"Oh My God?! Di you're going on a Thursday Movie Double Date with Akshit and you're telling me now," Esha glared at her, before continuing, "Only half an hour till 5 and you don't even have anything to wear. It is a severe fashion emergency. We really need a good dress."

Saumya could only roll her eyes as she stared at her sister who was kneeling in front of her closet rummaging through her clothes.

"Esha, I am going to wear my usual clothes," she said in a firm voice.

The sun was still beaming brightly at them through the curtained window as if enjoying her plight. The only sound to be heard was the noise of the girls' banter.

"Di," Esha started getting up. "Your voice is not going to affect me. Now, I will go and bring a dress of mine which you can wear."

With a flourish of her long gown, Esha exited Saumya's room.

Sighing helplessly, Saumya sat down on her bed. To people, it may seem that she was rather uninterested in this whole 'date' thing. However, an inner turmoil was gnawing at her heart.

Was it right to ask Akshit for the date? Stop it Saumya. It's not even a date. But what if he thinks that I like him? What if he thinks I am clingy?

She shrugged.

No, he is not an imaginative man. He won't think like that. I don't like him after all.

Saumya, when did you start thinking about all this? You were always so busy with Pia and the hospital. When did you change so much? No, you shouldn't think about all this. You already have a lot on your plate. You should think about Pia. What about your patients? Think about them. Go to the movie, watch it and come back. You really need to keep these feelings in check.

"Princess, why is Esha Di making such a mess in her room?" Pia asked innocently, rubbing her eyes.

It was a habit for her to take a nap after coming from the school but as it now stood, Esha had disrupted her sleep.

She looked really cute with those big round eyes which seemed to remind Saumya of her Chachu. Her face was a copy of Chachu. Her big brown eyes, which would always twinkle with love for Saumya. Her tender lips which would always smile at her. It was quite true that the only inspiration for Saumya to keep going was Pia. Even in those testing times, she had only Pia as her support. Saumya knew that when she would return home, Pia would be there waiting for her. That was perhaps, the only consolation, Saumya had had all these years.

As Saumya snapped out of her thoughts, she saw that Pia had already come to stand in front of her. Making her sit on her lap, Saumya kissed her cheeks. A bubble of emotions had erupted in her heart and filled all the chambers with a dreadful concern. Somehow, Saumya's intuition was telling her that Pia was in danger. Shaking out of such thoughts, Saumya gazed at the result of her surprising gesture. Pia was looking at her with curiosity filled eyes.

"Esha thinks I should go to the movie wearing one of her dresses since mine aren't good enough."

"Movie?!" Pia murmured. That seemed to be the only word she had heard so far.

"I am going with Surbhi, Akash and Akshit to watch a movie. Apparently, Akash returned yesterday so he wanted to go out."

"I want to go too," Pia said, pouting.

"No, you're not going anywhere," Esha' s voice boomed in the room.

Pia seemed to be on the verge of crying. Saumya hugged her tightly and glared at Esha.

"What?! Di seriously, you think she is not faking it. Moreover, Di she has a lot of homework to do today. We will go tomorrow, okay?" Esha said- her eyes softened towards the end.

"Shh it's alright Pia. We can go and watch a movie on Sunday. By then, you can complete your homework." Saying this, Saumya kissed Pia's forehead.

Getting up, she finally got the chance to look at the peach coloured dress Esha was holding. It was a typical summer dress with a floral pattern. It had a deep v-shaped neck line and half-sleeves. Long vines with numerous buds and flowers ran the entire length of the dress.

"Esha do you think I am a high school girl? I am not going to wear this."

Rolling her eyes, Esha replied, "Di what's wrong with this blue dress? It's so good."

"Blue?! You call a peach coloured floral dress, blue?"

"What?! Oh Di this dress is for me. I am taking Pia for a shopping spree. I mean since you're going out and it's summer vacation already, we should go for some shopping."

