My phone rang for the tenth time today.

Without even looking at the screen I know who's calling me.

There's only one person who calls me so many times a day and that is my boyfriend.

Arjun Mehrotra, the one and only.

As promised he makes sure to call me thrice during my working hours and from the moment I'm home he calls me every hour.

The calls usually last two minutes when I'm at work and they can go on from lasting for five minutes to thirty when I'm at home.

Arjun is the first person I speak to when I wake up and the last when I go to bed.

He's become an alarm clock for me as well.

Every morning at 7.30 a.m. Arjun Mehrotra calls me to wake me up for work.

Which is a good thing because now Ma doesn't have to wake me up but it's also a bad thing because my minion shaped alarm clock that I got for myself a few days back has little use now.

I have it on my nightstand anyway because it's cute to look at.

The ringing of my phone continues and that breaks me out of my bubble.

I pick it up from beside me and have a look at it.

Abhi calling.

Well, that's unexpected.

I thought it's Arjun who's calling me again and I secretly wished it was him.

So what if he calls me more than ten times a day? Each of his calls make me smile and happy.

Most of the time they cause me to blush and laugh.

Okay, stop thinking about him and pick up Abhi's call Shravya, I finally mentally yell at myself and receive the call.

"Hello, Abhi." I say.

"Hello, Bhabhi to be. I hope I'm not disturbing you, you took your time picking up my call." He says from the other line.

Well, that's because I was busy thinking about your brother.

I obviously can't tell him that.

"I'm sorry, I was tidying up my room." I tell him as my eyes land on the wall clock.

8.37 p.m.

"Oh that's alright. Anyways I called to invite you to go clubbing with us." He tells me.

"Clubbing!?" I ask, a little surprised.

"Uh yes, clubbing. You'll join us right? It'll be Bhai, Aarohi, a couple of my friends and you." He tells me.

"Abhi I don't think it's a good idea because firstly, I can't handle alcohol well and secondly, clubbing isn't really my thing." I told him.

"You don't have to drink alcohol if you don't want to. You can spend some time with Bhai and if you don't really like the vibe of the club, Bhai and you can getaway once again, I'm sure you'll enjoy definitely that." He tells me.

I think for a minute before answering.

"When is this happening anyway?" I ask him.

"Today's a Friday, tomorrow most of us have work in the afternoon. So it's happening tomorrow evening, because the day after is Sunday and Sundays are meant for sleeping throughout the day." He tells me.

"I second that, Sundays are totally meant for sleeping in." I told him.

"High five." He says from the other end.

"So, are you joining us or not?" He asks me a second later.

"I would have loved to, but I don't really think it's a good idea, so no." I told him finally.

"Okay, don't join us. Let your man go to a club all alone. Itni saari ladkiyan hongi wahan pe, Bhai par toot padne ke liye. Kya kya nahi ho sakta wahan, socho Shravya, socho. [So many girls are going to be there ready to make a move on Bhai. What all can happen there, think Shravya, think.]" He tells me.

"Aisa waisa kuch nahi hoga [nothing wrong will happen]. I have faith in Arjun.Stop trying to put bad thoughts in my mind, Abhi." I told him.

"You have faith in Bhai and I do too. But you do know how polite he is always right? What if some girl flirts with him and he doesn't dismiss her because it'll be rude? What about then? Would you like it if he gives them sweet smiles that should be meant exclusively for you?" He asked me.

Arjun's smiling face flashes in front of my mind.

Swoon worthy!

Then a mental image of a couple of girls standing beside him and him smiling like that in front of them appears in my mind.

Ugh, no!

"He won't smile in front of them." I told Abhi.

"And who'll make sure of that?" He asked me.

"I will." I told him.

"Does that mean you're coming with us?" He asked me.

"No, but I'll tell Arjun..."

"You'll tell Bhai what? Not to smile at girls at the club?" He asked me.

That's what I thought about but will I really tell Arjun that?

What will he even think of me? He's definitely going to make fun of me.

Before I can reply my phone vibrates against my ears and I remove it from my ears to see Arjun calling.

Maybe he's calling me to invite me to the club tomorrow?

I should talk to him right away.

"Abhi, give me ten minutes and I'll be ready with an answer okay?" I ask him.

"As you wish ma'am." He says and then hangs up.

I receive Arjun's call.

"Hello, babe. What are you doing?" He asked me.

"Hey, I was just speaking to Abhi. He was saying something about you guys going to a club tomorrow." I told him.

"Oh yes, Aarohi and him are insisting, plus it's been a while so we're going there tomorrow." Arjun tells me.

"And?" I ask, hoping he'll ask me join them as well.

"And? And that's all, Shravya. I'm going clubbing tomorrow with my cousins and friends." He tells me.

"Right." I say in response.

"Abhi was saying we should invite you too, but I told him not to. I mean clubbing isn't really your thing, is it?" He asked me.

"Right. It's not really my thing." I told him.

But you should have at least asked me once. I think to myself.

