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"You have to bid on Arnav!" Payal demanded and I just stare at her in disbelief. I have spent half of my life with her and I still feel like I don't know her at all. Oh wait! I do know her, I just keep forgetting that she comes with surprises. Just a minute ago when we entered this hall, filled with girls anxious to get a date with their dream boys, everything was just fine. My best friend Payal was going to bid for her latest crush in school; Arnav. And I was just going to stand here and pray that she wins him because if not, she is going to deafen my ears with her ranting over the girl who won him.
"And why would I do that?" I ask and she gives me a sheepish smile.
"So that he'd be your date tonight! Woohoo!" Her blue eyes lights up with excitement as she claps twice.
"And why do I want him to be my date?"
"Well, for one thing he is very hot!" She says and I cross my arms. "Okay fine! There is this guy who I have started to like a lot!"
"That still doesn't answer my question! Why do I have to bid on Arnav?"
"Oh Khushi! You didn't hear me correctly. I like Arnav too! But I like this guy more! So I want to win him and I also don't want a hot girl to win Arnav!" She stops and looks at me. "Except for my best friend, who is very hot!" She smiles widely and I roll my eyes.
"I don't even know why I am friend with you!" I mutter and she looks at me with her blue eyes intently.
"Is that a yes?" She asks hopefully.
"Do I have a choice?" I say and she hugs me tightly saying thanks to me a dozen of times. "What does this Arnav offer in his date anyways?" I ask and just then Mrs. Green calls out Arnav's name and he appears on the stage. I can't help but notice his grace and confidence. It makes him look so attractive. Maybe this Date Auction thing isn't so bad after all. A; I get to do this charity thing and B; I get a date with the hottest guy in the school.
"Arnav Raizada will be offering the World's Most Boring Date which is packed with sci-fi movies or historical movies about wars and lots and lots of popcorn!" Mrs' Green says in a way as if she isn't able to believe what she is reading. And I frown knowing why Payal really backed out of this. And before I could say anything she covers my mouth with her hands.
"You told me you will do this!" She says and I jolt her hand away. She offers 50 bucks and I yank it from her. I give a long sigh as I know there is no way getting out of this.
"We will start the bidding at 5 dollars."
"5 Dollars!" Someone calls out and Payal tugs my arm. I groan and call out 6 dollars.
"7 Dollars!" The same person calls out and I can't believe why someone would want go on a date where you would be watching Aliens and Spaceships or whatever colliding with each other and blah blah blah. I open my mouth to say 8 dollars but someone else calls out 20 dollars from behind and I see Lavanya giving me her bitchy smile. Oh she has entered a tough competition now! She thinks she can win any boy by showing her cleavage, like she got my ex boyfriend who by the way is the biggest jerk on Earth! But she is wrong tonight.
"40 dollars!" I call out.
"Whoa! Go slow woman!" Payal says and I don't pay her attention. My gaze is fixed on Lavanya who is staring at me.
"50 dollars!" Lavanya calls out and Payal covers her face with her hands muttering she has lost the game of life.
"60 dollars!" I say and Payal looks at me, he eyes wide.
"Hey, superwoman! I am not going to lend you more money! We lost so just back off like a decent lady."
"100 dollars!" Lavanya calls out.
"200 dollars!" I say and Lavanya glares at me, the whole crowd staring at us. And I know what they are thinking; two morons bidding for the most boring date. But this isn't about the date. This is about showing her that she won't get everything she wants. And I did win. She finally backed off.
"I am gonna faint!" Payal says and I grin not believing what I just did.
"Sold for 200 dollars to Miss Khushi Gupta! That's the highest bid tonight." Mrs Green announces and that's when I remember to look at Arnav. He looks dazed and looks intently at me as if I am some kind of a weirdo. Well, after what I did in just now, I can't really blame him for that. I look away from him and see Payal glaring at me.
"You don't have to give me any more money!" I say and she exhales with relief.
"What was that?" She asks in astonishment.
"Well, like you said. He is really hot! Totally worth it!" I wink at her.
Payal spent 100 bucks on the guy she likes and she won him. And I am pretty sure my one ear is part deaf because of all the squeaking she did. Payal has already gone with her date and I am still waiting for mine near the school gate when he finally shows up. He comes to me.
"Hey! That was quite a competition out there, huh?" He asks me and I try very hard not to be embarrassed.
