My Perfect Love.

Chapter thirteen.

 ~~~ Sorry for the late update my ladies and gentlemen 🫶😹.I was caught up with school stuff and network issues.Let's dive back into our storyyy😌😎~~~

  The alarm blared jolting Kithara up from her sleep.She yawned and her eyes opened wide immediately.

     'i'm meeting Roshan's parents today,'she thought.

       She got up and dashed to the bathroom.After some minutes,she came out with a brown towel draped over her body.She took her time applying her body lotion and wore her underwear.She had purchased a yellow saree which she wore.She looked at the mirror and felt mesmerized.
    
          'Perfect',she thought to herself.

          Kithara stood in front of her mirror, adjusting the pleats of her vibrant yellow saree. The fabric shimmered under the soft light, accentuating her graceful figure. She felt a rush of excitement mixed with nervousness as she prepared to meet Roshan’s parents for the first time. With a final touch to her hair, she snapped a selfie and sent it to Abby.

Moments later, her phone buzzed with Abby’s enthusiastic reply.

                 “You look stunning! That saree is absolutely gorgeous on you!”
       
          Kithara couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. It was just what she needed to boost her confidence before stepping into what felt like a significant moment in her relationship.

“Thanks, girl! Wish me luck!” she typed back, heart racing as she imagined the evening ahead.

Just thirty minutes later, Roshan pulled up in his sleek car. As he stepped out, his eyes widened in awe at Kithara’s appearance.

“Wow! You look absolutely breathtaking,” he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

Kithara felt a flutter in her stomach, his words washing away some of her anxiety.

“Thanks! I hope your parents think so too,” she replied nervously.

Roshan took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “With or without that dress, you’re stunning. They’re going to love you,” he said confidently.

With that, they set off towards his parents’ house. The drive was filled with light conversation and laughter, easing Kithara’s nerves little by little. As they approached the neighborhood where Roshan grew up, she felt a mixture of anticipation and dread. What if they didn’t like her? What if they had expectations that she couldn’t meet?

Meanwhile, across town in her sleek office, Abby was bracing herself for an encounter that made her stomach churn. It was Friday afternoon, and she needed to submit an important report to Adrian. But lately, Adrian had been distant and irritable. She poured herself a cup of coffee from Raquel’s desk—a little pick-me-up before facing him.

As Abby gathered her papers and straightened her skirt, she steeled herself for whatever mood Adrian would be in today. She knocked lightly on his office door when she heard him call out curtly,

“Come in.”

She stepped inside and dropped the files onto his desk with a smile that quickly faded when she saw his expression—tight-lipped and distracted.

“Here’s the report you asked for,” she said brightly, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

Adrian barely glanced at it before muttering a disinterested"okay,you can leave now".His tone was sharp and dismissive.

“Is there anything wrong?” Abby asked tentatively, sensing the tension radiating off him.

“Mind your own business and leave,” he snapped.

The sting of his words hit hard; Abby fought back tears as she turned on her heel and left his office quickly. Once outside, she let out a shaky breath and blinked away the moisture in her eyes. What had happened to their camaraderie? It felt like just yesterday that he praised her for her good works and then helped her in the mall.She sniffed in heavily and returned to her office as if nothing had happened.

     But then nothing really happened,did it?

Adrian sat alone in his office after Abby left, rubbing his temples in frustration. He knew he had crossed a line by raising his voice at her; it wasn’t like him at all. But everything felt overwhelming lately—his birthday was tomorrow, and he was buried under work stress that seemed insurmountable.'Can't I just remove this date from the year forever?'.He cursed under his breath; he needed to get out of this suffocating office.

With a resigned sigh, he grabbed his keys and left work behind for the day.

As Abby walked through the hallways toward the exit around closing hours, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of disappointment lingering from Adrian’s harsh words. Just then, Andrew cornered her near the elevator doors.

“Hey! Are you free for dinner? I know a great place downtown,” he suggested with an easy smile.

Abby hesitated for just a moment before nodding. “Sure! I could use some fresh air.”

“Let’s make it a friendly date,” Andrew added playfully as they walked out together.

His charming demeanor made Abby smile despite herself; maybe this was just what she needed to clear her head from thoughts of Adrian’s moodiness. They climbed into Andrew’s car—an impressive model that hinted at both comfort and style—and headed toward one of the city’s renowned restaurants.

As they arrived at their destination, Abby gasped at its grandeur. “Wow! This place is really expensive,” she exclaimed as they entered.

Andrew chuckled at her reaction. “I’ve got it covered; don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t think I can afford this place!” Abby protested lightly.

He smirked playfully at her response and replied with mock seriousness, “Who said you’re going to pay?”

“You must be really rich then,why are you working at Kingston and co?” she teased back as they settled into their seats at an elegantly set table adorned with flickering candles and flowers.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Andrew said seriously yet teasingly as he scanned the menu.

Abby raised an eyebrow playfully but couldn’t help but feel intrigued by what lay beneath Andrew's charming exterior. The conversation flowed easily between them as they shared stories over their meals—Abby laughing when Andrew almost killed a waiter staring at her with his eyes.He seems a little overprotective or so she thought.

As plates were cleared away and dessert arrived—an exquisite chocolate mousse—Abby found herself genuinely enjoying the atmosphere of the environment.The atmosphere around them felt relaxed; it was nice being away from work stress and just being herself without any pressures or expectations hanging over her head.

“So tell me more about this side hustle you have,” Abby said mischievously after taking another bite of dessert while eyeing him curiously.

Andrew leaned back casually in his chair with an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. “Maybe one day I’ll let you in on my secrets,” he teased before taking another spoonful of mousse himself.

“That sounds intriguing!” Abby replied enthusiastically while trying not to think about how much time had passed since she'd genuinely enjoyed herself like this—free from worries about work or Adrian's scornful words echoing in her mind.

As dinner wound down and laughter filled their conversation they both realized they had spent a lot of time and it was nice getting dark.Abby told him that she would like to leave as her granny was the only one home and he offered to drop her off.

Andrew asked for the bill and paid with his credit card.He drove off later and Abby couldn't help but enjoy the cool night breeze.She made a mental note to visit the cafe as it's been a while she went there.She was very tired as she hummed along with the song playing in Andrew's car.