Thanksgiving

"Young lady, I would like to have a cup of tea with you in the evening. I hope you will honor me by accepting my invitation." His father called me from behind when we have reached the door. I turned to him and nodded at him in yes while blushing.

"Take care dad"

I thought Miller would hug his dad but he kept his hands in his pockets. What a cold-hearted boy?

Miller asked me to follow him outside and I took leave from his dad. We walked to his father's Mercedes and he smirked at me. His gaze was challenging and intense.

"What?" I asked. He threw the keys to me and I caught it in midair.

"I want you to drive the car" he ordered me while settling himself on the passenger seat before I could get there. I crossed my arms and cocked my eyebrows.

"Do I look like your chauffeur, Miller?" I leaned on the window and asked him sarcastically.

"Oh I can put my fortune at stake to have you as my chauffeur" he replied dramatically and didn't take off his eyes from me even for a second.

'What is going on his angreji (English) mind?' I asked myself.

"You are putting your life in danger Miller" I placed my hands on the window and looked inside to meet his eye level.

"Anything for you dear" he leaned forward and replied huskily. He was just inches away from my face, his ocean blue eyes met mine and stirred my soul.

"Are you not getting late now" he closed the gap and just whispered on my mouth. A chill ran down my spine when his hot breath touched my lips. My body retreated back in reflex and I hit my head on the window.

"Ouch, Miller I will kill you for this." I rubbed my head giving him a deadly look but he was grinning like a fool.

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"Hey stop, look there, is that a temple?" he pointed at a small structure and I nodded in yes.

Panditji (the priest) has wrapped kalawa (red thread) on my right wrist and gave me charanamrit (holy water) after I came out of temple. I requested panditji to give charanamrit and Prasad to Alex too. He smiled and told me to call him near. Panditji put the red mark of vermilion on the middle of his forehead and then on mine. He wanted to give charanamrit to Miller but he was confused.

"Take forward your left hand, palm upward" he did what I said.

"Now place your right palm over it" he complied with a smile.

Panditji poured charanamrit (holy water) in the depression of his right palm.

"Bhagwan tum dono ki Jodi hamesha banaye rakhe (may God always bless you as a couple)" I was taken aback with Panditji's blessing. I gasped in shock and wished that Alex hasn't noticed that.

'Ye pandit ji pagal ho gaye hain kya (Has this priest gone crazy)' I asked myself because I was really not expecting such blessing.

'For god's sake, the priest can see that I am a spinster and just because I came here with this boy, he couldn't pair me up with him.'I huffed in anger

"Apko galatfehmi ho gayi hai pandit ji (you have mistaken priest)" I corrected him that I and Miller were not a couple.

"Beta ye main nahi keh raha hu, ye to uska ashirwad hai (child I am not telling this, this is God's blessing)" he patted my head then Miller's while smiling and disappeared into the temple. Thank God, Miller couldn't understand Hindi otherwise it would be SO embarrassing.

"What he said, I could not understand" Miller asked me innocently but I have noticed an amused expression briefly.

'Was it possible that he understood the whole conversation? Why I always feel like that he could understand Hindi.'

"Thank god you didn't understand" I mumbled and turned to him to give him a fake smile.

"He said that a wild animal is roaming free in Mercedes. Please catch him and put him in a zoo" I mocked him.

"Oh really, and how much wild this animal is" he stepped towards me but I ducked and run from his side. I stick out my tongue to him "Loser!"

"Hey stop, you can't leave me. Come back with my car" he was shouting and running after the car. I stopped the car after five minutes.

He has stopped at the window panting heavily. His black t-shirt had become his second skin. Sweat was dripping from every pore of his body and his face has become tomato red.

"Want to do some more morning walk, wild boy" I grinned at him.

He came to my side and opened the door. He snaked his right hand around my waist and pulled me toward him. His body was radiating heat and my body was tickling wherever that heat touched me. His blue eyes boring into my soul, his lips were trembling. He leaned on me and rubbed his face on my dupatta (Indian stole).

With a full force, I pushed him and slapped him hard.

"Don't you dare" I pointed my index finger at him. He was rubbing his cheek where my fingerprints were still visible.

I walked away from his car. I didn't want to see his face again. I was wondering what has happened to me, why I always act weird with him. I never behaved like that. Why I feel carefree, relaxed and happy around him?

"Gawri, I am sorry, I am really sorry. I don't know what has happened to me but it will not happen again" he apologized.

"Please forgive me" he tugged his ears.

"Please Please Please Gawri, I am sorry"

I glared at him and then stepped back to his car. I waited for him to sit inside and then drove the car at maximum speed. Within 10 minutes, I was at school gate. I came out of the car and slammed the door and walked away without looking back at him.

I was stupid enough to become comfortable around him. Every guy is the same in this world just like those bastards!