Charan kept staring at her as Shreya leisurely sipped on her beer. She had a few beer bottles stashed on a corner here. He did not know if he was supposed to call her brave or stupid. He was already baffled as to how she could bring an absolute stranger to a secluded space like this, that too looking the way she looks. But on top of it she was actually drinking!!! Was she out of her mind??? He did not even want to think about what would have happened if it had been some other asshole in his place.
"Oye, are you not scared??" Charan asked without being able to hold back anymore.
"Of??" Shreya asked with a confused eyes staring right at him.
"Of ghosts!" Charan replied sarcastically.
"You are here right?? What ghost will dare to come near me??" Shreya replied teasing him.
Charan let out an exasperated sign and then asked patiently with a serious attitude, "How can you bring an absolute stranger to such a secluded spot??? What if I turn out to be some asshole??"
"Are you??" Shreya asked back with a smile.
"What if I was??" Charan asked again. He then, suddenly on an impulse leaned close to Shreya right when she turned around to face him. All of a sudden there was just a breathing gap between them.
He did not want to scare her even though he felt she might actually need a healthy dose of scare. But for now he just wanted to make a point so that she will be cautious from here on.
Sheya's froze. She did not move away. Her eyes just darted over his face intently. Their eyes locked. Charan could hear his heart beating rapidly against his throat. Charan immediately scooted back away from her and said meekly, "Sorry… I was just trying to make a point."
"I know. It takes a lot more than that to scare me anyways," Shreya said once again taking a sip of her beer.
After a while of silence, Shreya pulled up her hoodie and laid down gazing at the sky. There was a comfortable silence between them that neither of them wanted to disrupt. But even then Charan couldn't help but steel glances at her every now and then. And as time ticked by Shreya slowly fell asleep.
Charan quietly arranged his coat over her and sat beside her cross legged. He did not know why she even dragged him here with her in the first place but some part of him was really glad that she did. Time passed by quietly. There was no other sound except for Sheya's steady breathing.
The calm was disrupted by sudden ringing of Charan's phone. That's when he realized it was well past the time he was supposed to have been home. He cursed under his breath and picked up his mum's call.
"Charan, where on hell are you??" his mum's voice shrilled through the phone angry without even bothering to great him.
Charan pulled the phone away from his ears. Once her bellowing was done, he placed the phone against his ears and said, "Mum, don't worry. I will be home in a while. I am outside right now in a reception." Then he quickly cut the call in fear of hearing another earful from his mum. He could just curry flavor her once he reached home.
When Charan cut the call and looked around, he was faced with a very sleepy groggy looking Shreya. Her hoodie was still covering her head. She was rubbing eyes with a back of her hands while letting out a yawn.
"Hey, come on sleepy head. It's getting late. We should be heading back." Charan said softly getting up first.
Shreya blinked and looked around dazed. Then her eyes darted over Charan. Then she simple extended both her hands towards Charan and gestured him to pull her up.
Charan let out a chuckle and pulled her up. When he let her hands go, he suddenly missed her warmth. He quickly walked to the door and started descending the stairs. And Shreya followed with a word.
Once down Charan turned towards Shreya and asked, "You have a ride back??"
"I will probably call a cab." Shreya replied.
"Will it be alright if I gave you a lift??" Charan asked tentatively after much deliberation. He did not want to be too forward and end up seeming like a creepy asshole but then he did not want to send her all alone at this hour of the night.
"Don't you have to be home soon??" Shreya asked instead of replying. He heard him say that he will be home soon on the phone.
"No, it's okay. I can drop you before going home." Charan replied.
"Then I don't mind a lift." She said shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Anyways her home was not that far from here. So she did not have to worry about inconveniencing Charan.
15 minutes later, Charan's car came to a standstill outside a multistory apartment complex. But Shreya did not get down right away. Rather she turned towards Charan and said, "I… I… I was told I was way too straight forward that it leaves them baffled some times. So don't complain that I did not warn you."
Then she paused and took a deep breath. She then looked at Charan and said without batting her eyes, "I like you. So if you are single and you are okay with me I would like it if we could hang out and get to know each other."
"…" Charan's brain froze. You call that a warning!!!!
"So yea… uhm… here is my number." She said and took the pen from his pocket and wrote down her number on his palm and got down from the car.
By the time his brain kick started again, Shreya was already out of the car walking away from him. He quickly alighted from his car and followed after her. He slightly grabbed on her arms and stopped her.
Shreya looked back surprised and then she gave it some thought and asked, "Did I leave something behind??" She checked for her phone since that was the only thing she did carry.
"Is… is it okay to call even if I am a single dad??" Charan asked in a very low voice. He knew it was not something he should be ashamed of but then he knew it was not going to earn him any brownie points either. So he felt slightly embarrassed at that moment. For him, his life had been revolving solely around his daughter-Akira for years now. He had always kept her in mind before doing anything. This was the first impulsive thing he had done in forever. He did not even know why. He just hoped it doesn't backfire on him in the future.
"Well I don't mind as long as your kid is okay with it." Shreya replied without missing a beat or sparing a second to think.
Charan looked up at her surprised and signed in relief when he saw nothing but honesty in her eyes.
"I mean if you want to bring up past relationship status then I am actually divorced and my past husband was an asshole. So if I have any objection then I will be that thief calling another person a thief shamelessly." Shreya continued and explained.
"Okay… I'll… I'll contact you I guess. Anyways go on. Get some rest." Charan said bidding her goodbye with a big goofy grin.