I let cool breeze brush my face as Nikhil and I walk along the Marine Drive.
Even though I’ve been to the place multiple times, I must say there is a certain charm to the place at night.
Everything looked so beautiful.
I’m lost in my thoughts, gazing at the water when I feel Nikhil intertwining our hands together.
My lips curve upwards to see him already looking at me, his own smile brightening as I squeeze his hand.
“Hmm”, I sigh in content, “This feels so good”, I stare at the never ending water.
I let Nikhil lead me onto a bench near the shore, as we settle next to each other, ” Why do you like the water so much Sandy?”, Nikhil points to the Arabian sea.
“Water just gives me a…”, I shrug, turning to him, “Sense of peace, the calm. I don’t know how to explain it, but looking at the gentle hush of waves is very appeasing to me.”
I lost count of the number of people that had asked me the same question. But I really don’t have any answer for it.
Why do some people like the things they do?
They just do.
“I get it”, Nikhil smiles.
“I hope you are not going out of your way to be here. We can return if you’re busy.”
“It’s okay. I have it taken care of”, Nikhil smiles, “We can return leisurely, if you’re okay with it.”
I grin, looking around, “There’s the beach. And food. Why will I want to return so early?”
“What about company?”
My smile falters, as I stiffen, “I’m enjoying the company too”, I say softly.
“It’s alright Sandy”, Nikhil runs my arm, “I understand where you’re coming from. I’m not going to force you to be anything you’re not ready for.”
My heart melts at the smile he gives me, “How are you so nice?”, I sigh, shaking my head, “It’s just so…”
“So?”
“Different. I haven’t met someone as patient as you”, I say, trying to keep a straight face when Nikhil shifts closer to me, his breath almost hitting my face as we stare at each other.
“I’m patient only because I understand you. I understand your reasoning, your inhibitions. There’s nothing wrong in it. My first instinct when I met you at your home was to run away from you, from the problem”, Nikhil shrugs, “But I know everyone sorts out their own problems at their own pace. Me or you being persistent will only push us apart. We just need to understand each other and find common ground.”
I blink, “You’re just… wow. Surreal.”
Nikhil laughs, shaking his head.
“Do you want to eat something?”
I look around, “We just ate Vada Pav. Maybe a little while later?”
“Sure”, Nikhil smiles, as we sit next to each other in comfortable silence.
I groan when I hear my mobile ring, placing the mobile away from my ear as I pick the call.
“Are you nuts? Where the fuck are you. I woke to pee and you disappear with a message. Going out. Going out? That’s the message you leave on my mobile when you disappear in the middle of the night?”
I wince, forcing a smile when Nikhil looks at me amusedly, “Excuse me”, I say.
“- with you. You’re so irresponsible.”
“Okay. Shh. Anshu!”
“You have the audacity to shush me when you disappeared on me?”
“I’m out with Nikhil.”
My cheeks tinge a red hue when there’s stunned silence on Anshu’s end, wincing after a beat when Anshu screams, “OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod”, into the phone.
“Shut up”, I hiss when she continues to scream.
“Shit. I’m spoiling your date. Give me deets in the morning. Use protection. Okay bye.”
I stare at my mobile wide eyed, cursing my best friend as she cuts the call.
I only hope I’m not as flustered as I feel when I walk back to Nikhil, but I know luck isn’t on my side when Nikhil grins, raising an eyebrow.
“Um… Anshu”, I say, as if it explains everything.
“I know”, he grins.
Apparently, Anshu’s name is enough to understand what a pain she is.
The silence is awkward this time as I force a smile.
Use protection.
My ass.
Idiot.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head to myself, “Should we eat something?”
***
I’m almost upset as I sit in Nikhil’s car, on our way back to the hospital, as I pout to myself.
I had a great time.
“I had a good time Sandy”, Nikhil says, unfastening his seat belt as he parks his car.
“Yeah. Me too”, I smile, “It was great. Thank you.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you to the hostel.”
“It’s fine”, I say, “You don’t have to.”
“It’s quite late. Come on. I got to go back too, yeah?”, Nikhil says, walking towards the hostel.
“Okay. Thanks.”
I’m surprised when Nikhil wraps an arm around my shoulder, making me acutely aware of the sleeve-less top I’m wearing, as he rubs my arm.
I look up at him, bewildered, my cheeks reddening when Nikhil stares at me in some weird-not-normal-way.
He looks around, “Please. Don’t be mad at me Sandy, “Nikhil says, making me frown.
My eyes go wide, my frown faltering when Nikhil pulls me behind a pillar, claiming my lips with his own.
I’m too stunned to reciprocate when he pecks my mouth, jerking when his tongue slides against the entrance of my mouth.
I let myself be kissed as I wrap my arms around his neck, opening my mouth as I give silent access, thrill coursing through my veins as our tongues engross in a sweet battle. I moan when he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him, eyes rolling in pleasure when he bites my lower lip, ravishing my mouth.
We’re both breathing hard, our lips wet as we release each other.
Although my cheeks stare to tinge red, I don’t have enough time to become conscious as Nikhil pulls me into another kiss, as we wrap our arms around each other tightly, uncaring that we’re going to be in trouble if we’re caught.
I run a hand through his hair, biting my lip to prevent a moan from escaping when he kisses the strip of the skin extending from the corner of my mouth to my jaw, my eyes rolling back in pleasure as he sucks on the skin under the angle of jaw, my grip on his shirt tightening.
It’s only when we hear footsteps that the both of us go wide eyed, jumping apart from each other.
“Any problem, Sir? Madam?”, we hear the security guard ask.
“No”, Nikhil says, “We’re on duty. Went to get some tea. Thanks.”
“Okay Sir”, the guard nods, leaving.
I’m too flushed to look at Nikhil, but see him running a hand through his hair from my peripheral vision.
I stiffen when Nikhil tilts my head up, “Sandy”, he sighs, taking in a deep breath, “I had no intent to upset you. I’m… Sorry if-“, he motions with his hands, looking positively helpless.
I wince, “No. It’s… alright. I mean-“, where are words to talk when I need them?
We say nothing else to each other as we silently speedwalk to the hostel, both of us sighing in relief when the hostel comes in view.
I really hope we both won’t be awkward again, like last time, because of the kiss.
I didn’t know how to say it though.
Even though kissing him felt weird, I don’t know if it’s right to just go about avoiding each other again.
“Nikhil-”
“Sandy-”
We say at the same time.
“Yeah?”, I say.
“You say.”
“It’s fine”, I wince.
Kissing didn’t feel as awkward as talking about the kiss felt.
“I just-I hope… I mean, tell me if you’re… What I’m saying is let’s not just ignore the other?”
I heave a sigh of relief at Nikhil’s words, “Yeah. This is what I thought of saying too.”
I feel like laughing, despite the situation when Nikhil gazes away, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.
“It’s okay”, I say, “I had a … part too. Let’s not make it even more awkward?”
“I’m not awkward because we kissed Sandy”, Nikhil says softly, as we stand at the entrance of the hostel, “We had planned to take things slow. And I had promised you I would give you all the time. Just… don’t take me wrong?”
My heart goes out for him at the reassurance, “I’m okay Nikhil. I’m not thinking that way. It’s just a bit… weird after last time. That’s all.”
A slow smile spreads his face as Nikhil walks towards me, our breaths mingling with the others’.
“You surely are warming up to the idea of us Sandy.”
“I am “, I admit softly, my cheeks split wide as Nikhil pulls me into a hug.