"Anirudh, tell him I have already decided where to take him" said Vennela.

"Anirudh, tell her she assigned the job to me" said Amar.

"Anirudh, tell him he will definitely like where I am taking him" said Vennela.

"Anirudh, tell her she will like the location I have fixed even more" said Amar.

"Please have mercy. I don't want to lose my sanity" Anirudh closed his ears. "Give me your respective location. I will prepare a schedule and give it to you. That way the surprise won't be revealed and both the places will be covered."

Amar and Vennela liked the idea. They told him their ideas for the date. "So, vadina will take you to a place where you will spend entire morning. Then you will have lunch. After that, take her where you have planned."

They nodded. "What should I wear?" asked Amar.

"Casual wear" Vennela answered.

They met that weekend. Vennela was driving. They reached their destination. "Paintball!" Amar exclaimed. He literally jumped with joy. "I love paintball sport. The last time I played the sport was with my college friends." He went inside excitedly.

"I know. But, I have just seen it in movies" said Vennela.

"That's okay. You can win very easily, unless you are playing against Amar Pratap." Amar remarked. "You just have to make sure that you capture the flag without getting eliminated."

"Eliminated?"

"Yes. If I shoot a paintball at you from my gun, it will leave a mark of paint on you, which leads to your elimination. Don't worry. The sport will continue with other players of your team." Amar explained.

"There won't be other players in my team. I have booked it for only two members" Vennela told him.

Amar grinned. "So, it's just you against me then. Looks like I am going to win within 5 minutes."

"We will see" Vennela went inside. They changed into the outfits given by the organizers and wore the helmet. Vennela held the gun given by the in charge. She was careful not to choose red colored paints.

"You look dangerous" said Amar.

"You look funny" said Vennela. They took their respective positions in the field. Vennela was determined not to get hit by him. She searched for the flag. She heard someone move behind her. She tuned around and started shooting aimlessly.

"I'm not there moonlight" Vennela heard Amar's voice. She went in that direction. But there was no one. Something on the ground caught her attention. Amar drew heart shape with the paint. She smiled.

Amar was hiding in the bushes. He could have hit her easily. But he didn't want to. He was enjoying every moment. "Like it?" He yelled from his position. She ran in that direction again shooting a good five to six paintballs.

"You are wasting your paintballs" Amar screamed from the other end of the field.

"Where are you?" asked Vennela. She knew it was no use following his voice. He was faster than the wind.

"Why would I tell you?" Amar already reached the flag. He didn't capture it. He was waiting for her.

"Because you are a noble husband who would always let his wife win" Vennela answered. She slowly moved in the direction his voice came from.

"I won't help you this time. I want to win" said Amar.

"Found you" 

Amar turned around. He saw her standing with her gun pointed at him. "Game over." She fired a shot. But the paintball won't come out. She checked her gun. It wasn't working properly.

"I don't believe this." She sighed.

Amar pointed his gun at her. "Now the game's over. Come on say it. I won."

She sighed. "Okay. You win." She pouted.

"Stop pouting. You look cute when you pout." He said. She pouted again with a sad expression on his face.

"Fine. Take my gun" Amar gave her his gun.

"Are you sure?" asked Vennela.

"I must be mad. But yes. I'm sure. I hate to see you lose" said Amar. Vennela threw the gun away and hugged him. She captured the flag. She turned around to see Amar holding the gun again. "Now that you have won the game, no one can stop me." He shot several paintballs at her.

They had lots of fun before leaving. "Where are you taking me for lunch?" Amar asked her.

"To a place where only couples are allowed." She answered. They reached a very famous restaurant in the city which would host only five couples in a hall. They went inside. He expected the place to be full of heart shaped stuff. But it was nothing like that. There were wooden chairs and tables with beautiful designs. They didn't use tube lights. It was lighted by fire. The creeper plants on the wall added to the beauty of the place.

"Wow!" He said admiring the place.

"Like it?" She asked him.

"This is really good. How did you know about this restaurant?" He asked.

"One of my friends told me. See that music band over there? They are one of the most famous bands in the city" said Vennela, pointing at a group of people.

They placed the order. "I'll be back in few minutes." Vennela went away leaving him alone. He listened to the beautiful song sung by the band. Suddenly, the group stopped singing. "Time to welcome a new singer. Please put your hands together for Vennela." One of the members of the band announced.

Amar was surprised. He saw Vennela holding the mic. "This song is dedicated to my beloved husband Amar."