"Yeah, what can I say? I am a sucker for sci-fi movies!" I say and he gives me a puzzled look which I pretend I didn't notice. He then smiles a little bit and guided me to his car. He opens the front seat door for me and I climb in.
"Are we celebrating something?" I ask him pointing towards the cake in the back seat of the car.
""Yeah that..Uh... My friend gave me that to... Congratulate me for winning the football game." He says without looking at me.
"Which says "Happy Birthday, Nana" on the top?"
"He has a weird way of congratulating." He says and I give him a stern look. "Sorry.. Umm that's actually for my Nana. Today is her birthday and I wanted to celebrate with her. But she said if I don't go to this charity event because of her then it'll be her worst birthday ever." He runs his hand through his thick brown hair and then looks back at me.
"That explains the "World's most boring date"!" We both chuckle at the same time.
"Yeah! I did that so no one would bid on me and I would get to keep my promise to Nana that I will attend this event. I had my friend to bid on me."
"Weren't you afraid of being humiliated in front of everyone? I mean nobody was gonna bid"" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when he interrupts me.
"You did." His gaze is fixed on me and I flush with embarrassment. "Why did you bid on me?"
"It's my friend Payal. She has this crush on you, but she had this other guy who she likes more than she likes you and who by the way had a less boring date so she asked me to bid you. So that no one else gets you."
"Hmm, fascinating." He says and I giggle.
"Well, in a way, I did a big favor for you so you owe me." He frown and I chuckle. "I want to celebrate your Nana's birthday." I say calmly and he grins widely.
"Thanks." He says softly and I nod.
I had met Arnav several times before but this was our first real conversation. As we drive along the narrow roads of Rosewood, I see my dad coming out of a caf' with his wife. I feel tears gather in my eyes and I blink hard to stop me from crying. No not here. And not for him. He left me and my mom when I was 10 years old. I still remember how hurt my mom was. I would never forgive him for that. And it's not like he ever asked for our forgiveness. He hasn't even talked to me since then. And I don't care anymore!
"Hey, you okay?" Arnav touches my shoulder and I flinch.
"Yeah, it's umm.. I have got something in my eye." I say, rubbing my eyes. "It's okay now." I give a reassuring smile and he smile back.
I undo my seatbelt when we finally arrive at his Nana's house. "So where are your parents?" I ask him.
"They are away on a business trip." He says to me and we both get out of the car. Arnav takes out the cake from the car and ask me carry the balloons.
Arnav opens the door with his key and when his Nana turns we yell "surprise!". Her face immediately lights up seeing her grandson and he places the cake on the table and runs to hug her.
"Happy birthday, Nana." He says hugging her. She notices me standing there and comes to me.
"And who is this beautiful girl you brought here?" She asks delightedly.
"That's Khushi. My date for tonight." Arnav says winking at me and I smile.
"And you couldn't find a better way to bore her than coming here?" His Nana scolds him and try to hold back my chuckle wondering how she would react if she had known the actual date that he offered in the auction.
"Mrs' Raizada. I asked him to bring me here to celebrate your birthday." I say and Arnav mouths "thank you".
"That's really sweet of you dear, but I don't want to spoil your date. And please, call me Nana." She says, touching my cheek gently.
"You aren't spoiling our date. I promise." I plead and she finally agrees.
"Alright dear, but we will do what you want to do tonight." I try to think and an idea pops in my head.
"I would love to watch a movie!" I say and she smiles gently.
"Movies it is then.. Let me get some popcorn for you." She says and when I offer to help she refuses saying me and Arnav has to pick a movie by the time she comes back.
"So why did you bid on me?" Arnav asks and I stare at him.
"I already told you, my friend Payal asked me to! You're not getting a flattery answer no matter how many times you ask." I say.
"I saw Payal trying to stop you from bidding anymore but you kept going anyway." He says and I look up at him. "It was about Lavanya, right?" He asks.
"Yeah, it was about Lavanya! Is that what you want to hear? That I am still intimidated by her because she stole my boyfriend?"
"No, you're intimidated by her because she has your father." He says and I say nothing. I just keep looking at him. How does he know that? No she hasn't got my father! She is his step daughter. I am his daughter! "I see the way she looks at you. Like she has some control over you. Don't let her control you."
"You don't know me." I say firmly.
"You're right. But you don't know you either."
"You.." I stop in midway as Nana walks in.
