Author's POV

It was the day. The day they were taking the official first step towards their relationship, this time willingly.

The first date nerves had taken over them. Both Zeeshan and Ayesha’s hearts were beating rapidly as they got ready for their day at work.

Cheeks flushed a beautiful red clearly showed their loved ones how much they had been wanting this.

“Itna kyu sharma raha hai aaj tu?” asked Zeeshan's sister, leaning against his bedroom door and snapping him out of his thoughts.
(Why are you blushing so much today?)

Clearing his throat, Zeeshan replied, “...n-nahi toh,” while fixing his hair in the mirror. The reflection staring back at him clearly stated otherwise.
(..I-I am not.)

Chuckling softly, she said, “Yeah right. Breakfast is waiting,” before walking away.

Zeeshan’s eyes fell on his own reflection again. Flushed cheeks, red ears, and a constant soft smile lingering on his face because the only thing on his mind was her, his aayat.

Meanwhile, Ayesha’s brother was getting concerned for his sister because she had been blushing constantly ever since she woke up.

“Eshu, the coffee is overflowing,” he shouted when she made no attempt to stop pouring coffee into the already overflowing cup.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she said, “Oh sorry,” facepalming herself after noticing the mess she had made.

Sunaina, who had been a silent observer, smiled softly, somewhat aware of the reason behind her Eshu’s lack of attention. Adhvait, on the other hand, side eyed his sister, finding her behaviour weird yet amusing.

That day, both Ayesha and Zeeshan left for the office completely disoriented mentally.

“Ayesha.”

“AYESHAAAAA,” shouted Ritika, pulling Ayesha back from her thoughts.

“Uh, yeah,” Ayesha muttered, sitting straight after clearing her throat.

“Where are you lost? We were discussing the forensic reports of this victim,” she asked, sighing dramatically.

“N-nowhere,” Ayesha replied, flipping through the pages of her case file, her cheeks flushed red.

Shaking her head, Ritika returned to the discussion while Ayesha took a few sips of water to focus, or at least try to.

Zeeshan, on the other hand, kept knocking things off his desk because working seemed like the most difficult task to him.

“Heyyy Zeeshan, this is the third time your pen has fallen. Are you okay?” Naman asked, picking up Zeeshan's pen.

“Thank you, I am fine,” Zeeshan replied, trying to complete his work as soon as possible. Naman nodded before walking out.

He worked mindlessly, finishing his tasks nearly two hours before his usual time.

“Yeah, we are done with this. Tell me what’s going on?” Vidit said, leaning towards Zeeshan and snatching the file from him.

“Hey,” Zeeshan snapped, glaring at Vidit, who only raised his eyebrows further.

Zeeshan sighed and muttered, “I am going on a date.”

“Teri himaat kaise hui saale Ayesha k hote hue kisi aur k saath date par jaane ki?” Vidit spat, throwing his pen at Zeeshan with a glare.
(How dare you go on a date with someone else?)

“Are you mad? Why would I go with anyone else? I am going on a date with Ayesha,” Zeeshan replied, throwing his pen back at him.

“Right,” Vidit nodded, his mouth forming an ‘o’.

“So what’s the plan?” he added.

“I’ve got it covered. I just need to finish work before 7,” Zeeshan replied, snatching the file back. Vidit nodded in agreement with a chuckle and returned to work.

After finishing his work ahead of time, Zeeshan walked out of the office, not before informing Vidit that he would be going to his home to freshen up. His eyes automatically searched for his aayat, who was drowned in her work. She cluelessly scratched her head, a pen stuck between her teeth, which only made her look cuter.

Chuckling softly, he walked out and quickly drove off to make some final touches for their date not before sending her a text saying,

“Dress casual and make sure to wear your most comfortable footwear. Can’t wait to see you, Aayat.❤️”

“All set?” Zeeshan asked as soon as the call was picked up.

“Yes sir, the bonfire is set. Just like you said, I made sure the seating area was comfortable and cozy. You can also clearly see the stars from up here,” the other person replied.

“Cool, thank you,” Zeeshan said, ending the call after the response.

Driving to the nearest mall, he headed straight to the grocery section and grabbed Ayesha’s favourite snacks along with a few things they could munch on during the date.

After that, he walked towards the home goods section, where he bought a cozy blanket and a pair of matching insulated mugs.

Driving to Vidit’s home, he quickly freshened up in the guest room, made chai for himself and coffee for her, packed them into the insulated mugs, and then drove off to Ayesha’s place.

