Seven Dates A Weekend | RO ✓

18 | the one in which they kiss

The sky is painted in shades of grey and blue tonight. I feel the stars swirl before my vision. Everything feels half blurry and half straight. It's like as if a painting of Picasso is placed before me. The chilling night air is a slight comfort to the sensation of burning taking over my body. I'm very much aware of the body heat that Aahan leaves me with.

We're sitting in the open balcony of his apartment. There are a glass table and four white wooden chairs around it, out of which two are occupied by us. A blow of crimson red strawberries and a bottle of white champagne sits atop the table. There are also two wine glasses sitting beside the champagne bottle, half full each.

I look at Aahan and smile. He's recording mu expressions with the camera. His face hovers away from the camera lens and up to look at me straight in the eye. He smirks. That adorable smirk. And he winks. It cracks a smile on my lips and I lean back onto my chair and laugh

"Are you ready for your first experience of champagne?" He asks.

I nod firmly, awkwardly throwing two thumbs up in the air before leaning near the table. I feel giddy already. Even without the alcohol in my system. There's a beet red blush dancing across my cheeks from time to time. I can't help but keep blushing under his gaze now that I'm aware of my feelings.

Focus, Saloni. Focus. I hesitate to pick the strawberry up in between my fingers. My other hand cups the wine glass full of white sparkling champagne.

"Saloni." Aahan takes my name. How long has it been since he's called me like that? Like my name is an endearment. I turn to look at him. He is setting the camera down on the table. He reaches out for his wine glass and a few strawberries in the palm of his hand. Then he looks at me. "let's do it together."

Together. We're together. Even if it's just for tonight. I breathe out a sigh that I don't realise I was holding in. I nod at him and turn my body to him, leaning closer to him.

"On the count of three, you sip a little champagne. Then bite into the strawberry, okay?" He explains. Even though he has told me this twice before, he says it again. There's a part of me that wants to set aside everything and take a hold of him in my arms. To scream the words at him. To tell him softly yet loudly that I'm nervous because of him. Because I like him.

It's a whole different feeling on this date that I can't put a finger on. Regardless I nod at him and we take a sip of the champagne. It's very bitter. It tingles all over my taste bud and immediately I recoiled away from the brim of the glass. I look at Aahan for help and he cocks his eyebrows towards the strawberry. I immediately bite into it and a burst of sweetness clashes against the taste of the champagne. I feel like I'm going through different worlds. Like my body is sensing new levels of taste. And it shocks me at how good the two's combination feels.

If my father knew I was drinking champagne with strawberries in a guy's apartment, he'd be having a fit. He'd clutch his chest and stagger back into the couch of our living room. He'd scream at me. And my mother. My mother would definitely slap me. Is this how we raised you? To be out and about with men?!

But I'm enjoying this. This time spent with Aahan. It all feels great.

I smile and chuckle from time to time. He asks for my opinion on the champagne and strawberries. I tell him it's amazing in a pretty high excited and high pitched voice. It sounds like an eighteen-year-old just had breezer for the first time and acts like an adult. I sound stupid. Yet, he says.

"You're so cute." He grins.

"Are you sure you don't mean beautiful?" I tease, biting into another strawberry. He leans over with his glass and sips his drink. His Adam's apple bobs as the drink shiver down his throat. I let my eyes hover, overall his features at this close distance. And then my eyes meet his. He's staring intently at me. And then he's whispering.

"You're gorgeous." He breaths. The glass staggers slightly in my hands. I set it atop the table and gulp down the chewed strawberries. He does the same and then takes my face in his hands.

"You're beautiful." He leans in and meets my lips. I'm shocked by his actions. But I don't pull away. If anything my heart leaps and I press into his kiss with my own lips, parting softly for his entrance. My eyes are fluttering shut and I'm slowly melting against Aahan. His lips feel like an ice cube rubbing against my burning lips. It calms me. Yet, it riles me up for more. I want more of him. I want this to keep going on.

He pulls away and I whine softly. "You're cute." He pecks at my lips. Now that he's talking so close to me I smell the liquor in his breath. "You're pretty." He kisses me again. Our lips mould against each other, working in slow and fast motion from time to time.

"You're perfect." And then he grabs my head from the back, fingers tangling into the strands of my hair and lips pressed against mine. He doesn't seem to get enough of me either at this moment. And I enjoy this as I let him have it as he pleases.

***

I wake up to a pounding headache. I think the champagne from last night is acting up on me. I groan against the pillow. It's then I realise I'm in bed. How did that happen I have no idea. All I could recall was kissing and drinking more champagne. And then kissing again until I was breathless.

I blush as I realise what had just happened.

I had kissed Aahan Kapoor. Better yet. He had kissed me. My hands reach for cheeks and I cup them as heat rises onto them. It feels surreal. Like as if last night was a dream.

The dancing. The embrace. And then the kisses. Champagne kisses. It all feels like a dream. I squeal softly into the palms of my hand and roll over the gigantic bed. And then it hits me.

Where is Aahan Kapoor?

I seem to completely dressed up like last night. I'm sure nothing else happened. But then why am I in his bed and where is he? Softly I rise from the bed and hold onto my head for a few minutes to let the pounding adjust inside my head. I then slowly untangle myself from the bedsheet. Placing my feet down against the cold white flooring I take uneven steps.

I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again to get myself awake. I make my way through across the huge bedroom of Aahan's and then I halt in my step. There are muffled voices coming from the living room. I step into the hallways leading to the living room and I hold my breath.

It's Aahan's voice, one for sure. But whose the other I don't know. I know it's bad to eavesdrop on people's conversations, but who could he be talking to while his "date" is in his bed?

Something churns inside my stomach. I suddenly feel nauseous. The pounding in my head becomes unbearably painful. And then I hear the second voice.

It's a feminine voice. It's a woman talking. I hold in a gasp as I cover my face with my hands. I dread the worst. The voice isn't Meera's or any of the crewmates.

Then, maybe it's her.

I fear that it is her.

And my suspicions are correct when I hear Aahan take her name.

It's Sushmita.

***

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