As they chatted, their orders arrived, and Roohi's eyes lit up with excitement as she gazed at the towering ice cream sundae in front of her. She dug in with gusto, her eyes closed in bliss as the cold, creamy texture melted in her mouth.
Aryan watched her with amusement, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. She looked like a little bunny munching on a carrot, her face alight with joy.
As Roohi continued to savor her ice cream, Aryan noticed a smudge of chocolate on her lips. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "You got some on your lips," he said, his voice low and teasing.
Roohi's eyes snapped open, and she looked at him with a hint of surprise. "Huh? I do?" she asked, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
She tried to wipe the ice cream from her lips, but it only seemed to spread, leaving a faint smudge on her cheek. Aryan chuckled, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Let me help you," he said, leaning forward, his face inches from hers.
As Aryan leaned in to clean the ice cream from Roohi's face, she felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes, which had been fixed on his, seemed to zoom in on every detail of his face. She noticed the sharp lines of his jaw, the slight stubble that accentuated his angular features. His eyes, a deep, piercing brown, seemed to sparkle with amusement as he gently wiped away the ice cream.
Roohi's gaze drifted to his nose, straight and proportional to the rest of his face. Her eyes lingered on his lips, soft and inviting, curled into a gentle smile as he worked. She felt a flutter in her chest as she realized that she had never really looked at Aryan before, not like this.
Aryan's face was inches from hers, his warm breath caressing her skin as he cleaned away the ice cream. Roohi felt her cheeks grow hot, her skin tingling with awareness. She was acutely conscious of the proximity of their faces, the intimacy of the moment. It was as if time had slowed down, and all that existed was the two of them, suspended in this fleeting instant.
Aryan, oblivious to the effect he was having on Roohi, pulled out a tissue paper and gently cleaned the ice cream from her face. Roohi's eyes were fixed on his, her heart racing with excitement.
As Aryan pulled away, he noticed her gaze on him.A mischievous smile spread across his lips. He leaned forward, his arms resting on the table, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Enjoying the view, Miss Rai?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.
Roohi's face turned a deep shade of red as she snapped back to reality. She looked away, her eyes darting around the parlor as she tried to compose herself.
"I...I was...just thinking something!" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aryan chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "If you say so," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.
As Siddharth drove, he glanced in the rearview mirror, expecting to see Aryan's car following behind them. But to his surprise, Aryan's car was nowhere in sight.
"What happened?" Shruti asked, noticing the look of concern on Siddharth's face.
"I can't see Aryan's car for a while now," Siddharth replied, his brow furrowed in worry.
Shruti turned around, scanning the road behind them, before turning back to Siddharth. "Let me call him," she said, pulling out her phone.
Siddharth nodded, his eyes fixed on the road ahead as Shruti dialed Aryan's number. After a brief conversation, Shruti hung up, a smile on her face.
"Don't worry, they stopped by the ice cream parlor," she said, reassuring Siddharth.
Siddharth's expression turned skeptical. "This girl, eating ice cream in such cold weather. She'll catch a cold," he said, shaking his head.
Shruti chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Let her enjoy. Think of it as a treat for the start of our relationship," she said, winking at Siddharth.
Siddharth raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face. "Now I think you'll really spoil her," he said, teasing Shruti.
Shruti laughed, her eyes shining with happiness. "Maybe just a little," she said, smiling at Siddharth.
The next day, at the grand Rai palace, Siddharth was engrossed in his work, poring over papers and documents in his office. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Roohi breezed in, a bright smile on her face.
"God, why are you always so busy?" she asked, plopping down in the chair opposite Siddharth's desk.
Siddharth looked up, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "What do you want now?" he asked, his tone playful.
Roohi's eyes sparkled with mischief. "What do you mean by that? Bhaiya, you just confessed your feelings to Shruti yesterday, and now you're already busy working," she said, her voice filled with mock indignation.
Siddharth set aside the papers and leaned back in his chair, a smile spreading across his face. "Then what am I supposed to do, Miss Matchmaker?" he asked, his eyes teasing.
Roohi rolled her eyes good-naturedly, then got up and walked over to Siddharth. She placed her hands on his shoulders, her eyes shining with excitement.
"You should take her on a date," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
Siddharth's expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll do it, but I'm busy right now."
Roohi's face fell, but only for a moment. She snatched the paper from Siddharth's hand, her eyes sparkling with determination.
"Call her right now," she said, her voice firm.
Siddharth sighed, but eventually pulled out his phone and dialed Shruti's number. After a few rings, Shruti picked up.
"Hello?" she said, her voice warm and inviting.
But before Siddharth could respond, Roohi snatched the phone from his hand. "Hello, bhabhi!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
Siddharth's eyes widened in exasperation, and he quickly grabbed the phone back from Roohi. "God, this girl!" he muttered, shaking his head.
Shruti's voice came through the phone, confused. "Hello?" she called out.
Siddharth took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "Shruti, actually, I...I thought...I mean...if you are free..." he stuttered.
Roohi sighed, her eyes rolling in exasperation. She snatched the phone back from Siddharth. "Shruti, bhaiya wants to take you on a date," she said, her voice straightforward.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Siddharth wondered if he had made a mistake. But then Shruti's voice came through, her tone playful.
"Is that so?" she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.
Siddharth's voice came through the phone, a hint of nervousness still evident. "Yea...yeah," he said, trying to play it cool.
Shruti's voice was warm and teasing. "That must be Roohi's idea," she said, her tone implying that she knew Roohi's meddling ways all too well.
Roohi, who was still standing next to Siddharth, chuckled at the comment. "Oh, you know her so well," Siddharth said, smiling.
Shruti's voice turned serious, and she asked, "Where do you want to take me?"
Siddharth thought for a moment before responding. "Well, how about this new rooftop restaurant?" he asked, trying to sound suave.
Shruti's response was positive. "Hmm, that's a nice place," she said.
Then, she added, "You should join us, Roohi."
Roohi's response was quick and mischievous. "No, no, I don't want to be a third wheel," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Siddharth looked at Roohi, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Aren't you talking too much like an adult?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Roohi's response was immediate and defensive. "What do you mean by that? I'm an adult!" she exclaimed, her voice mock-offended.
Shruti's chuckle came through the phone, and Siddharth couldn't help but smile.
Just then, Shruti spoke up, her voice filled with a new suggestion. "Actually, we should invite Aryan too."
At the mention of Aryan's name, Roohi's heart skipped a beat. She felt a flutter in her chest, and her face grew warm.
Siddharth's response was curious. "Why?" he asked, his voice neutral.
Shruti's explanation was heartfelt. "Well, he played a huge role in our story after all. It would be a thank-you treat for Roohi and Aryan."
Siddharth's response was immediate. "Oh, you are right. Let's invite him too."
Roohi's heart was racing, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to spend an evening with Aryan.
After finalizing the plans, they hung up the phone, leaving Roohi to her thoughts.