Ayesha's POV

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said to Ritika after Vidit bhai pulled up with his car in front of us.

She nodded with a smile and whispered, “All the best,” before getting inside.

Vidit bhai nodded teasingly at me before driving off. I quickly drove to my place to freshen up.

After taking a quick shower, I changed into my comfortable co ord set. It was cozy yet fashionable. I paired it with my white sneakers and some basic earrings, along with the necklace I had not removed for a year and my promise band.

I kept my makeup basic, the same as my daily routine, though I took a little extra time doing it.
(Their outfit inspo is uploaded at the end of the chapter.)

Just as I was about to spray some perfume, the doorbell rang.

Quickly spraying some perfume, I ran out to open the door since bhabhi had a hearing issue and bhai was surprising her at her workplace. I came face to face with Zeeshan, who had just stepped in, looking as handsome as he always did, after the house help opened the door for him.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Mr Kapoor?” I said, walking towards him with a teasing smile, though my heart was beating ridiculously fast.

Once I stood in front of him, he leaned closer and, bowing slightly with an enchanting smile, said, “The pleasure would be all mine, Miss Mehra. Or perhaps I’d say soon to be Mrs Kapoor, only if you’d do me the honour of going on a date with me this very fine evening,” and extended his hand towards me.

Ignoring the rapid increase in my heartbeat, I nodded with a genuine smile, placing my hand in his extended one.

With a smile, he guided me towards his car and opened the door for me.

“Before you ask, I will not tell you the destination,” he said, starting the car just as I turned towards him.

Sighing, I turned sideways and looked outside instead, making him chuckle.

“Kuch bolengi nahi aap?” he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
(Will you not say anything?)

“Aap hi bol dijiye,” I replied, shrugging.
(How about you go first?)

“Bohot khubsoorat lag rahi ho aap, Aayat,” he said, giving his dazzling smile, making my cheeks heat up.
(You look incredibly beautiful, Aayat.)

“And you look like...” I paused deliberately.

“Like?”

“A distraction. A dangerous one at that,” I replied without hesitation, looking straight into his eyes.

Clearing his throat, he looked away, his ears turning visibly red.

“Are you blushing?” I said, chuckling.

“No.”

“You are.”

“I am not.”

And just like that, with us bickering, he drove for I do not know how long before finally parking near a densely populated area.

“Where are we, Zeeshan?” I asked, stepping down as he opened the door for me.

“We just walk a little, hmm?” he said, dodging my previous question.

Taking my hand in his, he started walking, with a small suitcase in his other hand.

I removed my hand from his grip to tuck my hair behind my ear.

He grabbed my hand again once I was done.

Nodding slightly, I removed my hand again to scratch my face a little.

This time, I scratched my other hand, removing it from his grip mischievously.

Sighing, he held my hand once more, and I again pulled it away, pretending to fix my top, though there was nothing that needed fixing. I just wanted to rile him up.

Looking at me defeatedly, he said, “aap bohot tadapte ho mujhe, aayat.”
(You make me long for you a lot, Aayat.)

This time, he laced his fingers with mine, holding my hand gently yet firmly, making me laugh unapologetically.

“I wasn’t doing it deliberately, you know,” I said, leaning against his bicep, and he just shook his head, chuckling.

“And we are here,” he said, gesturing towards a beautifully decorated bonfire place.

Zeeshan's POV

“This...” she gasped cutely.

“Like it?” I asked, looking at her sparkling eyes, a smile involuntarily forming on my face.

“How did you know that I always wanted to have a bonfire date?” she asked, smiling from ear to ear like an excited child.

“That’s not important. Let’s go and sit,” I said. Thankfully, she didn’t notice and quickly ran to the seating area, waiting excitedly near the wood. I chuckled, following after her.

I had already told them to arrange the wood, so we just lit the tinder from different sides. Once the fire was stable, we added more logs.

All the while, she helped me enthusiastically. Her excitement was so contagious that it had me smiling softly.

“Let’s go sit,” I said, forwarding my hand. Nodding excitedly, she grabbed it, and we sat next to each other.

“So what do we do now?” she asked, warming her hands in front of the bonfire.

“Coffee piyoge?” I asked, leaning closer to her.
(Would you like to have some coffee?)

She nodded, widening her eyes. “You bought coffee too?”

“I did,” I said, chuckling, wrapping my handkerchief around the glass after filling it with her coffee.

