Page 27

DANIEL

I am going on a date with Anya. My girlfriend. Fucking finally. I think I look creepy considering I can’t stop smiling at all. Coach was so done with me today at practice. I am just grateful he didn’t kick me out. I do not think I have ever been this happy. As her building comes into view, I spot her almost immediately.

There she is, looking so divine. Her hair cascades down her shoulders in soft waves, catching the sunlight in just the right way. Her top includes a modest sweetheart neckline that reveals just the right amount of cleavage and capped sleeves that show off the smoothness of her skin. She looks like she just stepped out of a painting. She looks up from her phone, and when she notices me, a small smile appears on her face.

I quickly get out of the car to open her door. “I can do it on my own,” she says. So typical of her.

I chuckle. “I know you can.” I open the car door anyway. “But you cannot deny me the pleasure of treating my girlfriend right, okay? ”

Anya rolls her eyes at me, her lips curling into an amused smile. “You’re such a gentleman,” she says sarcastically, but there is a hint of fondness in her voice. I run to the driver’s side as she gets in and buckles up.

“Now, can I know where we are going?” She folds her hands over her chest and raises an eyebrow as she scrutinizes me.

I start the car and pull away from the curb, glancing over at her from the corner of my eye. “Nope, it’s a surprise,” I say, a cocky grin on my face. “You’ll just have to trust me.”

She huffs and blows out a raspberry. I laugh out loud. I continue to drive, enjoying the comfortable silence between us. Every now and then, I steal glances at her, my gaze drifting to her legs, her hair, her lips. It’s still hard to believe that she’s sitting right next to me and that she is my girlfriend. My girlfriend.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” I say casually. I frown, realizing what I just said. “Sorry, you are beautiful, always.” Her eyes sparkle as she gives me a small smile.

I gradually put my hand on her thigh. As soon as my hand touches her thigh, I can feel the heat emanating from her. She doesn’t seem to mind the contact and continues to look out of the window. “You know, I’ve been waiting a long time to do this,” I say, my voice low and deep. My fingers begin to move mindlessly, tracing small circles on her leg. “Just being able to touch you…It feels incredible.” I laugh softly. “Well, I did touch you occasionally, but there was always this fear that you would kill me.”

She chuckles. “I would.” She turns to face me. “If it was someone else, I would have.” My heart nearly leaps out of my chest. I clear my throat. I should focus on driving. It is difficult, but I do not want us to get killed.

“You seriously won’t tell me where we are going?” she asks again, disbelief lacing her voice. I laugh and accelerate on the slope .

“You’re unbelievable,” she says.

“And you’re very pretty,” I say. She scoffs but her cheeks redden, and I love the sight. I smirk, shifting her gaze back to the street as she looks away. “You know, you look even more beautiful when you blush like that,” I tease, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.

She turns to look at me, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asks, her voice edged with irritation.

I pull the brakes and look at her. “Absolutely.” I grin. “And we are here,” I announce, getting out of the car. I open her door and extend my hand, which she takes. I pull her out, closing the door behind her.

She gasps as she looks around, and I can’t help but smile. She looks at me. “This.” She looks between the scenery and me. “This is from the scene in My Name Is Khan !” Her eyes sparkle, and a wide smile adorns her face. Seeing the excitement in her eyes and the way her face lights up with joy is a sight to behold. I knew this would hit home and I am glad that she loves it.

“Wait a minute.” She gapes at me. “Did you actually watch those movies I recommended?” she asks in a hushed tone.

I rub my nape and smile sheepishly. “Well, I had to.” I look at her. “You recommended them after all.” I chuckle softly. “I have a confession to make though.” I bend slightly to maintain eye level. “I may have had to pause a few times to figure out what was happening.”

When I first saw the scene, I was awestruck. It must have been one of the best proposal scenes I have ever witnessed. This isn’t a proposal obviously, but I want our first date to be memorable. It took me only minutes to find this location, but it took me days to find a secluded spot. I just felt she would love it and we can view the sunset from here. Her eyes widen with amazement as she takes in the stunning scene around her. The setting sun casts a warm glow over the landscape, painting the sky in a beautiful array of oranges, reds, and purples. The gentle breeze is punctuated by the occasional bird call, adding to the peaceful beauty of the moment.

