Ishika and Naman spend some good time together. The lady is in awe of the arrangement that the latter has done. He has taken care of all the arrangements as per her taste and liking. Even while arguing with her, Naman has made every effort to make the evening memorable for her. Ishika’s lips curve into a smile as she watches Naman paying the bill. This is a sweet side of him that she’s seeing for the first time, or maybe she has witnessed it earlier too, but she hid it behind their playful banters. Watching him, her heart feels full; there’s an unknown feeling bubbling in her heart that she can’t name. However, her trance breaks when Naman calls her.

“Kuch keh rahe they tum?” she asks, boring her eyes into his.

“Han, tum kuch soch rahi ho? Chaho toh mujhse share kar sakti ho,” Naman says, flashing her a cute smile.

“Hm, haan, kuch toh soch rahi thi, mujhe nahi pata isey kya kahun? Lekin tumhe pata hai tum bahut sweet ho, jaise maine socha tha usse bilkul alag ho, you went out of the box and arranged all of this, thank you,” she says, her tone laced with understanding.

“Toh kya socha tha tumne?” Naman asks, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Yahi... yahi ki tum ladaku ho, ladaku number 1,” she giggles as she ends her statement.

“Hey, ladai toh tum shuru karti ho,” Naman responds, his tone playful.

“No, tumne kaha tha mujhse argue karne ke liye tum reason dhundhte ho, isliye tum ladaku ho,” she clicks her tongue at him and runs away.

Naman runs behind her; they banter along when suddenly Ishika stops, realizing she’s not supposed to run the way she’s doing. The doctor has asked her not to strain herself. She immediately steadies herself, and Naman stops exactly behind her, sensing something wrong.

“Tum thik ho?” he asks, his tone laced with concern.

“Yes, I am fine, Naman. I think ab humein ghar chalna chahiye. Di aur Jiju wait kar rahe honge,” Ishika says softly.

“Of course, let’s go,” Naman says gently, paving her way toward the exit of the resort.

Ishika is glad to have spent time with Naman. Of course, teasing him is something she enjoys a lot, but at the same time, she is glad to know the kind of person he is. He is so observant, caring, and sweet. He also possesses a cute smile any girl could fall for.

Well, hey, get a grip! She’s certainly not falling for him, but she can’t help but admit that he’s a good guy and that he’s quite similar to her sister’s husband. Now that she’s comparing him to Vineet, is he that much special?

Maybe!

Amidst all this, they reach home, and Ishika hops out of the car, ready to part ways with him. She turns toward him, flashing her cute smile, grateful for the evening he planned for her. Saying their brief goodbyes, they part ways. Naman watches as Ishika disappears inside the house, and he drives off to his home.

*****
Upon reaching home, Naman plops down on the bed, reminiscing about the moments he spent with Ishika. It has been a great date with her. Well, a date? Maybe, she almost agreed to go out with him all alone, and that’s a big deal for him.

Naman feels a strange connection pushing him toward Ishika. They might have pulled arguments since the beginning, but now they have evolved not only as individuals but also in their relationship. Meanwhile, his phone buzzes, and he finds a couple of pictures sent to his email.

It’s from Anamika; the pictures were shot at their last rehearsal. As Naman looks at them, he’s quite lost. Some pictures were of him with Ishika, and some were solo pictures. Anamika wants him to choose the best one, and they’d need to do a final outfit check the other day. He quickly replies to the lady and then heads to freshen up. It’s been a long day.

*****

Ishika enters the house and finds Anamika waiting for her. The former hugs the latter, squeezing her lightly. Anamika sends a teasing gaze her way.

“So, how was the date?” she asks.

“Date? Noo! It was just a casual dinner, but he did pretty good,” Ishika says, her tone laced with admiration.

“Achcha, aisa kya kiya usne?” Anamika asks, and Ishika narrates the whole thing to her.

“Dekha, tu bina baat hi usse ladti rehti hai, usne kitna kuch kiya tere liye,” Anamika says, her tone teasing.

“Main nahi, vo mujhse ladta hai, vo jaanbujh kar aisa karta hai, aapko pata nahi hai, Di,” Ishika says, making a face.

“Mujhe pata hai, bas tu hi nahi maan rahi hai,” Anamika says, a smile playing on her lips.

“Maan lo, Ishu, dosti kar lo Naman se,” it’s Vineet who barges into the conversation.

“Haan, wahi toh main keh rahi hun, Vineet. Naman ne itni achchi planning ki, phir bhi isko ladna hai usse, bandar kehti hai usko,” Anamika teases.
“Maine koi ladai nahi ki, okay? Vaise toh vo ladaku hai, par sweet bhi hai, thik hai? Ab ye mat kehna ki main hi ussko ajeeb se naam deti hun, vo hai hi weird, bandar kahin ka,” Ishika says,
frowning, yet she couldn’t hide the smile that came with his name.

“Ab vo sweet ho gaya hai, toh dosti ki shuruaat toh ho gai hai, baaki dekhte hai. Abhi fashion show baaki hai, tab tak toh tum dono achche dost ban jaoge, I’m sure,” Anamika says, her tone soft and confident.

Ishika smiles. She heads into her room, saying she’s tired, and so do Vineet and Anamika. However, Anamika silently hopes that Ishika and Naman come on friendly terms, for she’s seen something more than mere friendship sparking between them, but none of them is able to say it.

On the other hand, Ishika smiles to herself, remembering her time out with Naman. Certainly, he’s sweet, and he deserves the best. Somehow, she feels that she’s left a part of herself with him, and she can’t name that feeling right now. However, she can only hope for the best.

To be continued