"Yay!" Pia squealed, jumping up and down with excitement.

Shaking her head, Saumya said, "Take care, you two. And yes don't forget to wash..."

Esha and Pia interjected, "Wash your hands before eating which is mostly not preferable and do not talk to strangers."

"Di we are younger than you but that doesn't mean we are babies."

"Okay fine. Now go out of my room. I need to change."

"Di, what are washrooms for?" Esha asked sarcastically.

"Go out!" Saumya shouted.

"Sorry!"

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Saumya was not very fond of movies as anyone could have guessed easily. Now, as she stood on the front porch of her house, she regretted her decision even more. Wearing a light blue knee length dress was definitely not her forte. Like a cherry on top, Esha had done her makeup making her look like a pinky princess. Ironically enough, a tiny part of her heart found the makeup really enriching making her look even more beautiful.

She was so lost in her world that she never realised Akshit's shouts from across the street. Dressed in a pink coloured shirt and blue jeans which complimented his white complexion, he looked the epitome of perfection.

"Uh sorry I didn't hear you," Saumya mumbled, abashed at her silly self.

"No problem. I was just asking that we should go together. I mean, our destination is the same so why not go together."

She stared, involuntarily, at his bright brown orbs as he stood just a foot far.

"Uh sure," Saumya stuttered.

Did she really just stutter? Aww is she nervous? You are so cute.

"Hey, let's go. Why are you standing there?" Saumya's voice called from behind him.

The car ride was mostly a silent affair with the duo staring at each other occasionally and asking a few questions here and there.

The car came to a halt in front of the tall mall building. The two got out of the car and walked in the polished marble surface of the mall towards the PVR. It was exceptionally dingy and there was a huge crowd for a week day.

Somehow, Saumya found her hand slipping into his own as they fought their way through the gossiping crowd. The erratic throbbing of her heart didn't help the cause either. She could feel a tingle in her stomach as she walked along.

Saumya, remember you promised not to think about Akshit and dating? No need to get so fangirly- her mind reminded.

Finally they reached the place where Surbhi and Akash stood.

Standing tall, wearing his usual bottle green t-shirt and trousers, Akash didn't seem to have changed much. He had lovingly wrapped his arm around Surbhi's waist as they stood talking animatedly to each other. They were the epitome of an ideal couple; something which Saumya craved for, though not quite aloud.

The couple was brought out of their trance by the clearing of Saumya's throat.

Akash hugged Saumya in a bear hug and patted her head. His black eyes seemed to twinkle with love for his sister. Even though they were not bound by blood, they were bound by a bond of pure love which was even stronger than the bond of love.

However, Akshit didn't seem very happy with the pleasant exchange. He didn't know himself, what he felt. Was it jealousy? Or was it protectiveness? He had never seen Saumya hugging a man. It was therefore with some shock that he met the brother-sister duo.

"So howdy? I am really angry with you Akash. How could you leave Surbhi and go for three weeks?" Saumya said, feigning anger.

"I had to go for a very important conference and there was no way I could postpone it without getting a termination letter."

"Still, think about Surbhi. She must have felt so lonely without you. You ought to take care of her and your baby. I won't tolerate if you trouble my friend or my nephew."

She knew exactly how one felt without their loved ones beside them. She couldn't bear to see her friend going through the same.

"Okay, milady, anything else? And yeah, how do you know it's a boy?"

"Instincts Akash. Now, would you step aside. I need to meet my friend."

Feigning an expression of hurt, Akash stepped aside. Saumya hugged her friend, seemingly whispering words of advice in her ear. On the other hand, Akash politely greeted Akshit.

"Hey buddy! So I see you are a psychologist. What are you researching about?"

"Well I am a child psychologist," he said through gritted teeth, clearly disliking the generalized use of the word. "I am researching on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"That's great. Nice to meet you. I hope we can talk over coffee sometime."

