" Where are we even going?" I asked, leaning back slightly in my seat as I turned towards him.

Viraat's focus stayed fixed on the road ahead.

One of his hands rested on the steering wheel, effortlessly guiding it-as if even driving was second nature to him.

"On our first date," he said, glancing at me for a brief second before returning his gaze to the road.

I rolled my eyes.

"I know that Viraat ...why are you giving the same answer" I said, slightly annoyed.

Then turning more towards him, I added with a hint of insistence,

"Batayiye na... kahaan jaa rahe hain hum? "

(Please Tell me na... where are we going?)

He looked at me again and replied gently, calmly.

"Wahin jaake dekh lijiyega, Myra..."

(You'll see when we reach Myra)

" Fine, don't tell me," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.

And he chuckled.

But didn't say anything.

A comfortable silence filled the car after that .Only the soft hum of the engine and distant traffic breaking it occasionally.

After a while, we finally reached a location.

Viraat stepped out of the car first, and I was about to open my door too...

But then I noticed him walking towards my side.

So, I stopped.

He reached my door and opened it for me.

Without saying a word, he extended his hand towards me.

I looked at his raised hand... then at him.

A soft smile lingered on his lips and eyes focused on me .

I placed one of my hands into his, and with my other hand managing my saree, I stepped out of the car.

He helped me out-carefully and patiently.

"Uhh huhh... bade gentleman nikle aap toh"

(Oh, so you're quite the gentleman,)

I teased, a playful smile forming on my lips.

He slowly lifted our already joined hands.

My heartbeat instantly picked up.

Then he started bringing the back of my hand closer to his face...

My breath hitched.

I thought... he was going to kiss it.

But then-

He lowered his face slightly... and instead of kissing,

he gently touched the back of my hand to his forehead.

And closed his eyes... just for a second.

I was shocked.

It felt so intimate...

And yet-so respectful.

He opened his eyes again and slowly lowered our joined hands. His thumb softly brushed over the back of my hand.

"Sirf aapke liye, Myra"

(Only for you)

he said in a low, calm voice.

Oh God...

Why am I blushing this much?

Those butterflies... they were back again.

This time Stronger than before.

And then,He leaned closer to me.

Closer.And even closer.

Goosebumps spread all over my body.

I lowered my head and closed my eyes...

But then-

I felt his hand move behind me.

And The next second-click.

The car door closed.

I immediately opened my eyes and looked behind me.

Oh God!!

Realization hit me instantly.

I straightened up quickly, trying to hide my awkwardness.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

I turned to him immediately.

"what ? Yes, yes I'm fine... what would even happen to me?" I said quickly, almost fumbling.

I pulled my hand away from his in a hurry.

He looked at me for a few seconds.

Just... observing.

Then, without saying anything, he held my hand again.

This time, a little more firmly.

And started leading me further inside that place.

I walked behind him, my gaze falling on our intertwined fingers.

I shouldn't let him hold my hand like this.

I really shouldn't....But it was feeling good.

So good.

Like a sense of protection wrapped around me...

Something I had yearned for my entire life.

Suddenly, he stopped.

And I stopped too.

I looked at him.

"Myra..." he said softly.

"Mere peeche nahi... mere saath chaliye"

(Don't walk behind me, walk with me.)

His voice was calm. Gentle. Without any force.

I took a step forward...

Then stopped.

And stood beside him.

He looked at me-affectionately.

And I smiled back at him.

I don't know about love...

But I already adore him.

For the way he respects me.

Something...

I never received from my own family.

🌺

It had been almost 10 minutes since Viraat had made me sit here, saying that he would be back soon.

I looked around.

This place was unbelievably beautiful. I had come to a place like this for the first time.

It was a decorative street, completely aesthetic. The ground beneath was uneven, giving it a rustic charm. Around me were two-three small cafés, boutiques filled with flowy dresses, pastry shops, bakery stores, and even bookshops.

The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, mixed with the soft noise of people-which surprisingly wasn't disturbing at all.

All the small shops had their walls decorated with vines, making everything look straight out of a dream.

There were so many people around-Indians, foreigners... everyone.

I was sitting outside a café on a small table and chair, quietly observing everything around me.

There were so many couples here.

