ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ [ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇᴅ]

• Part 59 •

Nikita POV:

We drove across the city, engaging in a bunch of conversations about the weather, the roads, our home, families.... Everything except Shruti.

It felt so easy with him. It didn't feel like this man and I met recently, it felt like we've known each other for years. I loved this feeling of warmth and coziness that I have with him.

He was driving and I was yapping.
The perfect combination.

"Where are we headed?" I asked.
He looked my way, "it's a surprise."
"What? I don't like surprises. Come on!"
He looked at me and then smiled and looked back at the road, "Start liking them then."
"Mayukh." I said, trying to be stern.
He looked at me, "Yeah?"
"Tell me where we're going!"
"You'll find out in literally...." He looked at the map and then back at me, "17 minutes."
I sighed, "Fine."

I sat back and started to take a bunch of pictures of the road and the view, "It's beautiful."
"It indeed is." He said, looking at me.
"I'm talking about the view."
"So am I."
"I'm talking about the outside view."
"I'm talking about my view." He winked.
I smiled and looked away, "you're lame."
"I can see you're into lame things then."
"Haw! Excuse me!"
"What?"
"I'm not into lame things."
"We'll see about that. What's the plan you had in mind today?"
I opened my phone, "Museum tour, visiting the botanical garden, then a guided tour on the history of the city and town followed by a visit to the oldest restaurant."
"That oozes lame. Who traveled far to visit a museum?"
"We do." I smiled, "We're going. It's my bir—" I cleared my throat, "it's... something I was really looking forward to."
He sighed, "fine. As you say."
"Good!" I said and patted his arm.

We got down at the museum and the tour started. I knew he didn't want to come here but he did. I felt butterflies for him. As the tour went on, I noticed a guy constantly staring at me, that made me super uncomfortable.

"Mayukh." I whispered.
"Yes, love?" He said, not looking at me but his hand came around my waist.
"There's..." I tried to talk, "I..."
"What happened?" He said looking at me.
"There's a guy there, just..."

He looked at the guy and caught him glancing at me. I could see the veins on his neck pop a little.

Damn.

He was staring at the guy with anger in his eyes, and the guy noticed and instantly looked down. Then, he caught my hand and we walked. His hand never left mine. - as expected.

"Hey." I said to him, "relax."
"No one stares at what's mine, Mishbo." He said through anger.
"You need to relax."
"I'm relaxed."
"Right. The face clearly shows it."
"I'm relaxed, don't worry."

We walked ahead and we were greeted by a large lake, a very beautiful one. We walked ahead and got down to the shore of it and I looked around. Suddenly, I heard a snap so I turned around and noticed him taking a picture. I ran to him.

"Mayukh! I look bad." I tried to get the phone.
"You can try, you still won't."
"Try what?"
"Look bad and get the phone." He winked.
"Can I see it at least?"
"Sure."

He gave me the phone and went ahead to take a glance at the view. I was analyzing my picture, like we all do, when I noticed a spam of texts coming from an unknown number.

'Hey can we please talk?'
'Don't tell me you're actually with that girl Mayu. Come on, you know she's not it.'

Is this person talking about me?
Who is this?

'Mayu, call me back. I didn't come back for anything.'

Shruti.
Of course. It all makes sense.
But why is she still messaging him? And why does she even have his number?

He walked over and I gave him his phone and pretended not to see the messages, but my overthinking mind wasn't letting it slide. I still tried not to mention it as he checked his phone. Then, his face changed from calm to anger.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.
He looked at me.

Would he be honest or lie about it?
The moment of truth.

"Shruti texted me, but don't worry, it's fine."

He was honest!
Mayukh Roy, you're winning me.

"Oh, I replied. "What did she say?"
He sighed, "She wants to meet, and she wants me to call her back. I don't understand how she got my number when I changed it once she left, and how she's not ready to budge after clearly knowing what she did." He said, more to himself.

"It'll be alright. If you want, we can head back and you can han—"
"Shut up." He said, "I'm not leaving you for this. She can wait. She better learn to."

Butterflies.

We reached the hill station and got down. There, I stood by the mountain range, enjoying all the beautiful greenery. I saw him walking from the chai shop towards me, with his signature smile on his face and his hands with two cups of chai.

You know those moments when you realize you have fallen for someone, I had that moment then. I was so glad seeing him around, and I loved being around him.

The way he stands up for me, the way he is always around, his honesty towards me, his casualness yet his very serious and protective nature without turning into a red flag. I have no reason to let go off him, even though his ex makes me ponder and doubt myself, he doesn't hesitate once to clear that doubt from my mind.

I don't know what I did to get someone like him, but at that hill station, as the small drops of rain were pouring, I had made my mind.
I want to date Mayukh Roy.

"What happened to you?" He asked me.
"Huh? Nothing." I said, still admiring him.
"You look beautiful."
"I always do." I teased.
"That you do ma'am." He said, kissing the back of my palm.

Like I said, butterflies.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked him.
"Tum, mein... Aur do cup chai." He smiled.

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