Chapter 4

*Satvik Pov*

"Check your mobile later, Satvik. First, have your food." Mom scolded and I frowned at her.

"Mom! I am not a small kid." I mumbled and placed my phone aside still with no message from her and tomorrow is the movie day.

"If you are suddenly acting like one, Mom will be like that only, right?" Bhabhi asked making me glance at her and everyone to stare at me.

"I don't know what you are talking, Bhabhi." I replied and continued to have my food ignoring the staring from everyone.

"From the past two days, you are suddenly interested in your mobile and not talking to anyone properly and not even having food." She pointed out making me groan.

"What is the matter, Satvik?" Dad asked and I glanced up to look at each and every one.

Why are they so interested just because I am doing something which I didn't do before? Do I ask the matters about their personal life? No right!

"Bhabhi! I am just worried for you." I replied, looking at her.

"Why?" she asked, frowning.

"I heard you shouting at Bhai. So, I was worried about you all these days." I replied and the attention changed to another direction making me sigh in relief.

"Mom! It was just a silly fight." Bhabhi continued to assure and Bhai didn't even offer any word.

"I am going to my room." I said, finishing my dinner, and walked away ignoring the glare from Bhabhi.

"When will you message me?" I asked my mobile and closed my eyes lying on the bed.

How stupid of me to behave like that with her in the café? I should have greeted her back. But no! Keeping Mom's words in mind, I behaved rudely.

Maybe we both shouldn't be meeting again, but doing that because of rivalry isn't it like prolonging it? It has been already grandparents to parents and why should we become part of it.

Well, all this thinking is unnecessary if she doesn't even accept to meet me in the first place. I sighed before drifting off into sleep.

The next day I awoke and found a message saying, 'Yes' from an unknown number. Who is that? I thought and opened it before scrolling to see the second message saying, 'Anusha!'

"Yes!" I laughed, getting down from the bed, but then groaned, realizing we will be going for a movie and I hate such activity.

But at that time it felt like a safe place to call her than asking for some restaurant. Now, I have to bear those few hours and maybe this is seriously my punishment.

I messaged back at what time she should come and to what place. After that, I got ready and climbed downstairs to see Bhabhi waiting for me.

"You tried to book me and I gave it back." I said before she can say anything.

"Okay! Why were you lost these days?" she asked frowning.

"Why were you both fighting?" I asked back.

"Hey! You are the youngest in this house and everyone is interested in your story, not mine." She replied with a shrug.

"I am just two years younger than you." Saying that I walked off and reached the kitchen to see Mom preparing the breakfast.

"Make Bhabhi do some work, Mom. Looks like she has too much time." I said the moment Bhabhi entered the kitchen making her gasp.

"You bring your wife and make her do all this." Bhabhi said and moved to help Mom.

"Er... I am hungry." I said not wanting to let her continue this wife topic.

In the evening, I stood waiting for her and finally saw her walking towards me, but her face is completely pale.

"What happened?" I asked her frowning.

"I lied to my brother that I am going shopping with my friend." She replied looking away.

"Well, we can rectify that." I mumbled and forwarded my hand making her frown.

"Friends?" I asked making her finally smile and she shook it nodding.

"The movie will start." I mumbled, feeling dread inside thinking about that.

"What happened?" she asked, looking at my face.

"I hate watching movies in theatres." I replied honestly making her gasp in outrage.

"What? I watch all movies the first day itself if possible." She said, making me smile.

"Well, we can go somewhere." She offered when we both stood silent.

"Where?" I asked her frowning.

"I told my brother I am going for shopping and now we will be going for that." She replied and I immediately shook my head.

"No shopping!" I stated to which she chuckled and I just stared at her face after which she cleared her throat.

"Trust me!" she whispered and turned around to walk away.

With no other option, I followed her, and turned out she just directed us to a park and not some shopping mall.

"I thought you said shopping." I said entering the park with her.

"We are going to shop here." She explained.

"Here?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.

"Yeah! We can shop for leaves, mud, flowers, and many more." She replied, grinning and I laughed at her before we both started walking along the park path.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I just thought it was in our generation's hands to finish off the rivalry." I replied and she immediately nodded.

"Even my brother thinks this is silly." She explained making me smile.

"I mean, it was so many years ago our grandfather's started it because of a fight for a land." I said shaking my head.

"From land, it moved to other properties and then the business. Now, our fathers are continuing it." She added.

"It is silly, no one tried to stop it." I mumbled and she nodded smiling.

"Maybe no one was as thoughtful as you." She shrugged.

"Please don't make me feel worse. I already let that rivalry rule me in my behavior." I said still feeling bad.

"If you made it rule you, then you even came out of it. Isn't that more important?" she asked, looking at the fountain and I moved my hand to hold hers to which she stiffened for a second and then relaxed.

"Your brother and you seem to be close." I commented and she nodded before started talking about her brother.

I just listened to her and stared at the eyes, which were shining with the love for her brother. In between, I moved my hand to brush her hair away and she blushed but continued to talk.

"What about you and your brother?" she asked looking at me.

"We were close when we were kids, but now our ways just drifted apart. And my brother is a very silent kind which increased more when he joined the business." I replied and she nodded smiling.

We both for the next few hours just talked about our families exchanging funny incidents and finally, she put a stop to it saying she needs to leave.

"Bye!" she whispered and started moving away, but I didn't leave the hold on her hand making her stare at our joined hands.

"Bye!" I whispered back and left it tightening the hold after which she stared at me for a few seconds before walking away.

