“It’s a game, a challenge.
We will act cheesier than ever, naughtier than ever, whoever laughs first, will have to treat the other person.”
I suggested and there was a pause on other side of the phone.
“You do realize that all my flirtation will be fake?” she asked.
“Absolutely!! Mine will be fakest”
“Yeah right!!” I was few miles away from her ; on the call with her, but I could totally foresee her smirking face.
“Great, see you in an hour” I replied and cut the call.
*An hour later*
“Honey, I am home…”
“Welcome home….” “Honey..” She replied tightening her lips trying not to smile or laugh. The tone in which she said ‘honey’ was so fake and artificial that I wanted to hug her there and then, a ticklish feeling did hit my stomach.
Nonetheless I was determined not to lose.
“I got flowers for you, yellow for our friendship, red for our love, Pink because you are a girl and Orange for …… “ I don’t know what, just a spare flower”
“Awwwwww” Her accent was so crafted that I almost vomited. That was the first time she had ever used the word
‘aww’, it never seemed to exist in her dictionary.
“That is like the sweetest thiiiiiiinnnnggggg” The extra emphasis on the word “thing” sent me almost in chuckles, it
was hard to gulp down the bubble of laughter which had formed in my esophagus.
“Liar” I whispered softly, she read my lips and winked.
“Come…my rolu polu” She grabbed my hand and dragged me in the kitchen. Walking behind her I giggled softly.
she quickly turned back and I did a straight face signaling pursed lips.
“Babu ke liye kya banaya hain aaj?” I asked, making an innocent puppy face.
“Babu ke liye uski favorite sabji aur roti” Saying that; almost in a laughter voice, she presented a plate.
“you want me to feed you?” she asked, taking a dig at one of my ex-girlfriend I had told her about, the one who always wanted to feed me.
“Yes why not?” I winked. She regretted asking the question. “damn” she whispered.
“Okay babu, before that, you drink this karela ka juice I made for you”
That scared me, she had totally pre planned spoiling my stomach.
“Mein piladu tumhe?” she asked, taking glass an inch closer to my mouth.
I almost felt a burning rage coming out of my stomach “Na bhai na, tere drama ke chakkar mein, mujhe nahi marna”
Knowing she had overpowered me, Handling the situation instantaneously I changed the topic.
“Babu, I am not hungry right now, why don’t we do something else?”
“Yes, why don’t you write something and I will read and smile and do “aww” and cry and laugh and be hyper?” she asked. If there was a competition on sarcasm, I am sure she would have been crowned Sarcasm queen. Hundred percent.
She had taken a big dig at me, I had to react somehow, but as usual all my creative nerve receptors had gone blank when with her.
“Aren’t you feeling hot?” She was taken aback, but quickly reacted “That’s because you are with me”
It took me a little time to process what she had said, when it did, I was like a bubble of foam waiting to burst and fathom into never ending laughter.
“Cool, we not we take a shower together then?” I grinned flashing all my white teeth at her.
“Oh, we could have, but nal ko paani nahi aaraha kal se” she punched me in my throat, making an irritated face.
“Babu, you know what, jab se mein idhar aaya hu, my heart rate has doubled”
“Oh No, you may have a high sugar problem”
“That’s because you are sweeter than sugar my dear” I said that followed by a chortle.
“Oh god, bas ho gaya, aur cheesiness saha nahi jaata, can’t take any more” with this she started laughing, almost rolling on the floor “bathroom mein saath mein naha na hain, cheapo” slapping me twice she took a pause and then burst out laughing again. “Karel aka juice? Seriously?, I would have killed you there and then, rolu polu” I slapped her twice as well, albeit a little softly.
“last half n hour, was the worst of my life”
“Well, same here, But somehow I am glad I spent it with you” She stopped laughing and smiled innocuously for a moment.
Its ironic in a way they say, the best way to make a girl fall in love with you is to make her smile, but then it’s a weird conundrum in a way that everytime I make her smile - I see her smile; and instead of her, its me falling in love with her all over again.
For the next half an hour, we just had a plain lengthy conversation about our likings and our hatreds, about our dreams and aspirations and of course the small little talk on how was our week and what plans for the next week.
A lot of cheese and butter is required for a relationship to work I have heard, but what matters the most, often is just the connection, the thinking, the way you two connect and the ability to make each other smile, for cheese and butter can also be used as a spread for the bread you eat while conversing. ;)
