Sharing Life

30. Hints & Moves

"You, of all the people," Kunal took a dramatic pause. "I would have still understood if it was Vik, but you?" he paused again then looked away for the effect.

"And Priya? You've a massive female following and you choose the only girl I..." he trailed off.

"Kunal.. I.. I didn't know you still..." Ram followed him as he got up to leave. "Sorry. Not for loving her," he interjected, "sorry.. things didn't work out for you.. Trust me, I didn't have such feelings earlier. You know it, right? I don't know when... how... I  hadn't planned. bas... bas.. ho gaya.."

His friend burst into laughter, leaning against the cabin door.

Ram frowned at him at first, then sighed in relief. "I knew you weren't serious," he pretended.

"Yaa, saw that. Sorry, not for loving her. For you two," Kunal teased, laughing. He took a moment to calm down, then put an arm around his shoulder saying, "And Priya's Mr. Kapoor, love is not something you plan, it just happens."

A bashful smile spread over Ram's face and his cheeks turned crimson.

Love.

He was in love.

"When is the wedding?"

"What wedding?"

"Your wedding," Kunal clarified. "You're telling me so I'm assuming you proposed—"

"Whoa, wait! I didn't propose," Ram clarified and added, "Or asked her out yet. I don't want to rush things."

Kunal went from excited to disappointed in a second. He remembered the impatient Ram who couldn't wait until Valentine's that he proposed Vedika on his birthday. Priya and Ram have been hanging out for quite some time, definitely longer than the time taken to fall for Vedika. He enquired about the same.

"Proposing Vedika on eighteenth birthday... it was adrenaline! Life had just began. Mann mein aaya, bina soche samjhe kar diya. I claim I'm young — which I'm, mann se — but we are not teens anymore. She has a past. I have a past. Our baggage.. experiences.. it scares me," he paused. "I.. I wasn't enough for Vedika.."

"Ram..."

".. or our relationship, and I lost her. Her parents needed financial security. They wanted someone with more money and less responsibilities. I'm doing well now but Priya doesn't need this. She is different. She's self sufficient."

Kunal interrupted, "that shouldn't be a problem."

"It's not. The problem is Vedika was expressive, Priya is not. She never held herself back, even when she broke up with me. Be it about her parents expectations or her insecurities, Vedika was clear. With Priya things are complicated. At times I understand her in the most unexpected situations, but sometimes I struggle to figure out the basic stuff."

He turned to his friend. "We have reached a point where we are happy in each other's company, comfortable in sharing worries and confide in each other and I.. I.. fear that my hurry will ruin whatever we have if she doesn't feel the same way."

"Not just that," Ram continued. "For me it'll be another heartbreak but it's going to fuel her existing trust issues. Mahendra Sood and that jerk Neeraj had done enough damage that my proposal will break her terribly. She'll loathe men even more, and won't be able to trust again."

"Ram, you think a lot," Kunal finally spoke. "You don't want to rush, I get it. And I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you just can't do nothing."

"Matlab?"

"Um, matlab..." He tucked his leg and turned to his friend on the couch. "While you give yourselves time, you can give her hints. Like whenever you find her beautiful, tell her — don't flirt but you can at least compliment her. Don't hold hands but walk together. Romantic long drive na sahi zidd karke ghar chodne jaaya kar. Baki kaam teri yeh neeli gehri aankhen kar degi and she'll know. If the feelings are mutual, she'll reciprocate and you'll know."