*Aslesha*

I knock lightly before I enter Papa's bedroom and see that he's studying some papers.

"Papa busy ho kya?" I ask and he shakes his head and gestures me to come in.

"Bolo na" he says and removes his glasses.

Okay I'll get straight to the point.

"I've invited Viraj over for dinner" I say and stop to first look at his reaction. He raises his eyebrows and smiles.

"Um I hope that's okay" I continue and his smile widens.

"Of course it is okay Aashu. You told me once ke vo cricket ka shaukeen hai na. Chalo achha hai aaj match bhi hai. I'll get a male partner to watch it with" he says and sighs contentedly.

"Mai bhi toh dekhti hu aapke saath match. Mujhme kya kami hai?" I ask frowning a little.

Not that I feel bad though. Actually I feel happy with his reply. Achha hua aaj match hai fir.

"Boy bonding during cricket is something else. Tum nahi samjhogi" he says shaking his head and I scoff.

Of course.

"Okay then papa. You continue with your work. Mai khana banati hu" I say and leave.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Viraj ke ghar se aate hue mai chicken bhi laayi thi. I smile as the gravy simmers in the pan.

Aaj ka special hai butter chicken and naan. Yum yum yum..

Just when I turn off the gas, the door bell rings. I literally skip outside with a big fat grin on my face and open the door.

Oh my handsome handsome dummy!

He is wearing a white shirt which is rolled up till his sleeves and faded blue jeans. His hair is a little damp but still all over the place. Just the way I like.

Is it possible for a person to look delicious? Yes, if that person is Viraj.

Haaye...

Viraj breathes a sigh of relief and looks behind me.

"Chalo achha hai tumne darwaza khola. Mai toh darr hi gaya tha ke tumhare papa kholenge aur mujhe bhagaa denge" he says and I roll my eyes.

"Vo mere papa hai. Hitler nahi. Itna kyu darr rahe ho" I say ushering him in.

"It's a fact that har khoobsurat ladki ke papa hitler hote hai" he says absentmindedly and I bite my lip to stop from smiling goofily.

He called me khoobsurat. Hehehe..

"Hey I bought ice cream. Aaj bhi" he says scratching the back of his neck nervously and I smile.

"Aww.. isn't my boyfriend the cutest" I say pulling his cheeks and lean ahead to quickly peck his lips.

He leans back before my lips touch his and I frown.

"Tumhare dad dekh lenge toh..." He says looking around the room again and I sigh.

Dumb ass! I want to kiss him. But he looks so cute when he's nervous. And it's a rare occasion. Because Viraj Singhania kabhi nervous vagera nahi hota.

I go and keep the ice cream in the fridge and go outside to see Viraj standing on the same spot where I left him.

"Okay am I dressed up correctly?" he asks and I suppress my smile.

"Actually papa vo white colour bilkul pasand nahi but thik hai ab kya kar sakte hai?" I say in displeasure and his eyes widen.

"Mai bass abhi ja ke change kar ke aata hu 15 minutes me" he says turning to leave and I grab his hand and burst out laughing.

"Arre baba I'm just kidding".

"It's not funny okay" he glares at me and I pull his cheeks playfully.

That's when my dad comes to the living room and I smile.

"Papa this is Viraj. My boyfriend" I say shyly walking towards papa. "Viraj, ye hai mere hero, papa" I say and place my head on Papa's shoulder.

"So tum ho jisne Aashu ke baal kaate the" he says seriously.

Viraj pales under Papa's glare and I roll my eyes because I know he is just messing around with him.

"Um.. sir.. vo mai.." he stops when papa starts laughing loudly. "He's just messing with you Viraj. Don't worry" I say and Viraj removes his handkerchief from his pocket and wipes his forehead nervously.

Aww..

They shake hands and I smile. Both of my favourite men in one room. I'm a lucky girl.

"Waise achha hai baal kaate tumne. Mai yaha ganjaa ho raha tha dheere dheere aur mere beti ke baal itne lambe. Bada insecure ho jaata tha mai" he says and Viraj laughs out loud but quickly holds in his laughter when he looks at me glaring.

"Wow papa" I say shaking my head.

