Two Birds One Arrow (Completed)

Chapter 18

When we fall in love, we have no idea how things go. Everything just goes with the flow and you just won't be able to believe what you are capable of. Like let's just say that I was always the goody two shoes. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I'd kiss a guy before I get married. Secondly, I never deemed myself to be a person who fell in love. I always felt love to be a fantasy and it wouldn't exist in arranged marriages like what they show in movies and shows.

But guess what, turns out I was not that innocent after all.

Now you may be probably wondering why I said all of that. Here's why. As soon as I woke up, my parents told me that they were going to invite Dad's boss. His house is quite far away from here - let's say a little more than two hours. So the little calculator in my brain went up. Two hours for travelling, spending about an hour there, two hours for coming back and additionally some one hour for all the intervals they will take for their breakfast and lunch. This leaves me home alone for atleast six hours. I had planned for a movie date with myself.

So just soon as both of them left, I switched on the TV and inserted the CD. I also got myself a bowl of noodles to relish on. But after I finsihed my bowl of noodles, I found myself getting distracted. I turned to my phone and started messaging Ananya, but she didn't reply. I then remembered that she said she'll be going to temple.

So, that left me alone on a Sunday morning. I didn't feel like sleeping too. I always got a little more paranoid while I was home alone. So, I didn't feel like leaving the living room too.

So I had two options in my mind now- continue carrying on with my lame and boring life or do something adventurous.

Why settle for the average when you can have a little more?

I take up my phone and dial the person who has always been on my mind. He picks up just as the call is about is about to get disconnected.

"Good morning." His voice sounds raspy indicating that he must've been asleep. I suddenly feel guilty.

"Hey, go back to sleep." I tell him, deciding to settle for the average.

"Are you still mad at me that your think I'm way more awesome than you after the mall episode?" I can hear him smiling.

"Come over." I tell him, deciding to skip the small talk.

"What?" He now sounds more awake than earlier.

"I said, come ever." I reply again, repeating the 'come over' part sterner this time around.

"Are you serious? Am I dreaming?"

"I am serious."

Now the part where I earlier said that I did not turn out to be as innocent as I had expected to be would have made sense.

Before any of you get any ideas, we did not do anything other than watch movies.

As soon as he came over, I got the both of us a mega bowl of popcorn and then continued to play the movies. This was the first time I had volunteered to spend some time together as far as I remember. Though this is not as romantic or fancy as an actual date, it seemed really fun to spend time alone.

I got us a chair to use as footrest and placed the bowl of popcorn between us. That, as far as I remember, is how things started. By the time half of the bowl was finsihed, I noticed that the bowl was no longer between us. It was there on my lap and there was nothing between us. Our bodies were sticking to each other and our legs were interwined on the chair. I did not let it affect me as much as my heart wanted it to.

By the time the interval had come, I noticed that my leg was no longer on the chair, entwined with Gautham's legs. They were right on Gautham's lap. My eyes widened for a second. I just smiled at the sight for a second and turned to the movie.

We had finished the movie as well as the bowl of popcorn. While I took the remote, I noticed that we were in an even awkward stance. His head was resting on my lap.

"What movie shall we watch next?" I asked, adjusting his head on my lap slightly.

"Umm, DDLJ." He told me and stretched his hand to press my nose.

But then, something terrible happened. A loud horn was heard just outside the gate. I could swear that it was the horn of our car. But, they couldn't have returned this earlier yet. It's like only two and a half hours since they left.

So I turn my attention back to the TV and Gautham.

"Neha." I heard my mom's voice and everything went blank. Gautham and I stared wide-eyed at each other. My heart beat quickens and my breathing too gets hitched. Gautham quickly gets out of my lap and sits straight.

I can't ask Gautham to hide seeing his slippers and bike are outside and my parents would've figured it by now. So I decide to get confronted.

Well, here goes nothing.

So much for trying to go beyond average and settle for the adventure.

I open the door and let my parents in. "Is Gautham here? His bike is outside."

"Yeah, Mom. He needed some invitations for his friends." I come up with a sh*tty lie. "You guys came up so soon?"

"It seems they are not home. Some emergency came up. They called us and informed. We were already halfway there. So, we decided to have breakfast and return home." My dad explains, stepping in.

This is the exact moment where everything goes downhill.

First my parents look at DDLJ playing on TV and then at Gautham, who still hasn't moved from where I last saw him. Then they moved their eyes towards the now-empty popcorn bowl and back again at Gautham. I face palm myself and cover my face with my hands.

The look they have on their faces pretty much conveys that they have found out what had happened and I can only hope that they don't get carried away with more ideas.

Gautham senses the awkward atmosphere and gets up to leave. I mentally thank him for finally using his brain.

After all the small talks are exchanged between Gautham and my parents, he walks past them to leave.

"Hey, Gautham?" My Mom calls out to him and I hoped that it was not going to be awkward.

"Yes, aunty."

"You left without taking any invitations." My Mom informs me, throwing a teasing look in my direction.

"Huh?" He asks as he does not know about the lie and therefore doesn't get on board with it.

"Nothing, dear." She gives him a warm smile. "Carry on and convey our regards to your parents."

I was really happy that my parents left to leave it at that. I was affirmative that they were going to give me a lecture.

But, thank God.

In the end, I did watch DDLJ by myself with no popcorn bowl and no one lying on my lap.

I already started missing him.