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Chasing through peak-hour traffic we reached our destination. It was high-end restaurant in a secluded place somewhere in the industrial area of New Mumbai. At the entrance, fire torches were stuck to the wall which made a very intriguing first impression. In the dark, chilly evening, the fire provided a visual treat. We parked our car in the vast cold and mostly dark parking lot in front of the restaurant.

Sam waved at the escorts. It showed that she had been here often and people knew her. As we stepped inside, good music greeted us. As I walked, I realized my steps on the wooden floor were in sync with the beats. I was happy to be wearing my boots which I had brought log back but hardly used. We passed by a dining area to our left and barely illuminated bar to our right. It had an array of tall chairs that were all occupied. The wonderful wooden interior of the place seemed warm and stylish.

Sam did have good taste!!

Arjun and I looked for the best available table in the dining area. But Sam had something else in mind. She didn't stop and continued to walk. The two of us had to follow her. We knew we were in good hands. So we saved ourselves from the hassle.

When we reached the end of the room. Sam pushed the glass door and led us out from the lit, temperature controlled seating area back to the cold dark openness.

I rubbed my hands thinking it would be cold. But the moment I stepped out, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the area was illuminated with free torches, just like at the entrance. They were installed at a safe distance on the both sides of the seating tables. A few were already occupied. The fire torches naturally lit up the place and kept it warm. It was incredible might view.

" Wow!!" Arjun said looking around

" So how's it?" Sam turned around and looked at us.

We grinned.

" I told you I will get you to a place where you won't feel cold enough to wear this.." she said holding the collar of my overcoat. That was a gentle reminder for me.

A staff manager arrived and took us to one of the available tables. He pulled a chair out for Sam. I figured he knew Sam from her previous visits to restaurants.

But I was amused when I noticed Arjun stepping ahead of me, to the other side of the table. He pulled out a chair for me. I felt incredibly good and unexpectedly shy at the same moment.

" Thank you!! But you never did this at the juice counter !!"

He had an answer for that as well " I am your guru there..."

" And what are you now??" I chuckled

Sam pitched in this time and said " A chivalrous gentleman and you are the lady..."

Even though Sam didn't mean it that way, her words added a tinge of mischief to the cold-warm air around us.

She took off her leather jacket. She wore a smart black sleeveless crop top that went awesomely well with her jeans.

After the manager had collected Sam's jacket, he looked at me..it was time, I realized.

The fire was at an arm's length from me. I could feel the warmth. I would look like fool if I did not take my overcoat off. When I did, I avoided looking immediately at Sam or Arjun. I didn't want make my discomfort obvious. And yet, even without looking at them, I could sense their eyes on me. But thankfully, neither of them said anything till the manager had left.

Sam was the first one to speak.

" You!! Look!! Stunning!! " Each word was followed by a pause. Her voice was soft. She meant it.

Her eyes were on me as she raised herself from her chair leaned to kiss my cheek. I felt good. Her warm gesture made me smile.

I turned around towards Arjun to see what he had to say . My hesitation had vanished. Sam had made me comfortable.

Contradicting my earlier awkwardness, I now looked forward to my trainer's compliments.

Arjuns eyes were still on me. He didn't speak though. I discovered that for some reason he wasn't able to collect his thoughts well. I raised my eyebrows pushing him to react..

He struggled and managed to say " Ya...You..you ..you look beautiful"

And that was it.

I saw him shifting his eyes on Sam so that she could add more. If need be.

" Really ?" I asked trying to make his uncomfortable..with him around me I was always actual me..teasing..fun loving...

He looked back at me and nodded his head a few times but didn't say anything

" this guy is so awestruck by you, he isn't able to speak!!" Sam laughed

" Come On!!" Arjun said and excused himself to walk behind me to take his chair

I too sat down

I had never seen Arjun at loss of words. I wasn't sure why he had reacted o differently. I thought he would be excite and say a lot of things. But nothing of that sort happened.

As soon as we settled down, we got temporally busy reading menu card. Sam had to leave early so she quickly ordered on everyone's behalf. Arjun's reaction from moments back was still lingering in my mind

Sam ordered some dishes from the menu. Arjun and I merely looked for them in menu card..we left that difficult job on Sam..so she ordered.

She had just begun telling me something, when Arjun suddenly turned towards me and interrupted Sam

" Radhika, you have never looked this beautiful, ever!!" he said and kept looking at me.

It was only an extension of what he had said a few minutes back.but what was different this time was the manner in which he said it. He didn't stammer like before. He was in complete control. He knew what he was saying. He had taken his time to say it.

Sam derived a lot of pleasure from Arjun's unexpected words. She pulled herself back and savored the moment. She was smiling.

