Snuck-in Bride

4.Tender Wings of Desire

"How did you recognize me?" Arjun asked after a bite of the chicken wing, followed by a popcorn chicken. "You even knew my name."

Taking a sip of the coca-cola, you placed it on the coffee table between the bed and couch before answering.

"I love cricket," you said and took another bite from your burger. "And the panic is mostly internal."

He nodded, contemplating the chances that you were a psychopath when you dipped a French fry into the coke and ate it.

His suspicion grew when you ate the ice cream cone ordered separately.

Biting ice cream. Stage one psychopath.

"So what do you do?" Arjun asked as he tried your French fries and coke combo. He has to admit it was good.

Swallowing the food in your mouth, and appearing to think deeply for a second, you spoke up.

"Have you ever noticed that banks deduct one rupee from your account and you get a message?" You started, looking directly at him. "You get a message you usually ignore and think it's just one rupee, but the same from every single person in the city or state is a lot of money. And there is a group of people, an organization behind it."

"Yeah?" Arjun said slowly, pausing his eating as he dared not break eye contact.

"Well, I'm not that person," you smiled again before taking another bite of your burger.

The man in front of you blinked a little before internally relaxing, no, collapsing in relief.

"I'm an animator," you said. "And part time delusionist, full time dog mom."

Combining geometric and trigonometric calculations is how you use math to create animations and give them movement. Plus, linear Algebra and the knowledge of algebraic equations and solutions to produce special effects.

Biscuit was running around the bed, occasionally giving a tiny bark before he came back to Arjun for the chicken popcorn.

"What if I'm a con artist?" You asked, looking at him.

"You're not," he simply answered, getting hold of the other coca-cola cup.

"How would you know?" You asked again as he took a sip of the soft drink.

"Because you asked me that and proved it," Arjun said, placing the cup back on the table.

"Yes, but what if I'm a con artist asking you if I'm a con artist so that you don't think that I'm a con artist because I asked you if I'm a con artist," you were still looking at him and it felt like crickets were chirping in the background.

"I choose not to answer that," he said after processing what you said.

"Okay," you nodded before another bite of your burger. "Biscuit's easy around you," you noted.

Arjun looked at the brown poodle that was staring up at him with those puppy eyes.

"Maybe he senses that I'm a pet sibling," he said. "I don't know if that's a myth or fact."

"It's true," you added. "Many even say that they have a sixth sense about this sort of thing."

You shrugged, done with the burger and setting wrapping paper aside and going for the coke.

"By the way, did no animals get to you?" He asked and you looked at him questioningly.

"Animals?"

"Near the wedding venue. It was in the middle of the forest. Some guests even told me they saw hyenas on their way. Almost broke their windshield," Arjun said and you choked on your drink. "Finally, got you."

You looked at him in disbelief once you were done coughing. "Unbelievable."

"You're unbelievable," he said with a small smile of victory on his face.

"Something I wanted to say; for once, can you be mad at me for sneaking in," you looked at him. "Let me feel bad."

"Like Katherine Hepburn said, if you follow all of the rules, you'll miss all of the fun," he quoted, helping you move the remaining wrappers into the small paper bag to throw away later.

And then you both just sat there, staring down and occasionally glancing at each other.

Food was done. What now?

You notice that Arjun cracks his knuckles very often. He also has this fairly shy and self-effacing aura about him.

"Uhm, so I'll get going," he finally broke the silence. "It was nice. KFC, you know."

"It was," you concurred as he stood up from the couch. Following his actions, you got off the mattress.

"And you too," he added in a small voice at the end before slowly walking to the door.

Mentally, you were cursing yourself to ask him for his number. You'll regret it if you never see him again. And what if you did? But would he find it weird?

Anyway, you've given him the chances for that already.

It was like this feeling in the back of your mind, you're afraid you'll never see him again. Why? You don't know.

Maybe you just genuinely found him attractive, plus the fact that you love cricket, or it was the want to not lose a good companionship you've formed over a shared meal. Maybe it was the latter, or both.

Hell, you'd write a novel for KFC if you did. Imagine a reboot of Tender Wings of Desire.

You wanted to express this but could not muster the courage to do so.

The door was unlocked and Arjun stepped out, his hand holding the doorknob as he turned around.

He looked at you for a few seconds, and you just looked back at him.

"I'd like to buy you KFC someday too. And I can let you know if I had your number."

I'm afraid to lose you and you're not even mine.