She gazes at me for a moment before her face breaks into a wide smile. I don’t know what’s happening until she throws her arms around me. “This is really very beautiful, captain,” she whispers.

Her sudden embrace catches me off guard, but I quickly recover and wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer to me. Her head rests on my chest, and I place my chin on top of her head, inhaling the lavender scent of her hair. “I’m glad you like it,” I murmur, my breath fluttering against her ear. “I wanted this to be special for you, Firecracker.”

“Thank you,” she mutters. I look down at her. Her eyes are closed, and she looks so serene. I grin and peck her nose.

“This is so much more gorgeous in real life, isn’t it?” she says, resting her chin on my chest to look up at me. I nod and smile.

“Come on. I will spread out the blanket,” I say. She follows me to the car. I spread the blanket on the grass, and we both sit down on it, side by side, facing the gorgeous view in front of us. The golden light of the setting sun bathes the world in a warm glow, and the distant city lights glimmer like stars. I take a deep breath, savoring the cool evening air.

She watches me intently as I open the picnic basket. Guess someone’s hungry. I take out three containers, opening them. “I hope you don’t mind, but I bought, umm …” I falter. “ Gol gappe ?” I tilt my face. I hope I said it right.

“What the–?” she exclaims. “What are you trying to do?” She narrows her eyes at me.

“Um…” I frown. “Do you not like it?” I panic. “I don’t know. I asked Siya, and she told me you love it, and so—” Disappointment bubbles within me. “I am sorry,” I whisper .

“Are you insane?” she yells. My eyes widen at her outburst. “I love it. I am sorry. I was just taken aback. No one has ever put in so much effort for me, captain,” she whispers, “I don’t even want to thank you because that would be disrespectful to your thoughtfulness.”

I silently observe her as she stares at the containers. “You never have to thank me for anything.” I utter. “And I am not being thoughtful. I want to do this for you.” I gently graze her hand with mine. “And not just now, not just because I am trying to impress you.” I chuckle. “I will always be like this. I will always be trying to impress you, so it’s better you get used to it.” I grin.

She looks at me, her face expressionless, and then she beams. “Okay.”

“Can we please have it now?” she asks impatiently, rubbing her hands.

“Alright, alright.” I snigger. “Let’s not keep you waiting any longer, my Firecracker,” I tease.

I open the containers, and before she can pick up a puri , I pull the box away. “I have an idea.” I smirk. “How about we compete?”

She raises an eyebrow. “You are saying you want to compete with me in a gol gappe eating challenge?” She smiles smugly. “You sure you want to do that, captain? Because this will be impossible for you to win.”

I chuckle. “Someone said the same thing last time.” She narrows her eyes at me. It’s so easy to get under her skin.

“This is my area of expertise,” she says confidently. “But the question here is…” She pokes my chest with her finger. “What will the winner get?” she asks.

“The loser will have to do one thing that the winner wants. It can be anything. I am warning you.” I cock my eyebrow .

“Bring it on,” she says as she narrows her eyes and I smirk.

We sit facing each other, a box of gol gappas in between us. I follow her hand movements and fill the puri with the potato stuffing like she does and add the green water in it. We make a few pieces and place it in the plate before we begin the competition.

“Let’s start.” She says excitedly. I pop a puri into my mouth, the crisp exterior cracking and the tangy and spicy filling and water exploding in my mouth with every bite I take. Anya giggles as she moves on to her second puri and my heart dances with happiness inside my chest.

My breath hitches as I see a drop of water trickling down her lips, slowly moving down the contour of her chin and then disappearing below. I want to lick that water off her lips, to feel the softness of her mouth. I watch her as her tongue comes out to her lips to wipe it off. The memory of what her tongue is capable of makes me feel hot, but I can not think about that right now.

