"Well I am here now" she managed her mom's peering glance she thought with her reply.

"Good. Nandas and a few other families are coming here this evening" her mother said.

"What ?" She screamed.

"Help me Aadhya. I have work here" she replied cooly and went about her work.

She was right indeed. Holi was going to be celebrated grandly this time around. She thought about her parents intentions but she had to let it go only because she had to address the bigger elephant in her head. All she had to do was doll herself up. Well that was easy she thought.

She stepped foot in to the room and gasped at the sight of her bed. Her mother had it planned. She was stunned looking at the dress. She did not want the dress to be a distraction. But wait why did a dress fancy her thoughts like that. She felt like dressing up suddenly. She never was keen to attend such functions but today she wanted to and the reason was "Avinash". She smiled like an idiot at the mere thought of his name.

He stormed in to the house pissed off. He had delayed a whole lot of meetings. Plus there was a stupid holi party to attend and he had no clue where. None of his family members revealed anything. They had simple asked him to attend and no further questions was the answer he got in return.

"Fuck the bloody party" he cursed aloud.

He saw his mother coming his way. He did not want to see her. He did not want her to be at the receiving end. If there was one person who had to face the brunt of his foul mood. It had to be "Aadhya".

"Avi, what happened ?" She asked stroking his cheek.

"Next time think before asking me to show my true self to another person" he spat out.

She knew it was trouble in the paradise. Holika dahan at the Chopras is a compulsory one then. She smiled at his state and walked back without revealing the details of the evening.

To be continued ~