Rooh

They say we should dream big, but not the unimaginable. I used to dream about the boy I've had a crush on since I was 16, it was the impossible type. If someone had told me at that age that I'd have the same boy's arms around me one day, I would've no doubt told them to come out of their delusions.

Well, I guess I can successfully admit that I was so wrong. It wasn't delusional to say that, and those dreams were definitely not impossible. And I think somewhere in my heart, I'm more than happy to admit that.

A burning blush spreads over the apples of my cheeks as I feel Avi's warm fingers brush over the exposed skin of my stomach. Maybe today wasn't the best day to wear a tank top.

The food on my tray was probably cold by now, but I didn't pay heed, my mind kept running back to 10 minutes ago when those flesh-tingling, toe-curling deep words left his full kissable lips.

'You'll eat now, so I can savour you later.'

Good god, I had forgotten to breathe for a moment. It wasn't until I felt Avi's hand around my waist that I came back to my senses. And once again, with the pads of his long delicate fingers, he had stolen breath, leaving me to struggle and stir in his hold. Once my focus finally returned to the table, I noticed Rishika had already, out of anger I assume, leaving Nyesha and Flavia to snicker behind.

Avinash's actions had caught me off guard. Although his words were only for my ears, the whole cafeteria had seen how he pulled me into his hold. As if staking a claim, which I'm sure he wanted to do, considering his words days ago in the empty classroom. Not that I had any problem with it... Who would ever have a problem with their crush having the same feelings towards them? I am certainly not that stupid.

A chill runs down my spine as Avi's lips brush against the sensitive skin of my earlobe. My mind races with unholy thoughts, conjuring up images that make me recoil in disbelief.

What is this man doing to me?

"Why aren't you eating?", He whispers softly, the arm around my waist tightening slightly making sure my attention is on him, which it had been since I walked into this cafeteria. My attention was always on him.

I turn my head towards him, to face him slightly, and regret it immediately.

He's so close... too close!

"I... I lost my appetite", I bite my tongue, scolding myself for stuttering in front of him.

His eyebrows furrow up slightly like they do when he's worried before he lifts his free hand to stroke my hair softly. The movement is so sudden that an unexpected gasp leaves my lips, and I feel my cheeks burn up more than they had before. I can bet a hundred bucks that I can cosplay a tomato right now.

Avi is oblivious to my reaction, his eyes wandering all over my appearance. From the open strands of my hair, down my front and to the exposed skin of my middle, and finally my thigh which was sprawled over his as I sat in his lip. His eyes linger there for a moment before he looks back at me, and winces knowing I've caught him in the act.

He clears his throat before shaking his head as if clearing his mind of all the thoughts it was having — I wouldn't be surprised if they were similar to the ones I was having only moments ago — and his free hand drops back onto the table in front of me.

"If you aren't hungry then would u like to have some ice cream? I know you haven't eaten anything since this morning.. and there's an ice cream parlour right out the campus which sells almost all the ice cream flavours known to man... I'm sure they have butterscotch too," Avi's lips clamp shut up once the hurried words leave his mouth. His eyes linger on my face, anticipating a response.

It took me a minute to process the offer he made to me, along with the fact that he knew what my favourite ice cream was and also that I hadn't eaten all day. Is he as much a stalker of mine as I am of his? There is no way he could've known all this without going through my social media.

"It's okay if you do-" I cut him off before he completes his sentence.

"Yes,"

"Yes?" he asks, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Yes, I'd love to get ice cream with you,"

My word trigger something in him, because as soon as they leave my lips, he lifts me from his lap with ease, before sliding out of his chair in a matter of freaking seconds. I stand frozen in my place as I stare at him in astonishment, his friends letting out a few chuckles around me.

I feel a tug on the edge of my shirt and I look to my side to find Nyesha smiling at me with encouragement. Behind her, her girlfriend holds up two thumbs a similar smile painted on her red lips.

I felt a rush of warmth flood under my skin at their reaction, and I was suddenly sure that they'd soon be very good friends of mine. From what I had heard, Nyesha and Flavia were a solid tie, either of them could be separated from each other.. ever. Nyesha was a literature major much like Kyra Didi, and Flavia was dedicated to Psychology and the study of the human brain. How these two meet is out of my knowledge, but I'm sure that if I want love, I want it the way these two have it.