"Yes, of course," he answered, trying to smile politely.

"Hey, Akash did you buy the tickets?" Surbhi questioned.

With widened eyes and blank face, he replied, "No. I will go right away."

With her hands on her hips, Surbhi glared at Akash who seemed to be like the kid who got caught after doing mischief.

Akash jogged towards the line of people waiting in front of the counter. The three, meanwhile, indulged in some small talks. Soon, Akash returned, small bits of paper in hand.

Surbhi surreptitiously winked at Akash which didn't go unnoticed by Saumya. She mentally groaned knowing that her friend was up to something.

"Hey actually the theatre was almost full which is why two seats are in one corner and the other two in one corner," explained Akash.

Saumya knew it was their plan all along and therefore kept silent.

"You two can sit together and we'll sit together, okay?" Surbhi proposed.

"Okay," the two muttered silently.

The air smelled of popcorns as they guided their way through the crowd towards their seat. Akash and Surbhi had already parted ways with the duo. The theatre screen was illuminated by a white light from a room on the top. On the screen, the movie had already started screening and it felt awkward for them to weave through the numerous people who were looking at them with distaste. After all, who goes late for a movie.

Huffing a sigh of relief, the two seated themselves. For many sonic minutes, they stared unflinchingly at the screen. However soon Saumya lost interest.

One of those crappy romance movies with a dumb heroine. I should have expected this. After all, it was Surbhi's choice. She must be sitting with Akash, talking dazedly and here I'm getting bored.

Saumya felt the urge to take out her mobile and check up on Esha and Pia. She glanced sideways to see Akshit staring at the screen; amused. Discreetly, she took out her phone and quickly typed a message. After sending the message, she looked up to find Akshit doing the same.

"Don't like romantic movies, huh?" she whispered in his ear with a smirk.

Wrong move Saumya. She could feel tingles on her neck as his breath gently kissed her. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She suddenly straightened her posture and maintained a stoic face. She tried desperately to wipe out the blush from her cheeks.

Akshit was staring at her with an amused smile. He didn't know why but somehow his heart raced when she leaned over. It was as if he had been enchanted by a spell which broke swiftly as she leaned back.

Leaning towards her, he whispered in the dense darkness, "No. You don't seem to be a fan too."

"Nah, I'm not. I mean just tell me, why do they potray girls as if they are fragile dolls who can't take care of themselves. Not all girls are like that. In fact, girls are quite as strong as boys."

"Agreed but don't you think it's quite romantic when the Damsel in Distress is saved by the Knight in Shining Armour," he said, his eyebrows raised.

"Of course no. I mean, girls are pretty strong. They don't need a knight for protection. They are capable of ensuring their safety."

With sincerety sparkling in his brown eyes, he said, "What if the knight wants to protect the damsel because he loves her? We save people because we love them not because they need the protection. We humans are quite selfish. We don't want to suffer from heartbreak. The very thought makes us become overprotective."

Saumya's heart fluttered at his words. No one had ever said something so poignant to her since long. She felt as if his words were solely uttered for her heart.

No, Saumya hold your horses. Remember your promise.

With her cheeks tinged with a slight pink hue, she stared at the screen.

"Such knights only exist in our imagination," she muttered.

Not wanting to argue further, he said, "Do you plan to get bored here?"

"Are you suggesting that we should go out of this hall?" she whispered.

"Yes, maybe. We can go to Crosswords. I love their collection."

Her face lit up. She knew he couldn't see but she couldn't help either.

"Great idea. We can lounge and read a few books. By the near guess, the movie is 2 hours 56 minutes long and 15 minutes have passed already. We have a long time. We will return at precisely 9:20 p.m."

"Wow! You like statistics too? Sure let's go."

The two sneakily got up and walked out; hunchbacked.

"Phew, great escape! So where is Crosswords?" Akshit asked.

"Don't tell me you've never been to Select City Walk before."

