Night of 25TH

CHAP 42: Tantrums at Night-In

Past :

Shubman

We had finished our meal, including desserts, and it was time to settle the bill. I reached for my wallet, ready to pay.

"No need, I've already taken care of it," Anika said, smoothly swiping her card.

"Oh, no, let me," I insisted, pulling out my phone to transfer her the money.

"No, no, it's on me. I was the one who invited you, so yeah," she asserted, pushing my phone aside.

"Nope, I don't want it all on you. If I hadn't agreed, this wouldn't have happened, so at least let me pay my share," I insisted, entering the amount and transferring it to her account.

"Fine, you are so stubborn," she laughed, tipping the waiter at least 1000 bucks.

"So, I'll take my leave," I said, extending my hand for a formal handshake. However, Anika surprised me by going in for a hug.

Caught off guard, I didn't know how to respond. My mind was not prepared to grant her that level of intimacy, but my heart urged me to reciprocate in some way. Opting for a compromise, I gave her a formal pat on the back, my fingers lightly tapping.

"Sorry, hope you didn't mind that," she said, shyly pushing a strand of her hair back. I couldn't help but recall the times when we were together, and I used to do the same - brushing my fingertips against her soft skin whenever that strand interrupted her eyesight.

"No, it's fine," I replied, glancing at the time on my phone and realizing I was getting late to meet Chucky.

"Do you have to go somewhere? If not, you can come home. Mum, Dad, Sameer would love to meet you," she suggested, looking at me hopefully. It had been a while since I'd seen her parents and Sameer, my good friend from our U19 cricketing days, her brother and the reason we met.

As much as I wanted to catch up with Sameer, the allure of someone, somewhere, waiting with chocolate chip ice cream and popcorn seemed more tempting than her offer.

"Hmm, sorry, but I have a commitment somewhere," I explained, my mind already occupied with the plans Chucky and I had made.

"No problem. Maybe next time when we meet?" she said, her eyes almost glossy, hoping for a positive response.

"I don't know... Bye," I said, turning around, not wanting to prolong the conversation as I sensed the vulnerability in those glossy eyes. It was a weakness I thought I had overcome, but seeing her again today made me question that assumption.

Collecting my car keys from the valet personnel, I made my way towards the car and settled inside, entering the location Chucky had given me. Driving down the road, my mind lingered on the interaction with Anika. She invited me to this dinner to rekindle, yet the entire dinner passed without any mention of it perhaps, I hadn't let her bring it up. Sighing, I checked the maps to confirm I was heading in the right direction.

Just then, Anika's message popped up on the screen: "Hope you've given thought about us, even though we didn't discuss it during dinner. It was good catching up with you." Following that, the next message made me chuckle: "Dinner karne gaya hai ke banane mein kitna time lagega ane mein terko?" It was from Chucky. Deciding to temporarily set aside Anika's message, I replied to Chucky, "Raste mein hu, ghadi chala raha hu."

Almost instantly, Chucky's message came again: "Better and drive safe. Bahano mein beh mat jana kahi." I responded with a laugh, "Haa meri maa, ab chalane de ghadi, warna kuch hoga toh tere pe naam ayega ke last he was texting you." I chuckled to myself, imagining Chucky's reaction. It seemed she didn't text back after reading my message.