Gehraiyaan.

Chapter 35

"HEY!", Zain literally exclaims his lungs out that I almost shudder on my seat, while Darshan sits back... perplexed at the shift of attention.

"Hi", nothing more than a small squeak leaves my mouth, as small as one of a mice. I lick my lower lip and clear my throat. "Hi, Zain", I smile at him.

"I was driving past this area, so I thought... I'd give a beautiful lady some flowers", through the window, he slides the bouquet through. "I heard Roses are women's best-friend", he winks.

"Actually, I'll be honest. Why lie? My office is in the exact opposite direction of your café, but...it was difficult to fight the urge to meet you", he blurts out and throughout - Darshan and I remain pin-drop silent. Me, because I got caught lying and he's silent probably because he's wondering what on earth is going on!

"Who's this?", Zain goes on, looking over my shoulder at The Darshan Raval, who thought Zain was a 'fan' all this while. I wonder how it feels to have all the build-up shattered.

"Uhm---a---", I take a moment to think. My ex-boss? A friend? A client? A singer? Near-lover?

"A good friend of hers", Darshan intervenes. "Darshan Raval", he stretches his arm out - across me - and holds it out for Zain, and I can tell with ease that he's flashing one of the most forced smiles, ever. As though he has a thousand sarcastic comments at the tip of hid tongue, but he's holding back intentionally because...he barely knows Zain.

"Zain. Not Malik, though", he goes on in his usual playful tone, shaking Darshan's hand vigorously. "Obviously, it's pretty evident", Darshan sarcastically throws. God.

"Darshan Raval? That Coke Studio singer, I reckon?", he prompts and Darshan smiles with pride. "Of course I know you. I was fooling around with not knowing who you are.

"My mom loves you, man!", Zain compliments. "And of course, I do, too. I don't want you thinking that you're famous only amongst Aunties", Zain jokes, laughingly, and no-one laughs. I smile at Zain, awkwardly, hoping that he would take his leave, but he leans against the window. He's definitely not walking away today. Great!

"Uhm, you must be running late for work, right?", I cue and pray from the depths of my heart that he actually leaves. "Absolutely not! I have nothing to do in the office today. If you wish, I could stay with you all day until it's time for our date", he blabbers out.

"Oh, you guys are going out on dates and all, huh? Nivi never told me about this", Darshan's voice rises and I notice how he subtly shows Zain that he knows me way better than Zain does, with that 'Nivi' there.

"Oh, we haven't been 'going out on dates'. It's a start for us, and who knows...maybe, it could be a start to great things in life? Right, Navya?", Zain looks at me expectantly, and I just manage a smile, without knowing what to say.

"Or it could simply mean the end of everything", Darshan flatly utters, inviting a long moment of daunting silence in the car. "I mean... Navya has a long history of rejecting men", Darshan covers up, right away, and laughs it off.

"I might win her heart, who knows? Maybe, the men who approached her had some flaw in them?", Zain suggests. "Oh---", Darshan darts at him and I cut him off, instantly.

"Zain!", I literally exclaim, cutting off the one-sided cold war. "Uh, I'll see you in the evening?", I look at him, pleadingly. "I'll pick you up right after you're done from work, then", he holds his fist out for a fist-bump.

"See you", I smile at him, and we do this little fist bump.

"Man, Darshan!", he calls out. "Good luck with your career and you're making all of us proud", Zain wishes and Darshan only smiles. "And do pray that I win this beautiful lady's heart", he teasingly says. I feel that Zain is willingly getting on Darshan's nerves. He knows what he's doing!