She started singing 'Happy Together' with slight changes to the lyrics. Amar was mesmerised by her beautiful voice. The band tried to provide music. But her voice was the only thing that mattered to him. She slowly moved towards him and held his hand. "Thank you Amar, being such a wonderful partner." Everyone applauded. 

She sat down to have lunch. "Vennela, you are amazing. There is no one like you." Amar remarked.

---***---

"Where are we going?" Vennela sat in Amar's plane.

"It's a surprise" said Amar. He kept her busy so that she won't ask him again. 

"We are here" He said an hour later.

Vennela recognized the place instantly. "Kochi!"

"Yes" Amar took her to their house. She had fun, planting trees in the backyard of their house. Amar packed their clothes in a bag.

"Why do we need clothes? Where exactly are we going?" Vennela asked him. He didn't answer.

A few minutes later he held her hand and helped her out of the car. "We are staying the night in a houseboat."

Vennela gasped. She loved boating. But she never got an opportunity to travel in boats. They were taken to the houseboat which was a few meters away in a small motor boat. She dipped her hand in the water. It was cool.

"Don't bend. You will fall down. I will have to be the hero again and save you" said Amar.

"As far as I know, Amar Pratap loves being the hero" said Vennela.

"I may have to give you CPR after that" He smiled naughtily. "Are you okay with that?"

She imagined how it will be. She shook her head. "No. Not now."

Amar chuckled. "You look so innocent when you are scared."

They reached the houseboat and went inside. The man who came along with them, took the houseboat further inside and left it in the middle of the water. "You will spend the night here. I will come back tomorrow. Everything you need has been placed inside."

Vennela went inside. She loved the interior. "This is amazing." She admired the houseboat in every possible angle. Her childhood dream has finally come true. "I still don't understand why you packed so many clothes. We are just spending a night here."

"We are going to live the best moments of our lives here. So, it is only fair that we dress accordingly."

He opened the bag and gave her the dress he selected for her. She wore it and met him outside. He was wearing same colored clothes.

The floor was beautifully decorated with rose petals. As she walked towards him, he played music from his mobile.

"May I have the honour of dancing with the beautiful lady?" He asked her.

She nodded. Her right hand was entwined with his left hand. He held her with his left hand and gently pulled her closer. She clutched his shirt tightly. She was worried she might injure him with her feet. She told him the same.

"You are doing the same mistake again. Don't concentrate on moving your arms and legs. Just look into my eyes. Don't suppress your feelings. Let them flow." Amar held her chin and made her understand.

She looked into his eyes. Unlike all the other times, this time she didn't try to resist. She was ready to lose herself in those beautiful brown orbs. She was ready to drown in his deep eyes. His intense gaze made her heart dance to its own tune. She forgot everything else. The man standing in front of her was the only thing she remembered. He was the only one that mattered.

"Vennela" Amar spoke after a while. "The song is over."

"Oh!" She was disappointed.

"Surprise!" He brought a sky lantern.

She jumped with joy. "Oh my god! I must be dreaming. Pinch me."

"Gladly." Amar pinched her.

"I love floating lanterns." She held the lantern.

"I know"

"How do you know?" She asked him.

"I found a diary written by a teenager in which she has mentioned that she loved the floating lanterns from the movie 'Tangled' and it is her biggest wish to release them into the sky from a boat." He explained.

"You read my diary!!"

"I was curious to know what my moonlight was like when she was a teenager. I just wanted to read a single page. But, I loved it so much that I kept turning pages until I reached the last page. Sorry" said Amar.

"Under normal circumstances you should be punished" said Vennela. "But you have fulfilled my biggest wish. So, your generous queen has decided to forgive you."

They lit the lantern together and watched as it went higher and higher.

After dinner she slept embracing him. "Amar, all this happiness makes me wonder how my life would have been if I didn't get married to you." 

"I would have married someone more beautiful" said Amar, grinning.

"I'm serious" said Vennela. Her eyes were moist.

"Why is my lioness being so emotional today?" Amar caressed her face. "You still don't understand the concept of soulmates? Always remember. We are together because it was meant to be. We are together because you complete me in a way no one else could."

She smiled. "You are a great poet Amar garu."

"Don't call me Amar garu."

"How about Amar sir?" She teased him.

"You need to decide who I really am. Husband or boss or friend or boyfriend or fiance? I am confused. Tell me. Who am I?" asked Amar.

"The answer is simple. You are.... mine." She answered.

---***---