Episode 5 A Date, Mr. Knight?

It was around ten-thirty in the night, everyone checked into their rooms after dinner and Christian descended the stairs to grab his black coffee from the kitchen when he picked up a call from Lia.

“What’s up?” Christian asked while sipping his coffee, sitting on the kitchen stool.

“What are you doing? The entire day has passed, and I have not received a single text from you. Are you already busy with your soon-to-be wife?” Lia complained furiously.

“Jealous?” Christian teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Why would I be jealous of that Mishka? She is just a temporary arrangement. I am the permanent one.” Lia stated proudly.

“Fuck, how did you take her name so well? I practised overnight, despite that, I still can not pronounce it so effortlessly.” Christian said, stunned.

“Hahaha, anyway, I called you to inform you that the Contract Marriage papers are ready. I just got a text from your annoying lawyer friend, Danny. Now, you just have to persuade her to sign them.” Lia said anxiously, and Christian drew a deep breath.

“Okay, I will call him and......” He was about to say something when he saw Mishka entering into the kitchen. She smiled crossing him, moving towards the kitchen aisle. Christian glanced back at her and noticed her looking for someone.

“Lia, I will call you later. Bye.” He mumbled quickly and hung up before she could answer. He turned to Mishka and walked right behind her.

“Can I help you?” Christian whispered in her ear.

She spun around, and they both came face to face, so close that her wildflower fragrance filled his nostrils.

“You startled me.” She said, keeping her hand on her chest.

“I-I am sorry, I d-didn’t intend to startle y-you. I just came to ask if you need something.” Christian stutters while making a gap between them.

“It’s alright,” Mishka said, “I want some water but I don’t see glasses anywhere and there is no helper here, either.”

“The glasses will be here in any drawer. Wait, let me check.” Christian said and started opening each cabinet of the modular kitchen.

“This is your kitchen, and you don’t know where the glasses are kept. I am surprised.” Mishka mocked.

“Here I am helping you out, and you are mocking me in return. Is this the Indian values grandpa was talking about?” Christian lifted an eyebrow while opening the last drawer of the cabinet where he saw wine glasses and he took one out.

“There you go.” He said, forwarding the glass in her direction.

“Wine glass? Hahaha.” She laughed, pouring some water from the jug. “Thank you,” She smiled, took a sip of water, and turned to walk away when she heard Christian calling her.

“Mahika?” Christian called, and she stopped in her tracks.

She turned, “My name is Mishka, not Mahika!” She said and judging her expressions, Christian was sure he annoyed her.

“I am sorry but your name is so tough, I just don’t get it right, but I am trying, really trying hard, to pronounce it properly,” Christian answered while walking in her direction.

Her temper gradually subsided, and Mishka crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s okay. Tell me why you stopped me?” She asked.

“Well, we both know why you are here!” Christian said, and Mishka got nervous all of a sudden and her ears turned red. “You must have already known everything, but all this is very new to me,” Christian said and paused for a few seconds.

“That’s why I was thinking, Why don’t we go out tomorrow evening and try to get to know each other?” Christian asked, looking into her dark brown eyes.

“Are you asking me out on a date, Mr Knight?” Mishka asked with an amused face.

“What? No.. of course not. I just want us to get to know each other better... But if you want it to sound like a date, I don’t mind.” Christian answered calmly.

Mishka chuckled, “Mr Knight, we do not have any relationship formally announced, and who knows what will happen tomorrow?” She said and Christian knitted his eyebrows, watching her retrieving figure as Mishka turned to walk out.

She stopped, looking back at him. “And I guess you have forgotten, but tomorrow is your grandfather’s birthday, so I don’t think we can go out. There is a party at your farmhouse.” She smiled. “Good night!” Mishka said, walking towards the staircase.

“Oh shit. How can I forget grandpa’s birthday!!” Christian shrieked in frustration and dialled Danny’s number, but it switched it off. “He must be hooking up with some girl again. Fuck you, Danny!” He muttered, and then dialled Lia’s number, but quickly disconnected as he knows how dangerous it could turn out for their plan if someone caught them together, especially after he has told grandpa they are over.

Christian facepalmed himself when an idea popped into his head. He stepped down from the kitchen stool and quickly rushed upstairs. He knocked at the door, but no one responded. He knocked again, and this time a faint voice came and Mishka opened her door a few seconds later.

“Mr Knight? How can I help you?” She asked, leaning at the door.

“I am so sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I was thinking,” He said, scratching his eyebrow looking up into her eyes with hope. “Can you help me buy something for Grandpa? I am not good at buying presents and if I failed to bring anything, grandpa will leave no stone unturned to embarrass me at the party.” He said, huffing.

“So you don’t want to buy a present for grandpa to make him feel special. You want to buy a gift to escape embarrassment at the party?” Mishka said, arching an eyebrow, and Christian pursed his lips together.

“Come on, ya! It’s not like that. You are getting me all wrong!!! Of course, I want to purchase something special for him, and no friend of mine is available at this hour to help me out, plus you are grandpa’s favourite girl, so you probably know better what he would like. Now, will you please come out with me? We have to reach the mall early because it’s almost the closing time.” Christian said.

Mishka rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Let’s go.” She said, walking out of her room, closing the door behind her back.

“Wait.. wait, you cannot come out like this!!” Christian said, pointing at her clothes. “You need to change.”

“Why? What’s wrong with my clothes?” Mishka asked.

“We are going out for god’s sake. You can’t come out like that. Being the successor of the Knight Group, I have a reputation to maintain, and the whole of London knows our family. So I would suggest you go back inside and change into something nice. Meanwhile, I’ll get changed, and wait for you out in the car.” Christian explained, and Mishka nodded her head.

“Cool, Fifteen minutes.” She said and closed her door.

***

Christian was waiting for Mishka in the car tapping his fingers on the steering when the door opened and she came out wearing high waist blue jeans with a white crop top and the same nude five inches high heels clicked as she slid herself inside, opening the door of the passenger seat.

“Wear your seatbelt,” Christian said and was about to start the engine when he saw her struggling with it.

“May I?” Christian asked politely, and she nodded her head. He moved closer to her seat and figured out that the seatbelt was actually stuck. He moved a bit closer to her, his face inches away from her, and her wildflower fragrance filled his nostrils again. Both of them were looking at each other in the eyes while Christian was struggling with the seatbelt, and finally, he succeeded. He buckled her seatbelt and started the engine.

Mishka was silently enjoying the entire ride, looking outside the window. “So you always wear western clothes?” Christian tried to initiate a conversation.

She turned her face and looked at Christian. “Not always, but usually, I prefer to wear western. It’s more comfortable. Why do you ask?” Mishka asked, staring at Christian.

“Just like that. I thought Indian girls are conservative when it comes to clothes!” Christian said, stopping the car right outside the mall. “And we’ve reached!”

The tone Christian used to make the statement seemed a derogatory remark to Mishka. “Well, it looks like you have a lot of misconceptions about India and Indian girls, but don’t worry, I will clear them all one by one,” She smirked, and stepped out of the car, slamming the door in his face.