NEVER LOSE YOU AGAIN

CHAPTER 22

FOUR DAYS LATER

'Manav, I am leaving now. Will reach your house in 10 minutes.' I texted him.

'okay, cool. See you.' He texted back.

I sat in my cab and kept my house keys in my bag. Around three minutes later I got a message from him

'I might take some time, around 10 more minutes. You just enter in, the keys are below the carpet.'

Urrrggghhh! I sighed and sent a thumbs up. I reached his apartments shortly and found the keys below the carpet. The scene which I saw after entering left me amused. There were fairy lights on the sofas and the walls, with a series of my pictures, and a large mirror kept beside the dinning table. There were balloons and decorative items kept all over the floor and it looked like there's some celebration.

I was confused and nervous to see this type of décor. I sat on the sofa and messaged

'Manav, where are you? And why have you decorated your house?'

'hey, you reached? I'll be there in 10.'

'you told this to me 10 minutes ago!'

'Aarushi, if I tell you I am ten mins away and you believe in me, trust me you need to grow up!😁'

'oh god! Come fast!'

I rolled my eyes and kept the phone down. Neither it's anyone's birthday, or any special occasion, then why the heck was all this so much decorated? It could be a birthday party of one of his friends though. But why will he attach my pictures in his friend's birthday? I thought and just then the door opened. I saw Manav, with a big bouquet of red roses and a small bag in his hand. He pushed opened the door through his shoulder and his eyes landed straight on me. He scanned me from top to bottom and his jaw fell open.

'Manav, where were you? And what's all this??' I asked

'Aarushi you...you look....beautiful.' he said with quick pauses, as if not able to process anything in his brain.

I was stressed to see the calmness in his voice.

'Manav? Please tell me what's all-'

'-sshh..' he stopped me and kept his finger on my lips as he came closer. 'Aarushi, don't say anything...just...feel. Be calm..' he said and gradually stepped back.

My heartbeats were increasing on seeing this behavior. What is he up to?!

He looked down, sighed, cleared his throat and gained some strength. 'Aarushi, now, I am going to say something. Don't cut me while I speak, let me finish the whole speech, okay? Don't stress, it's just something good. Again, please don't cut me in between.' He said and he was looking nervous like hell.

I lightly nodded. He gave me the bouquet of roses and said 'count the number of roses..'

I was quite weird-struck at this mention but I still counted the roses and said 'eight.'

'now look into the mirror.' He said and I turned towards the mirror.

'the mirror is showing the nine most beautiful things in this world!' he said and my heart was beating so fast that it could come out any second.

'Aarushi, each time you change your profile picture, my wallpaper changes. I keep thinking about you every time I walk, sleep, cook, talk, work, wake up, ALL THE TIME!! It's like you're permanently set in my mind. I might show that I am focused at work, but honesty whenever I sit to work, all I think about is you, and how can I win you! Aarushi, I want to spend my life with you, see sunrises, northern lights, sunsets, take pictures, go eat some roadside food and get sick the next day! I can do anything, if you're with me, by my side. So let me finally ask you-' he said and went down on his knees. I could feel my heart beating in my throat.