She knew he hadn't dreamed of a day spent within the crowded spaces of city bars.
He had gone along with her demands, and she knew it was unfair that he should have to. But she also knew that she had been too excited to be able to keep comfortable in the setting he'd envisaged.
Two hours after they'd met, she now felt comfortable...
"Academy ka crush ho yaar... There's an importance you wouldn't understand."
She understood.
She remembered those days of rushing to get to training 5, 10, 15 minutes early so they could meet. Not because they got time together, but just so that they could spend as many precious moments being in the same space & being friendly. She remembered the little smile she always had while walking past his squadron, the side-eyed sweep she always gave the windows & the grounds before she drew level, the fluttering in her gut when she saw him from a distance.
She always ended up seeing him.
They shared a rifle.
They shared... A weird connection. It was the kind of connection that allowed them to sit together late into the Delhi winters & talk about his girlfriend & her boyfriend, the kind of connection that made her want to meet him years later when he came to her city, the kind of connection that freaked her out because she knew what she had dreamed it would lead to.
"Let's go?" she had spoken very softly, but she knew he'd heard it.
He looked at her, wondering, she knew, if she would demand to go home after they left. She reached out under the table & curled her fingers around his hand. She wasn't ready to go home yet.
It was drizzling when they left the bar, but they strolled through the streets hand-in-hand without a care for the misty rain. Entering the brightly lit interiors of the hotel, they didn't say much as they took the elevator up to his room.
She was freaking out again, it was too quiet, too sudden, too... Here.
The lights were off as they entered the room; he reached up to put the key card in the slot as they walked in, but she reached up and stopped him.
She turned to push the door shut behind her, holding his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over his wrist as the light from the corridor was cut out, leaving them in the darkness only hotel rooms can give, alone with their breathing.
She guided his hand to her waist with one hand, reaching to grab his shirt with the other. She could hear him breathing over the thump of her own heartbeat in her ears, as she rose up on her tiptoes, reached one hand up to trace the jaw she'd known would be as sharp as it felt under her fingers.
It was as if something snapped.
With a sudden movement, he cupped her neck and pulled her lips closer to his.
When they kissed, it was like reliving a fantasy... The boy she'd last had a crush on was kissing her back.
He had gone along with her demands, and she knew it was unfair that he should have to. But she also knew that she had been too excited to be able to keep comfortable in the setting he'd envisaged.
Two hours after they'd met, she now felt comfortable...
"Academy ka crush ho yaar... There's an importance you wouldn't understand."
She understood.
She remembered those days of rushing to get to training 5, 10, 15 minutes early so they could meet. Not because they got time together, but just so that they could spend as many precious moments being in the same space & being friendly. She remembered the little smile she always had while walking past his squadron, the side-eyed sweep she always gave the windows & the grounds before she drew level, the fluttering in her gut when she saw him from a distance.
She always ended up seeing him.
They shared a rifle.
They shared... A weird connection. It was the kind of connection that allowed them to sit together late into the Delhi winters & talk about his girlfriend & her boyfriend, the kind of connection that made her want to meet him years later when he came to her city, the kind of connection that freaked her out because she knew what she had dreamed it would lead to.
"Let's go?" she had spoken very softly, but she knew he'd heard it.
He looked at her, wondering, she knew, if she would demand to go home after they left. She reached out under the table & curled her fingers around his hand. She wasn't ready to go home yet.
It was drizzling when they left the bar, but they strolled through the streets hand-in-hand without a care for the misty rain. Entering the brightly lit interiors of the hotel, they didn't say much as they took the elevator up to his room.
She was freaking out again, it was too quiet, too sudden, too... Here.
The lights were off as they entered the room; he reached up to put the key card in the slot as they walked in, but she reached up and stopped him.
She turned to push the door shut behind her, holding his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over his wrist as the light from the corridor was cut out, leaving them in the darkness only hotel rooms can give, alone with their breathing.
She guided his hand to her waist with one hand, reaching to grab his shirt with the other. She could hear him breathing over the thump of her own heartbeat in her ears, as she rose up on her tiptoes, reached one hand up to trace the jaw she'd known would be as sharp as it felt under her fingers.
It was as if something snapped.
With a sudden movement, he cupped her neck and pulled her lips closer to his.
When they kissed, it was like reliving a fantasy... The boy she'd last had a crush on was kissing her back.