"So tum cricket ke shaukeen ho I've heard" he says sitting on the sofa and Viraj sits on the chair beside him.

"Ha, bahot. Matlab shaukeen toh sab hote hai cricket ke but mai India ke liye khelna chahta hu. That's my biggest dream in life" he says sincerely.

"Great. So we can watch today's match together then" papa says grinning excitedly and I see Viraj begin to relax.

Papa switches on the TV and puts on the match which is already towards the end of first innings now.

"Mai khana bahar hi laau fir?" I ask.

"Haa" they both say in unison without looking at me.

Ghuss gaye match me. Ab toh mai dusre room me marr bhi jaau toh bhi inko khabar nahi hogi.

I go inside the kitchen and hear them both scream "nooo" in unison and chuckle.

Great.

By the time I go out Viraj has now changed his position and is sitting right next to papa.

Progress.

"Ye over Bumrah ko deni chahiye thi" Viraj says.

"Haa. Ye Pandya ek na ek 4 toh deta hi hai" papa says.

"Okay guys here" I hand them their plates.

"Arree side side" they both duck their heads to either side of me to look at the screen.

I move aside rolling my eyes and then bring a plate for me and the basket with naan.

"Aaj India ke chances kam lag rahe hai" dad says shaking his head when the first innings get over.

"1983 ka world cup.. Tab bhi kisko laga tha India jeetegi. But jeet gaye" Viraj says looking closely at the score board.

"30 ke upar sirf do batsman run banaye the" papa laughs.

"West Indies ki kya haalat ho gayi thi lekin baad me" Viraj chuckles.

They start discussing about that world cup and I see that papa is quite impressed by Viraj.

I on the other hand can't understand a thing. And they're talking like I'm not even in the same room.

"Okay mujhe kuch samjh me nahi aa raha and I feel left out" I say pouting they both finally look at me and shift aside making place for me in the middle.

I grin and sit between both of them.

"Arrreee catch chhod diya!"

"Yaar ye tez bhaagta kyu nahi. Rok sakta the boundary"

"Out!"

"Fir se no ball. Haarne ka irada hai kya"

"Dhoni ki taraf throw kar waha wicket hai. Waha throw kar!!"

And that's how the next hour passes by. I'm not complaining though. Ye dono bond kar rahe hai ek dusre ke saath vohi badi baat hai.

We eat ice cream together later that Viraj brought and I think how amazingly perfect this night was.

"Meri kal bahot important meeting hai so I'm retiring for the night" dad says when the last 5 overs are left and West Indies need almost 80 runs which is now impossible with 7 wickets down. So it's a clear win for India.

"Finals ke time pakka aana ha Veer" he says and Viraj grins.

"Pakka" he says and goes to shake his hand but papa pulls him in a hug instead.

"Also, don't you ever break my little girl's heart understood" he says patting his shoulder.

"Papa!" I exclaim as colour rises to my cheeks.

"I don't intend to" he smiles looking into my eyes and I feel butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"Okay then good night Viraj. Good night Aashu" he says kissing my forehead.

He starts walking towards the door but suddenly turns around.

"Tum agar rukne wale ho toh hanky panky kuch hona nahi chahiye ha mere ghar me. Ya kahi bhi. Eww okay I'll just leave" he says and Viraj bursts out laughing falling on the couch and my cheeks turn a darker shade of red. I'm pretty sure I look like a ripe tomato right now.

"Your dad is so cool" he says when I sit beside him.

He leans closer to kiss me and I push him.

"Ab kyu? Ab papa nahi dekhenge?" I huff and he grins.

"Now I know he won't kill me. So I'm just gonna take the risk" he says putting his arms around me and pecks my lips.

He switches off the TV and takes my hand in his.

"Do you have any idea how happy you make me?" he says and kisses my knuckles one by one and my heart literally explodes.

"I wanna see your bedroom" he says suddenly.

Now that I realise, I've never shown him my bedroom.

I take his hand and we both walk inside my room. Kahi meri bra vagera nahi padi ho idhar udhar bass. I quickly scan the room and see that there's nothing inappropriate.

Hasshh.

There's nothing really special about my room but it's my favourite place in the world. A single bed, a study table, a big book shelf, a wardrobe and a dressing table.

