A GIRL LIKE YOU

8

What should I do? Should I just ignore him? Or should I go talk to him? I should talk to him because he is in fact going to be my "brother-in-law" , no matter how much that sucks. But then, I'm breaking in a sweat and I'm nervous as hell, and I don't even know how I look right now. Oh yes! I don't look good. I look tired. Okay, I should just leave. He hasn't even noticed me and this is for the best. Just as I was about to spin around on my heels, the decision was taken away from me, because Ansh looked at me and our eyes locked.
Shit. Okay. Calm down. I released a sigh and forced a smiled and began my act. Act of 'oh-I-just-noticed-you-I-wasn't-totally-going-to-ignore-you-and-run-in-the-other-direction."
"Hi." I said and walked towards him. He smiled back as he recovered from the shock.
"Hey." He said.
"Whatcha doin' here?" I said.
Fuck you Kiara! What are you, a 16 year old teenage boy? What is that stupid accent?
"I'm shopping." He said and I could see he is trying hard not to make fun of my teenage boy accent. "And so are you apparently." He said eyeing the shirts in my hand.
"Yeah." I said.
Now what?
"So... You and Aarav met again?" He asked casually. Oh so he is trying to make a conversation. I might as well play along.
"Aren't you like his best friend?" I asked him. I mean seriously that was a dumb question. He should know better. I'm sure he knows more about Aarav' business than anybody else.
"Sorry." He mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. Ohhhhhh. He is nervous. Wow.
"I'm kidding. No, we haven't met alone since the first date." I said smiling up at him.
"You should." He said. Like I already don't know that. Ansh tensed as soon as he said that. He threw the shirt he was holding in his hand on the nearby counter as if he is frustrated. "I guess I'm tired. I'm talking stupid." He said and snorted. I smiled. I feel ya buddy.
"Don't worry about it." At least you understand that you're talking stupid unlike 90 percent of the male population.
I continued, "And I do want to meet him but some things just keeps coming up." Which is a lie. I know I've tried. It has been me who had asked to meet up twice since the engagement. He didn't ask. Not once. And I don't wanna come out as needy so I also stopped.
"Yeah, he's been busy." Ansh said as if covering up for his best friend. Damn.
"I am gonna go. Leave you to the shopping." I said and smiled.
"No." He said almost instantly. I looked at him surprised. "No I mean, I hate shopping. I was forced to come. I couldn't find what I was looking for, online. So I came here and now I realise, its been a waste of time." He said.
I chuckled. "I can help you if you want. What are you looking for?" I offered. Oh! What I wouldn't give to look at his naked chest while he changed shirts for me. Its not everyday you run into guys you've been lusting on for months.
Shut the fuck up Kiara.
He seem to think about it for a moment and then shook his head.
"No. Its fine. I'll come some time else."
He wanna get away. "Okay." I said in a small voice. I am seeing him after a month and he is leaving already.
"Do you wanna have lunch?" His question threw me off the cliff.
He Wants To Have Lunch With Me!
"Really?" I asked. Subtle Kiara. Don't look like a love sick puppy.
"I could call Aarav. Maybe he'll join us." He said and all of my hope filled bubble just burst into the air.
Stupid you, to think he wants to have lunch with you, ALONE! No! Of course he doesn't. He is doing it for his best friend.
"I'm with Aaliyah actually." I uttered the word, hiding my disappointment behind my indifferent voice.
"She can join too. It'll be fun." He said.
I don't know about fun but I have a feeling that it would be more like torture.
I am going to say no. I have to think of a lie. A reasonable lie. How can I turn this offer down?
"I don't know if Aaliyah would want that. She is pregnant and we've been here for a few hours. She might be really tired." I said. Yes blame it all on your pregnant best friend.
"I'm not tired!" I heard her voice as soon as I told the lie. Oh fuck!
Ansh looked over my shoulder and soon, Aaliyah is standing beside me narrowing her eyes at me.
"Don't make decisions for me." She said to me and turned to Ansh who mumbled a Hi. "Hi and go on Ansh. Call Aarav. We'll have lunch together."
I couldn't hold it in. "Just how long have you been standing and listening to the conversation?" Nosey-bitch.
"Not long. Just when you started lying."
Bitch!
"I did not lie, okay. I was worried about you." I tried to cover.
"Oh honey, I have a husband for that." She said and now I'm fuming. I could kick her right now. I know she knows something or suspects and she is not going to let go of this opportunity to torture me. I want to kick her, although that would be harsh.
"I'll go call Aarav then." Ansh said and walked away to leave us behind. I think he also suspects my unease.
"Why do you embarrass me in front of people?" I all but shouted at Aaliyah.
She gave me a knowing smile. Oh that bitch. That bith. She definitely listened to the whole conversation. She is like a mind reader. She knows stuff. She has a gut feeling. I'm gonna punch her in the gut.
"You can shout at me at home. Lets go now." She said and yet again, tucked her arm around mine and pulled me out.
Ansh led us to the food court and we sat.
"Aarav's not picking up the call." He said as we stared at the menu.
"Oh its fine. It can be just the three of us. I mean, after Kiara and Aarav gets married we're gonna have so many get togethers like these. We might as well get to know each other." Aaliyah said.
I just looked at her. I don't know the guy I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, but she needs to know everybody.
"You're right." Ansh said and gave the warm smile. He is still nervous. I know it because he keeps fidgeting with his watch. But I know Aaliyah is watching so I resist staring at him.
We ordered our food and sat and made small talk. I found out that Ansh and Aarav works at the same company. Aarav is a software engineer which I already knew, but Ansh is a Gaming Software engineer. Which sounds kind of cool even though I don't know what that is. All I know is that Aarav talks about video games a lot, so I think he likes what Ansh does.
I also found out that Preeti works in the other branch of the publication company I work for. And last but not the least, Ansh does share a tiny bit of my obsession with literature.
I liked this. Talking. Normally. Getting to know him. Aaliyah's almost been silent. She hasn't said much as Ansh and I kept talking. Which seems so surreal because its as if I already know him. Twice! Twice he said what I was about to say. I know its a little bit out there but I can't help but think, that I have a connection with Ansh. A connection that I want to find with Aarav but couldn't.
"Hey, I'm gonna go to the washroom and then we'll get going." Aaliyah said as she excused herself.
Meanwhile Ansh and I argued over who is going to pay the bill. Eventually we compromised at splitting.
Disappointment englufed me when I realised its about time to leave. But then my phone pinged. Aaliyah is texting me from the washroom. I picked the phone and looked at the text and gasped.
'I knew it! Giving you a chance. Talk to him. Don't let him leave.'

...