7 Disha -

After completing what I intended to do, I looked up a few files related to the new case , which we got earlier today. At that moment someone knocked on my door.

"Come in", I yelled as I looked behind to see who it was.

It was Alexia. Their filmed had ended and that's why they were back at home.

"How was the film? Was it an happy ending?" I said rolling my chair to face her, as she sat on my bed.

"I'm not giving you the spoiler", she said, with a smile.

I rolled my eyes before giving her an 'I'm done with you look' .

"Did you have dinner?" she asked with concern.

"I didn't. Do we still have them out?" I said as I looked at the watch which was hanging on the wall over my bed.

"No, have you seen the time? It's past dinner time. Isn't it obvious that they'll take them away? What have you been doing, that made you miss dinner?" she questioned like a mom.

I turned back to my table and put a folder on her lap.

"I've been going through this new case, I've sorted out few datas on this case. It's more complicated than it sounds", I said rolling my eyes.

She looked through a few pages and put the folder back on the table.

"Let's not talk about study and work all the time, shall we? Come on, these days we bearly got any girls time. And even though we got it today but you intentionally missed it. But guess what? I brought you dinner. Do you realize how lucky you are to have me," she said in a proud voice, still smiling.

Well, even though all the four girls in the team were my best friends, but Alexia was my closest friend. I had opened up completely with her. She cared for me as much as I did for her. Maybe it's her brown and black medium hair and brown eyes and pink white skin and her long intense fingers that made me like her the most.

"What did you bring me?" I asked with surprisingly happy eyes.

"Take a guess... I brought you your favorite thing " she had this mischievous face on.

"Bamboo dumpling? Pizza? Hamburger?" She said no to all of them and rolling her eyes she said,

"Sweetheart you have serious gastic problem and in spite of that you think I would bring you pizza or anything like that at this hour, it's so bold of you".

When I shot her an embarrassment look she said, " I have brought you.. Apple pie", even though she said that with excitement but I was dissapointed.

I mean who eats apple pie for dinner...?? She understood seeing my dejected face and so she quickly added, "It's the last one from 'MacHills'. With your favorite rainbow frappuccino".

My eyes lit up hearing her. Actually MacHills is the most famous bakery of this town with the best deserts. And rainbow frappuccino is a Starbucks item, which is always on the top of my favorite drink list. I literally had even lined up for MacHills apple pie but I never got it. And now if you throw me back my words and ask, who eats apple pie for dinner? Then my answer is 'I do'.

I was about to run outside to eat my dinner, when she said, "Elsa is heating the pie again. It'll take a while. And in that meanwhile, I guess we have got something to talk about?"

She made it almost sounds like a question with a demand to know the answer. Her face looked as if she has been waiting for me to have this talk with her long enough to make her patience run out. She had a smile on, but behind that smile she had so many questions. I knew what she was talking about.

By the 'talk' she meant me and Raidan. I was actually puzzled about what to tell her cause there was nothing, whatsoever to tell her. But then suddenly I thought of something.... something Raidan had told me that I had forgotten to react on. And as saying goes, "Attack is the best form of defense", I obeyed the saying.

And then a wicked smile appeared on my face as I said, "You are right. We actually got something to talk about".

As expected from her, she quickly saw through my wickedness and nodded, "So, you know. He told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah. And I'm assuming you know about mine too, even though I never intended to hide". This was a taunt that I throwed on her, to let her know my disappointment .

"De, you have got to listen to me, trust me. I never intended to hide it. I was engaged to him even before my birth. And as soon as I had my first period, I was married to him. I never liked him, neither did he. And so I never gave it much importance, which I guess you already know since you have seen how we treat each other ", she said as guilt washed all over her face.

Honestly it didn't matter to me as long as she is happy. "Oh. OK. I believe you". I said , and I meant it. Of course I believed her after all she has been with me through all thick and thin for the past 5 months.

"About me and Raidan.... He asked me but I haven't answered him yet", I said running my hand over my face, like I always do whenever I am nervous or worried or tensed.

"Why are you delaying? Are you afraid of anything?" she said looking at my face, reading right through me. She is right. I'm afraid.

"I'm afraid that, just like the first day and the other days.... he'll turn cold to me again, after our marriage. You know how nicely he talked with me at our first meeting and you also have seen how fucking cold he has been to me through out these monthes". I felt a tear rolling down my face. I quickly wiped it away.

"I understand sweetheart and your concern is justified but what if he doesn't treat you cold? Wouldn't it be a loss to not agree on the fear of disappointment?" she tried to make me understand and what she said does make sense too. And also thanks to her therapy session and sister Bella's idea, I had eased up a little.

Monday morning, the 'now or never ' it's just in few hours. I'm scared, I'm nervous, my heart it's beating as fast as it has never been. I feel like it's going to explode.

"It's alright. It's just the nervous system, that is letting out signal of stress inside", I told myself, a failed attempt to calm my brain.

My exam ended at 12 and he picked me up at 3 pm. We didn't talk at all throughout the way to the cafe. He had already booked a side room in the restaurant. As the waiter took us there, I saw a table right beside the window, where sunrays are playing. Honestly it's hard to see sunlight in England during this time of the year, but in this part of the country, you can see a clear sky and sunlight sometimes.

As a gentlemen as he is, he held out my chair for me and then the waiter left telling us to call him whenever we were ready to order. He closed the door behind on his way out. There was this crazy heat in the air of the silence between us, that ever with 4 degrees outside, I felt way too hot. I took off my coat as he took off his.

And here we were sitting face to face, without any conversation. Ever though I'm not ecstatic but I'm happy to say that, he was the one to break the silence.

"How was your exam? I remember English lit was always your thing", he said, with a smile in the corner of his lips, almost too small to notice. And maybe that's why I failed to notice.

"Yeah. Yeah... ummm.... English lit's good", clearing my throat I added, "the exam was good too. Question was easy".

"Good .... Umm.... So..??" he said, hesitating to complete. Honestly, it was a new thing. I'd never seen him hesitate. But yeah, even though he hesitated, I still know what he meant to ask. He wanted to know my answer.