“You knew them from past three years?” Jiju was shock with the revelation.

“And you never felt the urge to inform us about them?” Shruti was glaring at me in disapproval.

“I wasn’t sure how you would react? How our parents would react?” I shrugged my shoulder, “you would consider them stranger and would ask me to stay away from them.”

“Obviously,” Shruti grumbled, “I still suggest you to stay away from him. People are different from what they display online. You might never know how he is in real,” she was concerned but it only proved my point.

“She had stayed in that strangers house for a week.” Jiju reasoned out. “I don’t think his intentions are wrong but…” he paused for a second. “You shouldn’t have lied! If he was your friend, you should have said it.”

“Jiju if I had said he was my friend none of you would have supported me. Even you would have doubted his intention so I had to lie. I was getting an opportunity to meet them, I didn’t want to let it slide.”

“Understandable!” Jiju mumbled, “you aren’t planning to introduce him to your parents? He is in city for a month, it would be rude if you don’t invite him to your place.”

“I wanted to…” I kept it incomplete.

“You will have to carry on with your lie,” Jiju suggested. “You can reveal the truth once he walks back to his city. Make it a point that he feels welcome in your city the way he treated you in his.”

“Thank you,” I was fortunate to be rewarded with such an understanding brother-in-law. He understood me better than my sister.

“But Jay…” Shruti was going to argue but he interrupted.

“I know, lying to your parents isn’t good yet we have to carry it on. We need to welcome our guest with warm hearts.” He mumbled, and I pleaded with my sister.

•••

“What’s that box?” Shruti inquired as I kept the box on my study table. I glanced at her; I would be deprived of my privacy for few days as I needed to share the room with her.

“I really need to share my room with you?” I groaned at the thought of it.

“It was my room before it turned yours,” Shruti glared in my direction. “Don’t forget that I am the bigger than you.”

“But it’s no longer yours as you are married,” I showed my tongue in a teasing manner as I sat on the chair and examined the box in my hand.

“Did he gift you this?” Shruti inquired staring at the small gift-wrapped box in my hand.

“Not him but his sister,” I passed a smile. “She really got fond of me,” I mumbled. “I never thought my small stay would put such an impact on her.”

“You’re unknown to your charm,” Shruti shook her head. “Only few are able to glance at the magic you hold,” she paused. “Stop admiring it and open it up, I want to see what is inside…” she was getting excited, I giggled as I unwrapped the box.

“Wow!” Shruti exclaimed at the beautiful artwork of moon staring at us. “Was she aware about your love for moon?” Shruti walk forward to have a clear glance at the beautiful piece of art. “This is so damn beautiful…”

I kept staring at it in admiration. I had never voiced my love for moon maybe she had got suggestion from Faizal. He knew the exact thing that could lift my mood. He took advantage of the information I shared with him. It was next to impossible to be mad at him because he was aware about the exact word or thing that could lift my mood, wipe away the anger.

“I need to thank her,” I whispered as I typed a message to her.

“Nivi,” Shruti muttered after a minute of silence. “I heard from dad that his father was going to leave you behind alone in an unfamiliar dabba.” She stared at me in concern, “weren’t you afraid, to spent rest of the days with such individuals who didn’t care about you?”

I never thought about it until she mentioned it. “That thought didn’t even cross me until today,” I confessed the truth. “Maybe because I trusted him. I always knew that he won’t ever leave my side.”

“Who?” Shruti inquired, “the guy who was beside you while walking to the bus station?”

“His name is Faizal,” I mumbled.

“Dad even informed about you getting defensive when he asked Faizal to send a picture if you were safe with him.” She paused for a minute longer, “are you sure this is just friendship?”

I sighed, I didn’t want to confess the truth but I didn’t wanted to lie to her as well. As a kid, she was my best-friend. She knew every detail about my life. I was very much close to her until she married and went to a different state. She got busy in her life. She was so engrossed in her problems that I stopped troubling her with mine. It was during that period when I came across online friends. That was the reason she wasn’t aware about their existence in my life.

“It doesn’t matter, Shruti.” I attempted to slide the topic away. “I am not expecting anything out of it…”

“That’s not an answer to my question, Nivi.” Shruti pressed, “our parents might be open minded but there are certain things which they won’t compromise with like, deciding our life partners for us,” she passed me a smile.

“I am aware about it.” I grumbled, why she had to voice it out loud? “That’s why I said, I am not expecting anything out of it…”

“If you are not expecting anything, stay away from things related to him. Or it won’t be easy for you to move on when the time arrive.”

