“You looked so cute. Kaise pareshaan ho gye the. I know aap accept nhi krenge but you like spending time outside. I was planning on watching some movie.”

(Getting so worried. I know you won’t accept but you like spending time outside.)

Atharva nodded without looking at her. Her words were ringing in his ears. She found him cute? He was a grown-up man for God’s sake. How can someone find a grown-up man cute? 

“You decide. I don’t know much about movies.”

“New movie lagi hai Marvel ki. You want to see?”

(There’s a new Marvel movie.)

“I don’t know.”

“Hain!? You don’t like Marvel? Ye toh majority boys ko pasand hota hai.”

(What!?...Majority boys like this.)

Atharva looked at her for a brief moment before going back to his screen and muttered.

“I’m not a boy, Priya. And besides, I’ve never watched Marvel movies.”

“What? Ohh! Toh aap DC fan hai.”

(You are DC fan.)

“Not watched that either.”

“Toh phir Cars? Ya kuch aur? Which one do you like?”

(Then Cars? Or something else?)

Atharva didn’t meet her eyes as he accepted.

“I’ve not watched any movies.”

Priya got quiet for a moment. His expression spoke how uncomfortable he was after accepting that little thing. She wanted to know what kind of childhood he had that he hadn’t watched a single movie. Childhood is all about cartoons and animated movies.

“Jail mai hona chahiye aapko.”

(You should be in jail.)

She said, making him look at her with a frown.

“What? Why? What did I do?”

“Ghor paap! How can you not know about Marvel, DC or Cars? Home theatre hai aapke ghar mai. Waha kya krte hai aap?”

(Biggest sin!...You have a home theatre here. What do you do there?)

“Cricket match. Football match. Any other sport.”

He answered and she slapped her forehead.

“Uff! Ye aadmi! You know what! Aaj hum movie dekh rhe hai. I’m going to show you all the movie series for you to decide which one you like the most. Come on! 10 minutes ka time hai aapke paas. Movie appropriate kapde pehen kr mujhe home theatre mai miliye.”

(God! This man! You know what! We are watching a movie today….You have 10 minutes. Meet me in the home theatre after wearing movie appropriate clothes.)

With that she left his office, leaving him stunned. But then, he chuckled and shook his head. He got up and went to change into ‘movie appropriate’ clothes which included a black T-shirt and black pants.

He met Priya in the home theatre. She had made herself comfortable and was scrolling through the movies. 

He settled himself besides her and looked at the screen as the intro played. The door to the theatre was opened and the two looked behind to see the cook enter with two bowls of popcorn.

“Thank you uncle!”

“Koi baat nhi beta. Aap enjoy kro.”

(No problem beta. You enjoy.)

The cook left, leaving the two alone. Atharva got immersed in the movie and Priya watched him with a soft smile. She could see the anticipation in him. He was excited about his first movie and she was happy for him.

She had wanted to confess about her feelings to him the moment she realised but Atharva was different. He was so against love that she feared he would push her away. And she wanted to enjoy as much time with him as she could.

Atharva was watching the movie like an excited kid, asking questions from her in between when he couldn’t understand some reference. They didn’t even realise when the time passed and they had watched two movies back-to-back.

“Aapko kaam nhi krna kya ab, Mr. I Have To Work?”

(Don’t you have to work now, Mr. I Have To Work?)

Atharva looked at the time on his phone and his eyes widened dramatically.

“What the fuck! 6 baj gye?”

(It’s 6 already?)

“What else were you expecting? Do movies dekh li humne. Come on! It’s time for your dinner.”

(We saw two movies.)

Priya rushed out to see the preparation of his food and Atharva realised that he had been smiling all along. Probably the first time he’d smiled for so long in so many years.

Atharva was surprised when Priya came to his office. Not the home one. The one where he worked during the weekdays.

“Tum yaha?”

(You’re here?)

He asked with surprise. She set down the boxes she was carrying carefully and huffed.

“Priya? Kya kr rhi ho?”

(What are you doing?)

“Arre do minute! Saans toh lene do.”

(Two minutes! Let me breathe.)

She said and sighed. Then, she looked at him and grinned.

“Happy Birthday Mr. Sehgal!”

Atharva froze. He didn’t remember when was the last time he heard those words from someone. He had forgotten it was birthday. There was never a point in remembering. No one did.

“B-birthday? H-how do you know it's my…birthday?”

“Tsk! File padhi thi na maine. I am good with remembering dates. Aap baithe kyu ho abhi bhi? Yaha aao! Cake toh cut kro. Tabhi toh gift milega.”

(I read the file….Why are you still sitting? Come here! Cut the cake. Then only you will get the gift.)

She said as if explaining a child and Atharva felt like he might cry now.

She remembered his birthday, wished him, brought him a cake and also a gift. He stared at his table for a minute and controlled himself before looking up at him and smiling.

“T-thank you!”

“Sirf thank you nhi. Come on! Cut the cake.”

(Not just thank you.)

He chuckled softly and got to the other side of the table, beside her. Priya opened the box to reveal a beautiful, small bento cake. The words “Happy Birthday Mr. Sehgal” written in cursive handwriting.

“Candles nhi jala skte yaha. Fire alarms honge na. But I’ll sing the birthday song for you. Mai hat bhi laane wali thi par phir maine socha ki aap gaali denge.”

(We cannot light candles here. There must be fire alarms….I was also about to get the hat but then I thought you will curse me.)

She giggled at her own words and Atharva just looked at her with a soft smile. At that moment, he felt like he might even wear a hat. Because for the first time, he had someone on his birthday. 

Priya started singing the birthday song as Atharva cut the cake. She clapped rapidly as she concluded and brought her hand forward to take a small piece of cake.

She brought her fingers near his lips. He took a small bite and then took the cake from her hands. He turned it towards her and made her bite into it.

In the process, her lips and teeth brushed against his finger, making her pause. She looked at him with wide eyes, but Atharva was oblivious.

Priya turned to take a tissue and pass it to him, but saw him licking his fingers clean. Right where her lips brushed. Her face heated up and she blushed so hard that it could have been seen even in darkness.

Atharva saw the tissue clutched in her hand and smiled.

“Thanks.”

He muttered softly, taking the soft piece of paper from her fingers, blissfully unaware of the chaos he had caused in her heart. 

Unknown to each other, they had given each other a memory to cherish for the entire day. Priya blushed recalling how he licked his fingers right after she did it mistakenly and Atharva smiled recalling how she celebrated his birthday for the first time.

His gaze kept travelling back to the beautiful showpiece she got him. The first gift he received from someone special. She was special to him. He had found a friend in her.