‘You sure, you don’t want anything?’ Charlie frisky voice questioned, in between chewing the gum.

‘No, I don’t’ I replied, eyes still glued to the changing room.

‘You sure?’
‘Will you just stop it already?’ I was annoyed by her constant nagging.

‘What? I was just teasing you, Deb.’ She said. We stood there quiet as she continued to chew her gum and I continued to hold the shopping bags.

We had come to ‘Mall de goa’. It’s one of the largest shopping centers in goa. Lilly wanted some clothes. Charlie tagged along as she wanted to meet me.
Initially I thought it might be fun to get to know her. Turned out; it’s not.
She started annoying me on the way. It started okay but gradually got on my nerves.

At the mall, Charlie tried her clothes and now it was Lilly’s turn. As me and chatterbox stood outside the changing room, she hopped back on the opportunity to tease me.

‘You know, I was just saying. Skin-tight jeans are available in here.’ She pointed towards the section carrying woman’s jeans.

Man, this girl is annoying, how does Lilly deals with this chatterbox.

‘You can try my clothes too, if you want. The red t-shirt will suit you.’ She grinned looking at me.

‘It won’t fit me. It’s too big for my size.’ I grinned at my cheeky remark.

‘Hey!! I am not fat.’
‘Never said you were fat. You just assumed.’ I winked as she rolled her eyes.

‘So, when did you meet Lilly?’ I changed the topic.
‘In the 2nd grade. She didn’t tell you? I thought she might have told her… girlfriend.’ She circled back to her teasing self.

‘You hate me or something?’ I gave her a cold stare.
‘What? No!’ she punched my arm. One of the shopping bags, that I was holding; fell on the ground. She helped me pick it up.

‘Then? what seems to be the problem?’
‘Nothing. I just tease the people, I like. It’s my thing.’

What a stupid thing, why am I not surprised at that.

‘You like me! That’s good I guess.’
‘Yes. I mean it was a lot of pressure at first, knowing how much you meant to her. But when I met you, you are actually good not too…’
‘Wait. Go back.’ I interrupted her ‘What did you mean by how much I meant to her?’

Before her answer, the door of the dressing room opened. Lilly came out wearing a beautiful long red dress. She looked like a rose.
The dress had a deep ‘V neck’. It was too revealing or maybe it was just my imagination.

I liked it at first glance, but then it struck me, I won’t be the only guy who will like that view.

‘How do I look?’ she said with gleaming eyes.
‘You look hot babe.’ Charlie said. Lilly looked at me. I knew she had fallen in love with that dress.

Should I say something? Maybe I should stay quiet.

‘What you think Deb?’ She took a swirl.
‘you look great.’ I said. ‘but will you be needing that at the concert?’
‘No. But its nice for fancy places.’
‘I guess’
‘You don’t like it?’ her eyes fixated on me.
‘It’s okay I suppose but how about you give some other dress a try?’

‘Really?’ her eyes, now even bigger than usual.
‘I mean you look really hot. Amazing. But don’t you think you should give a try to that.’ I pointed towards a blue dress in the huge pile of dresses that she picked up to try out.
It wasn’t as revealing as the one Lilly was wearing.

‘I suppose.’ She looked at herself and towards the blue dress. ‘ok, I will try it.’ She smiled and went inside with the blue dress.

I looked at Charlie. She was staring at me with a crooked smirk.
‘What’s with that look.’ I was on defense.
‘What look? I don’t have any look’
‘Stop it. Don’t judge me.’
‘I am not judging you, relax.’ She said. I raised my eyebrow still not believing her.

‘I swear I wasn’t judging.’ she continued ‘I just think you are being protective towards your love a bit much. That’s all. But I guess sometimes it’s okay be…’

‘Woah! control there, Woman.’ I interrupted her. ‘I’m … ahem…We are not there yet. We are taking it slow. We’ve been in relationship for roughly a month. Don’t you think, ‘love’ is too early for this.’

‘I’m not sure if she would say the same.’ Charlie shrugged her shoulder.
‘What do you mean?’

‘She really likes you, a lot. I mean the only thing she talks now a days is ‘Debashish’. I have seen her with guys who liked her at first glance but then tried to change who she is. Judging her. Calling her a temporary thing. It’s just…’ she exhaled. ‘She is really into you. Atleast that’s what I’m getting, talking to her. It’s not my place to tell you anything. I know you like her and it’s your relationship. It’s just… don’t break her heart.’ Charlie stopped but my mind kept on repeating what she said.