As the thought crossed my mind, my eyes scanned the crowd in search of the one who had promised me my favourite ice cream. My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of him, the man I hadn't been able to move on from for what felt like forever.

Avi's laughter rings out, drawing my attention as I watch him with his friends. A warm smile spreads across his face when he catches my gaze, sending a rush of warmth through my entire body. He tilts his head, silently asking if I'm ready to leave. With a slow nod, I grabbed my bag from where it had been carelessly dropped when Avi pulled me onto his lap. As we make our way to the exit, I can feel his presence close behind me, moving effortlessly.

The weather outside was pleasant. The sun was still high up in the sky, and a soft breeze tickled my skin as we walked down the sidewalk of our campus. Since the ice cream shop wasn't far we decided against a car. So here I was, walking side by side with a man who had made it his mission to make my heart flutter without reason.

He looked exceptionally handsome today, more than he did otherwise. The breeze made it its job to blow his messy hair around as the sun beamed against his soft olive skin. Avi was a good-looking man and not only that, he was built well too. Years of interest in football had turned him from the lean boy he was in high school, to this man who seemed could lift a few sack of potatoes without breaking a sweat. I mean the way he lifted me off himself had me wheezing for a minute.

How does one do that? According to a few of my so-called friends, I had gained weight this summer, and here Avi was, making it all seem so effortless.

"Do you want to try a new flavour?" Avi's sudden question startles me, causing me to snap my head in his direction with a puzzled expression.

"Excuse me?" I ask, still trying to process the unexpected question.

He arches an eyebrow at me, repeating his question "Do you want to try a new ice cream flavour..?"

Oh. OH. Okay wow. That makes more sense. I need help. No way had I just thought that he was asking me about condoms.

"Rooh?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, my mind was somewhere else. Yes, let's try something new," I blurt out, trying to play off my embarrassment with a forced smile. Avi nods in understanding and we continue on our way.

My body buzzes with anticipation as we reach the colourful storefront, the open window showcasing the interior of the store. Avi steps ahead of me and pulls open the door, holding it there so I can enter first. I pass him a small smile before stepping inside the parlour.

Such a gentleman.

As I look around the ice cream shop, my eyes are immediately drawn to the vibrant murals adorning the walls and the twinkling fairy lights strung from the ceiling. The sweet scent of waffle cones being freshly made wafted through the air, along with the various flavours of ice cream.

Avi snickers by my side as my stomach grumbles in response to the sweetness lingering in the air, begging me to try everything I lay my eyes on.

"Go sit, I'll be right back," Avi says, before moving towards the counter to pay for our ice cream.

He didn't ask me which flavour I wanted, so I assume he already knew. I look around the small parlour, looking for an empty seat, before settling for the one on the far corner, near the huge glass window.

It didn't take long for Avi to come back with both our ice creams, and he settled in front of me, holding out my share of the double-scoop sweet delicacy. My mouth waters at the tall tower of butterscotch ice cream scooped into the thin waffle cone, its rims dipped in what seemed to be dark chocolate.

As I set down my treat, my gaze is drawn to the one in front of me. His dark hair tousled from the warm summer breeze outside, and his lips glistened with remnants of the ice cream he devoured. His eyes are fixated on his food, but I can still catch glimpses of the rich golden brown hue dripping from his eyes, bathed in sunlight streaming through the window next to us.

Ice cream or no Ice cream, the real treat was this man in front of me.

I return to my sweet indulgence, sinking my teeth into the velvety smoothness of the Butterscotch flavoured ice cream. The rich, creamy flavour explodes on my tongue, eliciting a satisfied hum from deep within me. I could devour an entire bucket of ice cream and still crave more. While others turn to comfort foods in times of need, for me it's always been comfort ice cream. It just speaks to my soul.

As we both finish our delicacies in contented silence, the bustling parlour begins to quiet down with each passing minute. I savour the last few bites of the crispy waffle cone before glancing over at Avi, who finished his treat a few moments ago.

