Silver Lining | Grooms #3

XIV. Simple Dating

As Esha had informed, she had worn white jeans and a sweater with a scarf. Nikhil wasn't surprised. He had noticed, she did what she said she would and almost always kept her word on it. He admired that quality about her in a way. If anything, she was consistent.

Also, he had allowed Esha just to pick the cuisine, not the restaurant. Having eaten pulao in the afternoon, she was craving more Indian food. Surprisingly, she had liked it - putting aside the fact that she'd had to force herself to swallow the peas.

Even though she had it a lot over the breaks, she hadn't had enough. So, she'd picked Indian.

Nikhil informed as they got out of the car and walked to the restaurant. "I come here often with my white friends."

She teased, "Only white? You don't have any Indian friends? Shame on you, Nikhil."

He pulled the door open and stepped aside to let her enter first, "You know what I mean." Following, he continued, "I mentioned White because they actually liked it here better than other places I took them to."

An employee at the entrance greeted them, "Hello, welcome to Indian Spices. How many?"

"Two." Nikhil answered, though Esha wanted to roll her eyes and tell off the employee. There were obviously only two people. Could he not count? Did he see anyone else behind them that he had to ask?

The employee led them through the restaurant and waved at their table. Nikhil was about to pull the chair out for Esha, when one glare from her stopped him.

He teasingly informed, taking his chair. "You know, you are not letting this be a proper date by glaring at me."

Sitting herself, she answered and opened the menu, "When I am crippled, you are more than welcome to pull my chair out for me."

They were looking at the menu even though Esha knew what she wanted. He kept looking at her every now and then, and she could feel that movement each time he moved his head the slightest.

"Stop checking, I'm not going to get up and run off." She spoke, not once looking up at him to acknowledge he had been caught.

"That's not why I keep looking at you."

Esha didn't believe him but didn't say anything about it either. She asked, instead, "What do you want?"

"You."

She lifted her eyes without looking at him. "To eat." She specified, looking back down to flip a page of the menu.

"Still you."

When the page she was flipping stopped mid-way, he knew she hadn't anticipated that answer. He let out a silent chuckle.

"Come on, Esha, we've already..."

She warned, completing the action she had meant to with the menu page earlier, "Don't you even finish that sentence."

He continued to tease, "Oh, don't be embarrassed. You weren't when..."

She closed the menu and looked at him with an unblinking glare, "I'm serious, Nikhil. Don't bring up things I don't remember."

He cheekily answered, "I don't mind helping you remember."

Esha put her forehead on her palm, muttering words in Hindi he didn't catch, for he was not fluent in the language having been born in the States. It was no excuse, ofcourse. He could have learned. It was just that he was third-generation and he didn't feel the need to - until now, just to understand what she was saying.

"Can you repeat that in English?" He questioned, making her lift her head from her palm and give him a view of her frustrated face.

She didn't deem it necessary to translate, for they weren't pretty words to begin with. "New rule. No mention of that night."