The countdown to Jen's wedding has officially started. In one week, my hands will be embroidered with the beautiful designs of mehendi, I'll be cheering when Jen accepts her marriage to Anwar, and I'll shake it on the dance floor at their reception. 

The jewelry and anarkali that I plan to wear hang on my closet door, illuminated by the dim white light. Meanwhile, I'm enshrouded in the darkness of my closet as I try to find the perfect outfit for my date.

I used to dream about this day whenever I really was missing Manish. I always thought what we would've done if I had been honest and we both felt the same way about each other. Now, as cliche as it sounds, my dream has come true. We're finally going on our first date.

I'm elbow deep in my closet, trying to find the most comfortable pair of jeans to wear. As Manish told me over the phone two nights ago, "Dress as comfortably as you can," and he sounded absolutely dead serious. So I'm trying to find my most comfortable pair of jeans. 

My red leather jacket is lying on the bed, ready to uplift whatever outfit I decide to wear for tonight. "Come on, I can save the lives of several people, but I can't find a pair of fucking jeans?" I grumble to myself, as I feel like my closet is going to engulf me in its black hole of endless clothes.

Eventually, my fingers brush against the pair I'm looking for, and I yank them out of my closet. I heave out a sigh of relief, and fling them out so they're straight and wrinkle free. Now comes the second hardest part. Actually putting them on, I think to myself, as I slightly dread the next 10 minutes.

After the ten minute tug of war happens, I'm in the mirror, multitasking. One eye is on my phone, watching to see when Manish's text will come. The other eye is staring at my mirror, looking up so I can apply mascara without blinding myself. 

Surely enough, I hear my phone buzz, and without fail, I blink too hard. Now there's mascara smudged all over my upper lid and I look like a melting orca. Shit, not again, I think to myself, as I grab a towel and wipe off my failure. Screw it, we'll just keep it simple with kajal and lipstick, I mutter to myself. 

Once the mascara is wiped off, I check my phone to see what the notification is. Surely enough, it's Manish, and the text reads, "Hey Jaya, I'm leaving now!" With a simple nod, I grab my kajal and start applying it in my lash line. 

At the same time, so much excitement is buzzing in the depths of my stomach. I have no idea what Manish has up his sleeve, but knowing that it's Manish, he's probably saving the best for me. 

After kajal, I throw on a light pink lipstick, and heave a sigh of relief. Cool, that wasn't as bad as other days, I think, reminiscing about the time I tried a new blush and ended up looking like Pennywise. After smoothing out my hair, my phone buzzes once more. "Hey, I'm outside." I exhale once more, and stare deeply into the mirror. Showtime, I think to myself.

The gentle clicking of my shoes against the pavement is weirdly satisfying to me. I shove my keys back into my purse, as I pull my jacket slightly tighter over me. I keep my head high in an attempt to inflate my confidence before I meet Manish. 

Surely enough, when I reach the parking lot, Manish is standing there, on his phone, scrolling through it. When Manish notices my presence, his eyes dart towards me. They immediately light up when they notice that it's me. "Jaya, hey," he greets, with his usual smile that's always as bright as the sun. 

I can't help but smile back, because of how infectious Manish's energy is. It's literally impossible to not smile whenever he does. "Good to see you, stranger. Are you ready?" 

Manish nods, and then without missing a beat, opens the passenger seat door. He holds it open as I sit down and make sure to not trip and fall on anything. With a loud SLAM!, Manish closes the car door and sits down in the driver's seat. 

After putting on his seatbelt, he takes a quick glance at me. "You look beautiful, by the way." I can feel blush start to tinge my cheeks while my heart flutters for half a second. 

I bite my lower lip, and squeak out, "Thank you, Manish. So, what do you have planned for tonight?" 

A little smirk stretches at Manish's lips, and he whispers, "It's a surprise." 

Well, he got lucky that I like surprises.

**********

Once we pull into the parking lot of his apartment and he gets out of the car, he doesn't even hesitate before bolting over to the passenger side door. Once he opens it, I step out and give him a little smile. "Why, thank you. Such a gentleman," I playfully compliment, as I brush my hand against his. 

Almost instantly, Manish gently interlocks his fingers with mine, while turning back and saying, "Only for my lady."

 I giggle a little bit, as Manish's keys jingle in his other hand. "I think you're going to like what I've got planned for you." 

I don't have to even ponder about this. Knowing how Manish is with our outings and meetings, he's going to do everything in his power to make sure that we have a good and stress free night. 

Once Manish unlocks the door, I step inside, and the first thing that hits me is the delectable smell. I can tell that Manish cooked Italian food, which is already causing saliva to pool at my mouth. The gentle smell of tomatoes and herbs tingles my nostrils and makes hunger growl furiously in the pits of my stomach. 

"Oh my god, Manish, it smells amazing." 

Manish gently slides off my jacket, as I feel the warmth of the apartment fully engulf my arms and hold me tight. "I made Italian food, also known as your favorite. Guess what dish I made?" 

I hope it's pasta arrabbiata, I think to myself, with my hopes slightly piqued. I turn around, and ask, "Is it arrabbiata?" 

A cheeky smile spreads all over Manish's face, as he hangs my jacket on a little coat hook. "You bet. Come on, it's still fresh." 

I can't help but follow orders, partially because the hunger growling in my stomach has grabbed the reins of my mind and is steering me to wherever Manish is going. He leads me straight to the dining table, where he pulls out my chair for me. "Sit. I'll be right back." As he prances over to the kitchen, he calls, "What do you want to drink, by the way? I have Sprite, coffee, and water." 

