“Yash yaar! I said no shirt. Get the shirt off!”

His eyes widened again and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“N-no shirt? Matlab naked?”

(Means naked?)

“Naked nhi silly. Just shirtless.”

When he did not move to take off his shirt himself, she stepped forward, making him step back with his eyes wide in horror.

“Yash yaar! Tu aise kr raha hai jaise mai khaa jaaungi tujhe.”

(You are behaving as if I will eat you.)

He looked away with a slight blush and started unbuttoning the rest of the shirt. Nisha felt her eyes move down his naked chest when he pushed the shirt off his shoulders. The way they flexed when he put the shirt away.

Nisha had no idea that he worked out. His chest was very deliciously built. He even had abs. Not very sculpted but they were visible. It was time for Nisha to gulp.

She felt her cheeks heat up and shook her head to bring herself back to reality. She was doing this for his dating profile. She reminded herself.

“G-good. Umm…ab…ab ye iss doorframe pr lean hona hai.”

(Ummm…now…now lean on this doorframe.)

Yash’s heart was beating wildly. He wanted to get done through it as quickly as possible. He felt too shy. Not even once did he look at Nisha during the whole time. She dimmed the lights again and clicked a few more pictures.

She had her lip between her teeth the entire time. Mentally reprimanding herself for getting all worked up like this.

“Ho gaya?”

(Is it done?)

He asked when she finally put the phone down. She examined the pictures and hummed. 

“Ek last.”

(One last.)

“Arre yaar!”

(Oh God!)

He groaned but knew better than to argue. He motioned her to lead him and she bit the inside of her cheek. Why was he so innocently hot?

“Ab tum bed pr leto. And cover yourself with this blanket a little. Aisa lagna chahiye that you just woke up.”

(You lay down on the bed….It should look like you just woke up.)

She said and messed up his hair and instructed him of the pose. He laid on his stomach, with his arms under his head. His head tilted sideways and gazing into the camera.

She angled the camera and clicked the pictures. At one point, his eyes left the camera and fixed on her as she focused on getting the pictures right.

She put the phone down, getting satisfied with the pictures and looked at him. He was still gazing at her and she suddenly felt lightheaded due to his unwavering gaze.

“K-kadhi!”

(C-curry!)

She exclaimed suddenly and rushed to the kitchen. Yash followed leisurely and saw her stir the half-cooked curry. Nisha avoided eye-contact. Her heart still beating wildly due to the intense eye contact they shared back in his room.

“Time hai usme abhi. Focus on the work at hand.”

(There is still time in that.)

She heard him and turned around to see him still shirtless and in the sweatpants.

“T-tum kapde pehen skte ho.”

(Y-you can wear your clothes.)

He smirked and clicked his tongue.

“Nah! It feels better this way. Garmi hai.”

(It’s hot.)

With that he sauntered out of the kitchen to the living room. Nisha kept staring at his broad back and clutched the kitchen counter to control herself.

What was happening with her? Maybe it was because she was spending a lot of time with him lately and being the only male close to her she was feeling attracted towards him.

The following month went by. The supposed attraction that Nisha was feeling towards Yash wasn’t fading away. If anything, it increased with passage of time.

Yash would discuss every little thing or conversation he had with anyone on the dating app. Nisha felt jealous but she masked it well. Or atleast she thought she masked it well.

Yash could read her like an open book. The way she rolled her eyes and feigned disinterest when he told her about some girl he was talking to. Which he was not really.

He tried initially but stopped when he realised his own feelings. Earlier, thinking about someone romantically made him feel that he was cheating on Sona. But now it felt that he was doing wrong to Nisha.

He wanted her to break anytime and tell him what she felt. But when this drama of the dating app continued for more than a month, he realised that she wasn’t going to say anything.

Probably thinking that he didn’t feel anything towards her. He knew he had to make the first move.

But before that, he decided to play a little game. Trying one last time to make her confess.

“Did I tell you I have a date tomorrow evening?”

He said suddenly one evening when they were sitting together. Nisha froze. For a complete minute before she slowly turned to look at him wide eyed.

“You…you what?”

“I have a date. Tomorrow evening.”

“That…that’s….great. I mean…that’s…I don’t…”

She didn’t know what to say or how to react. He waited for her to say something further.

“Nisha? Say something.”

She plastered a fake smile on her face and said.

“That’s amazing Yash. What’s her name?”

He clenched his jaw and took a step closer towards her. 

“Really? You’re ok with me going on a date with someone else?”

She looked at him surprised.

“Ummm….should I not be?”

“I can’t believe this Nisha. Tum abhi bhi kuch nhi kahogi.”

(You will still not say anything.)

“K-kya kehna hai?”

(W-what is there to say?)

He looked at her intensely and she lowered her lashes, not being able to handle the strong gaze. He held her chin with his fingers and made her meet his eyes.

“I don’t want to go on a date with anyone else. I never wanted to. I don’t talk to other girls, Nisha. That’s just not me.”

“But you-”

“I lied. I wanted to see how you’d react. Tu sachme dekh leti mujhe kisi aur ke saath date pr jaate huye?”

(You would really see me going on dates with someone else?)

He asked with disappointment. She looked away and mumbled.

“If that’s what you want.”

He looked at her for a beat, before asking.

“And what if I want you?”

Her surprised eyes met his. Her breath hitched and she searched his eyes for any signs of jokes. But she found none. He was serious.

“You…you want….me?”

He smiled and caressed her chin, before speaking.

“I think I’ll answer this question with actions instead of words. What do you say?”