"No I promise on this one. If you didn't enjoyed-"

"Enjoyed!?" I cut him in between, chuckling.

"Yeah if you didn't enjoyed or wanted more? Then we'll only kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss and kiss."

His every 'kiss', was making my stomach drop drop drop drop and drop, until it hit the floor.

"Okay?"

I took few seconds to collect myself, and finally said, "okay."

"Sure?"

I took another few seconds to reply, "okay I will tell you tomorrow."

"What?"

"If the plan is on or off"

"Okay. So let's meet there. Now don't cancel it because I'm coming delhi only because of you. If you did, I won't come delhi again," he mumbled.

I chuckled again.
Idk if it was an idiotic grin because of his confession last few minutes or his lame joke.

"But I want to go to cafe first," I teased him.

"First cafe!?" he whispered disbelieving my words, "why?"

I didn't answered him.
Because I had no reason lol
I was just playing with him.

"Okay let's do one thing. Name the cafe and coffee you want, and I will turn the room into a café for you. De neda senorita! "

"De na what?" I laughed.

He chuckled. "It's a Spanish term meaning no worries, no big deal, senorita."

"I see."
He just called me senorita?
He is definitely going crazy tonight.
It was already past 8 PM.

"Yeah. Itna to kar sakta hu tumhare liye (I can atleast do that much for you). Convert room into cafe."

I kept quiet with idiotic grin on my face, feeling countless butterflies down there.

"Matlab tum.....badi hi tez ho.."
(I mean you're......so smart.)

I chuckled and asked, "Why?"

"Maan ke, de nahi rahi tum,"
(You aren't saying yes, even though you're convinced)

I was laughing too much today.
We both were.

"I'm saying I will tell you tomorrow."

"No you will deny me tomorrow I know very well."

"Tomorrow, I will tell you where I will go. Okay?"

"No. I don't know," he mumbled.
It was his turn to act upset lol.

After witnessing my silence, he spoke again, "I don't care where you want to go. All that matters to me is I wanna kiss you. The moment I'll get a chance, be it cafe, road, metro, or whatever, I will kiss you right there. Now its on you, where you want to be kissed at."

Where I want to be kissed at?
Oh dear

We joked around a bit more as I suggest few safe spots instead of his daring ones.

"Okay enough of jokes, now listen to me," his tone switched into serious one.  

"Say."

"I'm angry now."

"Okay you're angry," I chuckled.

"Yeah I'm serious and very angry now. We'll meet in room. Chapter over."

Then we discussed a bit about timing and all.

"About the booking and stuff, it's on you. I don't know anything about this stuff."

"Ok ok. Just bring your ID."

"Remember I told you I have to check?" I chuckled.

"I don't remember. I know you'll give excuses."

"Main excuse kyu dungi Muraat!?" I sighed at last. (Muraat why will I give you excuses!?)

"Aye haye, itne pyar se naam le rahi ho," he teased me some more.
(Oh dear, you're taking my name with so much love)

Before I could react he took his words back, fearing I might get angry again, "Okay, you aren't taking with love, you aren't taking," and chuckled again.

I was not angry at him, I was just......
Pissed
And laughing
And I don't know.

I was so done with this guy.

"I know one thing for sure. I will definitely break your skull into two after meeting you."

"Achha. Yaar please don't beat me up. I will get scared real fast if you did."

I said nothing, feeling variety of emotions at once.

"Just don't get angry, nor upset with me. Otherwise I know how fast I will get nervous," he murmured.

I kept listening quietly.

"Text me at night whatever is your plan. Okay?"

"Okay." I mumbled.

"Or mujhe 'Naa' nahi sunni hai"
(And I don't want to listen 'No' )

I shake my head.

"Mujhe sirf do cheeze sunni hain," he carried on.
(I want to listen just two things)

"Kya?" (what?) I whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Ya to haan, ya phir haan."
(Either yes, or yes.)

He made me chuckle again.

"I don't want to listen anything apart from that."

I took another deep breath.

He muttered few flirty words then spoke, "Listen."

"Speak."

