“Ahhh! Such a perfect day!” I whisper to myself as I sipped my coffee and looked outside the huge glass window of the cafe.

This is why we should have weekends. There is no other time when I can relax like this with a romantic book in my hand, cold coffee in my mouth and a relaxed heart beating slowly because of life instead of going crazy from stress.

As I looked outside, my eyes went to this couple with the cutest height difference. The girl reached up to his chin, perfect for her lips to plant a lot of kisses on that guy’s smooth and long neck.

I wish I had someone to hug and kiss as well!

I sigh with a mix of longingness and desperation.

While I was lost in my own thoughts, I felt a tap on my shoulder from behind. I turned around to look at a cute face - a face I felt I knew but couldn’t remember.

I stood up to face him properly. Despite standing up, I only reached his chin while my lips were at level with his shaved neck.

Wow! Isn’t the Universe listening to my prayers today?!

“Hi. You are.. Saanvi... right? Saanvi Rai?” he asked, a little unsure about the answer.

I nodded hesitatingly.

He definitely knows me, but why am I not able to remember him?

“Yeahh... Do we know each other?” I pointed at both of us.

“Saanvi... It’s me- Shaurya! Shaurya Mehrotra? We went to school together? Kendriya Vidyalaya... 8th grade? ... Section B?” he prompted.

A lightbulb clicked in my head!

THE Shaurya! The first guy I EVER crushed on in my life! That’s why his cuteness looked so familiar!

I moved my chair aside to meet him properly, “Oh my God! Shaurya!” I gave him a light hug although God knows how much I wanted to squeeze him tight, “You look so different now! What happened to the specs and the lean guy from school? You look sobuffnow!”

I looked at him from top to bottom. He really did look different from what he used to look before. I couldn’t help but ogle a bit!

I mean he wasn’t bad looking before, but right now he looks -well, YUMM!

We were classmates and friends in school. Apart from that, I also had a HUGE crush on him! In a way, he was my first love.

Puppy love, but love none-the-less.

“Yeah,” he chuckled scratching the back of his neck, “I started using lenses and... also kind of grew up. When people grow up, they change, you know?” he teased me.

I punched him lightly on the arm, “You are still sarcastic... how comethatpart of you didn’t change?”

He laughed and winked, “Some habits are good to keep.”

I laughed, “Whatever...”

But inside my heart did a little shake.

“Are you here alone?” he looked at the lonely coffee and the romance book sitting on my table.

“Yup, just enjoying my Sunday.” I smiled, placing the bookmark on the page I was last reading.

“As one should do on a Sunday. I thought I will enjoy coming to a cafe, but turns out solo cafe date with myself is not exactly my type of thing.” he said looking down.

Why is he looking cute even with a sad puppy face? Awww!

“Aww.... were you lonely?” I grinned at him, resisting the urge to stroke his arms from his very wide shoulders to his veiny hands.

Oh My God, I am having flirty thoughts already! 2 more hours and I am sure my filthy brain will start picturing him without clothes!

Control Saanvi, Control!

He looked up at me, and in a low voice replied, “Yes... kind of.”

I laughed, “You want to join me? We can catch up... the last ... 10-something-years of our lives!” I offered while resisting yet again to not ruffle his soft looking, rough hair.

“I don’t think one cup of coffee will be enough time to cover a decade.” he chuckled as he sat down, “but we should give it a chance.”

He smiled at me while pointing at my seat.

I grinned at him as I took the seat, “Yes! And maybe we can meet for more coffees if today isn’t enough!”

Shaurya froze a little while sitting down. He looked at me and I blushed at what I had just said.

Did my mouth just ask him out without my permission?

He chuckled a little and I followed with an awkward chuckle myself.

Saanvi, I will kill you, you freaky me!

I mentally face palmed myself as he settled himself comfortably in the chair.

“Okay first things first, how come you are here in Delhi? When did you shift hometowns?” he leaned in with a serious face, sipping his coffee.

