The Sun & the Stars Aligned

14: Not the first Date!

TARA

"What's cooking between you two? Umm Flirting and all, and not just it you both would have kissed," Ishani nudged my shoulder teasingly as we lugged boxes inside her NGO.

"Nothing at all. Don't overthink it, missy," I replied, playfully pushing her forehead back.

"Oh, come on! You were blushing and all. Forgot how you hid your face on his chest when he was flirting with you. It was like watching a newlywed couple having a kitchen romance. 'Honey has definitely added her sweetness.' You know how I call you honey," she mimicked him from yesterday. "Oh, my heart, I'm jealous! My dear husband, being an officer, is always busy," she complained with a playful pout.

"Well, then what's up with that red mark on your neck?" I teased, spotting the hickey she was trying to hide. I'd noticed it the moment I arrived, but since she was on a teasing spree, I couldn't resist getting in on the fun.

"Oh, nothing. Just a mosquito bite," she lied, pulling her collar up to cover it, avoiding my gaze.

"What a naughty mosquito," I teased further, tickling her until she burst into laughter.

"Oh, crap! I forgot to mention," she suddenly exclaimed.

"What now?" I asked, intrigued.

"We have a cricket match coming up day after tomorrow against another city's NGO. And I still need to find people to form a team," she said, stressing.

"No worries, I'll play," I offered.

"Honey, we can't. It's for family members of the women in the NGO. Even us, you, Parth, Kritika can't participate because we work here. We're still short by 4-5 people," she explained.

"Alright, then let Jatin play," I suggested.

"But we're still short, and losing this match is not an option, even if it's just a friendly match. It's a matter of our NGO's honor," Ishu, being the competitive soul she is, never wants to lose.

"Alright, so what's the plan then?" I inquired.

"I always have a plan, darling," she replied with a sly smile.

"Of course, how could the great Ishani not have a plan? That's just unheard of," I quipped, and we both burst into laughter.

***

"Oh god, my wardrobe is a disaster zone. It's like a mountain of clothes in there. I guess it's time for a clean-up," I muttered to myself, swinging the doors open only to have a landslide of clothes tumble out. My room might be tidy, but the wardrobe? Always a mess. Thank goodness I tidied up last morning, or he'd have thought I was a pig.

I gathered all the clothes clothes and dumped them on the bed. "Oh, there's his jacket," I said to myself, spotting his jacket which he'd lent me at the police station. I held it close, inhaling the lingering scent of his cologne. "Even after dry cleaning, it still smells like him. Of course, rich people use the good stuff that lasts long. God, it smells amazing. I wonder what scent he wears," I rambled on. "No, no, no. What a creep I'm. I should return it soon, lest he thinks I've kidnapped his jacket or something."

I mentally noted to return it ASAP. But how? A text? A call? Definitely not a call; I'm not that desperate. But what should I say? It's so confusing. I grabbed my phone from the bed. I scrolled through my contacts, 'Mr. Grumpy.' Yes, I'd saved him that because he was so grumpy and prickly when we first met. It suits him.

I started typing, "Hey, it's Tara." wait, he already has my number. 

"Mr. Chauhan, I've got your jacket. Need it back?" Of course, it's his jacket. He would want it back.