Love That Fly Away

Shopping

We were all tired from last night, so everyone woke up late this morning. After getting ready, everyone went for breakfast. At the breakfast table, we were all enjoying our spicy Indian food—poori and matar paneer—except for Ryan. He was having some boiled vegetables and juice with a veggie sandwich.

His boiled vegetables looked weird. I mean, why on earth would he want to eat that? I couldn’t help but stare at him throughout breakfast. Suddenly, I was distracted when Sana announced that she wanted to go shopping with me and Ahana. Aunty gave her permission and told Ryan to drive us to the mall. He agreed to be our driver for the day and left the table after finishing his strange breakfast.

I got ready in ten minutes, wearing my blue rugged jeans with a white sleeveless top and a pink long-sleeve shrug. I tied my hair back in a ponytail and was ready to go.

Ryan was standing beside the car, waiting for us. He wore a black shirt with rolled-up sleeves and blue jeans, accessorized with a watch and sneakers. His hair wasn’t messy today; it was perfectly styled, making him look like one of those hot Hollywood actors. I was the first one to arrive; Sana and Ahana were nowhere to be seen.

"You look good," he said with a smile.

"Thanks! You look good too," I replied.

He smiled back and opened the front seat door for me like a gentleman.

We got into the car, and after a few minutes, Sana and Ahana came, chattering about sandals and bracelets. They occupied the back seat, discussing everything they needed from the mall. After thirty minutes, we arrived at the big mall. We all headed inside. Sana wanted sandals first, so we went to the second floor where her favorite footwear shop was located. After being confused by six pairs of sandals, she finally chose three. Ryan waited outside the shop, busy on a call.

After the sandal shopping, we moved on to jewelry. Ahana picked out a pair of long, heavy earrings for herself, while Sana chose a golden, heavy neckpiece. I opted for a simple and sober bracelet with charming little details.

They both wanted to shop for more, but I was too tired to walk, so I decided to stay with Ryan on the ground floor while they went off to shop.

"Do you want to eat something?" Ryan asked me after a few minutes.

"I’m thirsty," I admitted, my fatigue evident in my voice.

"Okay, let’s have some ice cream. Come on," Ryan suggested.

"What flavor?" he asked.

"Butterscotch," I replied.

"Two butterscotch ice creams and two milkshakes," he told the guy at the counter.

"Milkshakes?" I said, confused.

"Yeah, I like ice cream with milkshakes," he said innocently.

I couldn’t resist a smile; he looked so cute when he said that.

"So, what do you do?" I asked him while enjoying my ice cream.

"I’m a pilot," he said casually.

"Ohhhhh," I replied like a robot.

"What? You don’t like pilots?" he asked, amused.

"Nope! It’s amazing... an extraordinary thing," I replied.

"Yep, it’s an adventurous job. I love my job," he said proudly.

"So, you’re on leave?" I asked.

"Yeah, Sana is my only sister, and I can’t miss her wedding for the world, so I’m on leave for her wedding," he replied, smiling at me.

"Are you adventurous?" he asked.

"Me? No, not at all. I’m scared of heights, water, and many things. I like to be ordinary—nothing extra," I admitted, looking at him.

"It’s not that bad to be adventurous. Plus, heights aren’t something to be afraid of," he said with a smile.

Just then, Ahana and Sana arrived, carrying a ton of shopping bags, and we were ready to leave. I still sat in the front passenger seat on the way back home because Ryan wouldn’t let me sit in the back. After thirty minutes, we were back home, and Ryan went to park the car.