The Big Swap - Part 22
"Meera-"
"-don't ask any more
questions. Why can't you just be a sport sometimes?" Meera complained,
propped behind Vedant on his scooty.
Vedant sighed, stopping at
a red signal and narrowing his eyes at her through the mirror.
Something was deeply
unsettling about her today. For instance, she looked extremely excited and
hadn't even gone home to change out of her office clothes. It was just seventy
thirty, which meant she'd come with him straight after office.
What could have been so
urgent?
"Because you always
plan things. And when you don't, it's scary." He explained, referring to
the sudden call she'd given him with wanting to meet 'urgently'.
In the month after the
results, Meera had presented herself in the interviews of all the seven firms
Vedant had helped her apply for. Eventually, she joined one of the firms that
were conveniently close to her place and paid a decent stipend.
Vedant helped her make the
final call of course. After all, this was all because of his help.
He on the other hand had
resumed his preparation for the next IPCC attempt in May with complete zeal and
zest. Somehow, through calls, messages and coffee meets, they'd managed to stay
in touch; and perhaps grown even closer.
"Whatever. You just
focus on the road." She replied quickly.
"At least tell me
where we're going Meera!"
"Kala Ghoda. I told
you."
"Yeah but where in Kala
Ghoda?" he argued, now impatient to know what was up.
From the rearview mirror,
he watched her grin his favourite smile. "Barbeque Grill."
Vedant almost hit the
silver Chevrolet before them with his scooty out of sheer shock.
"What?"
"Just drive. I'll
explain everything there." She gestured, giving him a light nudge on his
back.
"Meera that restaurant
is filthy expensive-"
"-and one
of your favorites." She cut confidently. "You've mentioned that
restaurant so many times Vedant. Don't you think it's about time we actually go
there?"
"I...I don't have that
kind of money with me right now." He admitted softly. She shook her head
with disagreement.
"You're not paying
today."
Enough.
Why is she being so vague
and mysterious today?
With this thought, he took
a steep turn to the left and parked the scooty near a footpath.
"What?" he
questioned after getting off of the scooty.
Now that he'd removed his
helmet and Meera could look into his eyes, she felt alarmed as to how curious
he looked. He blinked at her with severity, demanding an explanation.
She sighed, "Do you
realize what the date is today?"
"Um, first of April?"
Meera smiled, "Yes. So
what day is it?"
"I don't know. April
Fools' Day?" Was she going to let me eat to my heart's content and
then leave me there to do the dishes?
God that sounds cruel.
She rolled her eyes
dismissively. "Um...the first day of the financial year?" he attempted
a guess again.
At this, she hit his arm;
annoyed.
"I don't know man!"
"Vedant." She
affirmed, "I completed a month of Articleship today."
"Oh!" he huffed
with relief, "So, you're celebrating today."
Vedant gave her a lost
grin, obviously clueless with whatever she was talking about.
"I got my first
stipend today."
Like a shot of lightening
things got clear for him as he posed, "You were taking me for dinner to my
favorite restaurant with your first stipend?"
Meera grinned proudly, as
she gave him a nod.
He didn't know what to say.
This was by far the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him.
But,
He couldn't accept it.
"Meera, what made you
think I would allow you to do something like that?"
He instantly regretted his
choice of words as he noted how her face fell with hurt instantly.
"I'm touched by this
gesture Meera." He explained gently, "I really am. But this is your
first stipend, your first earning. Spend it on something that matters."
Meera wanted to laugh at
the situation. Was he seriously blind? Did he really need for her to say it in
those very words?
"That's exactly what
I'm doing."
Vedant looked visibly shocked
but pat came the reply, "Meera I'd promised myself I would not force you
into something you're not sure about."
She just smiled and shook
her head with disbelief.
He really is blind.
"Do I look unsure?"
He gulped, his adam's apple
moving gently and visibly. She looked anything but unsure. He just couldn't
believe this was happening.
With a grin and finality in
her stance, she leaned in and looped her arms around his torso.
"I want to
be with you, Vedant."
His arms scooped her into
him almost instantly, as though hugging Meera had always been a part of his
subconscious. Smiling wide, he held onto her, liking how awesome it felt to get
to hear those words from her mouth finally.
With the happiness of the situation, Vedant found his tension ease and some of his mirth return as he
gently pulled her away from him and asked,
"Does this mean you're
asking me out?"
She rolled her eyes in
response, but a grin still slipped from her lips.
"Okay, so now that
we're together you should know..." his face turned grave, and Meera just
blinked at him with surprise, "...your eye roll is breathtakingly hot."
She could only chuckle in response before he pulled her more tightly into him; afraid of letting go.
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