"I still can't believe you and Shubman actually...you're, like, an official couple now," said Neeti in an awed tone for about the 10th time in the taxi.

"I guess so," I said, bored.

"You're a cricketer's girlfriend! Imagine, all these days I told you cricketers are God, and you thought I'm mad. Now you are dating one and I'm still single..."

"What about you and Kuldeep, then?" I demanded, knowing deep inside that I was crossing a line, but Neeti was irritating me a lot right then.

Neeti looked at me in horror. "That'll be like incest, Allie, how can you even THINK something like that of me? They're my second family, all of them," she said fondly, her eyes misting over.

I never will understand this attachment of hers.

---------------------

I had been a little apprehensive about our date the next day. For one thing, it was our first 'date', and I did fear that things might get awkward between us.

But of course, I had overlooked the fact that it was Shubman.

When we met in Gitanjali park, he was grinning as usual. I blushed as as I saw him. He didn't seem remotestly embarrassed.

As we strolled in the park, Shubman took a particular pleasure in catching my eyes and laughing, just like the first time we met in the lift, and after the fourth time, I stopped avoiding his eyes, and joined his insane laughter.

He's really good for me. He's too good for me, actually!

"Yesterday, after you went back, Suhana was asking me about you," he told me.

"You told her I'm your friend."

"I told her you're my girlfriend."

I stared up at him in shock. He winked at me.

"Really, you did? What about her being your boss' daughter?"

"Decided I don't care," he said casually.

I entwined my fingers in his.

"You shouldn't get jealous any more, though I didn't you why you did in the first place. She's ugly. And you are..." he looked at me.

I blinked.

"You're beautiful..." he whispered.

"Oh," I said, not knowing what else to say. Shubman was always surprising me.

Most of the time, he's joking around and teasing me.

But just sometimes, the way he looks at me, the way he clasps my hand, the way he speaks in that whispering thrill-inducing tone...

He is unique.