I shake my head slightly, trying to focus on anything else. Except the heat isn’t just in my thoughts—it’s real and it’s overwhelming. I swipe at my forehead. Am I sweating? A single tear might’ve escaped my eye as well, courtesy of the fiery spice. My spice tolerance? Nonexistent. Why did I think I could keep up with her?

Still, looking at Anya, I wonder if she’s faltering, too. Her eyebrows scrunch slightly, and she hiccups softly before taking the next bite, her lips parting just enough to blow on it, trying to cool down the heat. She’s trying to mask it, but I know her well enough to see through the act. At least I’m not suffering alone.

“Looks like I am winning, captain.” She chuckles and I smirk, watching as she hastily pops a puri into her mouth.

“Don’t be so sure of yourself just yet, Firecracker,” I retort with a mouthful of food. “I never give up.”

We maintain eye contact for a beat and I smile smugly as her speed slows down immensely. “Don’t overdo it, Firecracker,” I suggest even as my mouth burns from the spice. “I will go easy on you. Don’t worry.” I really hope she stops being stubborn and gives up because if she doesn’t in two more minutes, I will. Moreover, I do not want to get her sick.

When she picks up another puri, I give up. “Fine,” I say, lying down. “You win.” I groan. Her face lights up and she lies down next to me, panting. I close my eyes, soaking up l the moment. I grab her hand and place it on my chest. This feels good.

“What do I have to do?” I ask as I turn towards her. She smiles and stands up. “Will you dance with me?” She asks, extending her hand towards me.

I tilt my face in confusion, “What? I–I–” I begin to protest.

“C’mon,” She pleads. “It will be fun.” With a sigh, I take her hand and get up. I stand behind her as she looks ahead, her back against my chest. The sun has almost disappeared, and the moon is now visible in the sky. It’s a full moon, casting a soft glow all around us.

I start swaying from side to side. “Just…relax.” She mutters

“Did you know?” she asks. Her smile is audible in her voice, and I rest my head against hers.

“What?” I whisper as I close my eyes, exhaling deeply.

“We just recreated a scene from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi . It is—” I do not let her complete her sentence and interrupt her in between.

“One of your favorite Shahrukh Khan movies, I know.” I finish her sentence.

She gasps and turns around in my hold, now facing me. “So you have watched that one, too?” she asks. I chuckle and nod.

She narrows her eyes and then slowly smiles. “You’re unbelievable,” she murmurs. “Stop staring.” She swats my chest.

I scoff. “You’re staring too, you know,” I say as I narrow my eyes at her playfully.

She looks away, her ears turning red. “No, I am not,” she mumbles.

“Are you blushing?” I tease, a wide smile playing across my lips. “You look adorable,” I say, chuckling softly.

“I am going to kill you,” she mutters. The way she is avoiding my gaze is incredibly cute.

I gently grab her chin, forcing her to look up. Her eyes widen, and her breathing turns shallow. I lean closer, my breath brushing against her cheek. “No, you’re not,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.

I straighten up to look into her eyes. “I am staring because I like seeing you happy.” I smile. “It looks good on you,” I add.

The cool evening breeze plays with her wavy hair, making it flutter around my fingers. Her flushed cheeks from the spicy food contrast against the darkness, and it’s a sight to behold. But I can’t help but get lost in her eyes, the moonlight reflecting in them, causing them to sparkle. They look brighter and more beautiful than ever before, making me smile.

I watch as she bites her lips, suddenly becoming all shy. It’s adorable. She looks away, her fingers nervously fiddling with my t-shirt. Her touch is so gentle, like she’s afraid to go too far. I love this side of her. She’s usually so sassy and reserved; this side makes me feel close to her, like she is letting me in. She is letting me see herself like this, and I do realize it isn’t easy for her, so it makes me more grateful.

“Shut up,” she murmurs, her fingers pinching my arm.

I let out an exaggerated gasp and feign hurt. “That hurt.” She mocks a smile at me and I laugh loudly.

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