He asked with seriousness and she smiled against his chest. 

“Okay.”

She whispered while tightening her hold around his waist. She smiled, feeling his heartbeat fasten and looked at him.

“Okay as in ‘You’ll be my girlfriend’ okay?”

She hummed and he grinned wide.

“Toh ab kiss krdu?”

(Should I kiss now?)

Meera hit his chest and laughed. 

“Abhi puri tarah maaf nhi kia hai. Sirf chance dia hai.”

(I have not forgiven you completely. Only given a chance.)

“Chal joothi!”

(Liar!)

He whispered, brushing his nose against hers and she smiled, lowering her lashes in shyness.

Things were getting back to normal between the two. Meera was planning to come back to India permanently. Sure, her job abroad paid really well. But she truly missed everyone here. She had been hiding abroad because of Abhimaan. 

But now that things were good between the two, she was thinking of settling in India. She had applied for jobs here and due to her well-paying job abroad, it wasn’t too difficult for her to find an equally good one in India.

Abhimaan and Meera have been dating for almost two months now, though the two were more like best friends only even when alone. Mostly because whenever Abhimaan tried to be a little romantic, Meera scrunched her nose and pushed him while giggling.

But Abhimaan was done now. He was going to show her what having him as a romantic partner meant. 

Meera was packing her stuff to go back home from work while on call with her mother.

“Time dekha hai tune? Car hoti tere paas toh mujhe problem nhi thi. Lekin cab se aana hai beta. Safe nhi hai itni late.”

(Have you seen the time? I would have had no problem if you had your car. But you’ll come by cab. It’s not safe too late.)

“I know mumma. Pr meeting lambi chal gyi. Mujhe idea nhi tha ki itna time lag jaayega. Bas ab nikal hi rhi hu.”

(The meeting went longer than expected. I had no idea it would take this long. I am just leaving.)

Meera explained but looked up in alarm when her cabin door flew open and a grinning Abhimaan came into sight. Her alarm changed into a confused frown.

“Tu yaha kya kr raha hai?”

(What are you doing here?)

“Kaun hai? Meera?”

(Who is it?)

“Abhimaan hai mumma.”

(It’s Abhimaan.)

Meera answered and her mother sighed in relief.

“Chalo achha hai. Uske saath hi aa jaaio. Ek hi jagah aana hai dono ko.”

(That’s good. Come with him. You have to come to the same place.)

“Haan ok. Mumma mai aapse ghar aake baat krti hu.”

(Yes ok. I will talk to you after coming home.)

She disconnected the call and looked at Abhimaan who was looking around her cabin with interest.

“Tu yaha kya kr raha hai?”

(What are you doing here?)

He smiled at her and leaned against her desk.

“Mai ghar jaa raha tha. Socha check krta jaau tu nikli ya nhi. Car nhi dikhi waise mujhe parking mai teri.”

(I was going home. I thought to check whether you left or not. I did not see your car in the parking.)

“Car servicing pr gyi hai.”

(Car is in servicing.)

She answered and his smile turned into a frown.

“Toh tu ghar kaise jaa rhi thi?”

(How were you going to go home?)

“Cab.”

She answered with a nonchalant shrug and he feigned offence.

“Cab se jaana ok hai. Lekin boyfriend ko call nhi kr skti tu.”

(Going with cab is fine. But you wouldn’t call you boyfriend.)

“Tujhe call krke kya krti mai? Tu specially mujhe ghar drop thodi na aata. Wo toh ab tu by chance aa gaya.”

(What would I do after calling you? You wouldn’t have specially come to drop me. You just came here by chance.)

“Kyu nhi aata? Tu order krke dekhti na. Use your ‘girlfriend's privileges’.”

(Why would I not come? You just order.)

Meera shook her head with a smile and said.

“No thank you! Mujhe koi ‘girlfriend’s privileges’ use nhi krni.”

(I don’t want to use any ‘girlfriend privileges’.)

He pulled her closer by holding her waist and she gasped.

“Toh mai krlu? Boyfriend’s privileges use?”

(Should I do it?)

He said and started leaning in. Meera pushed his chest and pointed towards the cameras.

“Office hai mera. Cameras hai har jagah.”

(It’s my office. There are cameras everywhere.)

“Toh kahi aur use kr skta hu?”

(Can I use them somewhere else?)

He asked mischievously and she hit his cheek in a light slap.

“No!”

She pushed him aside and he sulked like a child being denied a candy.

“Aunty ko call krke bol ki hume thoda late ho jaayega.”

(Call aunty and tell her we’ll be a little late.)

Meera frowned at him and he clarified.

“Kuch khaate huye chalenge.”

(We’ll have something in between.)

“Mujhe bhook nhi hai.”

(I’m not hungry.)

“Mujhe hai.”

(I am.)

She got quiet and nodded. She called her mother, informing about the delay. But her mother wasn’t worried anymore. 

They sat in his car and Abhimaan immediately held Meera’s hand and kept it over the gearstick so he could hold it while changing the gears.

“Tujhe mai pasand nhi kya sachme?”

(Do you really not like me?)

He asked after some time and she frowned.

“Matlab?”

(What do you mean?)

He parked the car to the side and got out. He opened the gate on her side and helped her down. They walked inside the Burger outlet and took their seats.

“Matlab ye…ki jab bhi mai koshish krta hu close aane ki…tu mujhe peeche kr deti hai. Girlfriends jaise behave hi nhi krti. Na mujhe boyfriend jaisa behave krne deti.”

(I mean…that whenever I try to come close…you push me away. You never behave like girlfriends do. Neither do you let me behave like your boyfriend.)

She narrowed her eyes on him and asked in mock dare.

“Kya karna hai tujhe boyfriends jaise behave krke?”

(What do you want to do by behaving like a boyfriend?)

But Abhimaan was serious. He looked into her eyes and answered with sincerity and without humour.

“Pyaar krta hu tujhse, Meera. Sachme krta hu. Jooth nhi bolunga. I desire you. Emotionally as well as physically. I’m not asking for sex but I do want to kiss you. Hold you in my arms and play with your hair. Do everything that lovers do.”

(I love you. I really do. I’ll not lie.)

She was tonguetied. His words send a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. She tried to look away due to the intensity in his eyes but he held her chin and made her look at him again.

“Tell me, Meera. Aaj mujhe sunna hai tere muh se. Do you love me?”

(I want to listen it from you.)

“I…Abhimaan I…”

Before she could complete, their order came. Abhimaan sighed and ate his meal halfheartedly. The drive back home was silent. Meera felt a little disappointed because Abhimaan hadn’t held her hand like he usually did.

And that’s when she realised how much effort he had been putting in. On the other hand, she had never made him feel worth putting in those efforts.

He parked the car outside their homes and turned off the ignition. He turned to her and smiled. He kissed her forehead and whispered.

“I love you. Good night.”

He started moving back but Meera held his shirt. 

“I love you…Maan.”

The name! The name! He missed it so much and didn’t even realise how much he missed it until she said it again.

She cupped his face and repeated her words, emphasizing each word with a kiss to his cheek. Abhimaan released a wavered breath and held the back of her head.