"It's my first time here."

"Okay, let's go."

The two walked through the long corridors packed with people.

The two finally came to a halt in front of a large book cafe- Crosswords. The sign hung crooked with neon yellow font adorning the white base.

Saumya walked inside quite confidently.

The cafe was even bigger than his imagination. There were numerous couches and bean bags resting on the floor and over thousands of books waiting to be read.

"Hey Mrs. Singh. How are you?" Saumya asked flashing a bright smile at the stout lady.

The lady seemed to be the owner of the cafe. With her hair tied in a bun and spectacles perched on the tip of her nose, she looked like a high school teacher. She smiled warmly at Saumya.

"Long time, huh? So how are you? How's Pia and Esha? Is this your husband?"

Her questions made Saumya blush. She cleared her throat uncomfortably as she replied, "Everyone is doing good, Mrs. Singh. This is Akshit, Sanyukta Di's brother."

"Oh I'm really sorry. Welcome to Crosswords. How is Sanyukta?" A welcoming smile was plastered on her face.

"She is good too. She's pregnant."

"Wow that's great. Please come and have a seat. Feel free to take any book you want."

Smiling, Saumya and Akshit headed towards the bookshelves.

Soon enough, both of them found a book perched atop the ebony bookshelves and seated themselves to read.

"Hey Akshit, which book are you reading?"

"The Story Of My Life by Helen Keller. You?"

"ABC Murder by Agatha Christie. By the way do you want coffee? Mrs. Singh would be glad to serve some."

Grinning, he said, "Sure. Do you really like mystery? Or is it just a cover-up?"

Saumya was bewildered at his stupid question. She turned to face him .

They were staring at each other drowning in a sea that could only hurt and make them fall hard. Seated on the couch facing each other, they were so deeply dazed that nothing seemed more important to them then. It felt that the rationality of their minds was dead already.

A tingling feeling of warmth seemed to have dazed her senses and halted her musings as she stared at his face. Turning her head away, she whispered, "Yes."

"I don't believe it, Saumya. I know you don't like murders. That triggers your deepest fears."

She whipped her head to face him. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were trembling.

With a quiver, she said, "How can you be so sure?"

Placing a warm and comforting hand on her shoulder, he said, "I know Saumya that it's totally different to live without a family. I am a psychologist and I know, anything which triggers old memories is avoided by most people."

With moist eyes, she said, "You don't know anything, Akshit. You have never known how it feels when you suddenly have to take care of yourself and others as the head of the house all alone. How stressing it gets when you feel everything getting out of hand."

"I know Saumya, that I've never felt what you had to go through but why don't you express your worries?"

With a dry laugh, she said, "Express your worries! To whom? To Pia who is a baby? Or to Surbhi who does not deserve to dwell in stress?"

"You can share your worries with me," he said, his voice sincere.

Her eyes softened at that. No one had ever been so considerate or maybe she had turned too blind to it all.

"We should go, Akshit. It's better we watch the movie."

Saumya stood up abruptly and rushed towards the door. Akshit followed her with swift steps. He could see her rushing through the bustling corridors towards the washroom.

She was about to enter when a hand seized her shoulder. With puffy eyes, she turned around to find Akshit standing there.

Is he worried about me?

What he did next made her turn rigid with shock. Her hands started sweating profusely as his arms wound around her shoulders in a hug. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Her cheeks turned red and her eyes which were stinging with tears, dried up. She could feel the warmth emanating through his body. The feeling of being wanted and cared for made her smile a little.

"I will always be there when you need me the most, Saumya. I will always care for you. You can unburden your worries with me. I am there for you," he mumbled.

It felt so good to finally have someone who cared for her. Her ears had been craving to hear those words. A few tears tinged her eyes.

You have never been an emotional person. Gather yourself, Saumya.

Breaking from the hug, she wiped her tears and said with a watery smile, "Thanks a lot, Akshit."

___________________