Invisible String

Chapter 8: The '5 minute' date

Word count: 2357
Naina POV
As I got ready for the date, Samaira came over to lend her assistance, her excitement palpable as she flitted around the room, helping me choose the perfect outfit and dabbing a hint of blush on my cheeks. She seemed genuinely thrilled that I was finally giving someone a chance, and her infectious enthusiasm didn’t help to calm my nerves, at all. I was excited of course, but mostly I was nervous. I hadn’t been on a date for several months now and moreover I hadn’t been on a date with a guy I genuinely had any feelings for since… well since the douchebag I dated. Aditya was different from any guy I had been on a date with since my breakup. I didn’t care how things went with any of them because I didn’t feel a connection with them and none of them made me feel the way Aditya did. He made me nervous and flustered, and even though his flirty comments were so cliche, they gave butterflies, like I used to have when I was a teenager and had my first crush. I didn’t know if that was good or bad though because I was always confident and quick-witted, but this man always managed to make me a blushing mess, ughhh.

"He decided the date should be before work so that I can think about him all day, so cheesy," I remarked with a hint of amusement, rolling my eyes at the thought of Aditya's rather unconventional approach to romance. But deep down, I couldn't deny the flutter of anticipation building within me, a mixture of apprehension and excitement swirling in my stomach like a whirlwind of emotions.

Breaking my train of thought, Samaira interjected with a curious expression, "But how will he set up a date for only 5 minutes? How is that even possible?"
"That is not my concern, his fault," I replied with a shrug, attempting to mask the nervous flutter in my chest with a facade of nonchalance. "hiS FAuLt," she mimicked, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "As if you weren't the one acting like the fricking Prime Minister while rejecting him. At least his idea worked, even if for 5 minutes. He's just happy to take you out. I approve this cutie," she concluded with a mischievous grin, her words resonating with a hint of admiration for Aditya.

“Well, you can’t blame a girl for being wary and besides, it’s just a date. It’s not like I’m gonna marry the guy.” I scoffed at her teasing.

“Mhmm, you never know. And the way you seem to feel about this guy, I could definitely hear wedding bells.” She grinned from ear-to-ear.

“What do you mean ‘the way I feel about him’? It’s not like I am head over heels in love with him. He just seems like he has an… interesting personality that’s all and I just want to get to know him some more. An actually wedding is just fucking crazy I mean.. I.. Shut up, Samaira, let’s just go and get this done with. Who knows, maybe he might just lose interest once he sees the level of crazy I actually am.”
I said, slightly joking but it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t even a tad bit worried.

Samaira just looked at me with an unimpressed expression on her face. “Are you done rambling? God, since when are you this nervous about a guy? The last time you rambled like this was when you had to give that presentation to close the deal with that multinational company from London and this is Aditya we’re talking about, come on dude you know he’s gonna love you, if he doesn’t already. Even a blind person could tell how whipped he is for you. So much that he would say you look gorgeous even if you wore a garbage bag.”

Shushing her, I urged her to get the car ready as we embarked on our journey to the café. Despite my attempts to appear composed, a whirlwind of emotions raged within me—nervousness, shyness, which was seemed so strange to me, and a flicker of excitement dancing beneath the surface. Were these butterflies fluttering in my stomach, or was it something more? As we drove closer to our destination, I couldn't help but wonder what awaited me on this brief date. What the hell are you doing to me, Aditya?