Canvas of Destiny

Chapter eleven

Hey lovies, can you guys please let me know if you all can see my conversation board? It would be easy to reach out to you all and have chats sometimes. Thank you.

Happy reading!

~~~

Ishika's POV

I'm the epitome of bad decisions.

There's no one to blame but myself.

What started as a beautiful morning turned into a complete disaster for me. Why, you may ask. Let me enlighten you.

Remember that day when Jeet trapped me between him and his car? He said some things that really got to me. Yeah, on that day, I also mentioned going on a date with a guy from the marketing department.

So, in a moment of impulsiveness, I might have agreed to go out with him. And guess what? The agreed date is today.

Hearing the footsteps, I look towards my bedroom's door. Already knowing it's Nitya on the other side who is gonna barge in.

I stare at the door and it swings open and a startled scream leaves Nitya's mouth while I just sit still.

Nitya pats near her chest, trying to calm her increased heartbeats.

"What the hell Ishika!" She exclaims after calming down. "Why are you sitting like a ghost?"

I stare blankly at her, my hair a chaotic tangle resembling a bird's nest. The duvet drapes over one shoulder like the elegant drape of a saree's pallu. My left hand rests on my knee, propping up my head as if trying to anchor myself against a sudden shock – which is exactly what I'm feeling.

How could I have let this slip my mind? I can't even recall his name; he's merely saved in my phone as "marketing guy."

"What did you do now?" Nitya asks, strolling in casually and plopping down on my bed.

I glance at her before letting out a whine, further tangling my already disheveled hair.

"I... I have a date," I confess. Her head snaps toward me like lightning striking.

"You have a what?" she exclaims, shock written all over her face.

"I have a date, and I don't even know his name," I admit sheepishly, my voice barely audible as I fiddle nervously with my fingers.

Nitya's eyes widen in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape as she processes the bombshell I just dropped.

"You agreed to a date with someone whose name you don't even know?" she asks incredulously, her tone a mixture of concern and amusement.

I nod, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me. "I know, I know, it was a stupid mistake," I mutter, avoiding her gaze.

Nitya lets out a chuckle, shaking her head in amusement. "Well, this is going to be an interesting date, to say the least," she comments, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I shoot her a glare, but deep down, I know she's right. This is going to be one memorable date, for all the wrong reasons.

"But how can you know him if you don't even know his name?" Nitya asks, looking confused.

"From work," I mumble as I hop out of bed and hurry to the bathroom. With all the chaos, I completely neglected the urgent call of nature from my bladder.

---

"Ready for the date?" Nitya asks, entering my room and checking out my outfit. "Wow! You look.. amazing!"

"Do I? This is the best dress I could find for where we're meeting. A club," I reply, feeling a bit uncomfortable in this type of dress, which I don't usually wear.

A black knitted bodycon dress that falls mid-thigh paired with black knee-high boots and a black sling bag. Oh, and my sling bag has a pepper spray keychain, just in case, you know.

"Of course you look amazing. This outfit suits you perfectly," Nitya compliments, squealing with excitement.

"Haha, thanks," I say as I apply my nude lipstick, the only makeup item I have besides eyeliner. I don't really use other makeup. I mean, I don't even know the names of the products.

"Let's chat," Nitya says as I finish applying my lipstick. I walk over and sit beside her on my bed, giving her my full attention.

"Ishi, this date. I know it's silly, and you're only going because you're the one who agreed. But see it as a chance for closure," she says softly.

"Yesterday, we talked about Siddhant, and you mentioned you can't just forget and move on easily. But you never said you don't love him anymore."

"I didn't say I love him either."

"Don't you?"

I look at her, wanting to scream that "No, I don't love him," but that would be the biggest lie of my life. Because somewhere, I still feel something for him.

"See, you're not denying it either," she points out. "What I'm trying to say is, don't treat this date as just a formality. Treat it like a proper date. See if you genuinely want to meet other people or if you just need some time to clear your mind and heal. And maybe give Siddhant another chance."

"Yeah, I already know that. I don't want to meet anyone but him," I mutter under my breath.

"Give it your best shot. Now go. And yeah, no drinking," she warns, making me roll my eyes.

"I don't drink, Nini," I reply, and she chuckles as she leaves my room. I grab my sling bag and head downstairs where the cab is waiting.

I notice Jeet's missing car, which means he's not home. I haven't seen him all day.

After a 20-minute ride, we finally arrive at the address he sent me. I've been to this club before, but always with Nitya, Rishi, and Divya. I hope everything goes smoothly. God, I don't even know if I'll recognize him, having barely seen him two or three times.

I show my ID to the guard, enter the club, and immediately cringe as the loud music and smell of alcohol and sweat hit my nostrils. This is already giving me a headache.

Walking in, I scan the crowd, trying to spot the face I don't really remember clearly, when a guy waves his hand towards me. It must be him.
He looks handsome.

Okay. This is for the closure you need, Ishika.
You can do it.

Taking a deep breath, I walk towards him.
Here we go.

~~~

Thank you for reading. And for being patient with me.

Oh, and what do guys think will happen next?

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