"Was it good?" he questions, genuine curiosity flashing across his face. I hum in delight, able to form words with my mouth still full.

He lets out a soft chuckle, catching me a bit off guard, and I stare at him. I take him again once again like I had a million times before. His rose-plump lips, the slope of his nose, the lightest hue of pink over his olive cheeks, and his golden chocolate eyes pulled me in so close I feared I might never be able to pull away from them. And his hair. Oh, the tussled curls of his dark brown hair, which my fingers ached to touch, to run through, to pull at as he did things I can only imagine in my lucid dreams.

Avi clears his throat, catching me staring, and I look away quickly covering up my shamelessness with a cough.

"Sorry I- I got lost in the painting behind you," I fumble with my words before pointing to the mural painted behind him. His lips curl up at the corner and he shakes his head softly before standing up from his chair.

He gives a quick look at his watch before looking out the glass window, finally turning his gaze back on me as he speaks, "We should get going, your family will be here to pick u up soon,"

I tilt my head to the side in confusion before checking my phone for the time. Sure enough, there were only 15 mins before someone came to pick me up from campus.

"How... would know what time I get picked up?" I mumble, more to myself.

Avi steps in front of my chair, before his warm fingers catch a hold of my chin, tipping my head back to face his.

"I know everything about u Rooh," Avi says.

I gulp nervously, my palms starting to sweat and I rub them against my skirt to catch a grip on myself. With my eyes fixed on Avi's, which seem to be lost in thought, I push my chair back before getting out of the hold he had on my chin.

"Sounds very stalkerish of you," I say with a laugh, trying to play it off cool.

My words seem to bring him out of whatever thoughts he had been playing in his head and a grin plays against his lips.

"Nothing like that Ms. Ranawat, I'm just very observant," He says playfully.

I shake my head at his attitude as a small smile plays on my lips. Gosh, why did he have to be so cute?

I pick up my bag from the chair beside mine, before slowly walking towards the door. Avi throws away the remnants of our little feast, before catching up behind me.

"Let's go before that scary best friend of yours bites my head off," he shakes his head, probably remembering the same encounter he had with Kaynaaz at the wedding and I let out a chuckle at his silliness before hurrying to the campus, considering that he was probably right.

It was almost evening as we reached the gates of the university, the sky taking the pink and orange hue which I always loved more than anything else these days.

"It's beautiful," I whisper in fascination.

"Very beautiful," Avi murmurs next to me and I turn to look at him, only to find him already staring at me.

I soft heat creeps up my cheeks as I watch him tip his head to the side, smiling at me like the cute idiot he is. It takes everything in me not to raise my toes to bring him closer and kiss his lips.

"Rooh," he whispers, asking for my attention again. I nod at him, asking him to continue which leads him to step forward, closer to me than he was before.

His right arm swings out as he catches me by my waist and pulls me flush against his front. A gasp leaves my lips before I can stop it and I look at him with bewilderment in my eyes.

I open my lips to protest against his actions, "Someone will.."

"There's no one here, please just listen to what I have to say," His words cut me off softly and he tightened his hold around me slightly.

Unable to form any words, I simply nod my head in agreement.

Avi draws in a deep breath before speaking, "I had a good time with you today. I know Rishika ruined your mood this afternoon but, I had a good time either way. I want to do it again... but properly. Let me take you out for dinner. Go on a date with me?"

My eyes and heart both soften at his words, my stomach suddenly filling with a thousand fluttering butterflies. I take a moment to think, a moment to process whether he has said the words he did, and that he had meant them. My heart sings with joy, thinking about the years I had waited for something like this to happen, the little girl in me who without a doubt believed that it would certainly happen.

I feel Avi squeeze my side softly, impatiently waiting for my response. My eyes find him at the moment, and I realise they hold so much anticipation that if it were me, I'd burst from it.

"Okay," I say softly, my eyes crinkling up with a smile, "I'd love that,"

Anvi

I stare at the scene in front of me in pure and utter horror. I blink furiously before rubbing my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating and drop back against my seat as I watch the youngest amongst us smiling at a guy I've never seen before.

