Shaurya doesn’t think much before he gets down on his knees before the girl who gasps at the sudden action. 

“Shaurya, what are you –”

“Shh.” He says, keeping a finger on his lips, wanting her to get the message. She does. Though she looks troubled. 

“I need to say a lot of things to you but before all of that I want to say that your nose goes all red when you cry, and you look adorable. Moving on.” He says but pauses just to see the reaction that he is sure will follow. It does. The girl’s eyes widen, the hurt in them getting dissolved and replaced by an amusing streak that breaks onto her lips in a shy smile. 

He clears his throat, bringing back the more serious atmosphere. He needs to say it and needs her to believe it. “So, as I was saying, I want to tell you a lot of things. The first one is that this thing right here,” he puts his finger on to his forehead, “apparently is empty.” The smiles doesn’t remain on her face for too long but neither does the sadness. He is content. 

He then takes her hand in his, holding it gently. He sticks his gaze to a familiar ring on his finger. 

“Will you believe me if I say that before coming here, I was worried that you wouldn’t want me anymore? That I have made you cry twice already… that today you didn’t even want me to say that you are with me in front of those people.” He looks up at her at that, a pitying smile gracing his lips. 

The furrow returns between Rati’s brows. 

“I never… I had been thinking of all the names with which to label our relationship, I couldn’t find any.” He says and watches as the furrow deepens between her brows, her trying to discreetly pull away her hand from his. He doesn’t let her. “That’s because what you and I have… it’s not what everyone does. Calling you my girlfriend would have been a huge lie not because I never asked you out but because that relationship wouldn’t ever be able to comprise of what I feel for you.” Rati’s hand stills in his. 

“Calling you my fiancé would have been a lie too not because we haven’t officially been engaged yet but because I want so much more than that. That word is just too unsure. It doesn’t have the finality of my feelings for you.” He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb and observes how she gulps hearing the words, nose turning pink, her eyes stinging in the back. 

“Calling you… my wife. Maybe that’s the word I want to use. Maybe that would be enough to tell the world what you mean to me, to tell you and placate me that this would be forever. I really wish it all comes true soon, but until then, please forgive my stupid self. Today is never happening again. After all, calling you my soon-to-be-wife might do the trick just as well, right?” he asks and takes pleasure in the way the girl entire face flushes yet again, as she ducks her head not looking in his eyes. Shaurya gets his answer though.  

He takes his seat on the bed once again, beside her. 

He can tell that the words has made her as emotional as they have made him.

“You can cry in front of me, I don’t mind, ba- Rati.” 

But Rati pouts, shaking her head. “No, not when its third time in the same day. I – I am not usually like this.” She huffs cutely that has Shaurya chuckling, holding, and stroking her hand affectionately. 

She then says something, something that Shaurya is utterly unable to hear. 

“Sorry, would you come again, please?” he asks, shifting closer to the girl, bringing his face nearer to hers. For listening purposes only, of course. 

“I said – uh – I d-don’t mind you calling me…” she tops there and when Shaurya looks up to face her, it’s just to find her whole face flushing. 

A teasing glint strikes Shaurya’s eyes as he takes in the cute sight, shifting a bit closer, this time to whisper in her ears. “Calling you… baby?” 

Rati shoots off the bed as soon as he says that, not even turning to look around before she rushes out of the door with a ‘let me bring you something to eat.’ And to think this is the same girl who had just hugged him right now for a whole one twenty-five seconds. 

Yeah, he had been counting. Sue him.

Outside, Rati silently squeals behind her hands too embarrassed and not really comprehending if it was actually her who did or said those things. Not only did she hug him for no less than two minutes but also told him that she liked... or well didn’t mind when he called her – The petname echoes in her ears and she decides to make her way downstairs before she combust on spot. 

She finds her mother sitting in the living room, looking at her with a soft smile. 

“Ma,” she smiles back, instantly going to her and tackling her into a bear hug. 

Her mother guffaws at the sudden attack, but pets her head gently. “That boy really got you this happy, huh? Do you feel lucky to have him in your life?” she asks, and Rati pulls away, looking at her mother. 

“I’m lucky to have you in my life, ma.” She says and watches as her mother’s face turns even sifter at the admission. “I’m sorry couldn’t talk to you when I came back home today. I was not feeling good.”

Her mother hums. “I know and I scolded your Shaurya for that.”

“You did?” Rati asks with a gasp. 

Her mother smirks. “Yeah, a lot of it. I even told him that I might never let him see you again.”

Rati’s jaw drops. She find herself pouting a second later. “You shouldn’t have troubled him so much.” She mumbles in her mouth, averting her gaze and tracing the patter of the cushion in her lap. Her mother seems to have listened to those words anyways and this time it is her turn to gasp, though it is clear she is feigning it. “You guys haven’t even got together yet and you’re already reprimanding me for scolding him.” 

“Ma…” the girl drawls out. “I’m not reprimanding you.” She huffs making the mother break her character and laugh. 

“Oh, yeah? What are you saying then?”

A small shy smile graces Rati’s lips as she says, “It’s just that he’s not that bad.” She mumbles and the answers have her mother shaking her head, letting out that tsk sound. 

“Ah, you’re already gone for that man.” She comments and before Rati can feign a protest, she adds, “but that’s ok, because he is just as gone for you.” 

The words have Rati blushing again, this time taking the help of her mother’s cardigan to hide her face into. 

*

Rati steps in the room with a tray full of snack inside her head, though the sight that she is greeted with is unexpected, and not in a very good way.

She sees Shaurya fixing up her worktable: the books messily spread around, the laptop charger all tangled up, her coffee mug that she forgot to take away – oh, she can’t see any of that. Neither can she see any wrinkle on her priorly spread bed sheets. 

She enters the room in haste, utterly embarrassed. “Shaurya,” she keeps the tray on the now empty table, standing in front of the man, stopping him from doing any further core. “What have you – why are you doing this?” she fusses, cheeks turning bright pink, wide eyes looking at the gaze’s recipient. The latter smiles. 

“Just looking around.” He says and brings the chair to its correct position. Though it is only a second later that the familiar mischievousness dawn in his gaze. 

“Though I must say, you have kept your room in a very… colourful condition. I don’t remember it being like this past few times” He comments, amusingly making Rati huff, crossing her arms and looking away.

“Well, this time you came unannounced. I didn’t get the time to clean up. Not to forget, I too had reached home only a few minutes prior to you.” She says into a pout.

He lets out that stifled chuckle this time. “Well, isn’t that a blessing? I already know what’s going to happen to my room once you come there. I’ll just have to be ready with my cleaning tools.” 

The words have her turning her gaze towards Shaurya, widening her eyes in surprise, and tinge of fear. “Y-You shouldn’t say it so casually.”

“What shouldn’t I say so casually?”

Rati averts her gaze yet again. “The thing about me coming to you room. Also…” she looks at him with slightly narrowed eyes, one that are bent on turning solemn. “We haven’t even been engaged yet and you are already sighing. Are you already tired of living with me –”

“I can’t wait to live with you.” He says, interrupting both her words and her breath. “I hope it’s the same for you… baby.” 

Rati blushes while Shaurya has the audacity to smile.