"Can I bring chocolate?" his question puzzled me.

"Chocolate? Why?"

"For a chocolate kiss."

I blinked once
Twice
Thrice.
"KYAA?!" (WHAAT?!)

"I have never tried it before," he chuckled at my reaction.

"So you'll do all your experiments on me?" I scoffed.

"Noo.. It isn't an experiment."

"If I have allowed you for one thing it doesn't mean......" I paused trying to put words together. "If I gave you a finger, it doesn't mean you'll grab the whole hand." I tried to sound logical as possible.
He was messing with my vocabulary.

"No. I mean, a kiss is a kiss right? Be it chocolate kiss or french kiss?"

My mouth was hung open at his audacity.

"Okay I'm not bringing. I'm not bringing. I will not bring," he tried to shush me down incase I will get angry again.

He's extra cautious today.
I have never felt so over powered with him lol.

I finally found some words in my throat and uttered, "If you're bringing for me, to eat, then yes. Otherwise No." 

"Okay okay okay okay. Nope nope. All good?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, text me later."

"Hmmm"

"Okay bye."

"Bye."

The moment he hanged up, I squealed covering my face, jumping like a teenager who just got proposed by her crush. 

.
.
.

"He what!" Zoe stared at me with big eyes as I was standing with hands covering the big grin I had on my face.

I nodded.

She blinked several times running out of words just like me.

After pacing around back and forth for few minutes together, she stopped in her tracks facing me with hands on her waist.

"Isn't that manipulation?"

"What the.... How?" I raised my eyebrow.

"You know, daring you to kiss in public so that you'll say yes eventually to the room and god knows what will happen there," she rambled on.

"Wait, wait, wait." I bring out my palms in the air as a stopping sign. "That would have been a manipulative move if I didn't wanted to kiss him too. But here things are mutual. I want him too."

She raised her eyebrow with a smirk.

"What?" I laughed.

"So little missy wants to kiss back too."

"Little what?" I titled my head.

Why is everyone calling me names today?

"Well, I don't know Hayat. But I find hotels a bit sus you know? I don't trust these places."

"Hmmm," I nodded. "But we'll see the trusted ones. I bet he would be extra cautious than me."

"But you guys are meeting for the first time! Isn't the hotel a bit too much?"

"I know right!! That's what i told him."

"I will advise you to drag him to cafe."

I took a deep breath feeling stuck in the situation. "We'll see."

She looked at me with a questioning look, 'are you seriously considering going to room?'

"I trust him cousin," I admitted with a heavy heart.
Because right now I feel really stuck in between the two important persons of my life.

"Okay. Anyways you've said if you'll feel comfortable you'll go right?"

I nodded.

"So just go with your gut."

I smiled at her releasing the breath I was holding in.

"But if it was Kabir, I would have never went into the room especially on the first meeting," she folds her hand on her chest, but after noticing my unsure demeanor she places her hand on my shoulder. "Look, all I want is you to be safe cousin. In the end I will say just do what makes you comfortable, and if your gut says yes."

I nodded. "I trust him. Of course he wouldn't do anything that will make me uncomfortable, otherwise I will beat the shit out of him. I bet he would be more nervous than me."

"Hope so." Zoe smiled at me. "I would advise you to take pepper spray."

I laughed at her suggestion.
"So is your Kabir aka Bunny coming or not?"

"I have left a text as you said." She rolled her eyes.

"And?" I raised my eyebrow.

"And what? That's it. I will tell you when he replies," she shrugged.

"Good."

"What good? There's nothing good in that. I'm telling you either he will respond late or will ditch me."

I sighed at my over dramatic cousin.
"Then just ask your school friends if that's the case."

"I'm fine with being a third wheel. I'mma spy you both at the cafe sitting three tables away," she pulled her hoodie cap over her head like a spy.

"If we'll go to cafe," I reminded her.

"Oh yeah. Sure sure," she nodded, but whined after few seconds of silence, "Just use me as your excuse cousin! Say that Zoe would be left alone."

I kept quiet folding my arms.

