TOXIC DATE

I WANT TO KNOW YOU

"I just want to be loved, it's the thing I want most. More than beauty, More than money. I'd rather be beautiful in one person's eyes than to be beautiful in everyone else's standards. More than fame. I'd rather be bathed in love than bathed in riches. I'd rather have someone know me more than I know myself to be known by many. One person who loves me deeply is worth more than the billions that do not."

ASHER'S POV

I looked at the girl munching on the pyaaz pakoras (Onion pakoras) and enjoying each sip of the kulhad chai. She looked cute, I mean I never knew about her cute side until I found her eating pakoras like that. A few of it's crumbs decorate the corners around her lips. I agree I always found myself enchanted by how beautiful of a person she was by looks and also by heart. But this sudden burst of cuteness surprised me.

"Ira..." I called out the girl busy snacking.

"Huh" she replied to my call.

"You have got a little of the pakori crumbs near your lips" I replied back.

"Ah.." she made a sweet annoyed sound and rubbed it off with her tongue.

I wish I could have done that myself inspite of informing her.

"Ira...!!" I called out again.

"Ab kya hua" she replied a bit annoyed. (What happened now?)

"I want to know you more, I want to understand you more and I want to love you more than you do to me or others" I spat everything in a straight line, while she just shrugged.

"So what do you want to know about me, the boring me, the unrealistic me!" She said.

I had called her such terms earlier and I see that she is so hurt.

"No I don't want to know the boring you, unrealistic you...I just want to know the actual you" I replied squeezing her hands in mine.

"I was a shy girl..but had the ability to make lots and lots of friends. I loved cherishing the bonds I created, but ended up with false people everytime." She made a sad face.

"I am so sorry" I replied back.

"You don't have to be sorry, everyone felt sorry for me the entire life. You can be so harmless and still people won't like you. But you don't have an option to make people like you. Maybe too ordinary for everyone or nothing as special as one can be" She was speaking.

And I couldn't imagine how much has she gone through all this while. And if people did her dirty, I was none the less. While I was sitting listening to her, she kept on saying.

"You know, let me tell you something more new than this! Which is certainly my memory from the things I experienced in primary school" she said.

"I am all ears Ira" I replied back.

"Have you seen those kids who can't dance well, I was one of those. You know the introvert me never let me be a part of debates and the shy me never let me dance in front of the world. People say the one who knows dance can dance anywhere and everywhere. But I think we dance more when we are happy inside, how can I just dance on anyone's demand. Without feeling the rhythm. I have always loved dancing in the rain, but never in front of a whole public. Too introvert that inspite of being so good in English and loved speaking aloud, never got a part in any debate. You know on those annual functions that took in the primary classes. Everyone's parents came to see that their kids are performing on stage. While my abbu and ammi came to see me sitting beneath the stage with the choir group singing songs. Neither I had the courage to perform on the stage nor my teacher ever tried to push my boundaries and motivated me." Her eyes had the tears all welled up inside.