There are a few pictures on the wall and I realise that Viraj is looking at them intently.

He goes towards one picture where I'm sitting on Papa's shoulders taken in the zoo when I was just 5 years old. I am grinning widely at the camera and my front tooth is broken. Papa looks young. It's a happy picture.

Then he takes a small picture on my study table. It's the wedding photograph of my mom and papa.

"You look so much like your mom" he says and I smile.

"Papa bhi yahi kehte hai" I say.

Then there's one picture where my mom is holding me in her arms and papa is sitting beside her. I must have been just 2 or 3 months in that one.

"That's the only picture of us three together" I say as I take the picture from him and trace my fingers over it.

"Tumhari mom kaise? I mean how.."

"Brain tumor. When I was just a few months old" I say gulping the lump in my throat.

I don't remember her really. I miss her though. Life me mom na ho toh bahot mushkil ho jaati hai. Papa ne kabhi unki kami mehsoos nahi hone di waise.

"You know school ke time mera koi friend nahi tha. Jab hum primary me the. Because papa mujhe achhe se tayyar nahi kar paate the aur tasty tiffin nahi de paate the. Sirf Pari thi jisse mujhpe ghin nahi aati thi" I say looking down at my feet.

"Mujhe bhi kabhi tumpe ghin nahi aayi hai Aashi. It's such a harsh word. I mean I hated you but I was never disgusted by you. Never" he says softly.

He walks towards me and pulls me in a hug. I relax into his arms instantly as he gently strokes my back again and again.

This feels so good.

We stand there for I don't know how long and then Viraj speaks up.

"I wish hum school me bhi aise hote" he says.

"Umm.. I don't think so. Tabhi tumhe sataane ka maza hi alag tha. Aur agar tab hum friends hote toh shayad aaj itne close nahi hote" I say and tip my head up to look at him.

"Vo bhi sahi hai" he says and slowly leans down to kiss me.

He kisses me slowly, passionately. Like he has all the time in the world. His lips mould into mine perfectly and I smile through the kiss.

He smiles too and we just stand there close to each other, our facing just inches apart and our breathing mingling together.

"I should probably go now" he says. "Warna hanky panky ho jaayega and tumhare papa mujhe wapas kabhi lenge nahi ghar me".

I laugh and kiss his cheek. "Your father is really cool. Do you think he's accepted me? Does he like me?" he asks nervously as we walk towards the door.

"Har baar aaoge tab ice cream laana and you'll be okay" I say.

"Ye tum khud ke liye bol rahi ho, papa ke liye nahi" he says ruffling my hair.

"Shayad" I grin as we stand near his bike.

"Such a beauty. How are you little beast" I say in a tone like I'm talking to a child and pat the seat of his bike.

"Did you just talk to my bike?" Viraj says making a horrified face and I roll my eyes.

"Toh kya hua. Har chiz me jaan hoti hai" I say folding my hands.

"Meri girlfriend sahi me pagal hai" he mutters under his breath.

"I heard that asshole" I say.

"Whatever. Now kiss me goodnight like a good girlfriend" he says leaning his cheek towards me like a little boy.

I am falling in love with him more and more each day. Can he stop being this cute? Oh god!

I grab his face and turn it towards me and give him a quick hard kiss on his lips. He is initially shocked but when he starts to respond, I pull away with a smirk and kiss his cheek as he frowns.

"Goodnight dummy" I say and point towards the helmet so that he wears it.

"Tumhe iska jawaab deta hu kal college me" he says and starts his bike.

"Goodnight spicy" he winks and leaves.

"Sambhal ke jaana" I shout in goodbye and then he disappears from sight.

Wait wait wait.

College.

Friends.

Sab ko batana about me and Viraj.

Oh.

My.

God.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Rudra bol raha hai canteen me aane" Pari says as she reads a message on her phone which is probably from Rudra.

"Ha toh tu ja fir. Hum class me milte hai" I say nervously and she looks at me like I just told her that the earth is flat.

"Kya ajeeb behave kar rahi hai tu subah se. Chal chup chap" she says and starts dragging me towards the canteen.

On the way we meet Saumya and Pari drags her too.