"Are you choosing him over your cousin Hayat?" she pointed her index finger at me.

I tried not to smile at her drama, standing quietly.

"Gosh I feel so single right now," she huffed at last.

.
.
.

'Meri moti khopdi me ye baat isliye nahi ja rahi hai kyuki mujhe tumhe kiss karni hai.'
(My hard-headed brain isn't able to process this information because I want to kiss you.)

His words kept ringing in my ears giving me giddy feeling through out the dinner.

I had lost my appetite, which resulted in few concerning questions by mum and pops.

"Nah. I'm fine. Just not feeling hungry," I said and went to the washroom.

I took a few deep breaths and looked into the mirror after washing my hands. I couldn't help but smile at my reflection, covering my mouth.

Did that really happened? Did he really said that? That wasn't a dream right?

I pinched myself, feeling the pain.

Yeah. Its not a dream.
We are finally going somewhere.

We
Him and I
Murat and I

AAAAAAAAAAAAA

I ruffled through my wardrobe checking up the documents.

My ID.
Yeah its here.

I had a big idiotic grin on my face which didn't last longer because overthinking took control.

What if....
What if he doesn't want to get into relationship like before?
What if he is just bored and playing with me?
I don't want to be clowned.

My mind recalled a memory from few days back.

'Hum kisi ke bare me achha kese soch sakte hain? Jab vo insan bhi humare bare me achha soche.'
(How can we have good thoughts about a person? If that second person is also thinking good about us.)

'Phir logo ko dhoka kese mil jata hai?' I questioned him.
(Then how does people get betrayed?)

'Uske dil ko pata hai par vo admit nahi kar pata,' he concludes his point.
(His heart knows the truth, but he is afraid to admit it, and brush it off again and again)

If this philosophy is true, then maybe he is genuine. Because my feelings have always been genuine for him. Time to check out if this is just a myth or a realistic thing.
But even if he genuinely feels for me, that doesn't mean he will get into a relationship.

Remember he also said 'liking someone doesn't mean you'll get into relationship with them, talk 24/7'

Ughh!!
I will ask him about it.
I will clear up things.
Yep

Let's take baby steps, and not rush into things. I will have a questionnaire once I meet him.

Phone vibrated in my pocket, breaking my train of thoughts.

Red Nose
'I have a question. Answer honestly. What does your heart want? Just like I told you what I felt, what do you feel?'

What I want?
I'm afraid you won't be able to give me what I want.

I closed my eyes taking a deep breath and put back the folder I was holding. Few minutes later my phone vibrated again, and this time he was asking for call.

Me
'5 mins'

I quickly completed the work mum gave me and went at the terrace covering myself.

Chilly wind hits my face at I stood under the starry sky, dialing his number.

He picked up at second ring but the line was silent.

"Hello?"

No answer

I checked if the call got cut but nope.

"Hello?" I said again

"Yea," he finally spoke up.

"Hmm. Your work is done?"

"Ji." (yeah)

"Where are you?"

no response

"Hello?"

"One second," he murmured.

I played with the hem of my hoodie, sitting on the chair while waiting for him.

"Ji," he finally gave his full attention to me after a few minutes.

"Where are you?"

"Here, with you."

"I mean, place" I chuckled.

"Aamir's place."

"Okay."

The line went silent again.

"By the way, did you found the ID?"

"Yeah I did."

"Good. So, what's the plan?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

"And? What decision did you came up with? You wanted time to think."

"Well... We don't have much time. And traveling takes time. So.....if we'll first go to cafe, then hotel, it would take time. So it's better we'll directly go to the hotel," I muttered.

"Good. You took the right decision," I could feel the smile in his voice.

"Yeah yeah, of course. You would pat my shoulder saying yes Hayat, very good." I smiled.

"Of course," he chuckled, "and, you'll get whatever you want. Just ask once."

I sighed.

"What will you ask for?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"Why?"

"There's nothing I can ask for."

"Just ask anything you want from me."

I closed my eyes.
I feel stupid for even thinking about it. Because I just wish...
I just wish I can ask him

That I want him to be mine.

.
.
.

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