Page 36 of Always? Forever.
"Good morning, but now can I have my breakfast if you're done checking me out?" she said with a smug grin.
I scoffed, "I wasn't checking you out."
She took the plate I passed to her and started to eat. As soon as a piece of pancake entered her mouth, she moaned in pleasure, her delight evident. It surprised me because I wasn't exactly a master chef.
"Oh my, this is so good, Kartik," she finally said, her face breaking into one of those beautiful smiles that always accompanied her enjoyment of good food. At least I knew the compliment was genuine.
I couldn't help but wonder how she would react if she found out how we had woken up. She probably would have freaked out and run away at the first opportunity. I placed a cup of coffee in front of her as she devoured her breakfast. Her surprise was clear when she glanced at me.
"You got me coffee?" she asked.
"Yes," I confirmed, knowing where this was headed.
"You got me a coffee? My kind of coffee?" she asked, still a bit suspicious.
"Yes," I sighed, unable to hide my smile.
"You got me a coffee? My kind of coffee? Which is equivalent to a frappuccino?" She questioned for the third time, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes," I conceded, giving up on the argument that a frappuccino wasn't technically coffee.
"Ah-ha! So you admit my coffee is a type of coffee!" she exclaimed, jumping from her seat, her smile wide.
I couldn't help but laugh, nodding my head in defeat. She rushed toward me and tackled me into a hug, and I hugged her back tightly, cherishing the moment. I had no idea when I would get to hold her close like this again. It felt like a celebratory moment, even if it was just about conceding that a frappuccino was a type of coffee. I secretly wished I could hear about it for the rest of my life.
I needed to tell her about my cousin’s upcoming wedding. I hadn't made up my mind yet about whether I wanted to go or whether I wanted to bring her along. While getting her coffee, my mom called me regarding the wedding. She suggested that it might be a good idea for Samaira to come, and my parents could meet her there. It wasn't a bad suggestion.
She finally pulled back from our hug, a lingering smile on her face. I gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her expression seemeda mix of happiness and apprehension as if she was afraid I might hurt her intentionally, which I would never do. My thumb grazed her cheek, and she leaned into my touch, sighing softly. As our faces drew closer, and our eyes locked, the desire to kiss her grew stronger. But I didn't want to complicate things or make her think I wanted anything other than a future with her. So, I settled for a tender kiss on her forehead.
When I pulled back, she appeared surprised, her eyes reflecting some newfound realization. I was about to tell her right then that I loved her and wanted to turn this pretend relationship into a real one. However, before the words left my lips, my phone started buzzing with texts from my dad. He had a habit of texting in short sentences, and I reluctantly pulled away from her. She seemed to understand, and she rose on her toes to plant a quick peck on my cheek before grabbing her coffee and heading back to my bedroom. I could definitely get used to moments like these.
I checked my phone and saw that my dad wanted both Samaira and me to attend the wedding to help save face. He believed it would prove that I was over Tanya, which was true. I had nothing to hide, and I realized there was no reason to hide. In fact, if anyone had to hide, it should be Tanya, as she was the one who had cheated on me. My dad had a valid point, and it seemed like Samaira and I were indeed attending the wedding together.
Chapter 28
Samaira
Kartik told me how his cousin was getting married to his ex girlfriend, Tanya tonight!. And his dad had texted that we needed to attend this wedding. Oh I couldn’t wait to see the bitch who cheated on him.I thought they were already married. Turns out, they had gotten married in Vegas, and his nani didn’t approve of it. It was a good thing me and Kartik met her before Samarth and Tanya decided to have this wedding, because that would mean the inheritance goes to Samarth then and all this ruse would have been pointless.
I had to rush home to get dressed. We have to leave by 6 to reach. It was 1 pm. Even though he insisted he buy me something I declined. It wouldn’t be appropriate, not when we are pretending. I pulled out my entire wardrobe and was on the verge of crying when a sleepy Aria walked into my room.
“What the fuck are you doing?’ she shouted looking around my room.
“Questioning my existence,” I answered.
I fell back and was now lying on the ground on my back, questioning my life choices. Aria walked towards me and looked at me dead in the eye for a good minute before she laid down next to me. I turned my head to my right so I could look at her. She turned her head left and gave me a goofy smile. I started laughing. She started laughing too.
“What’s the game plan?” She asked, I sighed. “I have no idea.”
“What’s the theme of the wedding?” she asked after a moment of silence.
I reached out for my phone, and opened the texts from Kartik, the invite says black tie optional. So I guess they weren’t opting for a typical Indian wedding. I had no gowns but I had a saree I was dying to wear, it was black. We didn’t usually wear black to weddings, it was considered a bad omen if you did. But since it was black tie optional I guess it would be okay. Aria tried to help me drape the saree but between us I know more draping than she does. If it was up to her I would be wearing a mini skirt and tight top.
“So, tell me one thing?” Aria asks hesitantly.
“Hmm?” I mumble, still trying to get my saree to behave.
“What do you think about Kartik?” Her tone is casual, too casual like it’s been carefully edited for maximum subtlety.