Some were sitting hand in hand, some girls were trying dresses in boutiques while their partners helped them. Some were walking while holding hands, some were having coffee together.

Some rested their heads on their partner's shoulders, while others were reading books together.

And when I saw the couples reading together.....I was reminded of Viraat.

The way he was insisting yesterday to read that part of the book.

Just thinking about it made me feel embarrassed.

What must he be thinking about me? What kind of books I read...

"Ohh godd!!" I covered my face with one hand out of sheer embarrassment.

To be honest, I don't care if anyone else judges me... but Viraat judging me,

I don't know why, but I don't want that.

Anyway, to distract myself from my embarrassment, I got up and started walking around.

First, I walked towards a boutique nearby. There was a dress placed outside.

That dress instantly grabbed my attention.

I hadn't noticed it while sitting there.

This dress was different... at least in my perspective.

It was a flowy dress.

Its color was a blush pink shade. It had a square neckline that gave it a classy look. The most eye-catching part was its long sheer puff sleeves. The dress was fitted at the waist, and then it turned into a full flared skirt, giving it a complete princess look.

After admiring the dress for a while, I gently touched the fabric. It was soft yet structured.

A smile appeared on my face.

Overall, that dress was so beautiful that I started imagining myself wearing it... how I would look in it.

For a moment, I even felt like buying it.

I stepped a little forward and checked its price.

"5000 Rs. Really? That's so expensive"

I instantly pulled my hand back from the fabric, as if it would burn me if I held it any longer.

The smile that had appeared on my face disappeared just as quickly.

I stepped back.

There was no point in buying this dress anyway.

I am fine in this pink saree... it's light, beautiful, and comfortable.

And anyway, Viraat's family is already not talking to him because I didn't do veil... what if wearing something like this creates even more problems?

I don't care about people... but Viraat...

I can't put him in more trouble.

So I moved ahead.

After walking a little more, my eyes fell on a flower shop.

Its walls were also decorated with lights and vines.

My feet automatically moved towards it.

I admired the flowers for a while, gently touching their petals with my fingers. Then I picked up a red rose and inhaled its fragrance.

My eyes closed in pure pleasure.

Flowers are such a beautiful thing... aren't they?

I placed the flower back in its place.

That's when my eyes fell on the white tulips kept there.

Those white tulips were so beautiful and pure...

Just like Viraat's character.

And instantly, I felt like gifting these flowers to him today.

After all, it was our first date.

I immediately searched for it-

"What does it mean to give a white tulip to your partner?"

And I got the result:

A white tulip represents clean, honest, and sincere love.

Love?

No... no, there is no love between us...

But further, it was also written that when couples are starting a new phase in their life... it symbolizes a fresh beginning.

It also shows respect and emotional connection.

And yes... this is so true in our case.

The amount of respect I have for Viraat... I don't have for anyone else.

So finally, I bought a small tulip bouquet for him.

It was so beautiful.

"I hope he would like it" I murmured to myself.

"Excuse me Ma'am" a female voice reached my ears, making me turn back.

She was a beautiful lady, dressed in a red-colored staff uniform.

"Yes?" I asked, a hint of confusion in my voice.

"Are you Myra Srivastava?"

"Yes," I replied after thinking for a second.

She placed a pamphlet in front of me and said,

"Your husband, Viraat Oberoi, has asked you to come to our cafe... you can come with me... it's just ahead."

"Umm..." I felt unsure. If Viraat had called me, shouldn't he have come himself?

"If you want, you can talk to sir."

"Yes, that would be better... give me two minutes."

"Okay," she smiled politely.

I called Viraat, and he told me to come to that cafe. My eyes shifted to the pamphlet.

Ruhani Cafe.( A fictional cafe)

🌺

We were just at the entrance of the cafe, about to step inside, when that lady received a call.

"Okay sir," she said before hanging up.

Then we entered.

She offered me a table, and I sat down.

I looked around.

This cafe was different from the others there-slightly distant, slightly bigger.

The brown-toned interior made it look extremely beautiful.

Everything inside was aesthetically pleasing.

But the one thing that stood out the most was the centre.

Right in the middle of the cafe, there was a complete setup for singing.

Around it, chairs and tables were arranged in a circle-one of which I was sitting on.

