1.2 | Under The Hazy Winter Sky | ✓

12 | mistletoe

31st december 2013

MAYA STOOD staring at the large, decorated tree in front of her. "They're putting up the christmas tree until new years?"

The local standing next to her nodded. "For us, the tree is not specific to christmas. We consider the tree for the entire week between christmas and new years."

Maya nodded in response, "I see."

Saina watched the exchange and stared at the decorations on the christmas tree. Suddenly, an idea struck her. An evil grin lit her face up.

She slowly inched away from Maya and padded to the other side. She reached up on her tiptoes and picked out a particular decoration and hid it in her pocket, again inching towards Maya.

As Gaurav and Ved brought the two girls their Manchurians on a stick, Saina tugged Gaurav aside.

"I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"Hang this mistletoe near the spot where Maya is standing."

Gaurav squinted at the mistletoe. "Why?"

"Just do it. Go, go!"

Gaurav did her bidding.

Now, Saina waited. Maya had moved away from the spot, gazing at the other food stalls. Her attention had now re-focused on other food, now that she was finished with her Manchurian on a stick.

"Ved," Maya moved forward a little, rubbing her hands on a tissue. "Shall we try that-"

"Kiss!" Saina suddenly shouted. People among the crowd turned to look at the source of the sudden shouting.

"Kiss! You're under the mistle toe!"

Maya watched her with a quizzical expression. She, then, looked up to see a mistletoe, directly above her.

"You need to kiss Ved~"

Immediately, the bored crowd became excited. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" They all chanted.

Maya's eyes widened, her expression flustered. 

Just yesterday, she had to evade the fortune teller...Now this?

"You can just kiss me on the cheek." Ved whispered in her ear. "Or you can say you're feeling uncomfortable."

Maya blinked. She glanced at the eager crowd. 

It wasn't that she was feeling uncomfortable...It's just...

She met his eyes and moved her eyes to his cheek. Then, she quickly pecked his cheek.

"There. Happy?" She called out to Saina, who groaned along with the crowd. The latter clicked her tongue, "Who cares about a platonic kiss on the cheek?"

Some time later, Gaurav approached Ved, who watched the girls inspect jewelry being sold in a stall.

"I took a photo."

"Photo? Of what?"

"Her kissing your cheek." Ved glanced at it. With a smirk, he asked his brother to forward it to him, over text.

"You like her, don't you?"

A moment's pause. A breath let out.

"I do."

˚₊ ❄︎

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