"kasturi, can you please get it?" asked Emily from the front of the shop.
"Flowercorner, what can I do for you?" I asked polite.
"You can go out for dinner with me this saturday." I heard a male voice answer.
"Who is this?" I asked confused."
"You forgot me? Ouch, that hurt." he cried.
"Sameer? Is that you?" I asked unsure.
"Yepp, its me. So, do you go out with me?" he asked again.
"Well, this saturday? I dont know." I stuttered, right then Emily came back into the room and grabbed the receiver from me.
"Hello? This is Mrs. Brown, kasturis boss. Of cource shell go out with you. Fetch her by seven and she will be ready. Ok....bye."
I stood there shocked.
"But?"
"What? Naina already warned me, that this young man will call you and ask you out and I just safed you from wasting another chance. Everything is fixed. Rohan will stay with Naina and Nikhil, so you can just have fun."
I shook giggling my head.
"I see, I have no chance against you."
She nodded smiling.
"Mum, we have to go!" called Rohan excited.
"Uncle Nikhil promised me to play soccer with me." he added.
"Ok, ready. Lets go, I cant take the risk of you not playing soccer with uncle Nikhil."
We took the tube, as Naina and Nikhil lived in another part of the town.
"Its so great, that uncle Nikhil will play with me. Dont get me wrong mum. you and aunt naina are really good, but its just different." bubbled Rohan in the seat next to me. I just looked out of the window into the black tunnel, suddenly I saw a reflection that made me jump.
-Could it really be?- I thought, but Rohan pulled me out of my seat.
"Mum, we have to go. Come on."
We walked the few minutes to Nainas house and rang the bell.
"Where is my champ? Come on, I already built up the goals." said Nikhil, lifted Rohan up and carried him into the backyard.
"Come in. Ive made us some coffee." Naina came out of the kitchen and walked into the livingroom.
"Thats so good, I really need a coffee now." I fell on the couch and streched my legs under the table.
"Whats up? You look like youve seen a ghost."
"Nothing, Im just tired. Rohan has such bad nightmares at the moment, its like hes missing something."
"A father." said Naina without looking at me.
I shot her a look, as I thought she was joking, but she was absolutely serious.
"Perhaps you are right." now she shot me a suprised look.
"You have to know, in the tube I thought I saw a reflection in the window. It looked like robbie." I told her, but she only shrugged her shoulders.
"That couldnt be. He is in London."
"He is in London? Are you sure? I mean, Ive been to our favourite caf a few days ago and Tom told me, that he still comes there from time to time, but I thought he was joking." I said shocked.
"No, he just called Niklhil yesterday and asked to come over, but we had no time."
"Why is he here, Naina? Why now?" I asked.
FLASHBACK:
"Im so nervous." I said, but robbie just pressed my hand and smiled.
"Dont be, my parents will love me as much as I do." We walked up to the door and rang the bell.
"Ah, there you are. Come in, come in. Im Mr. sabarwaal and you must be kasturi. Nice to meet you." Said an older man with a bald and a moustache happy and hugged me tight.
"Nice to meet you too; Mr. sabarwaal." I smiled shy.
"Come into the livingroom and meet my wife, shes waiting for you."
The livingroom was big and really nice decorated. Mrs. sabarwaal sat on the couch, stiff like a stick and watched me up and down. She was really beautiful but her eyes were cold like ice and her lips were small and hard.
"Mum, this is kasturi my girlfriend." introduced robbie me.
"Nice to meet you, kasturi. Ive heard so much about you." she said in a high pitched voice.
"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. sabarwaal. You really have a beautiful home."
"Thank you. Sit down and tell me a bit about you." I hesitated to sit down, as this woman in front of me really scared me but robbie pushed me softly.
"so tell me abt ur family." she said cold.
"my parents died wen i was 16."
"oh Yes, robbie told us about your parents. Im really sorry for you." she said but I didnt believe her.
"robbie, could you please help me with something? Well be right back." said Mr. sabarwaal and led robbie out of the room.
It was so silent in the room that you only heard the ticking of the big wallclock.
"Ok, kasturi. I want to be honest to you. I dont like you." said Mrs. sabarwaal cold. I jumped in my seat.
"But why, we just met." I said suprised.
"That doesnt matter. The name sabarwaal is a really meaningfull name in London and I dont want it to be destroyed by a little slut like you. So here are 100 pounds. Take it and leave him." she said and gave me the money.
I was too shocked to say something, but then I breathed deep and shook my head.
"No Mrs. sabarwaal. I love your son and he loves me. You want me to leave him? never. nad Ill never take anything from you, especially no money. You may think Im a slut, but Im not. Im just a normal young woman that has found the love of her life." I said serious.
"How sweet, you really impress me. You are stronger than I thought. Ok, 500 pounds. And dont even dare to hope that robbie will marry you, hell marry a girl he knows from his childhood on. Her name is Sonya and her engagement with robbie has just been decided." she laughed mean.
The tears welled up in my eyes and my mind was racing.
"Does robbie know about this engagement?" I asked.
"My husband is just telling him about it... So, take the money and leave."
I grabbed my bag and ran out of the house without looking back.
I ran directly home and into my room.
"kasturi, what has happened?" asked Naina concerned as she saw me on the bed crying.
"Hes engaged to another girl. And his mother wanted to give me money to make sure I leave him." I cried.
"What?! What are you talking about?" asked Naina shocked.
I told her about the meeting and what Mrs. sabarwaal had told me.
"This old dragon, Im going to kill her." called Naina, but I held her back.
"No, Naina. Perhaps its better like that."
She shot me a sympathic look and hugged me tight.
"Im so sorry kasturi." she whispered.
I cried for hours, but suddenly I dried my tears and got up.
"Where are you going?" asked Naina alarmed.
"Im just going for a walk... and no, you dont have to come, I want to be alone for a bit." I answered the question she was about to ask.
I walked around without looking where I was. I just thought about robbie and how much I loved him and how I wanted to be with him.
Suddenly I recognized the park where he kissed me for the first time. I walked to the tree and touched tenderly the bark.
"I knew I would find you here." said a voice behind me, it was robbie
I smiled bitter and looked at him.
"And what do you want to do? Run away, break up with your parents?"
"I dont know. Ill talk to them and make it clear to them how much I love you." he sounded desperately.
"robbie...." suddenly it began to rain very strong and we were all wet within a few seconds. robbie grabbed my hand and pulled me to a near little empty house where we could hide from the rain.
Luckily it was open. Inside it was really old and dusty, but we found a few blankets. I trembled from the cold and even the two blankets that I had wrapped around me wouldnt help.
"Youre freezing, come here." he said and hugged me tight.
It felt so good to feel him so near, I could feel his heartbeat and I saw his chest rise and fall with every breath.
"Believe me kasturi, I love you." he whispered.
"I love you too, robbie." I answered and looked into his eyes. I knew he was absolutely true.
He lend down and kissed me, first shy, but then more longing.
He slipped the shirt over my head and began to kiss my neck. I shivered under his touch which he missunderstood.
"Im sorry kasturi, I didnt want to push you." he said and let me go. I was a bit confused and didnt know what I should do.
"No, you didnt push me. I also want it." I said shy and looked at the ground.
robbie made me look at him and asked:
"Are you sure? If not..." but I cut him off with a kiss.
"Im sure, just be careful."
He lay me down on the blankets and I got lost in his tenderness