"So what movie did you choose?" She asks and we both look at each other. Nana laughs and places the popcorn on the table. "I will choose a movie, you two sit on the couch." We both go to the couch and sit as far as we can from each other. "You don't have to make room for me, I will be on the recliner." She says and Arnav looks at me. He comes near me.
"I am sorry." He whispers into my ear and I feel guilty for being mad at him for telling the truth. I turn to him to say that I am sorry too. When I do our noses brush eachother and that's when I notice how close he was to me. He keeps looking at me as if he is going to kiss me. I am looking at his and his gaze is fixed on my lips. And suddenly I find myself yearning for his touch. His hands on my back, his lips on mine...
"When Harry met Sally!" We are both startled by Nana's voice and I look away from him, my heart racing faster than ever. I know that Arnav is still long at me but I don't look at him, instead I smile at Nana saying I would love to watch that movie. Nana plays the movie and comes back to sit on the recliner and Arnav looks at the TV screen.
I honestly didn't get a thing happening in the movie as all I can think about is Arnav sitting beside me.. I hear someone snore and look over Nana who has fallen asleep. Arnav looks at me and chuckles.
"I will put a blanket over and then I can drop you home." He smiles and gets up.
"We can finish the movie first." I say.
"Khushi, The movie finished long before. It's replaying." He says and I flush with embarrassment.
"Yeah! I was just kidding." I say awkwardly. Why didn't he turn off the TV if the movie was over? Did he notice that my attention wasn't on the movie? Oh my god!
When we arrive at my house, I see my mom sitting on the chair on the porch. We both go t o her.
"Mom, I asked you not to stay up for me."
"I wasn't! I just like to sit here. The breeze is amazing." She says and looks over at Arnav.
"Oh, this is Arnav." They both shake hands and Arnav smiles at her.
"Nice to meet you." He says formally. "Oh and I wanted to ask you something." He says and I look at him wondering what is he up to. "I would like to take your daughter on a date tomorrow night." He says and I am too shocked to respond to what he just said.
"Sure, Arnav. I am totally fine with it." She says, impressed by him. "Why don't I give you two a minute." She says and walks in to the house. I look at him and he smiles.
"I am not as stupid as Harry. I want my Sally right now. I can't take the risk of losing her." HE says and I don't get what he is saying. Is he talking about the movie we watched coz I have no idea what happens in that.
Note to self: When you watch a movie, WATCH IT!
"Goodnight." He says and leans towards me and kisses me chastely. And I want to grab his face and pull him back to me so I can kiss him the way I want to but I don't He then kisses my forehead and as I watch him leave I find myself smiling. I have never felt this happy before.
I enter my house and find my mom sitting on the couch. "Hey mom, did you watch When Harry met Sally?" I ask and when she nods, I ask her to sum it up for me. And when she tells me the story I can't help myself from blushing.
I search my contacts to see whether I still have his number and when I see it I press "call" on my phone. My heart starts beating faster when he picks up.
"My mom might have said yes but you didn't ask for my answer." I say teasingly and I can sense him smile.
"I didn't have to. I already know." He says and I bite my lips.
"I told you, you don't know me." I say playfully and this time he laughs.
"Yeah, right. Okay, I may not know you, but I do have a good sight." He says and I don't know what he meant. "Look at your dress." He says and I look down at my dress and I shriek. I have cake all over my dress which spells out "Arnav". I hear him laugh and I realize my mom would have noticed that too! When did I write that?
"I was watching you while you did that awesome designing on your dress." He says.
"Well it was your fault! I couldn't think about anything else but to.." I stop.
"Kiss me?" He completes my sentence.
"But you didn't even kiss me!" I complain.
"I did."
"Yeah, right! Like you would kiss your grandma!" I say and he bursts out laughing.
"Well, why do you think I asked you on a second date?" His voice is husky and it makes me shiver. "I promise I will make it up to you."
"Okay fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch a movie. Or are you pre planning to distract me again?"
"I wouldn't dare.. Goodnight, Khushi."
I hang up and play When Harry met Sally on my laptop. This is going to be a long night!
NOTE: If you want a scrap for my future works then just comment below or you may add my PM account ..-Milsha-..
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Okay people who read this before, I did not write "he kissed my forehead and ASS" it was a typo 😆 ohmygod! 🤣 It's 'as' okay
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