Anurag's gaze remained still at one particular figure at the entrance of the café. One glimpse, and he couldn't take his eyes off. She was looking ethereal, as usual. Even when the efforts were really low from her side to seem so. Does she ever realize how she becomes the fascinating moon of everyone's desire in the dark even with her indifferent attitude? Anurag wondered. She was so simple, yet enchanting.

He took a nicer view of her. Those glossy brown curls had showcased themselves quite beautifully while hiding a few parts of her shoulders and cheeks all in their glory. They were cut rather short deliberately by miss designer, her brilliant idea of saving time from hair care at work ladies! The black cocktail dress that reached up to her mid thighs was incredibly successful in showing off her shade. However, a usual touch up one would assume with something classy like that was as much as Anurag expected, absent. A bit of mascara and peach nude lipstick was all she took to gear up palpitations in Anurag. And not to miss her most attractive possession of all to him, her eyes.

Those almond shaped twins were not blue like the deepness of an ocean, neither they were like a freshly bloomed blue lotus of an enchanted lake. They were plain black, as majority of the Indian population's do. But what fascinated Anurag was the flames of power in them. They weren't sparkling in any of the fiery colours. Rather they seemed magical like the western sky of dusk.

"Umm..Anurag?" Nandini called him hesitantly. The way Anurag was looking at her made the situation awkward. She was confused. Not uncomfortable, but confused. As if he was zoned out to some other planet. She wondered if he was angry beyond limits. Like, he never gets really angry at anyone. However, today was a special occasion for him. And she had broken her promise that she'd reach on time. So maybe he was, hurt?

"Huh?" was all Anurag could gather as a reply at the moment. Regretting his action, he instantly felt  embarrassed and wished hard for the earth to swallow him up. He gave his own self a very obvious slap through mind in order to retire back to his usual self. Giving his hair a slight caress, Anurag focused. Time to be the charming lad now!

"Look, I can explain, okay? I'd have reached here by 7 as promised. But my car broke down, and my stupid driver wouldn't just let me keep my words." Nandini spoke in a convincing tone.

"And here comes your regular excuse miss," Anurag shrugged. He loved acting grumpy. Though it was just an attempt to irritate her. In fact, he was pleased that a mere car breakdown was all that caused her being late. Her driver isn't stupid at all, he knew. Further, reaching late on personal meetings was Nandini's major hobby. He should thank God, at least she reached before his birthday ends. Phew!

"Oh, cut the crap Mr. Basu. Why even try when you can't put up a straight face while acting?" And it took Nandini seconds to know that he was kidding. She couldn't be more relaxed at the fact that he wasn't really hurt. After all, it was his birthday. She didn't want to ruin a moment of it.

"Happy birthday Gasbag!" A cheerful greeting from her filled Anurag's eardrums. It was when all the waiting in the café became worth it for him. This one wish from this busy bee was all he craved for since the clock struck 12 last night.

"So finally, your brain recollected the fact that you are supposed to wish me flame head?" Anurag chuckled as they went for a small hug.

No matter how casual the hug meant to be, he couldn't help feeling the attraction of her warmth. That little moment of proximity was enough to arise each cell in his body to their complete senses. He was drowning in the alluring emotion. Honestly, she was a bit sweaty from the troubled journey she had. He might sound weird right here but he found her smell rather comforting. He could breathe in that odour all his life. Was he going mad? He wondered.

Where for Nandini if said, she felt nothing at all; it would be a lie. Her insides too, experienced fascination. Though the notions weren't as strong as it was for Anurag. Her heart still felt the greed for his closeness.

"So, we're going to celebrate your super precious birthday here?" Nandini was the first one to speak after the hug.

"Of course, not," Anurag replied in an obvious tone, "I have planned much more than you can think of flame brain. Just provide me with the permission to drive you to the venue m'lady."

His dramatic voice resulted Nandini to roll her eyes.

"I mean, if you don't wanna spend the night here. If you do, then beware of that creepy waitress over there." Anurag pointed towards the kitchen.

"Just don't get us killed while driving dimwit," Nandini spoke as she stepped back towards the entrance. It was followed by Anurag, while he took a last glance at the love sick couples and winked at that particular waitress. Time for the real action people!

______________________

"Anurag, frankly speaking; Have you planned your birthday in Andaman & Nicobar Islands? It has been two hours since we're driving. You sure we're gonna reach there before your 29th b'day arrives?" Nandini blurted out boringly while going through some emails on her phone.

Her boredom had enough reasons to perfectly be justified. Since Anurag had started driving which seemed an eternity ago to her and he was absolute indifferent towards her queries about the location they were heading to.

"Wanna grab some drinks from any nearby store flame brain?"Anurag asked paying zero heed to her words.

"That requires a nearby store , and as far as I can see there's nothing of that sort over here. We're at the middle of nowhere pea-headed pig." Nandini spat loudly.

"Stop calling me with those names first. C'mon, it's my birthday. And for your kind info miss middle of nowhere means sort of a desert. We're driving through a well-constructed high way. Who's pea-headed now flame brain?" Anurag's tone was rather playful. The apparent coolness in it was successful in making her more furious at him. She was about to make a comeback with some more combinations of annoying names just when Anurag announced, "We've reached!"

