The grey canvas

📌Chapter 7- date, icecreams & encounter

Nitara:

I made sure I took as much time which was enough to drive Dev crazy and obviously enough for the icecream parlours to close!

I came downstairs when it was 10:45 and as expected, Dev broke down upon me.

-"What took you so long huh? You think we are going for a party that you took this extra time to dress up??" He indicated towards my oversized beidge and gold sweater and dark blue denims. Well, techniqually I wasn't over dressed but my makeup went a little overboard. I had packed my hairs in a gorgeous bun which had taken me complete 30 minutes. Another 30 minutes I had wasted upon not so important things like lining my eyelids with the blue eyeliner or applying a dash of plum-rose lip balm on my pouty lips.

"Don't I look good?" I ignored his frowns asked for his compliment as I spared a look at myself from head to toe.
Dev didn't answer me though. When I looked at him for a reply, I found him rolling eyes at me and I pouted disappointedly while heading for his car.

I took the passenger seat quietly and Dev took his driver seat. He started the car without uttering a single word and the rest of the journey remained like that. Silent and terrible.

We stopped somewhere after half an hour's drive. I looked around and found ourselves next to a park. The street was deserted. Few homeless people were sleeping upon the pavement and the neon lights were glowing the brightest upon tall poles. Thats it. Nothing else was there. I looked at Dev with interrogative eyes and he just gave me one saccharine smile.

That smile wasn't sweet. It was extra sweet. Hence it was sarcastic.

-"What? Looks kya de rahi ho??" He asked me once he was done smiling.

"Why are we here? And where is the icecream parlour?"

-"You really think people would have left their shops opened becoz you were supposed to come tonight?"

"Its not that late Dev... its only 11:30 now!" I squinted in annoyance.

Now there was definitely something wrong with me. I was acting bizzare. Once I was trying to make Dev late, so late that the icecream parlours got closed. And on the next moment I was craving for the frozen dessert as if a pregnant woman was having her mood swings! Hell, I had no damn idea what was I exactly wanting!!

-"Wait... Am I missing something Tara?" Dev asked inbetween and I shook my head in a vigorous NO, thereby strengthening his doubts further. "Why am I feeling that you got me late purposely??" He asked twitching his brows in mid temple.

I cursed myself for being so transparent and obvious.

"Yes, I made you late becoz I didn't want to have the icecreams and forgive away Ayan so soon. I wanted to be mad at me for atleast two more days." I confessed nonchalantly.

-"Okay. But isn't there anything more?"

"Yes, there's more. That time I didn't want to have icecream but now, when the shops are closed, I really want to have one." I replied, low and disgusted. And Dev got one more reason to laugh his guts out.

-"You are turning lunatic day by day." He chuckled at my hopelessness.

"With you people around, I am sure that day is soon approaching when I will be a complete madwoman." I muttered grumpily.

I got no answers in reply. Dev had turned mute all of a sudden and this silence started irking me. I looked up and found him staring at me already with tensed eyes. The lines on his forehead told that he was worried about something.

"Dev?" I shook him slightly.

-"Why do you take so much stress of Tara? He asked quietly.

"Huh?"