Lover Is A Day

Chapter 14

My phone buzzed. It was my 7 am alarm. I got up and sat on my bed. He was sleeping next to me. Facing the opposite side. He looked very peaceful. It wasn’t fully dark anymore. I stood up and went in kitchen. I made coffee and came back. He was awake now and sitting upright on my bed rubbing his eyes hard.
I gave him the coffee. He said ‘Thanks’, in a lazy but deep voice. I went and sat on my chair, facing him. I sipped my coffee.
I’ve never heard his morning voice., but now I have. I shut my eyes to focus on coffee.
He looked at his mug then at me.
‘…why do you look soo good in the morning?’, he said in a not-yet-fully-awake voice. I looked at him. His eyes half awake, and hair messy.
‘Maybe because I’m not hungover’, I said calmly
He nodded. We both sipped coffee in silence.
What was that interaction!?
He sat on the middle of my bed with a pillow on his lap. This early morning state of his is truly a sight not many would get to see. I intentionally made a point to not look at him at all. I looked down in my coffee.
I finished my coffee in one go. And lifted my head. I caught him staring at me. He quickly looked away. I looked down at myself. I was wearing my black and white, sleeveless jersey with “96” imprinted on it and boxers, which revealed my legs and arms. Was he just staring at my legs? Or arms?
Few seconds later, I got up and went in my kitchen and started washing my mug.

Suddenly my phone started ringing. It was on the table stand next to my bed. Shubham moved and got it. He looked at it.
‘It’s Zenna’s’, he said teasingly
‘Don’t-’, I started. I hurriedly rinsed the mug with water. What if she says something about him., and he hears that!?
He picked it up. ‘Hello’, he said
I quickly dried my hands with a towel. And rushed at him.
‘What?’, he said on the call, sounding confused.
I took the phone from his hand and cut the call nearly above his head. He was sitting on my bed. My reckless motion had caused me to be very, very close to him. He looked up at me, confused and momentarily taken aback. That fun, teasingly look in his eyes was gone. I looked down in his eyes. His deep brown eyes stared back at me, confused than ever.
‘What did she say?’, I asked lowly
‘She asked how was your night…’, he obediently said
I realized that we were too close so I moved back to my desk, back facing him. I kept my phone on the table and shut my eyes.
‘And?’, I asked.
‘And nothing more…’ he said
‘Why did she ask you that?’, he asked with renewed enthusiasm and a teasing voice
I turned and faced him.
‘You guys are soo close with each other now?’, he said with a mischievous grin and his eyes resembling two upside down crescent moons
'you’re back to normal’, I muttered to myself
‘What?’, he asked
‘Nothing’
‘Fine. Keep your secrets’, he said and got up from the bed.
I wanted to tell him that he misunderstood, but then how would I explain it to him anyways, so I didn’t say anything.
He went in the kitchen and put his mug in the sink. He stared at it for some time, later he picked it up and started washing it himself.
‘Let it be…’, I said
‘It’s okay. I do this at home all the time’, he said with enthusiasm
I looked at my phone. Should I block her number? 
He placed his washed mug next to mine.

Now what? We both thought.
‘I’ll… brush my teeth’, he said and pointed to my bathroom
We awkwardly crossed paths in the kitchen. I never really noticed this, but my room is kinda small.
He went in my bathroom and saw that I only had one brush, which was mine.
‘…’
‘You can use mine…’, I said,
‘What!? No’, he said ‘Why would you say that? It’s unhygienic!’
‘I’ll just use the mouthwash!’, he hurriedly reached for the Listerine bottle in the cabinet.
He gurgled with it for some time, then quickly threw it up.
‘Ow… it stung’, he said
I didn’t realize when I chuckled.
He looked at me. And smiled.
‘You laughed?’, he said
‘Yeah?’
‘I’ve never even seen you smile before’
That’s right, I haven’t smiled ever since I moved to Mumbai. Actually, I don’t even remember the last time I laughed or smiled.
'Yeah'
We made eye contact.

He came out of my bathroom and stood next to my bed. He picked up his phone and turned to me.
‘Do I still smell like alcohol?’, he asked
I stepped closer to him and sniffed his neck. I had to tilt my neck since he was an inch shorter than me.
‘A little bit’, I said
He looked around and picked up my deodorant from the dressing table.
‘I’ll just burrow this then’, he said. Then sprayed a huge amount of it.
‘Wow yours smells nice’ He looked at it. ‘I have this same brand but mine is different’
‘Oh’, I said
‘and I’ll buy chewing gum on my way’ he said
I nodded.
He looked at my bed where he had spent the night, which was messy now with the blanket and pillows. But everything else was well kept. He looked around.
‘By the way, your room is really nice’, he said
‘Thanks’, I said
It was 7:45 now. Our classes started at 9. I looked at him. He was looking in his phone.
For someone who is supposed to be heartbroken, he sure didn’t look the part…
‘What are you going to do now?’, I asked
‘First I’ll go home, then take shower, then eat then-’, he started
‘I was asking about Neha’
He stayed quiet for some time.
‘I’ll move on I guess, since she doesn’t feel the same way…’, he continued
I looked at him in disbelief.
‘What!? You thought I would be heartbroken like some Sadma Aashiq, Devdas or something?’, he said
‘I mean, you did drink…’, I said
‘It was a one-time thing… And I’m not the type of guy to get hung up on anyone’ he said
‘okay’, I said with doubt
‘Really! and I still want to stay friends with her, but if she isn’t comfortable with that then… I think I should talk with her about it today. Anyways I should get going now. Thank you soo much for letting me stay the night’, he said ‘and everything else’
He placed his arm on my shoulder.
‘I’ll repay your favor sometime’, he added
He left and closed the door behind him. I stared at my door for some time.

He thinks I look good in the morning.

Author's Note: Sorry for the massive delay in updating. Truth to be told i didn't write for a really long time., partly because i didn't find time, partly because i didn't know what to write. And right now, I have alot going on in my life. And writing this story is  my escape from reality. This fictional world that i have created is my safe space, it gives me comfort.
And knowing that there are people out there reading this story, makes it even better. I like it when you guys ask me to update because then i know that you patiently wait for me. And I really appreciate that, i request you to like and comment on the chapter if u liked it, because it gives me motivation to write!
Appreciation would be appreciated. Thank you.