The car halted with a jerk. As he left his seat and held the door open for Nandini, she got off the car in order to realize her surroundings. Looking around eagerly, she found herself beside a cliff. Nandini shifted her attention to Anurag, amazed. Her gasbag was found biting his lower lip in wait of her reaction.

However, Anurag chuckled watching her run to the edge of the highland. Nandini locked her tresses behind her ears as she took in the view. In spite of the cliff being not at a much higher point, the view was splendid. Dozens of fairly light rings were spread all over the black, as the tiny visible portion of the city seemed alike. The rest of the lowland represented the reflection of the night's uninterrupted darkness. Across them, the sky as well had presented itself as gracefully as it could to stand along with the view beneath it. One couldn't help but fall in love with that blanket of space which had taken up the deep blue shade just to highlight the uncountable number of shimmers stitched upon it. Altogether, it came to Nandini as if Anurag had driven her to a universe parallel to theirs where nobody existed but them and the enchanting scenery before her.

"Liked it?" Anurag questioned as he thrust his palms into the pockets of his pants.

However, he didn't get a reply immediately. Nandini seemed busy in her chains of thoughts. A few more seconds passed by in the silence. Although Anurag was well aware of the fact that the silence wasn't a hint of discouragement, rather it was far more comforting than words can be; a tiny spark of fear kept growing in his heart.

Just when he was on the verge of repeating his question, Nandini spoke softly, "Anurag?"

"Hmm?" He hummed in response as he stepped closer towards her.

"You sure it's your b'day and not mine?" She asked before she turned to Anurag making him chuckle with all his teeth out.

Wrapping his arm on her shoulders he whispered in her ears," Don't worry miss. I have planned my ultimate gift for the night already."

"Huh, Creep!" Nandini commented as she slapped away his arms from her shoulder, smiling to her fullest.

_______________________

Nandini and Anurag stood grinning at the edge of cliff together as the cool breeze passed by making Anurag fix his hair several times. He preferred his precious hair in a perfect state, always. And Nandini couldn't stop teasing him about that.

"So, is that all? Where's your biggest plan that I can never think of gasbag?" Nandini's voice broke through the silence resulting the sound of breeze to be inaudible.

"Nope, it isn't all. The night has just begun flame brain," Anurag answered cheerfully as he strode back towards his car.

Nandini kept staring at him while he opened the car's bonnet. He pushed his head inside searching for thing that was to be taken out first. Anurag's search operation went on for a minute or two making Nandini bored. It was when she got completely absent-minded and was struggling for network in order to check her insta feed, she finally saw Anurag with a cheesy smile stepping towards the cliff's edge. The object that caught her attention was a comforter wrapped by his hands. Later on, it got laid on the ground by him. The comforter was followed by few more packets and cold drink cans as Anurag took everything out of his car.

"Wait what!" Nandini said," And here I thought it was going to be a grand arrangement with a date set up and light".

However, she loved this far more than the expectations she mentioned. Nandini Murthy has been in absolute love with simple yet unique things since forever. And Anurag Basu was perfectly aware of this.

"Stop with your dumb acting and come sit over here flame brain. I wish to cut my birthday cake before my birthday ends," he spoke when he was done organizing the things on the comforter.

Both of them settled up themselves on the comforter. The cake was placed between them with a plastic knife beside it (which people usually gets free from the cake shop). Few dimly lit candles and an almost spherical form of moon was the only sources of light that helped in making the surroundings visible.

Anurag unwrapped the cake from the box as Nandini took an eager glance at it.

"Red velvet? I thought chocolate was your favourite," Recalling all the memories of him devouring chocolate pastries and brownies at his clinic, Nandini inquired much surprised with the flavour.

"It's your favourite," Anurag replied placing a candle on it.

"So?"

"You're my favorite as well, flame brain," Anurag said while he lit the candle.

"Eww, that was way too cheesy," She cringed at his remark.

"I do prefer cheese, you see," Anurag winked at her.

His handsome face, partially visible in the gloomy moonlight looked more attractive to Nandini. Anurag indeed was a charming chap.

"Enough of your nonsense. Now make a wish and blow the candles," Nandini spkoke looking away. She couldn't help but admire him till now. Only if she knew what was coming!

Anurag on the other hand had made up his mind. It was the moment for him. The one he was longing since days. He couldn't look back now. Taking another glance at her, he prepared himself. Her curls were shivering in the light breeze, the bluish gloomy shade on her made him wonder hard if she was an angel lost on earth.

He mumbled gently,"Stand up."

"Why?" A confused Nandini inquired back.

"Just..Just stand up. I'm making my wish," Anurag couldn't wait any longer.

As soon as she stood up Anurag was on his knees. Taking a long deep breath, he finally started, "Nandini Murthy. Before you ask me and get confused, I, Anurag Basu am on my knees right now to go for the most daring deed of all I have performed in a lifetime. I am nervous as hell, honestly," he chuckled, "But there's no looking back now. I won't beat around bushes but come to the point, Nandini."

He paused for a momemt to gather courage for the biggest confession of his life.

"I have fallen in love with you Nandini,  eternally and endlessly. Don't ask me when and how. Cause I don't have an explanation to that."

Anurag took out a tiny box from his pocket. And there it was, a pretty diamond ring shining under the moonlight.

"Will you let me claim you as mine, Nandini? Will you give me the right to call you love? Will you let me soak all your darkness in me and provide you with my brightest star?"

"Nandini Murthy, Will you be my girlfriend?"

"yes."