Rooh stares up at him in fascination, her body flushed against his as if it's the most normal thing to do. She says something to him again, clearly unaware of her surroundings, and he laughs, throwing his head back.

Only when I had thought that some innocence was felt in at least some of us, I had to witness this. I had to witness the fact that Rooh Ranawat, might have a boyfriend?!

God, what have things come to?

Shivyansh crushing on my cousin, Mariam? Reasonable. Kaynaaz kissing Aayan? I don't think I believe Aayan's words but that's actually also reasonable. Kanishk and Ipshita Bhabhi and even Inaya encountering her ex all seem very reasonable to this point. But this? This scene I'm witnessing before my very own eyes. It's so unreasonable that even I feel faint.

The mysterious figure, hidden by his turned back, leans in towards Rooh as if about to plant a kiss on her lips. I squirm uncomfortably at the sight and I can't help but blare my car horn, interrupting whatever was about to happen between them. Tartled and caught off guard, Rooh immediately jumps out of the person's embrace. She looks around in confusion before locking her gaze with mine through the windshield. Her mouth falls open in shock, resembling a thief caught red-handed in their thievery.

With a quick whisper to the man beside her, she darts towards the waiting car. The gate to the seat next to me bursts open and she gracefully slides in, her hair flying behind her. The excitement in her eyes, from the moment before, is palpable as she settles into her seat.

"Anvi Di! What.. a surprise!" She says with an awkward laugh, trying to play off the fact that I had just caught her in the act.

I shoot her a sharp glare, my jaw set with intense determination. With a quick turn of the steering wheel, I back out of the cramped lot of her campus, tyres crunching against the pavement. Despite my focus on the road ahead, I can feel her nervous gaze burning into my cheek, but I refuse to acknowledge it as I press harder on the gas pedal, eager to get her home safely.

"You seem mad," she whispers.

"Well duh!," I yell, causing her to flinch at my words, "Mind explaining whatever the fuck that was and why the fuck I wasn't made aware of before??" I question.

"It's.. not what it seems okay? We're just friends,"

"I didn't know friends leaned in to kiss each other," I bite back, obviously angry about not being told about this before.

"It's new, he's Avi, you know, that guy I have been crushing on since like forever? He asked me out on a date.." She explains, ever so calm and weirdly happy.

"Oh. OH, that Avi? Avinash Kapoor? The singer you had a massive crush on and wouldn't stop crying over?" I ask, finally understanding the situation.

She nods her head slightly before rolling her eyes, probably annoyed that I mentioned the crying part.

Well well, isn't someone chasing after her dreams?

She shifts in her seat plopping her huge tote bag in the back seat before speaking again, "Wasn't Kaynaaz supposed to pick me up?"

"She was, but I volunteered instead, I'll stay at my apartment tonight, and since your house was nearby I decided to pick you up instead. Plus your dear best friend is busy with another shift at the hospital," I explain.

"The apartment? Why? Did u fight with your parents?" She asks curiously.

I shake my head in response, "I'm cooking dinner for Ishaan,"

She whips her head to the side to look at me with a playful smile, "Why? Anything special?"

"No. I just felt like it you know?"

She nods her head softly before sitting back in her seat.

"Well.." She begins again, "What are u cooking for him?"

I think for a moment, not really sure myself. Ishaan usually eats every and anything, so it's not hard to cook for him. I did ask his mom for some tips earlier this morning, just to be sure, and she had happily given me a list of things he'd beg her to cook for him.

As I glance out the window, my thoughts swirl with indecision. "I'll decide once I get home," I respond to Rooh's question before both of us fall into a peaceful silence.

The car ride continues for another twenty minutes until we finally arrive at Rooh's house. She eagerly grabs her bag and unlocks the door.

"Thanks for dropping me off Didi," she says. Her eyes suddenly grow serious and she adds, "And also, could you please keep the Avi thing to yourself for now?"

I nod my head softly, motioning to zip my lips shut and locking them for good measure. A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth before she nods, understanding my promise to keep her secret safe.

"Also, don't forget to use protection tonight!" She says playfully and shuts the door, sprinting towards her house before I can reply.

We'll have to see about that.