I was shocked. As I soaked in his words, a realization dawned on me. He had said it!! And now I didn't know how to react. I looked at Sam. She refused to help but then she saw my face and said

" wait a second..are you blushing?/"

" Are you crazy? What makes you think so?" I replied, blushing even more

" I'm not thinking so..i'm seeing so.." she looked at me naughtily

" Hello!! There still time left for your meeting..let's not interrogate me here.." I taunted only to get her off the topic

Luckily, the attendant arrived at our table with drinks and interrupted our disccuion. I thanked god. But Sam took her sweet time to let that smile on her lips fade.

The wine was served along with the house snacks and waiters asked us that our ordered snacks would arrive in some time. The busyness around the table brought me some time to get hold on the situation.

" And I must thank you for this transformation.." I said looking at Arjun with artificial confidence. I had to keep Sam from speaking.

And I had succeeded in doing so.

Arjun smiled " Well, you are a great student!!" he said.

" But not greater than me!!" Sam interrupted taking fake offense

The two of us agreed with her . on the note she raised a toast

" To the cancellation of Radhika's Birthday treat !" she giggled

" To Radhika, for achieving her goals!" said Arjun

" To you two for turning this horrible day into a beautiful one for me !" I said

We ate kebabs and drank red wine. As soon as Sam finished her second glass, she left us for her meeting. She promised to get back in an hour or so.

" I can't imagine any industry other than advertising where you can go to work drunk!!" Arjun said teasing Sam .

" Oh!! Hello!! I am not drunk. I only drank a little. That too wine!!" she responded to Arjun

" Okay !! Okay!! No debates here..Save them for your meeting.." he pleaded

Sam's absence left a void. In the company of the each other , Arjun and I only wondered what to discuss.

" So?" Arjun was the first between us to start talking

" Nothing. You say..." I replied not knowing what to say. His compliments about my looks still fresh in my thoughts.

We used to talk so much in the gym. And look at us today.

So we ended up discussing Sam. That was the safest option. That's what happens when two people meet through common friend. They discuss their common friend. But that didn't go for long time as we know each other. We had known each other since eight months and in many special ways.

Silence followed after our little talk about Sam..the place was bustling with the people. Every available table was taken by then.

I was still holding on to my first drink when Arjun said " Do you have any plans of finishing that tonight?" he was going to finish his second drink and perhaps waiting for me to finish mine, before asking for repasts

" That's the maximum I can drink...." I said looking at the left over wine in my glass.

" Another one won't hurt. It will help the situation." He suggested

I knew what he meant. It was a situation that we were in. that evening I continued to do things I had been hesitant to do in my life before.

There's always a first time for everything..

My subconscious retorted.

I gulped down the rest of the wine and couldn't help but look in to Arjun's eyes. Arjun looked back into mine. Neither of us took our eyes away from each other for a brief while. Then we laughed and hi-fived.

It had been long since we did that. It felt special. We both knew we had hidden our true feelings.

We downed another glass of wine. It took away the awkwardness between us. I was relaxed and Arjun and I were talking freely again. In fact, we were talking a lot by then..

Suddenly he stood from his chair and come close to offering his hand

" would you like to dance with me, Radhika?" he said with his vintage smile which anyone couldn't resist to admire.

" Sorry..but I don't dance" I said somehow when I replied after a minute admiring his sexy smile.

" Neither me..as in not in front of anybody ....." He said

" I mean I can't dance..not at all...." I said shyly

" C'mon..You can't be that bad...Anybody can dance..don't you heard Prabhudeva saying this..." he chuckled and gave me his puppy eye's look " Please, For me!!"

And I couldn't able to resist anymore..I put my hand in his..he led me to the dance floor where soft Romantic music were being played

" I won't be responsible if I stoop on your leg while dancing.." I said teasingly, giving him last chance to back off

" Let's see...." He replied with sparkle in gleaming in his eyes

He was hesitant but he pulled me in and wrapped his arms around me. I slowly wrapped my own around him, and I settled my hand on his shoulder. And I felt the slight electric sparks that was produced to that touch in me..

We swayed along with the music, I brought my eyes to look at him, and he already was looking at me. Our eyes locked. And I felt I was automatically swaying on the rhythm in his arms...I just wanted to enjoy this moment..i wanted world to stop that I could have this moment for my life time..i could spend my whole life staring in his deep black eyes, which was warm and filled with love.

I couldn't help but to lean on his shoulder. Being this close to him, I felt my heart begin to race. It was amazing feeling that I never felt ever in my life.

As the music came to end and switched to rock one, we returned to our table. And as I sat , the floodgates of emotions opened, and I started to miss his warm. I couldn't and didn't want to hold myself back. I wanted to confess to him that in the past two weeks, I had attempted to distance myself from him. And so the words tumbled out. Unchecked, uncontrolled. Then something else trickled out. A tear down my right cheek. It was just beginning.

" Radhika!!" Arjun took my name softly, pulling himself up from his comfortable laid back position.

" Hey!! What happened?" he was concerned and leaned over to come closer to me. Yet he held himself back from touching me. It was inappropriate, he must have thought. Even though he would have done so a thousand times in the gym..but then that was his job. Things were different here. He wasn't my trainer at this moment. That was the fine thing about this gentleman. He knew when and where to draw the line. But then, I wanted to him to step over that line.