"That's what. See in such a short time I have come to know so many things about you." He tells me and I can totally imagine the smile on his face as he must have said this.

The same smile that he's going to flash at girls at the club tomorrow.

Oh no.

"I was thinking I should join you guys. Abhi asked me if I wanted to." I told him.

"You must have refused right?" He asked me.

"Yes." I told him.

"Accha kiya [you did the right thing] you'll get bored." He tells me.

I'll get bored, right. I think to myself as a frown forms on my face.

And you're gonna enjoy.

"Where are you?" I ask him.

"Right now I'm at my office in the new restaurant." He tells me.

"Oh, when are you going home?" I ask him.

"The usual, by eleven." He tells me.

"Ohh." I answer.

"I wish I could be with you." He tells me his voice suddenly changes to a sweet one.

"Accha? [Oh really?]" I ask him in a teasing voice.

"Ji haan bilkul. [Yes, absolutely] He says in response and a smile forms on my face.

"Then let's meet tomorrow." I told him.

"Tomorrow?" He asked me.

"Yes, tomorrow." I told him.

"Okay, I'll cancel my plans with Aarohi and Abhi." He tells me.

"No, don't do that. I'll join you guys for clubbing. I'm saying yes to Abhi, okay?" I ask him.

"You sure about it?" He asked me.

"Yes, it's been ages since I've been to a club anyway, so why not?" I ask him remembering the last time I went to a club, which was two years ago on New Year's eve with Sneha, Mayank and a few colleagues.

"Okay then, done. We'll meet tomorrow at the club. I'll pick you up at 9 from your house." Arjun tells me.

"Yes, okay." I say in response.

"I don't wanna hang up." Arjun tells me.

"What's new about this Mr. Mehrotra? You never want to hang up." I tell him with a smile.

"It's because of you, Miss Arora. Awaaz hai itni achi aapki, mann karta hai bas sunta jaaun.[Your voice is so beautiful and I wish I could just go on listening to it.] He tells me.

"Very cheesy." I comment.

"Only for you." He says in response.

"Go finish your work, Arjun. You'll listen to this voice again in an hour." I told him.

"That's the only thing I'm looking forward to, honestly. Okay bye, take care." He tells me.

"You too." I say and hangup after which I send Abhi a text.

Shravya : I'm in for tomorrow.

Abhi : Yayyy!

•

The next evening,

I take one last look at the mirror before leaving.

Arjun's already waiting for me down stairs.

I'm dressed in a black coloured dress that ends on my knees, along with that I've worn a pair of beige coloured sandals. I have straightened my hair, divided it in a side partition and left it open.

Around my neck I have the 'S' and 'A' pendant that Arjun has gifted me. I have been wearing it at all times since last week.

Ma questioned me about it and when I told her about Arjun giving it to me, she said that it was cute and a symbol of love.

She was exaggerating about the love part obviously.

On my eyes I have done the smoky eye makeup paired with subtle, smudged eyeliner. On my lips I have a nude lipstick and on my face I've done soft contouring and applied a little highlighter.

Well that's all about my look. I think I do look good for someone who wears only kohl and lip gloss on a daily basis. All thanks to YouTube.

I then pick my clutch and phone up from my bed and then wear a bracelet on my right hand while a rose gold coloured watch on the other.

"Let's go clubbing, Shravya!" I tell myself and leave my bedroom.

I'm surprised to find Arjun already in the living room, along with my parents.

When his eyes land on me, they go wide at first but a second later he has a look on his face that says he's impressed.

Papa on the other hand does not seem too impressed.

"Our daughter looks so pretty." Ma says as soon as her eyes land on me.

"That she does but does she really have to go?" Papa asks her.

"Of course she does. Raj, we have spoken about this before. No more arguments." She tells him.

"Okay fine." He says reluctantly and then his eyes land on me.

"What are you supposed to do?" Papa asks me.

"I'm supposed to have you on my speed dial and call you if anything goes wrong. And if I am not back by 12 you're going to come and pick me up yourself. Also, no funny business." I told him.

"Good." Papa says and finally a smile forms on his face.

"Take care of her Arjun and bring her back by 12. Make sure she doesn't get drunk because she doesn't handle alcohol well. You cannot get drunk either because you have to make sure she stays safe too. If all of this is too much for you, you don't have to take her along." He tells Arjun.

"No, uncle, I'll take care of her, definitely." Arjun immediately says and brings his hand forward to take mine.

"Shravya, take care of yourself. Make sure you don't do anything that your father has asked you not to." Ma tells me sternly.

Then she moves a little towards me and whispers, "Have fun."

I smile at her and give her a nod.

We then bid goodbye to Papa and her and left my house.

The moment Ma closes the door behind us, Arjun leans in and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"You look beautiful, Shravya." He tells me.

"Thank you, you look good as well." I told him.

"It's an honour to be considered good looking by such a pretty lady." He tells me.

"Too much exaggeration." I tell him even though my cheeks flush at his statement.

"No exaggeration at all, babe." He tells me and leans in to kiss me on another cheek.