"Sprite, please!" I call back, as I hear him grab a glass from the cupboard. The ensuing clinking of glasses, pots, pans and utensils almost makes me wonder if World War 3 is breaking out in there. But knowing Manish, he's just doing the best he can. 

I hear him twist the top of the soda bottle open, as he brings a glass over. He puts it in front of me, and swiftly fills it to the top. In what seems like 5 seconds, he runs back into the kitchen and sprints back with a pot of pasta arrabbiata. "Let me know when to stop," he says, as he shovels out pasta onto my plate. 

Once the plate is mostly full, I hold my hand up to signal him to stop. He shakes his head in understanding, and pours the rest out onto his plate. Once he's done with that and sits down, I have another question that is burning in the pits of my stomach. "Manish?" 

"Yes?" 

"Why me? You must've met a thousand other girls in Seattle that were miles better than I could've been. Why did you choose me?" 

A grin eats up Manish's face faster than I want to eat up the pasta, and he sets his fork down to answer me properly. "That's the thing, Jaya. There were a thousand other girls I met in Seattle, but you were the only one I ever wanted." 

The second he says that, my heart comes screeching to a halt. My jaw slightly falls open, as I try to process what Manish just said. 

But all Manish does is continue and add to the amazing one liner he just dropped like a bomb. "Jaya, you're impossible to not fall in love with. Your sarcasm, honesty, and compassion set you apart from any other girl I ever met in Seattle by a mile. Any guy would be an idiot to not fall in love with you, and I sure was one for taking so long to realize it." 

I'm croaking out sounds that I never thought a human could produce. How do you even react to that? And how does Manish drop such perfect lines? Does he have a tutor that teaches him how to be the perfect boyfriend? 

As I'm sitting there because Ashwini.exe stopped responding, Manish just chuckles a little bit and picks up his glass. "Cheers, Jaya. I'm so fortunate to have you as my girlfriend." 

This time, the circuits in my brain actually click and I start behaving like a human for once. My hand shakily picks up my glass and I clink it against his. "Cheers, Manish, and thank you for being an amazing boyfriend already."

********

My stomach is stuffed to the brim. The slight heat from the spice of the sauce is burning in the back of my throat, while the sweet taste of the Sprite still lingers on the tip of my tongue. Manish wipes his mouth a little bit with the napkin, and then gets up to put everything in the sink. "Give it. I'll put it in the sink."

 I hand it over to him, and in another swift motion, he places both dishes in the sink and opens the freezer to pull out a giant carton of ice cream. He opens the drawer with his other hand and pulls out two spoons while I catch the flavor of the ice cream. Java chip, it reads, and a little spark of excitement ignites in the pits of my stomach. Damn you, Manish, knowing my weaknesses. 

Manish turns back, with the most devilish look in his eye, while holding up the spoon. "I have The Big Sick, and I can't eat this ice cream by myself. Care to join me?" He adds a little wink at the end of it, and I know that I can't say no. 

I swiftly get up from my chair and follow him to the couch. He flops on it first, before I follow him and flop down next to him. He hands me the spoon and pops open the lid to reveal the coffee flavored goodness inside with some chocolate chunks swirled throughout. The TV screen switches from black to reveal the movie ready to be played. 

And in the next few hours, we're thrown into a different world that is beyond my imagination.

**************

I feel like my stomach is going to explode. Bits of chocolate are embedded in my molars, while the last laugh from the movie is still etched in the back of my throat and in my cheeks. I'm completely melted into Manish, and I don't realize the time until I check my watch. "10:10," it reads. "Shit." I grumble under my breath, as I shoot up from Manish's embrace. 

His head darts towards me, slightly weirded out by me jumping. "All good?" he asks, as he loosens the stiffness of the pose he was lying in. 

I straighten out my bird's nest like hair and make sure I don't look like someone tried to wrestle me to the ground. "No, it's late. I should get going." 

Manish nods, and gets up from the couch completely. "I get it. Come on. I'll drive you home." Manish grabs his keys from the dining table, and I immediately follow him so that I can get home in one piece.

******

Once we're outside my apartment, Manish opens the car door for me. He moves a little so that I can get out properly. The second my feet hit the ground and I stand straight, we both engulf each other in the world's biggest hug. Like we're not going to see each other in the next three years and this is our last hug before we're separated. 

Manish's hand flies to the back of my head, and he plants a gentle kiss on my forehead. It's so featherlike, but I feel it travel all the way to my toes. I close my eyes for a second, and merely whisper, "Thank you for an amazing first date." 

As if this moment couldn't be any better, he whispers, "Anything for you." I almost don't want to let him go. I fear that if I let him go, I won't ever get to hug him again, even though I know that's probably not true. 

But alas, our grip loosens on each other. I grab my keys from my purse, and walk towards my apartment. He follows after me to make sure that I don't get robbed when I enter. I stick the key in the keyhole, take off my shoes, and open the door all within ten seconds.

 Once I enter my apartment, I turn around to bid goodbye to Manish. I give him a little smile, and we both lean in. Our lips lock for a few seconds, and then disconnect so we can say goodbye to each other properly. "Good night, Jaya," he says, following that up with an innocent smile. 

I can't help but to reciprocate that smile. "Good night, Manish," I say as well, as I see him walk away. I lock the door behind me, turn around, press my back against it, and start giggling like an idiot. 

Good night indeed, I think to myself. 

---------------------------

I love chapters like this. It's definitely amazing seeing them have their first proper date as a couple after everything they've been through. So, are you surprised at all by what Manish cooked up? (pun intended) 

I hope you guys liked this chapter! As always, please vote/comment/share/message/follow (both on here and on my Instagram [svts.writes]) for updates regarding my works! See you all in the next chapter!

Love you guys, 

Shree