" Why are you crying, radhika?"

I heard his troubled voice. Underneath my wet eyelashes everything on the table appeared blurred.

" why isn't he like you?"

" who?"

I didn't look up.

" Saral.." I said

By then Arjun was already familiar with the issues with my personal life. Ever since happy street day, I had talked about my personal problem with Arjun.

Neither of us spoke for some time. The noise from the surrounding tables showed the high spirits of the night.

But then again I continued to speak " Why can't saral care for me the way you care for me...for what I want...for what I am looking for...the way you make an effort for me , Arjun...the way you...."

Right at the moment, I felt his hand over mine. I stopped short of finishing my sentence. I looked up at him. Beyond my tear soaked eyes, his face appeared hazy due to fire torches light.

" It's my job, Radhika" he said softly

Arjun's words left me speechless for a moment. But I knew he was right.but then, deep inside me, I belived and wished there was something beyond it, beyond his job that made him to do all those caring things. I struggled to find right words. Alcohol brings out the emotions. I had begun to feel lighter. But I wanted to talk more..

" Yes, but then what matters to me is that you...you... care for me..you make me feel good about myself. You push me hard, not because you want to, but because eight months back, I told you that I wanted you to. You are the one who reminds me, when I forget my own goals, you scold me, when I lose track. Arjun, you keep me focused. You make me look firward to every day with excitement. You are the reason for my happiness in my everyday life...Saral doesn't make me feel that way. He is ambitious but he doesn't invest in my ambitions or me. You do, arjun. You do.. you are shareholder in my life's dreams..I wish...I wish... you could play the same role in my life as well..'

I said it..the last line.. I realized the gravity of it. Yet I didn't want to correct anything. I was happy it was out of my system.

" Radhika!" he interupteed me. He wanted to say something but couldn't able to do

I took it my cue. " I love you Arjun..you complete me.." I said... those words come naturally to me..As if they were meant to be said in that perfect moment. I felt no regret in doing so...

" I completely understand you. But I hope you are aware what you are expecting is not possible.."

Just then waiter came to our table to check if we needed anything. I immediately slipped out my hand from his and wiped my tears. The waiter was smart enough to understand the seriousness of situation. He left immediately

" I am sorry if I am embarrassing you by telling you how I feel about you..." I confessed to arjun with no regrets

" No you aren't I just said I understand you. Completely!!" he said in return

I was quiet

" Are you feeling better? Now that you have let out your feelings.."

I didn't say anything but nodded

" Good " He took a deep breath and exhaled , as if trying to relax. My tears had stopped by then. I could see his face clearly. He seemed to be thinking.

Then he spoke softly. " Radhika, listen....now that you have let it out of your system, you will have to get over it..."

His blunt words punctured my heart.

I heard them in disbelief. Even before tears could again veil my eyes, I looked at Arjun's face and said

" Easy for you to say that. Because you don't feel this way. You say you understand..but you don't.."

I guess he wanted to speak up he stepped back.

All I wanted in that moment was to hear what Arjun had to say. That's all.

A sad smile came on Arjun's face. Tears had re-emerged in my eyes.

" I wish it was true....." Arjun had only begun to speak when my mobile started ringing. I don't wanted to talk to anybody..i wasn't prepared to talk to anyone..i made it on silent.

The next moment Arjun's phone rang.

" Sam.." he said when he looked at his phone..

I had no clue of the time. I picked tissue and wiped my tears. I looked at my watch , it reads 9.00 pm..and I had to reach home before 10 in night.

" No, she is here..i guess her phone is on silent..." he said to Sam

Sam said that there had been a crisis situation at her office. She was apologetic about her helplessness at not being able to join us, since she was the one who had planned dinner.

" No, you don't worry, Sam..we will take a cab.." he said

Sam's called changed the course of discussion. Arjun tried to calm me down.

As soon as he as he finished the call, he booked a cab from his phone.

" how soon will it arrive?" I hurridly checked

" Luckily , in five minutes...."

I took a breath of relief. We didn't order any more food but at some snacks. Arjun wanted to pay the bill but I insisted and made sure it was my treat. I reminded him that it being my birthday . our banter over bill got him to relax.

As soon as the cab arrived, we left.the alcohol started to wear off. I had started to reagain my senses. The romantic song busting on FM in the cab, were give sharp contrast to feelings. I don't know when sleep took over me..i remember resting on his shoulder. He didn't deny.

I only got up when Arjun woke me up at the entrance gate of my apartment building.

" its dot Ten " he said

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Radhika's dress:

So this it for today...

what gonna happened now?? Why Arjun' hasn't confess?? How they gonna be face each other as Radz confessed now??

So all the questions will be answered in next chapter..

I guess we are nearing to the end of this story..may be max 4-5 chaps reamaing..so plzzz showere your support on our trainer..

Love you!

xoxo