I don't know what got into me that day. I was sitting in the corner booth of the club, drinking my PG-13 virgin mojito, and then I saw him. He was my jiju-to-be's best friend. Well, not exactly my jiju, but the husband-to-be of my best friend (who is my soul sister). And then everything just came to a halt. I gasped, staring into his hazel eyes—those honey-colored pools, fluid like a beautiful freshwater lake. Time paused for both of us. He stopped his little dance and looked back at me. I could feel the blood rushing to my face, turning it red. I tried to look away, but then he came and sat beside me.
I wasn't really supposed to be here. But since my bestie's fiancé is a good friend of mine, he invited me to his bachelor party. I really just wanted to be with my besties and decide on the whole vibe and the design of the mehendi for the wedding. But he insisted a bit too much, so I had to go. That's just me—I can't say no sometimes. I really should have.
So, he sat beside me. I was red with every emotion I could and could not think of. He started to talk to me. He said, "Hey! You're Vaidehi's friend, right?" I looked at him awkwardly, like I looked at my first ever crush in 11th grade, and replied, "Yeah... And you're Arsh's friend. Nice to meet you." My hands shook.
He asked, "Your name is Aadvaith?"
I replied meekly, "Yeah, it's actually pronounced 'Advait.'"
He apologized and said, "I'm Tej. Arsh's—"
"Arsh's best friend. I know." I interjected. It might have been a bit rude, but I wasn't thinking straight. All the blood in my body was busy turning me red rather than helping my brain function.
I stood up, awkward as ever, and sighed, "I think I should leave. I'm kinda getting bored." Standing up, I searched for Arsh to tell him I was leaving. And... Arsh was blackout drunk on the other side of the club. I rolled my eyes and walked toward the back door that led to the parking lot as I slipped into my jacket. The weather was brutally cold.
As I was about to press 'unlock' on the key fob, someone grabbed my left hand. I was shocked—a billion worst-case scenarios ran through my head. And then I turned back.
It was Tej.
I half-yelled, "The f*ck, Tej?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
He expressed regret and said, "I'm sorry, I spooked you. Just wanted to ask whether you could drop me at my hotel? You know, I'm a bit tipsy and I also wanna leave early. See, you don't have to, but—"
"Get in," I muttered.
He looked at me with surprise and said, "Oh! Okay! Great!" and took off for the passenger door. I unlocked the car, and both of us got in. I pressed the 'start engine' button, and the engine roared to life as its headlights and taillights illuminated the surroundings.
He adjusted in the passenger seat as I backed the car out of the dark parking lot. The place was pitch black. The night was of a new moon. All that I could see were the millions of stars in the sky.
Then he remarked, "Woah! Quite a view you've got in your town. I've been in love with this place since the day I got here, and today it looks even prettier."
I chuckled, "This is the reason why I insisted Vaidehi plan the major events in our hometown. A place to reminisce about our childhood. A place to escape from all the pressures and sorrows of our adult lives..."
He added, "This truly is a serene place."
He then said, "So, tell me about yourself. The drive is quite long. We'll get bored."
And yes, we were an hour away from his hotel.
He said, "I heard you're a fashion designer of sorts?"
"Journalist," I corrected him.
I added, "I'm not the talkative type."
He said, "A journalist who doesn't talk? Interesting."
I said, "My job is more about writing, so there's not much talking required. And I do talk when needed."
"Oh, great!" he replied.
"What do you do, Tej?" I asked.
He said, "I'm a general physician."
"A general physician who drinks? Interesting," I joked.
He said, "Giving me my own medicine, are you?"
I smiled and said, "If you say so."
And then he kept on talking. I just sat there, eyes fixated on the road, driving. He said, "This place is so pretty. The sky is mesmerizing." I said, "I know a place to stargaze." I added, "I used to go there a lot when I was younger. Mind if we take the detour?"
He affirmed, "Yes! Yes! Let's go there."
I took a U-turn, drove for fifteen minutes, and then the sign appeared. It was for an old abandoned sawmill. I took the turn and drove about five kilometers down the dirt road. We reached the place past midnight.
