Virat reached the location and saw Rishi, his girlfriend Sasha, and another girl. He felt an urge to turn around and run, but he resisted. No, today was the day. All the weird feelings would go away.
"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late. Got stuck in a meeting," he greeted, and they all hugged him before taking their seats. Rishi and his girlfriend moved to another table, leaving Virat and Ayesha alone.
"Hi, Ayesha," Virat said, sitting beside her and offering a soft smile.
Like most girls, Ayesha melted at his smile and brown eyes.
"Hey, you know, generally a girl comes late to a date, but here you are," she joked, trying to start the conversation.
"Sorry—R—I mean, sorry, Ayesha," Virat apologized, realizing the slip-up.
Ayesha looked confused for a second, but she shrugged it off.
Virat took a sip of water, trying to calm himself. Why was I going to say sorry to Ro? What is wrong with me?
"Hey, Virat, where are you lost?" Ayesha asked, snapping her fingers in front of him.
Virat rubbed his neck, embarrassed at how distracted he'd been.
"So, tell me more about you. We met at that party, if I'm not wrong," Virat said, trying to focus on her.
"The party where you were too busy with your best friend to pay attention," Ayesha said with a smirk.
"Meaning?" Virat asked, confused.
"You don't remember?" she asked, noticing his puzzled look.
Virat shook his head.
"You and Rohit arrived at the party, met Rishi for a while, and then immediately went back to Rohit. Rishi was going to introduce us, but you didn't leave his side for a second. It got so difficult for any girl to approach you. I seriously thought that..." Ayesha trailed off.
"What did you think?" Virat asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Okay, don't get me wrong. You looked like you were a couple. And now, I'm sure you're definitely not, since you're here with me, but back then... you looked so in love with him." Ayesha chuckled.
That froze Virat in place.
She held his hand, but Virat could only feel the touch as alien.
He heard Ayesha talking, but all he could think was, You looked so in love with him.
All Virat could think about were the past few days, the party, and how close Rohit had been. They were tipsy, laughing, and clinging to each other.
Flashback to the party:
The music was loud, the lights flashing, and Virat and Rohit were both a little tipsy, their laughter blending with the noise around them. They were inseparable, as usual, but tonight there was something different.
Virat wrapped his arm around Rohit's shoulders, pulling him close as they swayed to the beat.
"Ro, this is the best night ever," Virat grinned, his face inches from Rohit's.
Rohit leaned in, his breath warm against Virat's ear. "It's always the best when I'm with you," he said, his voice slightly slurred, but that didn't stop the warmth in his eyes.
Virat laughed "You're the best. I don't know what I'd do without you," he admitted, not really caring about the people around them.
"I feel the same," Rohit replied, his arm sliding around Virat's waist to pull him even closer.