That centre platform, slightly elevated from the ground, had a mic, a wooden chair, and a spotlight above it.

Within a few minutes, the same staff member returned and handed me a package.

"Ma'am, this package is for you."

"Who sent this?" I asked, confused.

"Ma'am, Viraat sir asked us to give this to you," she smiled.

"Oh... okay."

And then She left.

I opened the package, and on top of it Found a note.

"Bohot pyaar se nihaar rahi thi aap... isliye khareede bina raha nahi gaya."

(You were looking at it with so much love... I couldn't stop myself from buying it.)

My instincts kicked in, but still, I quickly opened the package.

And I swear... I had never felt this kind of happiness before.

Inside the package was the same flowy dress I had been admiring at that shop.

I was both surprised and happy, just staring at it with wide eyes.

But when did Viraat see me?

Was he around me the whole time?

Thinking this, I started looking around, but he was nowhere to be seen.

I was happy... but I couldn't ignore the fact that the dress was expensive.

I needed to talk to Viraat about it.

I was about to put it back when another note slipped out from inside the package.

"Please pehen lijiyega... mujhe accha lagega."I could imagine him saying this to me in his deep and gentle voice.

(Please wear it... I would like that.)

A soft smile appeared on my lips.

Finally, I decided to wear it.

After all, for Viraat, I could at least do that.

🌺

I zipped up the dress from the back and looked at myself in the mirror of the washroom.That dress clinged to my body in a perfect way as if it was made for me.

First, I twirled in excitement and the dress twirled with me.

For a moment, I felt like a princess.

I kept staring at myself for a while.

Open hair with a middle partition, pink gloss on my lips, and subtle makeup on my face made me look amazing.

I had never felt this beautiful in my entire life.

But then... a thought crossed my mind.

Will Viraat like me?

How would he react?

Somewhere in my heart I wanted him to see me as soon as possible but I was nervous too.

I started biting my lips nervously.

I had just taken a few photos of myself and then walked out of the washroom.

And the moment I stepped outside, I could feel multiple gazes falling on me.

Was I looking that good... or was it the opposite?

Well... only the ones staring knew the answer.

I ignored everyone, even though a slight nervousness crept in. But it was okay... I managed.

Then I walked towards our booked table.

My back was now facing the centre area... the place where people usually performed and sang.

Then I texted him,

"Kaha hain aap? Ab aa bhi jaiye Viraat... main bore ho rahi hu."

(Where are you? Come now, Viraat... I'm getting bored.)

I sighed and placed my phone on the table, screen facing up. Just then, a notification pinged.

I immediately picked it up.

It was his reply,

"Aapne bulaya hai toh ab toh aana hi padega."

(If you've called me, then I have to come now.)

I was about to reply when suddenly... I heard his voice.

Not near me... but on the mic.

"Hello everyone..."

My head instantly turned in that direction.

And there he was.

Sitting on the chair at the centre stage, holding a mic in one hand... and a guitar resting against his body in the other.

His guitar? Maybe.

Wait... is he actually going to play here?

He hadn't looked at me yet.

He looked around and continued,

"Tonight is very special for me... because I'm on my first date with my wife."

The entire place erupted into hoots and cheers.

I glanced around-everyone looked so cheerful, so involved.

A slight blush appeared on Viraat's cheeks and a smile on his lips.

And I unconsciously pressed my knuckles against my lips, trying to hide my smile.

He cleared his throat softly and continued,

"My wife loves listening to guitar, and I love playing it... so today, I'd like to play a song."

The claps grew louder.

And I joined in too... my excitement rising.

I was so happy seeing him do something he loved so much, in front of so many people without getting a fear for judgments.

Then he paused for a second and said,

"Aur iss gaane ki ek-ek line mein..."

(And in every single line of this song...)

For the first time... his eyes found mine,

"...apni wife, Myra Srivastava, ko dedicate karna chahunga."

(I want to dedicate it to

my wife, Myra Srivastava.)

The applause around me grew even louder.

But I wasn't hearing any of it anymore.

I was lost... completely lost in the way he said it.

In the way he took my name.

And that look...

God.

I froze right there.

Because his eyes... they weren't just looking at me.

They were feeling me.

So intense... so intimate... as if in that moment, it was just him and I.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

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