Sab ke saamne aaj mera bhaanda futega. Pari toh mujhe maar hi daalegi ke mai usse pehle nahi batayi.

We reach the canteen and see that our whole group is at the table. Wah.

Viraj pehle mujhe warning toh de deta. Haramkhor.

"Meri Pari Rani aa gayi" Rudra says when he sees us and Viraj gives me a secretive smile when he looks at me and pulls a chair for me beside him.

I go and sit beside him as all the others turn their concentration on Viraj. "Bol na ab bhai ab toh sab aa gaye" Tej says drumming his fingers on the table.

"Ha toh do good news hai" Viraj grins and I frown. Do?

"Sabse pehli good news ye hai ke mai state level cricket championship me select hua hu aur agar meri performance achhi rahi toh I might get a chance to play for the under 19 world cup" he says excitedly and we all scream together as I literally jump on Viraj to hug him.

I'm so proud of him. Wow.

"I'm sure you'll get selected for the under 19 world cup" I say.

"Bhai yaar bahot achhi news diya tu" Rudra says as he hugs Viraj.

"Chalo achha hai mera naam roshan karna saale" Neel says from across the table and everyone else congratulates him.

"Okay okay ab second good news suno sab dhyaan se" Viraj says and everyone again sets their eyes on him and Viraj glances towards me and smiles slyly.

My palms become clammy and I prepare myself for the bhookamp. Bhagwan meri raksha karna.

"I'll just show you guys instead of saying it" he says and the next thing I know is that Viraj is kissing me.

My eyes go wide and the whole canteen goes silent. Viraj breaks the kiss and leans towards my ear.

"I told you tumhe kal jawaab dunga" he whispers evilly and I just look at him in a daze.

I look around and see that not only our table but the whole canteen is looking at us in pin drop silence.

"Yea so that's that" Viraj says casually leaning back in his seat and then suddenly everyone starts speaking together.

"Kya? Kab?" Rudra yells

"Mujhe nahi batayi na tu Aashi. Mai tujhse kabhi baat nahi karungi" Pari whines.

"Oh my god. Oh my god" that's Saumya and Shabnam who are jumping in their seats.

"Mujhe toh pata hi tha. Pata tha mujhe tum log ka scene hai kuch na kuch" Sid says.

"Mujhe toh party chahiye bass" Tej says.

"Tej tujhe toh nayi chaddi khareedne pe bhi party chahiye hoti hai chup baith tu" Viraj shouts at Tej and I just look at all the chaos around me.

"Ek minute ek minute" Chaddha says loudly and everyone looks at him.

Thank God the whole college is not staring at us now but I feel everyone's gazes boring into me, especially the girls.

"Rudra tu pehle 2000 nikaal" Chaddha says proudly to Rudra and Rudra removes a 2000 note from his wallet and gives it to him while grumbling under his breath.

"Tum log wapas hum dono pe bet lagaye the?" I ask in shock.

"Neel bola tha ke ye saal ke andar tum dono ki setting ho jaayegi but mujhe laga ke itne kam time me kuch nahi hoga" Rudra says sadly and I roll my eyes.

"Thanks bhai" Chaddha says patting Viraj's back.

"Kya bey tu ruk nahi sakta tha. Mai 10 saal ruka aur tu kuch din nahi ruk paaya" Rudra says and Viraj slaps his arm and so does Pari.

The bell rings and we all get up to walk towards our class. Viraj calls out my name from behind and I wait for him to catch up with me.

"Kya hua?" I ask when he comes beside me. "Kuch nahi" he says and takes my hand in his and entwines our fingers.

This guy will be the death of me.

I squeeze his hand lightly and he does the same as we walk hand in hand to our class. Everyone in the hallways eye us but Viraj doesn't seem to mind. Usse aadat hogi. I, too, decide to avoid them.

When we reach our class and I sit beside Viraj and turn to look at him as a question comes to my mind.

"Viraj tum kab jaaoge aur kitne din ke liye?" I ask.

Viraj's face falls a little. "Kal. Ek hafte ke liye".

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Sorry for the late update.. mere exams chalu hai aur 5th Jan ko khatam honge. Abhi chhutti hai toh bass ye filler chapter. Hope you guys liked it.. ily :)