Strings Of Love

Chapter 2

"Vivek, I think that guy is staring at us!" Shehnaaz told Vivek, her date tonight, that she found a guy staring at them for a while now. 

"Who, Cupcake?" Vivek turned back slowly to see the same. "Voh! White shirt vala. Itna lamba chauda sa jo hai." She guided him, hiding the fact that she cringed at the nickname he gave her. 

Being called a cupcake felt gross. Did she look like a fluffy sweet little bread that he came up with such a silly and childish name? Tinder had set her up with a wrong person, she mentally regretted swiping right to someone who said that he liked people beyond their flaws. This guy had flirted with her forth and back to ask her out. Amidst his overly sweet language she had missed out on his good qualifications, a pretty bank manager job that he kept boasting about. He wasn't a bad one, it was her. 

She knew she was the one who was sensitive towards certain subjects. It wasn't something she would have been bothered by until he began asking her about her work and stuff. She didn't have any problem with being a simple waitress and cake decorator at a bakery but people's reaction to her job was disappointing. 

Well, such was life. Never easy on her, nor her relationship with her family, nor her relationship with studies were any good. Even a guy who pretended to like her lost interest in her after getting to know that she didn't have a very good profession. And questions related to her family and background were another set of things she was sensitive to. But that didn't make her upset, she continued to live life on her own terms and did everything that made her satisfied, independent and happy. 

Tinder, however, was her weekend activity to meet new people and date. What else would a 25 year old do on her day free? Try her luck among men, look for a soulmate. Vivek was her date today, a sweet guy with politeness laced all over seemed good so here she was, at Hotel Blue Moon. An extravagant hotel Vivek had chosen for drinks that was going to cost him a good amount, even though it was on him but she didn't like it, someone paying for her. 

She was having another sip when she noticed that the guy in the white shirt was looking in their direction again. She fumed, making sure she would go and talk it out with that drunk guy about what his problem was. 

"Do you want me to go and talk to him?" Vivek asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. 

"Uh, nahi. No, I'll do it myself." She replied, reassuring him and wanting to handle it herself. 

"Oh okay, by the way. Tum konsi bakery me kaam karti ho?" He asked. 

"Sprinkles." She replied. 

"Sounds good! Tum banaogi na mere liye pastries, donuts or even better, cupcakes? I'll have cupcakes made by my Cupcake." He giggled saying that and she giggled back in formality although the joke was a disaster. 

"Ghar drop kar du tumhe?" He offered her a ride. 

"Nahi, mai manage kar lungi. Thank you for the drinks!" She thanked him. 

"You're welcome, cupcake. Kal ke kya plans hai ye batao?" He quirked up his brows. "Umm, iss weekend nahi. Mai text karungi baad me." She smiled, denying. 

Their date came to an end soon and she knew this was their first and very last today itself, she was never going to see Vivek ever again. Coming back to the matter she had to look after, she marched towards the guy who had been staring at her. 

"Problem kya hai? Tab se ghoore ja raho!" She shot glares at him. He turned back to see if there was someone she could be talking to. 

"I'm talking to you!" She added, poking his shoulder with her index finger. He returned to look at her again, she was right and expected an answer from him.