It was a huge opening surrounded by thick forest. The sawmill had closed nearly five decades earlier due to restrictions and whatnot. I had snuck into this place one night when I was learning how to drive at seventeen. It was also the night of a new moon. I remember getting out of the car and lying down on the green grass, covered in dewdrops. I also remember the week-long fever I got from this escapade. And thereafter, this place had become my comfort.
I instructed him to recline his seat so that he could see out through the sunroof. I did the same. I said, "Just look up. Just take in the beauty."
Only one word escaped from under his breath. "Wow."
The sky was all shades of midnight blue, as millions of stars twinkled like gemstones of varying sizes. And then I felt the touch of his warm hand on mine.
He said, "I love this place!"
I replied, "Yeah, me too."
And then he sat up in his seat, still holding my hand. He gently pulled it toward his lotus-tinted lips as I sat up too. They were as soft as the petals of a rose. He kissed the back of my hand. It was divine.
Then he said, "I need to tell you something..."
I replied, "What?" staring deep into his hypnotic eyes.
"I think I really like you… love you… I—I don't know how, but I just have this strong attraction toward you, and I can't explain it!" he said.
I slowly, seductively moved my left index finger toward his lips and ran it across them, whispering, "You don't have to explain this."
He quieted down and stared into my soul with his deep-set, gemstone-like eyes. They were so vivid. So haunting. So bewitching. I got lost in them and felt like myself again after a long, long time.
Then it happened.
I grabbed his head and pulled his sculpturesque face toward me. Our lips aligned under the midnight sky. He followed suit, clutching my head with his strong hands, and time stopped again. We just stayed like that for an eternity—an explosion of emotions in our hearts.
We parted a few minutes later, but it felt like forever.
He remarked, "You're a damn good kisser!"
I added, "And you know how to use that tongue of yours."
Coming back to our senses, we heard the ringing of a phone. It was his. Arsh was calling.
We laughed as he slid the icon on the glowing screen and put the call on speaker.
"Where the fuck are ya, mofo?!" yelled a drunken Arsh from the other side.
I barely held in my laughter.
He replied, "I'm at my hotel, dumbass."
"Asshole! You left me and the boys here. Thought you'd drive us back," Arsh yelled back.
The humor was unbearable, and a loud laugh escaped my lungs.
Arsh yelled, "Yeah! Hotel room! I'm no child. And you, Advait—I hear you..."
"Yeah, I'm not coming back there. Book a cab or a driver. Bye," I said, full of laughter as I ended the call.
It was already close to 2 a.m. I said, "It's already close to two in the morning. I think we should go to your hotel… I mean, I should drop you off at your hotel."
"Huh, naughty?" he replied.
My cheeks turned redder. "Shut up! There's a lot to do tomorrow—at least for me," I replied, slowly putting my seat back in its original position.
I started the engine, turned the car back toward the dirt path, and we approached the concrete road. Soon, we were back on the highway as I accelerated toward the center of town, toward his hotel.
He questioned me, "Was this your first kiss? Just curious."
My eyes welled up with tears. I laughed sadly and said, "No, unfortunately not."
He didn't notice the tear on my cheek and said, "I knew that. My ex-girlfriend—even her kisses pale behind yours."
He added, "What happened to your—"
I interrupted, "Let's not talk about him."
He looked at my teary eyes and said, "Oh, I—I'm… I'm extremely sorry."
He put his right hand over my left hand and comforted me. Then we stopped talking, and I put on some music.
🎶 Pink flamingos… Always fascinated me… 🎶
Lana's glamorous voice echoed through the car speakers.
We sat in awkward silence as songs of heartbreak flowed from the speakers.
Time passed like a breeze, and soon, his hotel arrived.
I dropped him off. He apologized again before heading to his room.
I took off toward Vaidehi's house, tears flowing down my face.
Then Vaidehi called me. "Did he drink again?! How much?! Where are you? Speak up, b*t*h?!"
I sobbed and said, "Yeah..." my voice shaking.
She said, "The fuck?! You're thinking about him again?! Come here this instant! NOW!"
I replied, "Okay..."