Threads of Destiny

Chapter 9: Preparing for the "Not Date"

He stared at her, expecting her to say something. All she could do was look at him with trembling lips and those haunting brown eyes. Her eyes seemed to be screaming, "I like you too, but..." The weight of that unspoken "but" lingered in the air, causing a pang of disappointment. "Damn that 'but'," he thought.

Rudra let out a chuckle and apologized, his gaze shifting downward to his shoes. Maitree followed his gaze, and a tear rolled down her cheek, catching his attention. In response, he turned around, muttering a heartfelt "Sorry, damn it. I didn't mean to..." He ran his hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration and confusion. As Maitree looked out of the window, she gently wiped away her tear, her gaze fixated on the view outside.

"Why are you here, Maitree? Do you have some work with me?" Rudra asked, breaking the silence that hung between them, still not facing her and kept looking at the empty shelves.

"Umm, well, I came to thank you for yesterday. You were so kind and helped me through my panic attack without any hesitation. Not everybody would have done that," she said in one breath, gripping onto her handbag, her gaze alternating between the window, her feet, and occasionally tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Everything started shifting in Rudra's mind, and a mischievous grin formed on his face. He turned around to face Maitree directly, and with a playful tone, he declared, "I don't want your thank you."

"Huh?" Maitree responded, taken aback by his unexpected response.

"I said, I don't want your thank you," Rudra repeated, emphasizing each word.

"Then?" she asked, her confusion still evident

Rudra raised a finger, slowly leaned closer to her, causing her to instinctively lean back. With a grin still on his face, he whispered, "What I want is... one date."

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with such intensity that Rudra instinctively leaned back and covered his ears.

"Ajeeb ho tum! (you are strange) Just a moment ago, you looked like you were about to cry, and now this? What is going on?" she asked, gesturing towards his face with a perplexed expression.

"Who cried? Me, cry?" he questioned, pointing to himself in disbelief.

"Ji haa tum!" (yes, you are) she asserted, placing her handbag on the table with a thud. She pointed her right index finger directly at him and placed her left hand on her hip.

"Madam! Go check your eyes. You're a surgeon, surgeons shouldn't be blind," he retorted, lightly striking her finger with his own. She smiled, lowering her finger, finding amusement in his playful remark.

"So, is that a yes?" Rudra asked, his eyes locked onto hers.

"Yes," she replied, and Rudra's face lit up with excitement. Before he could fully express his joy, Maitree interjected, clarifying, "It's not a date, but a dinner between colleagues." She gestured between the two of them.

"Colleagues," Rudra repeated, his expression turning slightly somber.

"Colleagues," she affirmed, confirming their arrangement, and then picked up her handbag

"Fine" he agreed "So, I will pick you up tonight. Say, 7?"

"Perfect, I will text you my address," she replied. He nodded in acknowledgment as she walked towards the door.

With her hand on the doorknob, she heard him speak again.

"You look good," he said, catching her attention. She gave him a questioning look, wondering what he meant.

"Your hair," he clarified, gesturing towards her hair. "Whether it's open or tied, you look perfect." He made a hand gesture indicating perfection.

"He noticed," she thought to herself, a gentle smile forming on her lips as she touched her hair tied in a ponytail.