Better Together | ✓

11 | a date

Haven't proofread, please feel free to point out typos or errors if any.

♤

Chapter 11 : A Date

"Abhi, are you mad?" Aadarsh shouted as he chased his brother around the king-sized bed in his room. 

"You should be thanking me, what you couldn't do from the past twenty minutes I did it in two." Abhi said typing something on his phone.

"What the fuck are you typing?" Aadarsh hollered.

"It's a date. She said she'll come directly from work." Abhi announced and threw the phone on the bed.

Aadarsh glared at him and picked up the phone. He quickly read through the text messages, Abhi had sent to Ruhaani. "I am never giving you my phone ever again. Not even if you beg." He muttered, reading the last message from his side. "You sent that freaking smiley. You're fucking mad!" 

Abhi laughed heartily slumping on the bed. "It's so much fun to see you curse, all you rawness comes out and how!"

Aadarsh glared at him and then looked back at his phone's screen cringing. "Seriously man! Who puts emoji in texts? I am not a teenager."

"It's called an emoticon. Emojis are those animated fellas, you know those yellow faces."

"Which cafe is this?" Aadarsh asked.

"It's a really cool cafe for romantic dates." He had barely finished saying when he received yet another glare from his elder brother.

"Get lost!" Aadarsh muttered, clearly annoyed. "I have a meeting at six tomorrow."

"Cancel it or move it. That's the least you can do for a woman you're about to marry."

"Yeah, get lost."

"It's a date. Don't fret over it, bro. Now that my work here's done, off I go."

"You better!" Aadarsh muttered still annoyed.

Aadarsh sighed, staring at his phone's screen as his brother left the room. He had been considering the idea of meeting Ruhaani before their engagement. But he was unsure. He didn't know what to say, what to talk about. Especially after that weird moment where he had been staring at her like an idiot when she had come home the first time. He wondered what she thought of him.

He had to now come up with topics to speak on. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself. Stupid, stupid Abhi! Who puts an emoji or whatever it is called!

* * * 

Ruhaani was glad she reached a few minutes before six. She got enough time to use the loo, wash her face and reset her hair. She stepped out of the washroom and grabbed a seat in the far corner of the Cafe. 

It was a garden cafe. Climbers decorated the walls. Fairy lights were placed along the climbers such that they appeared like tiny fireflies against the leaves. The tables and chairs were painted white. Colorful cushions were arranged on the chairs. Wooden partition walls with a mesh pattern separated the tables to ensure privacy. They were also adorned with climber plants. It reminded her of the cover of the book— The Secret Garden. It was one of her favorite books back when she was thirteen.

She settled on one of the four chairs around the table. She picked up one of the two  menu cards that the waitress left her with. She had barely skimmed through two pages of the menu card when she heard his voice.

"Hi," 

She looked up and wore a smile. Her eyes took in his form. He was dressed in a white crisp shirt that was evenly tucked into his pants. The full sleeves of the shirt had been neatly folded up to the elbow. His eyes hid behind stylish sunglasses "Hi," Ruhaani said as he settled on the chair across the table from hers.