'I enjoyed today more than I think the enjoyment I would have gained from the movie' seeing her message after returning home made me grin like an idiot.

After a few days, I messaged her asking if she wants to go somewhere and I got a return message as 'where?'.

And somehow we started meeting each other every other day at places like parks, book stores and even some places where there wouldn't be many people and mainly there wouldn't be the people who know us.

However, one thing was very difficult for both of us because of all this. And that is pretending! Pretending to not know each other during the meetings we found ourselves together.

Some were bagged by our company and some by her father's and both of our company's to be against each other is always more with both being the best and both trying to be better the best.

She gave a small nod while packing her things and I nodded back rubbing my neck. I smiled when she left and turned to see Bhai frowning at me.

"We lost and you are smiling." He mumbled and then glanced at the door.

"We will beat them next and I was thinking how to do that." I explained to which he slowly nodded before walking off and I followed him with Dad.

"What happened now?" I asked, glancing at her while checking the books to buy.

"What are we doing?" she suddenly asked and I frowned at her.

"Yesterday Bhai asked me why was I smiling unnecessarily in the middle and even less concentrated during the meeting. What should I tell him when I don't even know why I was doing that? So, what are we doing" she explained and stared at me.

"Should we, like label it?" I asked and she immediately nodded.

"We are dating! And it is common to smile when seeing your boyfriend." I replied after a few seconds and she continued to stare at me.

"Thank god! I was worried to bring this subject. And yes, I will be your girlfriend even though you didn't ask me." She said smiling and I closed the book I am holding.

"So, what's next?" I asked teasing her and she stared at me for a second before leaning in and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"I wanted to do that for so long." She said, grinning but blushed along with it.

I came out of my shock and calmly asked, "Can I also do what I wanted to do for so long?"

"Sure!" she replied, shrugging and took a book from the shelf, but I pulled her hand making the book fall.

We both bent down to take it, but before she can hold the book, I lifted her chin and pressed my lips to hers and she looked at me wide-eyed.

I moved back waiting for her scolding, but when she just stared at me with those eyes, I couldn't help but lean forward again and kiss her, but this time she reacted and the kiss moved from a peck to a proper kiss.

"I should have known!" she whispered when we moved a little but continued to hold each other's face.

"What?" I asked her frowning.

"That you will kiss me for the first time in a book store." She replied, making me chuckle, but giving her a quick peck I stood up and helped her to stand before taking the books I want while she took the book that fell down towards the counter.

"You want to read that?" I asked her curiously because she is not that interested in reading.

"I didn't even see the title of the book." She replied to which I chuckled.

"Then why are you buying it?" I asked her curiously.

"Well, our first kiss happened because of this. So, I thought of storing it with me." She replied, shrugging and paid for all our books while I stared at her.

She turned around and caught my expression and immediately shook her head saying, "Nope! Our second kiss or kiss location would be some music store."

"Let's go then!" I said, holding her hand and dragging her out.

"Not today! You said you have a meeting with your Dad." she reminded me laughing but I just took her to the music store in the same mall.

"Choose a good location and good CD with good songs also. I don't want to buy something stupid." I ordered making her chuckle.

"Music is never stupid." She pointed out but did as I told.

After a few days, she calmly asked when we were walking in a park, "You want to hide me just like this?"

"What?" I asked her frowning.

"We are dating with labels for two months and without labels for the past four months, but we just hang out at the places like friends. We never went for dinner or anything. So, are you going to hide me like this?" she explained nervously.

"Never think that I want to hide you. You know the circumstances we are in." I explained, but she just nodded and walked in silence while I got lost in my thoughts.

"Okay! Tomorrow we will go for dinner, but don't question the place." I mumbled and she immediately smiled.

"I don't care about the place. I just wanted new memories to overwrite the old ones. I always went for dinner with my previous dates and I want to think about the ones with you." She explained and hugged me tightly.

I took her to a small restaurant and I actually enjoyed this sitting at one place and sharing food with her.

When I ordered her dessert and we both waited, she calmly whispered, "I love you!"

"What?" I asked and my voice also raised.

"Sorry! It kind of slipped, but don't mind it." She replied and slapped her forehead.

We both stayed in silence and left the restaurant. I opened the door of her vehicle and before she can get into it, I held her hand.

"Do you?" I asked and she slowly nodded.

"Me too!" I said, smiling and she stared at me shocked before giving a scream and jumped to hug me tightly.

I chuckled and hugged her back saying, "I love you, Anusha."

"I was so scared. I thought I stepped over the line." She whispered.

"You should otherwise I won't take the steps like this, Anusha. I don't take dares or anything. So, be like this and say what you feel every time." I said caressing her cheek.

"Definitely!" she promised and I leaned down to kiss her pulling her into my arms and she kissed me back tugging my hair.

"Now go!" I ordered, stepping back and she blushed getting into the car.

I waited until she drove off and got into mine before driving to my place with a stupid grin on my face.

"Mom?" I asked, frowning, looking at her waiting for me.

"Dinner?" she asked, smiling.

"I told I will have and come, right?" I mumbled and she nodded.

"Just thought maybe you will not have properly. So, how was the day?" she asked and I really want to tell her everything.

And if I sit here I may slip also. That would be a disaster right now and I wish it is not this complicated also.

"I am feeling sleepy, Mom." I replied and she nodded hearing my words.

"Love you, Mom!" I said, hugging her, and walked off towards my room whistling thinking about today's events. Why didn't I think that I love her until she said the words? What if she hadn't? I shook my head and glad that she uttered them first because of which I was able to say them back.