LOVE SO FAR

Game On

We started a match. Meanwhile, my friends were also coming to the ground for practice. They all watched us with seriousness. My score was ahead of his. Suddenly, he scored, going ahead of me; we were neck and neck in the game. At that point, I decided it was time to play my trick on my opponent. I winked at him and jokingly blew him a kiss. My trick worked just as I had thought. He stood there shocked, and I secured the win.

"Yeah!" I shouted in joy.

"No...no... that's cheating," he argued.

"I... won... the match," I grinned.

"You are a cheat."

"What did I do?" I raised my eyebrows.

"That... that..." his voice trembled.

"Say it, babe," I shrugged.

"Nothing," he chuckled and shook his head.

"Mr. Krish Chopra, you have lost the match. So, you'll be punished. And your punishment is..." I thought for a moment. "Hmmm... you should take me out somewhere. What do you say, guys?" I looked at my friends.

"Of course," they agreed.

"Okay," finally, he agreed. "But you cheated," he whispered.

"All is fair in war and love, my dear," I patted his cheek.

"Huh huh?" He laughed.

After school, Krish and I went on our first date on his friend's bike.

"So, where shall I take my princess?" he said and handed me the helmet.

"Anywhere you like, my prince," I replied, sitting behind him on his bike.

"Well, I'd like to take my girl to my home to meet my family on our first date," he said as he started the bike.

"Are you sure?" I asked, feeling a bit unsure about meeting his parents on our first date.

"Loo, I know what you're thinking," he assured me. "But don't worry, I won't say anything about us to them until you're comfortable with it."

On the way to his house, I asked him about his family members. He mentioned that his father was a businessman, his mother was a top fashion designer, and he had a younger sister named Sabrina who was in eighth grade.

When we reached his home, I felt nervous. He took my hand, giving me confidence. It was a massive mansion. Krish rang the bell, and a tall girl with long, sleek hair opened the door.

"Hey, bro," she greeted him with a hug.

"Hey, Sab," he hugged her back.

Then, she looked at me, "Bro, is this Looshin?" she asked, smiling.

I glanced at Krish, surprised. "She knows everything about us?" He nodded.

"Hey," she hugged me. "Come in." She took my hand and led me to sit next to her.

"Where's your mom?" Krish asked her.

"She got a call and had to rush to her studio," Sabrina replied.

"Where's your dad?" I inquired.

"As usual, he's at his office. He hardly spends time with us. Although he tries to cut down on work, he can't," Krish explained, looking concerned.

I placed my hand on his and held it tightly to comfort him. He looked at me and smiled. Sabrina was kind and friendly to me. We played rummy, went through Krish's childhood photos (he was so cute back then), and even found a picture of him dressed as a cowboy, looking adorable.

"When did you take this?" I asked him, holding the photo.

"When I was in 10th grade, we went to Mexico, and I had a craze for cowboy outfits," he laughed. "Let me show you some other things."

He took me to his room, where there was an impressive collection of coins and currencies from different countries displayed in glass jars. There were also numerous books on tall bookshelves and a large map marked with many places on one of the walls.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the marked wall.

"It's a hobby," he said with a sly smile, standing beside me and rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

In that moment, I realized I was starting to admire him – his every movement, expression, and everything about him. I began to wonder why such an amazing boy would love a girl like me. As he was engrossed in showing me his things, I found myself admiring him.

"What's wrong, Loo?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," I turned away. "I think we should go." I realized that I couldn't control myself whenever he was near.

"Wait," he turned me towards him and gently lifted my face by placing his hand under my chin.

I was a bit nervous. "Krish," my voice quivered.

"Sshh..." He gently placed his finger on my lips. "Don't say anything. Just look into my eyes and answer my question," he said.

I nodded.

"Do you love me?" His gaze locked onto mine.

"More than you can imagine."

"Will you ever leave me?"

"No, I'll never leave you." I placed my hand on his lips before he could say anything else. "And promise me you'll never think of leaving me."

"I do." He promised, cupping my face and drawing closer to me. I closed my eyes as he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. First, it was a slow kiss, then it turned into a passionate one. His hands moved to my hips, slowly pulling up my shirt, but I stopped him.

"Krish, we're young for this kind of stuff, and I think we're moving too fast," I pushed him away.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he looked away.

"I'm sorry, Krish, if I hurt you."

"No, Looshin, actually, I like your boundaries. But sometimes, I can't control myself because you're irresistible," he chuckled and kissed my forehead.