Journey of a Lifetime

'Just say you-. -won't let go'

The dipping sun painted the sky a beautiful shade of orange pink, slowly fading into the dark blue and black night sky.

Shams huffed! She was not used to climbing so many steps, and they had to climb some more to get to the cliff. She wondered how on earth was Raq so agile even after being outdoors the entire day. She guessed it was a cakewalk for him with all the hiking and trekking he did.

"Aww. Are you tired, baby? Should I pick you up?" Raq teased her. Shams blushed and swatted his hand, though, in reality, she would be ready to give an arm and a leg anytime to be in his arms. But she knew that the curvy path was too dangerous to foster such an idea.

Raq saw Shams huffing and sat down on a rock so that she could catch a breath. He patted the rocky, hard but smooth surface beside him, gesturing Shams to sit next to him. She quietly obliged. Tilting her head upward, she looked into his dreamy eyes. She leaned in and planted her lip on his. Raq wrapped his arms around her neck and held her tight as he kissed her back.

Shams crossed her arms, keeping her head on Raq's shoulder. He put his head on top of her silky smooth hair and entwined his fingers with hers. After a peaceful moment, the sun began to set. Sham's eyes sparked with wonder when the skies started turning beautiful shades of pink, orange and golden.

Raq, unfortunately, was unable to focus on the setting sun. There was something more beautiful than the sunset sitting next to him--his gorgeous girlfriend. Naturally, his focus wavered. Shams looked at him and smiled at how amazing he looked in the setting sun. The hint of the light left of the day on Raq's face gave his face a golden glow. He looked stunning.

The sun had set by now, the moon making its way up to the sky, replacing the sun. Shams noticed that Raq was staring at her. She blushed, turning her face into his chest when he placed an arm around her shoulders for comfort. "Baby?" Raq called her sweetly while kissing the crown of her head. She replied with a "hmm" and looked at his beautiful eyes in the moonlight. 

"It's time for dinner. We do have to go back to our room to change. Let's go." He stood up. He held her hand while they hiked down from the cliff and turned on the torch for clear visibility in the dark.

An hour later, they had a quick shower and were ready for their date night. 
They got into the car they had rented for their stay in Greece. She held his hand and looked out of the window. She felt the warmth of his hand.

He eyed her hand resting on her lap and brought it towards his lips to kiss the back of her palm while driving. After they reached the restaurant, he parked the car in front of it. He came towards her side to help her out of the car. He handed the keys to the valet as they both headed inside.

The interiors of the restaurant were stunning. It was decorated with beautiful, glowing lights and artwork everywhere. The love birds entered the restaurant hand-in-hand and were quickly led to a cosy booth at the back. Like a perfect gentleman, Raq pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

They ordered some appetisers and started browsing through the menu for the main course.

They agreed on Moussaka, the iconic baked dish of Greece with Taramasalata dip. For dessert, they ordered a bowl of different types of Feta cheese for Raq, which he always loved to devour with his salads. Shams chose honey baklava for dessert.

After the waiter left with their orders, Raq took her hand from across the table and kissed it gently. Sham's blushed a deep red and giggled like a schoolgirl, watching his romantic gestures.
"Even though I don't say it often, you definitely are romantic, Raqu." She said, smiling.

"I am. But I am more romantic than I have ever been. That's the effect you have on me." He winked. The food arrived, and they began to eat the delicious meal. "Umm. This is lovely!" Shams praised. "So are you, baby," Raq said as he stared into her mesmerising eyes. The blush had taken a permanent spot on her cheeks by then.

"You are just perfect," Shams said. Raq smiled and said, “Aww. You are perfect too, and not just in be..." Shams interrupted him mid-sentence. "RAQESH BAPAT. If you dare complete this sentence, be ready to sleep on the couch tonight." He just trailed off. He couldn't dream of sleeping away from her. They had a good laugh. The night was still young, so they decided to party at a club.

They had been told that Casablanca was among the best Clubs in Santorini. They entered the club with a vow to have fun and enjoy the remaining time on that beautiful island. Loud music blasted, the disco lights shone, and people danced like crazy.

Getting their drinks at the bar was a hassle as the club was jam-packed. With a round of Ouzo and dirty Martinis in their hands, they swayed to the music.

Raq had to drive themselves back to the villa, so he opted to have a non-alcoholic drink, unlike shams, who was ready to drink her heart out. She had three Martinis while dancing to Taylor Swift's pop sensations. She was having a blast dancing with the love of her life. 

Shams turned around to watch all the couples dancing on the dance floor. Raq came towards her and extended his hand for a dance with her. She grabbed the offer, and before she knew she was twirling. She crashed into his arms with both her hands on his shoulder.

He pulled her closer than she already was. "I met you in the dark. You lit me up,” he whispered the song in her ear. "You made me feel as though I was enough." His voice was divine. Raq's eyes that held Sham's spoke her emotions through James Arthur's voice.

“Then you smiled over your shoulder
For a minute, I was stone-cold sober!
I pulled you closer to my chest.”

Raq spun Shams around and slowly bent his head down to her shoulders as he came up behind her. "Baby." She whispered. But he was utterly unbothered about any lingering eyes.
He spun her around again as he kissed her flushed cheeks.

"I knew I loved you then. But you'd never know. Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I know I needed you.” he sang it, and she was star-struck at his beautiful voice. He closed his eyes for a second and said, "But I never showed
But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old."

Warmth blossomed in Sham's chest, sparks igniting as Raq leaned in close, lips brushing together, tentatively. The smell of her perfume, of the soft, peachy scent of her conditioner, was dizzying, butterflies dancing in her stomach.  But warmth consumed her as she leaned into the kiss, his lips impossibly soft against her own.

He looked into her eyes and said "Sorry, you're just so gorgeous I had to give you a quick kiss." Raq moved to rest his temple on Sham's head as he clutched her fingers with firmness like he held a delicate thread for dear life. "Shams," he whispered. "Just say you won't let go."

He took a deep breath. His heart began to race the moment she kept her head on his chest. She could feel his warmth radiating with anxiousness as he waited for her reply. She pulled herself to look at him through drunken love eyes.

Shams reminisced. She was dancing with an amazing man, who she met last year, who waited for her for almost four months, who is her soulmate, who loves her to the end of the world. He held her like an angel, as he looked at her like she was his last hope, lip-synced to the verses of James Arthur, as he asked her not to let go.

He sang, “Just say you...” She shook her head as she completed his sentence, “Won't let go." He stopped swaying. His lips broke into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. His eyes showed satisfaction, relief, happiness and, more importantly, pure love.

And that's how the perfect date ended, with both of them late, in love, and one of them a little drunk.