“I have been here for about 2 years now. My job is here, so now I live here I guess. What about you? Last I got to know, you were in Amsterdam. How come you are here in Delhi as well?”

He suddenly gave me a large smile and side-eyed me, “How come you know I was in Amsterdam?”

Oh no! Me stalking his Instagram from time to time without actually following him was supposed to be a secret! Now he knows I stalked him over the years!

I pursed my lips together while my brain furiously thought of reasons why I would know his life journey without being seen as a serial stalker.

He leaned forward with a smile plastered on his lips, “You checked out my social media, didn’t you?”

I stayed silent.

He crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair and pretended to think while looking up, “That’s weird! I never saw you following me ...”

Lightbulb!

“Akshita told me!” I blurted.

Akshita is my best friend. We have been best friends since 6th grade. And she is also the ONLY school mate I am still in touch with.

“Oh... Akshita from Section C? You guys are still in touch?” I think his expression had a hint of disappointment while asking this question.

I nodded, “Of course! She is one of my closest people!” I said proud of my brain for being able to think of this excuse... that too, in time!

“Right! You guys used to stick together all the time during school.” he sipped on his coffee.

I chuckled thinking of my school memories with Akshita. We have always been very close despite being very different from each other.

“We were neighbours throughout our school years and then we even came to Delhi together for our degree courses and even work in the same city. So it does make sense that we would have stayed in touch.” I told him.

“You studied together and now even work together?” his eyes widened.

“As in, yes, we studied in the same city. Yes, we work in the same city, but different universities and different companies. You know Delhi is vast, right?” I explained.

“Right! Okay.” he nodded, “So she is the one who told you about me being in Amsterdam?”

I sipped on my coffee quietly as I nodded, trying not to make much eye contact lest I get caught.

Akshita has always been a social butterfly, very different from my introverted ass. She has been such a gossip person that even a mention of her name in the School circle would be enough to let people know that a gossip is coming their way.

“Are you in touch with anyone else?” he asked.

The answer should have been a straight no, but I intentionally took a moment to think before I answered because I didn’t want him to think I am some sort of an anti-social loner.

Good girl Saanvi, now you have your mouth in control!

“Umm, no. I think Akshita is the only one I am in touch with still. She definitely has stayed in touch with the whole school though.... But if I count today, I guess you will also join the list of people I am now in touch with.” I smile at him.

And the flirty Saanvi comes back... I really don’t know what is up with me!

“Okay, now your turn. How come you are in Delhi?” I quickly moved forward.

“I shifted back from Amsterdam. It was good there, but I missed India and my family. I wanted to stay close to my friends, so I asked my company to transfer me here and they did. So... here I am.” he shrugged his shoulders to signal the end of story.

“Wow... I don’t know why but I was expecting something dramatic.” I nodded my head at his explanation.

He laughed, shaking his head a little.

For the next 20 something minutes we exchanged our mortal life stories ranging from the well-beings of our families, a little bit about our jobs, life in general and what a coincidence it was to meet randomly in a city with a population of 35 million people.

His journey had been incredible. He had topped the JEE Entrance Exams (In case you are not Indian, please know this is the exam you need to do well in to win over all the aunties and uncles in an Indian neighbourhood while inviting jealousy from your own aged people. This is THE THE THE exam!)

From there he had gone to the best college, got the highest package job and worked with the best companies around the world. In a nutshell, he had lived a genius and successful life! Unlike mine... of course!

After he had shared his journey, it was a downfall to share my own journey which included an average college, average job, average earnings and mildly proud parents and almost no jealousy from people my age.

But him being the nice person that he is, he did not make me feel self-conscious and smoothly changed the topic.

“Sir, Maam...” the waiter placed something on the table while Shaurya and I were still talking, “The bill.” and went away. We nodded.

