Seven Dates A Weekend | RO ✓

28 | the one in which there's sunrise and tapri ki chai

Growing up, I had come to learn that every problem had its solution. It was like math. You have a sum. You have certain clues to the solution. And now all that you got to do is that make some cuts; some divisions & Some sacrifices. And there we go. We know what x equals to. Growing up in my family, problems were to be faced alone. One is to be independent. Take their own responsibilities. You had to decide on your own sacrifices. You had to do it on your own.

But nobody really teaches you about the real problems of life. Nobody teaches you about the problems of the heart. The problems of the mind. The one that has more heavy responsibilities. Many risky attempts. And most of all, they have just two sacrifices; you or the person before you. Which do you cut? Which do you divide? Or was I supposed to compromise?

Saloni Nevees made me feel things. She made it feel a whole different level of emotions. But love is a problem that requires compromises and sometimes, even then, sacrifices. I was beginning to understand what Sushmita meant. What she meant for me to experience. This was it. This was the feeling. The desperation of making things work, even at the cost of yourself. Saloni made me feel it.

How did I know this? By just a glance of her face. Date one was amazing. On a chilly night, we pulled out our hoodies and put it on each other. There was a lot of giggling there. Saloni tip-toeing her way up to my neck to get the hoodie over me, me pulling her under my hoodie, thus stretching it up to its maximum length. Then she wore her cute grey colour hoodie that had NASA printed over it. Felt fitting for when I pulled an encyclopaedia and point at the stars. We sat on the hood of the car, pointing our fingers to the sky, identifying the stars. Trying to find ourselves in the stars. And then when our backs hurt from sitting straight up for over some hours, I pulled out a blanket and said it down on the dewy grass field. And then we just stayed laying upon them. Hands intertwined and head starring straight.

I don't remember how and when we fell asleep, but my eyes fluttered opened when there was a buzzing of a ringtone coming from the pocket of my jeans. At that moment, my eyes fell upon the small curves of Saloni's face that laid pressed against my arm. Somehow, she had fallen asleep on my arm, with her hands pulled up to my chest, balling my hoodie into her fist. And somehow, I had lent her my arm as a pillow, whilst my right hand encircled around her waist and my legs laid entangled with hers.

I held my head up and slowly looked down upon her face. Her lips were slightly parted, that let out a soft snore of its own. Her eyes stayed calmly shut. And her breathing stayed in the most relaxed pattern, that I had ever seen her in. she looked at ease. At peace. Here, with me. And this spread a fuzzing feeling in my stomach and in my chest.

Pulling my hand away from her waist, I dug out the phone from jeans and turned off the alarm that I had set hours ago. Then I genteelly nudged Saloni's cheeks. They were cold but soft to the touch. "Wake up, Saloni," I whispered, but she only stirred around a bit. I smiled looking down at her. She was so adorable, that I did the next reckless thing that came over my mind.

I kissed her cheek. And kissed it down to her neck. And when I looked up, she was awake. Her eyes were burning with emotions and I pulled back immediately. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." I trailed off.

"I was awake when you nudged me." She whispered and her hand left my hoodie and made its way into my hair. She tugged at it and slowly swiped her fingers through the layers of my curls. "I always wanted to do this."

"You can do much more." I smiled.

"You can, too." She said, a grin pulling up her expression and my heart slowly stopped thudding with nervousness. "Can I?" I leaned in and whispered. And when she nodded, this time with consent, I kissed the nape of her neck. Light rays were beginning to circle our figure and touch our skin. And under the rising sun, I left dark patch like the night sky over Saloni's neck.

***

Date two was another success. After our heated moment of hickeys and tugging of hair, we sat covered inside the blanket and watched the sunrise at six-thirty p.m. Nothing was said. Nothing was there to disturb us. We stayed wrapped around in the blanket, watching the sunrise from the faraway horizon and spread its light all over the world. The birds began to chirp. The leaves of the trees left droplets of dew falling onto the sky. And the air was fresh, which kissed our skin as it passed by. And before we knew it, we had wrapped up our books and blanket, threw it in the car and were on our way to date three.

"Honestly, what is date three?" Saloni asked, buckling in the seatbelt of the car. I started up the car and very smoothly pulled back onto the road heading back to the city.

"What most Indians need in the morning. Take a guess." I smiled, coyly.

"chai." She said immediately, snapping her fingers. "Wah, you do have a brain inside that head." I gasped.

"Shut up. I'm smart okay. What did you think all this time my head would do?"

"find more ways to look cute?"

Silences. Dumfounded silences filled the gaps between us and I was then chuckling for even without turning to look at her, I knew she was burning in shades of red as she did half an hour ago.

"Jerk."

"I love you, too."

Another silence filled into space between us. This time a bit awkward. And so, I stole a glance at her face. "You don't have to tell me anything yet. I was just teasing you."

"I know, but." She chewed onto her bottom lip, then looked out the window. Sunrays streaked its way inside the car, even with the windows up. The city was awakening and so were we.

"But?" I pressed on to which she shook her head and said. "I will tell you, but not now." To bring comfort between us, I switched the radio on. Love Hindi beats played one after another on the FM. And once a while, I would catch Saloni humming to the tune of it, shaking her head softly to the beat. And whenever she caught me staring, she'd blush and yell at me to drive. But how could I not stop myself to steal glances of the beautiful girl from beside me? It was my kind of mission impossible.

As soon as we hit the city, I searched for a Tapri. It was seven-thirty a.m. and the only service of tea, I had my trust in, was the tapir ki chai. And upon finding one, I parked the car to the side and pulled out of the car.

"What's your opinion on a cup of chai with a plate of Maggi for breakfast?"

"Sounds like a good plan." She grinned getting out of the car herself.

And that was Date three.

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