“I am not going to marry anytime sooner, if that what you’re implying.” I glared at her. I was in such a good mood before she started with the conversation.

“That might be your plans but our parents have a different thought about it,” she muttered as she kept the art-piece back on the table. “They might never force you to marry a person of their choice but they would expect that you will marry someone whom they will adore as well.” She paused for a moment, examining my face. “Mom wanted to keep it hidden from you until the day arrive but they have started looking for a guy for you. And I am not telling you this to upset you but make you aware about the situation. You have to be prepared of things coming up…” she patted my head as she walked towards the washroom.

My brain took a minute to register the words spoken by her until I felt a pain in my chest. I was familiar with my situation. I was aware that Faizal won’t ever come under the category of a guy my parents would select for my marriage. The thought that was troubling me was would I ever be able to move-on from Faizal? Would my heart ever beat the way it beats for him? I never wanted to marry until I had outgrown the feeling, I had for him and if my parents had started searching a guy for me, I needed to start detaching from him. Would it ever be possible?

I was engrossed in thoughts when a message popped on my screen. It was Zoya!

“For what?”

Was her response for my thank you, I frowned at her message.

“For your gift…” I typed back.

“Which gift?”

And I shook my head as the realization hit me. Flashbacks of past came rushing back to me. We had a very active group at that time, moreover four years back. I was new member in the group and we girls would often have random conversation.

“Have you ever dated someone?”

One of them had inquired for which I had answered never. But if I ever will date someone, I would like his first gift be a moon.

And it hit me like a rock. I shook my head. He would do such small things and later claim that it was just coincidence. I wasn’t sure why he was so afraid to express? What scared him to such a level? Here, I was planning to detach from him and he had gifted me with another reason that was attaching me towards him. I wiped the tears emerging from my orbs. Why we were born so far away? Why was our path so different yet familiar? There were thousands of reasons for us to separate but how did we always find our path to each other? Was there something like real connection among us or was it just my delusion?

•••

I had searched for his presence as I arrived at the office building but he wasn’t present. Maybe I had arrived early, I frowned as I glanced at the watch and saw the building locked. I wasn’t able to calm down. I was feeling restless to meet him and as anticipated he was walking towards the building.

I wanted to ask the reason behind his presence outside my office-building but I was scared if I would mention it, he would stop doing it. He was very conscious in nature. He didn’t adore to confess small things he did out of affection. He was weird!

“I am early today,” I raised my imaginary collar as he stooped and stood beside me.

“Because you don’t want to be dismissed from here,” he chuckled as he patted my head. “How are you?” He asked a minute later.

“All good!” I mumbled, giggling while he passed a smile.

“There wasn’t any trouble back at home?” He inquired, I stared at him in confusion.

“Trouble about what?”

“Who was the guy along with you? Types of trouble,” he addressed while I laughed.

“Nope, because it wasn’t my dad but my sister driving,” I smiled at him. “And jiju handles her well so there isn’t much trouble.” I had a broad smile playing on my lips, “I am soon going to invite you for a dinner in my house, specially prepared by mom.”

“I would rather prefer burned food by you,” he mumbled.

“I don’t burn food,” I glared at him.

“When was the last time you kept a foot in the kitchen?” He challenged, I was trying hard to keep my determined face.

“That doesn’t prove anything,” I fumed in annoyance. “I am just busy doesn’t mean I don’t know to cook.”

“Okay than, if you’re inviting me than the food should be prepared by only you. It will prove whether you burn food or not. No cheating,” he pointed-out.

“Okay, be present for the lunch on Sunday.”

“Will you be able to learn cooking by then?” He teased while I offered him a glare.

“You’re going to have best food of your life,” I challenged while he rolled his orbs.

At the exact moment security guard arrived and a minute later, the boss’s car. I groaned as I got the slight of it. “Oh no!” Faizal caught my scared expression. He was staring at me with his questioning gaze.

“You should go,” I urged him. He glanced at the boss black-car. “He might not like it,” I added. Though displeased but Faizal heard to my request as he walked away without wasting a minute but boss had got a hint about his presence. He had clearly mentioned it yesterday that he wasn’t found of Faizal’s presence around the office building yet I wasn’t able to express the same to Faizal.

If I had mentioned about it, I wouldn’t had been able to glance at him. I was just offered with few days with him. I wanted to enjoy it, treasure it.

“Good morning, sir,” I greeted as he walked out of the car. His face was stern as he ignored my presence walking inside the building, I was going to have a tough day.