Tried to change who she is.

The door flung open. It felt like forever. She was wearing the blue dress. She looked pretty.

Every color and every dress suit’s her.

‘How do I look?’ she asked.
‘you look…’
‘Amazing.’ I said cutting off Charlie.
‘Really?’ Lilly replied.

‘yes. Without a doubt. But…’ I stopped. She looked at me.
‘but?’
‘why don’t you give the previous dress another try?’
‘Which one? The red? I thought you didn’t like it.’
‘I never said I didn’t like it’ I winked. Lilly’s face started glowing with that comment.

‘Even I like the red better.’ Charlie backed me up.
‘Alright.’ She grinned at us and went back inside. The door slammed shut.

‘Don’t worry I won’t.’ I said turning my eyes back on Charlie.
‘What?’ she seemed confused.
‘I won’t break her heart. I used to have some commitment issues earlier. In my last relationships, actually. Basically, It ended bad. Since than I wasn’t sure. When I met Lilly, it was… different. It was good. But I don’t won’t to ruin anything by rushing it. I want to take time. So, I am taking it slow. But I won’t break her heart.’

Charlie nodded ‘Nice to know.’ She nudged me. ‘And I get it, sometimes it’s difficult to heal up from messy relationships.’ She smiled.
It was genuine. It felt good, opening up to someone.

‘How long were you in relationship with that girl?’ she questioned.
‘Don’t remember. Roughly 2 years, give or take.’
‘Jesus, that’s a really long time.’
‘Yeah’
‘must have been difficult to distant yourself.’ She asked I nodded.

‘I was also in a messy relationship lasted 1 year.’ She continued.
‘Thanks for sharing, it was nice.’ I smiled
‘No problem. By the way, mind asking me, why you guys broke up?’
‘huh’
‘your past relationship. Why you guys broke up?’
‘ummm…’

Kiara’s face flashed in front of my eyes.

‘We wanted different things from life.’
‘huh. Been there, done that.’ Charlie said. ‘So, you still managed to stay in contact with her.’
‘No. We... We drifted apart.’

Sometimes its better to lie that to face the weird questions. I don’t think she’ll understand anyways. No one will.

‘Forget about it now. Everything happens for a reason. You wouldn’t have met Lilly if you were still with that chick.’
I smiled at her comment.

‘Thanks.’ I said.

‘And just for the record. Among all those boyfriends of hers in the past, I like you the most Deb.’ She said grinning. My ears stood up in alert.

Boyfriends? Plural? How many were there? Judging by Lilly’s looks and beauty, probably a hundred. No, it can’t be that much. It will be less… than two hundred. Devil’s voice went into negative overdrive in my head.

Stop. Keep your composure. Came in the Angel voice.

‘Thanks Charlie, it means a lot.’ I replied. ‘By the way about those boyfriends. How many are we talking about?’

‘There were quite a few of them. I mean a surely more than...’ she stopped, realizing she spoke too much. She looked at me trying escape from that awkward moment. ‘I mean, there wasn’t a lot. It’s a small number actually.’ She said.

‘Yeah… right.’ I glued my eyes to her.
‘Did you hear that?’ she said not making eye contact.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘My phone rang.’ She said reaching out for it, in the purse.

‘No, it didn’t.’ I said in a firm voice.
‘yes, it did. I need to get that. Be right back.’ She said and started walking away without turning back.

The door of the dressing room opened. Lilly came out wearing the red dress.

‘Where’s Charlie?’ Lilly looked at me.
‘she went to grab something.’
‘How do I look?’
‘Perfect.’
‘really!!’ Her eyes sparkling. She took a swirl.

‘Yes.’ I said, ‘And the dress looks good too.’

She chuckled. Moving slowly but steadily, she came close to me, wrapping her hands around my neck maintaining eye contact.

‘Then you should try this dress out.’ She whispered. I laughed.

Her lips landed on mine. It was a little hard, to kiss her back, considering that I was still holding her shopping bags.

‘so, are we done?’
‘yes.’ She replied he fingers sliding in my hair.
‘Finally. I’ll go, get Charlie.’
‘alright. But…’
‘but?’ I met her gaze.
‘but stay with me here… just a little long.’

Hey der bubblies. Let me know how you like it so far. Next update might take some time. It's just a continuation of this one.

Here's a preview of upcoming chapter

Knock knock
Who's there?
Ex.. 😏
Ex .. who??
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(Punchline in next chapter. See you soon)