Few days later,

Amaaya looked at her reflection, holding three dresses in a row. "Aha, this one is good. But I may look dark in it." She said herself leaving the dress aside and focussed on the other two.

She turned back to see an ocean of clothes in the showroom. "Ergh! Why this much clothes are here to trouble me?

Amaaya got super confused, placing a hand over head. She spun around to look for Ishaan but he was nowhere.

It was then she found him talking in phone with much seriousness. Once he turned back hanging up, his face instantly lit up seeing her.

Ishaan walked to her, observing the exhausted face of Amaaya. "So, done with the shopping?"

"Uh, actually I was too busy checking out the variety materials that I forgot to select one for me." She blurted out.

"WHat? Last time you were saying you reached at the final stage of it with.. three members or something. Now what?"

"Yeah! But I feel like those three ones are equally good and I don't know which one is more good on me." Ishaan exhaled hearing her so normal excuses.

"You can leave Ishaan. I will select it by own."

"Do you really think I will listen to you?" He asked chuckling.

She pursed her lips, "You were saying you had some meeting. What about that?"

"Cancelled." He replied casually.

"Oh jesus! Ishaan, how many times I told you I can manage it all alone. Then why you still here?"

"Now tell me how many more hours you are gonna take." He enquired, crossing his arms over chest.

"I, I need.. I can't tell. It's very difficult you know. Especially without alien, Rinu or Faru."

"Okay cool, take those three."

"What? Three? Last year I bought two clothes you know. And mom keep saying I'm spending a lot of money on clothes now a days. So, hell no!"

Ishaan shook his head in disbelief. Seriously? Two clothes? One year?

"Amaaya, it's not any marriage or something. Just a dinner. Like a treat for which Eby got engaged. What's the big deal here?"

Amaaya bit her lips pondering over some thoughts in mind.

"You are nervous." He said, keenly observing her face.

"Uhm, no. I'm not. Me? Nervous? Why so?" She shrugged without facing him.

"Why so?" He glared her indicating it was better not to pretend anymore.

"Ishaan.."

"Uhm?"

"I'm.."

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"I don't know how your parents and relatives will think of me. I'm sure I'm not that type which they wanted you to be with. Even not close. And, I want to look good before them. Like everyone else there. Atleast not bad. But I don't know what to wear to.."

"Amaaya.."

"Uhm"

He cupped her face, gazing into her. "Why you are thinking that way? They are not going to judge you. And if they do, not by your appearance or status. And if they do that too, you really think I will let them to?"

She remained silent, not leaving his eyes. "You know, I was eight when I met them. I was just a strange kid then who didn't know anything about himself. But they didn't care. They don't. And they won't." He paused smiling.

"They will accept you whole heartedly. Just as they did then." Her lips formed a curve at his melting words.

"And, you are that same girl who was brave enough to have a messy talk with a hot tempered stranger just for her friend." Amaaya let out a laugh for which he smiled back.

"So, you are telling no need to buy it?" She rubbed her chin.

"It's upto you. I don't care what you wear or how you look. Afterall it's.. it's all you.." She could feel the warmth of the blush hugging her face.

"And I don't even care if you don't wear.."

"ISHAAN!" She cut him off yelling.

"What? Uh, no, no. I never mean it. I was saying you could come in your usual style." He corrected.

"Ohh." She smiled gasping.

"I can't believe you thought that way." He said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What? I didn't. You were just.."

"I what?"

"Ishaan, you are.. you know what, I'm leaving now." She slung her bag and stepped out leaving him laughing out loud.

▪▪▪▪▪

"You do look pretty Ainu. Now just leave the mirror." Anjali assured, getting annoyed.

"You are such a liar alien. See my hair. It's dancing in the air." Amaaya settled her not-so-messed hair.

"You won't hear!" Anjali hissed.

"Hey, what secret is going on?" Shreya entered in cheerfully.

"This potato is glued to the mirror." Anjali flicked her head making Amaaya to jerk up.

"Well, you can go on with your admiring afterwards. Now, come for dinner." Anjali heard her friend breathing in before which the trio moved out.

"Come, have your seats ladies." Mr. Lucas, Ishaan's uncle invited the whole ladies crew.

Yeah! The same uncle who could make normal humans heart patients.

Amaaya stopped her way, coming to see the largest dining table she had ever seen. Ofcourse, it should be large for the joint family. But it was a bit over. Her eyes almost popped out at the sight of varieties of food over there.

The one and only dining table in her home was that couch at which she and her siblings used to have food, resembling a piles of coins.

"Are you gonna stand and eat?" Aju's voice interrupted her serious thoughts. It was then she came to notice others were already seated and now waiting for her. Atlast she took a place near Anjali.

"Now do we have to call someone to make you sit my dear son made of phone?" Jessy asked Ishaan, watching him busy with phonecalls.

With that he joined the table sitting beside Amaaya, totally ignoring her requisting eyes which said No.

Amaaya felt uncomfortable as hell that she kept checking whether his parents were looking them. She sighed in relief once made sure that boys were busy grabbing foods.

Finding an empty seat near Shreya, she decided to move to the opposite side. But he stopped her squeezing down her hand. "Sit here." he ordered.

"Musical chair is not allowed here. This is your seat. The permanent one." Her heart skipped a beat at the last line. She felt it was better to follow him as she knew when he said, it's said and that's final.

"For the 'soon to be married couple', CHEERS!!" Farhan shouted as everyone happily raised their glasses in between eating.

"We are so happy for you Eby." Smiled Geni.

"Yeah! And can we say the next will be you two?" Abraham asked, eyeing Neil and Rinu.

"Don't know! Mom and Dad will be coming after two months." Replied a very happy Neil.

"He would not say no if you ask him to marry tonight." Aju laughed teasing him.

