Falling for the right guy-Part II

Navya?”

“Uh, hi Vaibhav.” she replied.

“Umm.. Thank you for coming.” he said.

“Never mind! So, umm.. where do you want to go?”

“Let’s not go anywhere today. I have a little shopping to do. Help me out, will you?”

“Sure will.” she said, smiling a little.

“Let’s have something to eat first. I’m starving.” he said, returning her smile.

Her heart did a double flip-flop on the smile. They chose Nirula’s. By the time the food arrived, she knew a lot about Vaibhav. He was born and brought up in Delhi. His entire schooling was done from DPS, Indirapuram and his only aim ever since he was a child was to become a pilot. As she got to know him better, she felt the attraction rising. And every-time he smiled, she couldn’t do anything but stare. What was wrong with her, she thought!

When the time to pay the bill came, she announced that she’d share the bill.

“Oh, no, no, no! A gentleman never allows a lady to pay.” he said, vigorously shaking his head.

Navya couldn’t help but laugh.

“NO! We are not here on a date, so I can pay.” she said firmly.

“Well. Since we are here together, we might as well consider this a date.” he winked.

“No. I am paying, means, I am paying. Or you pay and I go back home.” she said very seriously.

“Fine.” he grumbled.

Navya smiled triumphantly at him. For the next two hours, they shopped for everyone of his family. She was pleased when he bought the shirts she liked. Two hours of shopping and she had not wanted to run away. Had she been with someone else, she would have bolted by now. Why? Because she hated shopping! But today, instead of hating, she had loved every minute of it.

“So, what now?” she asked.

“Now, that!” he said, pointing to his left.

“What?” she said turning.

And then, she was horrified.

“No. I will never do that.” she said.

“Come on! This isn’t something very serious. We’ll have fun.” he coaxed.

He was pointing towards a temporary dance floor which was setup at the centre of the second floor. For Navya, dance and fun were two different worlds altogether. She did not, could not dance. The only place where she really danced was her bathroom. People are bathroom singers, she was a bathroom rock-star. She had tried dancing when she was ten and again when she was seventeen and had come to the conclusion that she was just not meant to dance.

“No, Vaibhav. Dancing is not my cup of tea. I am a total failure when it comes to dancing. I just don’t know how to dance.” she said.

“Come on, everyone knows how to dance. Throw your hands in the air. Move a little and there you are.! What’s so difficult in it?” he asked.

She just shook her head.

“Please Navya? I let you pay the bill. And people aren’t going to notice us anyway! What’s the harm?” he pleaded.

You! You are going to notice me. You’re going to see me dance pathetically. That is the problem. She thought.

“Okay. Just once.” she said reluctantly.

He took her hand and took her to the dance floor before she could change her mind. Never had she danced, the way she did. For once, not caring how she looked, or, how bad her moves were. And she actually enjoyed it.

“Okay! I admit. You really are a pathetic dancer.” Vaibhav teased.

“See, I told you.”

“You enjoyed it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what matters. Let’s go, watch a movie.” he smiled and she couldn’t help smiling.

At the ticket counter, Navya opened her purse to take money out for the tickets.

“What are you doing?” Vaibhav looked at her quizzically.

“Paying for the...”

“You’re paying for your ticket and I’m paying for mine? Next you’ll refuse to recognise me.” he said in mock horror.

“Extreme reaction! And well, I am paying for both our tickets.” she said.

“Okay. I got it. You have a lot of money. Secret treasure or something? You can give me a few grands if you want to but you’re definitely not going to pay for the tickets.”

“Okay, calm down. I won’t.” she said.

“And I have no secret treasure.” she winked.

Watching a movie was never so much fun. When she came out of the movie hall, she was still laughing.

“Oh! I have to go. It’s 6:30 already. It’ll take me at least an hour to reach home.” Navya looked at her watch.

“And how will you be going?”

“Ever heard of local trains?”

“Can’t you take a taxi?”

“No, no secret treasure, you see.”

“Oh! This means, I am not getting those few thousand bucks.” he shook his head in disappointment.

They both laughed.

“Now, I have to go. See you tomorrow.”

“Allow me to accompany you to the station at least.”

“Permission granted.”

They walked to the station.

“See you tomorrow, at 10.” he said.

“Mind telling me where!?” she asked.

“Marine Drive.”