Just as I put my hand on the bill to pick it up, Shaurya placed his hand on top of mine.

Butterfly (🦋) in my stomach!

I looked at him with a shock on my face, a flutter in my heart and a frozen expression.

“Let me pay the bill.” he smiled a genuine smile.

“Ah... oh... I, uhh.” I stuttered, feeling my cheeks getting warm. I look down at our hands which were still connected.

I am so not ready for his skin touching mine!

And as the Indian tradition goes, you HAVE to fight for the bill as a gesture of respect towards the other person.

Man up, Saanvi!

Instead of letting go of the bill, I clutched on it tighter, “No, consider this my treat!”

I gave him the most sturdy expression I could create on this face of mine.

He smiled at my reaction, looked away and then looked right back at me. His hand was still on my hand.

He squeezed my hand underneath his while he leaned forward, our faces getting close.

🦋

He stopped mid-way, his dark brown eyes directly looking in mine. My heartbeat stopped and my eyes widened.

“No.” he whispered.

🦋

Suddenly I felt the bill slipping from under my hand. I look down and see that he had gripped my hand under his own while using his other hand to sneak the bill out of my grip.

“Aha! I am paying!” he smirked proudly, waving the bill in his hand.

All I could do was gasp and smile at his playful smile and cross my arms while my brain tried to calm down my heart internally.

He placed his card on the bill and signaled the waiter to come back.

After the bill was paid, we walked through the door about to part ways.

“Okay, I guess that... was it.” I said, trying to not show my disappointment, “It was... lovely meeting you today.”

“Yeah... I liked today as well.” he said in the same tone.

I raised my hand to wave a bye, “Guess I will be going now?”

Oh please stop me and say we can spend more time together!

But he didn’t stop me. I turned around with a heavy heart and took the first step forward, slightly dejected.

“Saanvi wait!” Shaurya grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. The pull was strong enough to make me step back but not hard enough for our bodies to collide at the sudden action.

Oh how I wish it was like the movies where I end up falling on him and then we have a looooooong moment where we keep on looking into each others’ eyes!

Yeah, nothing like that happened!

I look back at him in surprise. After a moment of frozen expressions on both our faces, he let go of my hand with a jerk.

“Uhhh... I wanted to ask.... if... if it is okay that you give me your number?” he scratched the back of his neck while giving an awkward smile.

I couldn’t help but smile at what I just heard and what I am seeing on his face right now.

He is asking me out right? I am not going delulu at all, right?!

He chuckled a little before pulling the phone out of his back pocket. He unlocked it and handed it over to me without making eye contact.

I took it and gently punched in my number and returned the phone to him.

He looked at the number and smiled widely to himself. He saved it immediately.

His gaze shifts towards me, “Do you... uhh... want me to call you... so you can save my number as well? We can stay in touch... for, ummm... reunions and stuff...”

I could feel excitement dripping from his puppy eyes.

I shook my head no while still smirking.

Wow! NOW was the time my wretched brain wanted to play hard-to-get!

His smile almost disappeared, “huh?”

“Call me with an excuse that will make me want to save your number... and not just to stay in touch.” I smiled as I turned to walk away.

I giggled to myself at what I had just said.

I sat in my car and squeeled!

After a few seconds, I calmed down and was ready to drive away.

Tring-Tring!

Unknown number.

I pick it up, “Hello?”

“I want to meet up again and want to spend more time with you...again. Is that a good enough reason for you to save my number?” Shaurya asked from the other end.

I blushed at his response and smiled widely.

He is confident! I like it!

“Maybe...” I could barely reply in the middle of smiling furiously.

“Hmmm....“Maybe” is good enough for me... for now. Save my number and we will talk again.” he said with a dominant tone.

🦋

“Mmmm hmmm...” is all I could mumble.

“Good, I will talk to you later then.” he said and cut the call immediately.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaa...” I clutched the steering wheel and screamed in tiny as soon as the call got cut.