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CH 3 – Getting Ready
Maithili stands looking at herself in the full length mirror that lies in her bedroom. She is wearing a black long sleeve Indian suit that she believes is just the kind of conservative dressing needed when meeting your "boyfriend's" parents.
As she spins around in front of the mirror to give herself one last look, an unseen figure smirks outside her window.
"Absolutely no!"
Maithili turns around to see Adi climbing through her window. Complete shock spreads across her face and anger also manages to creep its way in.
"ADI! Get out! What if I had been changing?!"
"What if indeed," raises an eyebrow.
"You," narrows her eyes, "how did you get up here…," she walks up to him and looks out her window.
Turning back around to stare him dead in the face, "A ladder!"
"Shhhh….," he goes and locks her room, "do you want us to get caught?"
"Us?! Arrgh… where did you get a ladder from? No, HOW do you get it here?" she puts her hands on her hips.
He's taken back by her attitude, "Uff …tumhara gussa. You look so good in anger."
Adi pretends to grab his heart while Maithili rolls her eyes.
"Adi," she says with a snap in order to capture his attention.
He laughs lightly and answers, "I dragged it here," flexes his biceps.
"You live more than 5 miles away," folds her arms.
Putting his arm down, "Ok so I paid someone to carry it for me," jumps face down on her bed.
Maithili rushes to him and tries to pull him off her bed.
"Adi…get…off," she says in between breaths.
Shaking his head like a little kid, "Five more minutes mommy. Do you know how tiring it is to pay someone to carry a ladder for you?"
Maithili finally gives up and Adi turns so that his back now faces the bed.
"You could have come through the front door."
"But where's the fun in that. Oh yeah and you are not wearing," points his finger at her clothes, "that."
Maithili looks down at the dress it had taken hours to decide upon.
"Kya! This is perfect. Classy, conservative, …."
He jumps off her bed and puts his hands up to motion her to stop, "Ok bahenji magar-."
"Bahenji?!" the color red flashes across her eyes.
"No, no, no," he runs around her room as she chases after him with a ruler she grabs off her desk.
"No, no, Mets listen," he steps onto her bed with his hands up like a guilty criminal.
Adi feels a sharp pain on his ankle.
"Take your shoes off!" Maithili aims for Adi's other ankle but he's too quick for her.
In what seems like less than a second, Adi gets off the bed, takes the ruler from Maithili and bends her arm behind her back.
"Look firecracker," he whispers into her ear.
Maithili tries to hit him with her other free arm but Adi drops the ruler from his hand and uses his newly free arm to stop her hand.
"Let go! And stop talking into my ear!"
"Kyun? Kuch kuch hota hai," deliberately speaks directly into her ear.
"Adi, my feet are still free," says calmly, "and if you want to protect the precious members of your body who are very delicate, I would suggest that you let me go."
In an instant, Maithili is free from Adi's grip and she turns to see that Adi had taken a book off her desk to use it as a shield around his delicates. Seeing this she can't help but laugh.
"Paagal ho tum," he's still holding the book.
"So?" folds her arms.
"This paagal ki boyfriend kyon idiot hai?" looks knowingly at Adi.
"Fine," drops the book, "girlfriend ho so you have to make a good impression."
"And this dress will…"
"That dress will get you kicked out."
Maithili looks confused.
"Mama hates anti-modern girls," looks seriously at Maithili.
"But I'm not anti-modern," she protests as she throws her hands in the air.
"I know that. But that dress says something else," Adi begins walking in a close circle around Maithili.
Adi folds his arms and puts his right hand under his chin as he inspects Maithili. This makes Maithili feel unnerved.
Stupid. It's his dilemma and I'm only helping him and he is being so mean and he doesn't even care that I put so much time into the dress selection and…why does he have to walk so closely by me!
"What does the dress say?" decides to ignore her growing uncomfortability.
Adi stops walking and faces her, "Promise me you won't hit me."
"Yeah, I promise."
"It says… bahenji," covers his head using his hands.
Maithili giggles and pinches his side.
"Alright, so what should I wear."
Adi walks over to her closet and smiles mischievously.
"Oh a nice mini-dress should be fine."
"What?!" walks up next to him.
"I don't owe a mini-dress."
"Kya? No way," Adi jokes, "did they get stolen?"
"Do you want another hit with that ruler?"
Adi immediately closes his laughing mouth and walks out her window and down the ladder.
"Adi I was kidding. I'm not going to hit you, I promise. Don't be scared."
Maithili is about to pop her head out the window when Adi's head pops back in and he gets in with a bag in his hand.
"Who were you talking to? Is there another Adi here because the last thing I am is scared of teeny little you," he comes close to her face and her narrowing eyes.
"Shut up. What were you doing down there? You do know we have a bathroom up here right," smirking at him.
"Hehehe, very funny," puts the bag on her desk and starts circling her again.
"Now what," Maithili says in frustration as she pushes Adi aside, grabs a chair and sits down with her back looking at her desk.
"Stupid question but you do know how to dance right?" he walks towards her.
"Why? It's just dinner. Not like I'm going to a party, right?" leans back on the chair.
Adi's silence and grin speaks volumes to her.
"No!" she begins to get out of her chair but Adi blocks her path.
He pushes her chair back until its back hits the desk and it has two legs on the floor, two in the air. His face occupies her entire vision as he continues to come close to her.
Wha…wha…wha…what the hell's going on?
"What are you doing?"
"Just testing," he grins on.
"Huh?"
"You have to be this close to me when we dance and if we are to be boyfriend/girlfriend, this lack of space should not be uncomfortable, should it?" he winks at her.
Oh, but it is uncomfortable you moron.
"No, it shouldn't," smiles sweetly, "but staring at your ugly face with an inch of space between us is excruciatingly painful."
Adi's grin turns flat as he watches Maithili's grin widen. He gently moves away and Maithili is able to breathe normally.
What was that Maithili? It's Adi, not Pranay. Why is your heart racing like you just ran 10 miles.
"Take this," Adi pulls Maithili out of her dialogue with herself and hands her the bag he brought in.
"What is this?"
"Your perfect dress to make the perfect first impression on my mom," walks out her window and steps on the ladder.
"Ok, now I have to go sweetheart," blows a kiss her way to which Maithili makes an "eww" face.
As Adi's smirking face descends down the ladder, Maithili pulls out a black mini-dress from the bag and sets it in front of herself while she looks at the mirror.
"ADI!" looks outside her window, "this thing is the size of a hand towel."
Adi stops, turns around, starts walking backwards and gazes up at Maithili from the ground.
"Oh honey, you will be the talk of the party and Mama will love it. Now be a good girl and put it on."
It's too dark to see Adi's face clearly but Maithili knew he was laughing.
"I hate you Vikram Aditiya Mehra!" she shouts loudly.
"But I love you sweet crazy Maithili!" shouts back the grinning shadow.
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