"Yaar!" Neil chuckled.

"It would be fun if Elsie is here too." Geni made a sad face before which Amaaya cleared her throat.

"So, you have two brothers and a sister?" Jessy enquired Amaaya with pretty much interest.

"No mom. Two sisters and a brother. Emy, Joe and Kevin." Ishaan was the one who replied silencing an-about-to-speak Amaaya.

"Ishaan, can you please let her speak anything? You are disturbing our talk." Jessy complained as Geni and Shreya exchanged a comic smile.

"Okay." He shrugged and looked back at his soup bowl.

Amaaya hesitated before taking the fork and began eating. Once she tried to press hard on chicken, her fork flew out in the air and ended up hitting Aju straight on his forhead, "Ouchh!"

"Seriously? A flying fork." He pouted letting way for everyone to look at Amaaya.

"Never mind! It's an alert of over eating." Farhan cracked a laugh.

"Uh, I was.." She stuttered but relaxed when it was followed by a group laugh.

"Hey, it's okay." Ishaan assured delicately.

Amaaya cursed the one who discovered fork when she realized it was impossible for her to use it. Especially before them. Her eyes searched the whole area to find atleast one without fork. But to her dismay, even the little kids were using it. Damn!

Amaaya had already decided not to have anything but then she found the one beside her, eating with his own hand. Last time she remembered, he was with the spoon and fork.

She looked deep into him, feeling so overwhelmed with what he was doing. She never cared about the atmosphere that she glued her eyes fully on him.

When he turned aside, he caught her staring at him. It was then his eyes, his lips and his spirit all at once smiled at her.

"Ahem ahem." Farhan faked a cough bringing them back to senses.

"We have'nt finished the food yet. All are still here." Aju teased.

"Hey, you are not even started?" Jessy asked Amaaya scanning her untouched plate.

Seriously? Food? She was all full with what she was going through.

And for the first time she betrayed her ever favourite thing 'food' for something else! And she was the happiest to see it was nothing else than Ishaan..

"Yeah, Farhan used to show all of his plays and my favourite is the one which you two had done." Geni excitedly rose up her voice.

"He is really good at acting, right?" Shreya added.

"Not really! It might be because of my impact he had done it so well." Amaaya dramatically lifted up her shoulders.

"You two are just the same." Geni threw her hands in exasperation.

"Is she on the way?" Aju enquired almost muttering to Eby.

"Yeah! And don't tell him, okay?" Eby made sure.

"What shu shu is going on here?" Farhan peeked at them, stuffing his mouth with dessert.

"Nothing!" Aju was taken aback by his sudden appearance as well as Eby.

"Uhm. You two are teaming up a lot now a days. Not good." Farhan said, making a way out from them.

"I can't believe this is our Ishaan." Jessy said as she watched him talking with Eby and Aju.

"Me either." Abraham stated with a contented smile.

Ishaan took one more glimse at the sitting room where the girls were blabbering like the end of the world. At the second Amaaya spotted him looking her, he gestured her to come out. She shook her head in disagreement as Geni kept on boosting about her talents.

Ishaan shot a sharp glare but she treated with a smile and turned back her head. Losing the patience, he strode into the sitting area and grabbed her. Looking no one, he began moving with her.

"Hey, you can't just take her." Geni shouted following them but it was too late that Ishaan had already locked the door from outside.

"What are you doing?" Amaaya asked agaped.

"I'm not doing it for the first time." He passed his most charming smile shuting her up.

"Come." Ishaan pulled her making his way to upstairs.

"Where?" She enquired in between walking but no one replied. "Wait, I can't walk with this pace." She paused breathing loud.

"Okay, I will take you then." He was upto take her when she stepped back. "What? No! Fine, I will walk."

They climbed up the huge steps landing at his room. He closed the door as her jaw dropped at the sight of the room. It was extrvagant and enormous. It was actually beautiful too, painted in dark theme and spaced in elegance.

Suddenly, her eyes landed on the open wardrobe which was filled with a bunch of candyfloss. She palmed her mouth, amuzed at the sight.

She indeed was speechless!

Amaaya turned to see the one who made her so and found him with a bouquet of cotton candies in hand.

"Ishaan.." She found her own voice leaving her.

"You don't have any idea how desperately I want you. I want you to be with me. In my every seconds. I want you to be mine. Completely and forever. Be mine Amaaya.."

Her vision got blurred at his words. Ishaan took hold of her face impatiently waiting her reaction. She nodded with tears running down her cheeks making him the happiest man in universe. She gently took the lovely bouquet before burrying her head in his chest. He caressed her hair hugging more tightly.

"What you doing here?" Eby entered the rooftop asking Farhan who was lost in his thoughts.

"Nothing actually. Just enjoying the air." Farhan replied feeling the cold breeze all over him.

"The breeze or the atmosphere?" Eby moved to him.

"Both! You know the happiest man is the one who falls in love with his present."

"Maybe true. I don't know. So, you are that one man?"

"Why can't I? I am." he stated daintily.

Eby narrowed his eyes at him. "Really?"

"Uhm." Farhan tilted his head to the other side not to face him.

"What's with this uhm?" He asked additionaly.

"I have been thinking.. just wishing.. if I had someone by my side. Like how Ishaan have Ainu and you have Anjali. I mean I'm so happy for you guys. But just wish."

"We are not the one knitting our story. It's all about destiny. It's not like you will always have a hard time. It's just a matter of time." Eby said, hoping it would help him.

"Come on Eby. I as well as you know that there will be no better part of my story. And so am I saying I'm the happiest now. I want you all to be happy. And that's it."

"Farhan.." the second he finished the line, a female voice called him.

▪▪▪▪▪

What do you think about the last part?

PLEASE DO VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE.

Love,

Efy♥