She carefully took it and looked at me with a smile.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Where’s your chai?”
(Chai- tea)

It was a simple question, but it spoke volumes. Knowing that my likes and dislikes mattered to her, the realisation warmed my heart.

Pouring myself a cup of chai, I waited for her to take a sip, which she did the moment I sat next to her.

“Just the way I like it,” she said, her eyes fixed on me.

“Is it?” I asked, leaning slightly towards her.

“It is,” she replied, smiling softly, her cheeks adorned with a beautiful shade of red.

We quietly drank our tea and coffee respectively in a cozy and peaceful atmosphere, just the two of us.

Once we dumped our cups into a separate garbage bag, we simply sat there.

Savouring each other’s company, surrounded by the cozy sound of crackling wood.

“Aayat,” I said softly, my eyes falling on the promise band on her finger.

“Hm?” She turned towards me with a smile.

“Give me another chance,” I said sincerely. She raised her eyebrows in confusion.

Pulling her up with me, I held both her hands gently before saying softly, “Give me another chance to show you how much you mean to me. Allow me to call you Aayat, but this time as a boyfriend, your boyfriend.”

“You know, Zeeshan, I hated you...” She paused, nodding slightly, and I waited for her to continue.

“I hated you for making me cry in the past.”

“I thought I hated you, but my heart? It still bled  for you, so much that I cannot bring myself to push you away from me, not when all I want is your annoying ass by my side,” she said softly, chuckling with tears in her eyes making me chuckle along with her.

“Can I kiss you on your forehead, aayat?” I whispered, swallowing my tears. She nodded sniffing.

Gently brushing her hair back from her forehead, I took my time admiring her. Then, leaning closer, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead, pouring all the love I had kept in my heart into that kiss.

She gave me her biggest smile and closed the remaining distance by hugging me.

My heart instantly knew that it had finally found its peace in her arms, and it stopped racing rapidly.

Pulling away, she took a few steps back, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

“Let’s go sit, it’s getting cold,” I said, breaking the silence. She nodded, and we returned to our seats, not before I grabbed the blanket.

“What are you doing?” she asked as I sat closer to her than before.

“Come here,” I said, wrapping the blanket around myself as I leaned against the headrest of the sofa, opening my arms for her.

She hesitated at first but then wrapped her arms around me. I carefully pulled the blanket around her and made sure she was completely covered.

After a minute or two, she got comfortable, resting her head on my chest and turning towards the bonfire. I kept looking at her from time to time.

“You know, you were an asshole back then,” she muttered suddenly. I widened my eyes in surprise.

“I was?” I asked, gasping dramatically.

“Yeah,” she replied, pouting with a disappointed shake of her head.

And just like that, we talked about anything and everything, munching on the snacks I had brought, while I made sure to keep us warm and she took charge of feeding me.

“And you know...” she was saying when I placed my finger on her lips, silencing her.

“Look up,” I said. She looked up, confused.

“Wow,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with astonishment.

“Like it?” I asked, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

“I love it,” she replied, smiling widely, which made me smile too.

It felt beautiful, her in my arms admiring the stars, while I admired her.

Soon, she fell asleep in my arms after pouring her heart out about the stars and how she had always wanted to go stargazing while I listened to her hoping for time to stop at that very moment.

Dropping a lingering kiss on her forehead, I messaged my team of bodyguards, who had been silently in charge of her protection, to help me clean up and bring everything to my car.

I'd requested them to help me, thankfully they agreed but I made sure to pay them for their overtime help.

While they grabbed the stuff, I, on the other hand, gently picked her up, making sure she was completely wrapped in the blanket.

Settling her into the passenger seat, I fastened her seatbelt, and after thanking the bodyguards, I drove her home.

During the date, her brother had called to inform her that she could use the spare key to enter, as her bhabhi was not feeling well and they would be going to sleep early.

Once I parked, I took the spare keys from her bag and opened the door.

Carrying her bag, I gently lifted her into my arms. Careful not to wake her, I walked to her room without making a sound.

Opening the door with my leg, I laid her gently on the bed, quietly closed the door, and placed her bag and phone on the table beside her.

After removing her shoes and earrings, I covered her with a comforter. Taking a wet wipe from her bag, I gently removed her makeup, making her stir slightly but not wake up, thankfully.

Once I was sure she was comfortable, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead and quietly slipped out of her home.

After reaching home, I freshened up and pulled out my phone to look at the pictures she had clicked today.

Sleep was far from me that night, because all I could think about was her.