|| Haripriya ||

|| 6 | Chai and Bliss ||

"That you don't," 

With a wide smile still dancing on his lips, Madhavan took out a sheet of paper and unrolled it, skimming his eyes across the writing. 

He looked up and began to list them out. "Take me out for dinner once, Go skydiving with me, Steal some navaneetam with me, get married-" 

"Get what?" I choked out. 

He had to be kidding me. I had just met him and had my suspicions about him, but that didn't mean he could outright just, ask to get married. That was beyond crazy.  

"Alright, you don't need to call me crazy for it. We'll put that on hold. For now at least" 

Of course, he read my mind. I should've expected that. Realizing that I still had the emerald and key in my hands, I finally turned the key on the lock and watched as a bright green hue emitted from the emerald surrounding itself around Madhavan and me. I had thought a piece of paper rolled up inside would fall out, but I didn't think that a blinding light would emerge. 

When the light gradually became fainter and our surroundings came back into view, I realized that we were at some restaurant?

"Very funny Madhavan. Where's my clue?" I asked glaring at the grinning guy in front of me. 

"I'll only give it if you stay with me here,"

He was out of his mind. "But Periyamma will be back soon, right? What will she think if she doesn't see us when she gets home?" 

"She won't know,"

He placed his fingers on my lips and took my hand into his, walking me over to the only table in the restaurant. When I said restaurant, I meant that there were beautiful decorations on the walls and dimmed light with waiters and waitresses walking around. But there was just one table with two chairs that as decorated elegantly with rose petals and two candles in the middle. Plates and silver utensils were neatly organized in their places, it seemed to look like an actual date. 

"You're a magician aren't you? Yes, I think that's who you are" I said with awe still denying the thoughts that arose in my mind. 

"I can be a lot of things," 

I would be mentally screaming by that response, but I wanted to pull someone's leg. "Is annoying on the list?"

"Good one," Madhavan chuckled lightly before pulling out a chair for me and sitting on the one that faced the opposite. 

The soft light that glistened meeting his skin cast an ethereal glow. The melanin on his exposed skin was not afraid to sparkle. If I had the choice, I could stare at it for hours. But that would be weird. Especially weird since I didn't know for sure who this mysterious man was. Stop Lying. 

He smirked widely. "You seem to be lost," 

"Huh?" My eyes widened when I realized I had been admiring this man for longer than a sensible human being would. "What are you going to order?" I covered up. 

He took the menu that I had unknowingly been twirling around my fingers, his palm grazing my skin gently, causing something at the pit of my stomach to flutter. 

"Two cups of iced chai and two plates of sweet and spicy noodles," he said to the waiter almost immediately after. 

If I was shocked before, I was blown away off of the planet now. "You didn't ask me what I wanted to order. What if I don't like my chai iced or sweet and spicy noodles?" I said trying hard to look cross. 

"Jaani, sweetheart. Trust me when I say, I know what you like. There would've been a problem if you don't like both of those things, certainly. But you do, don't you?"