"Two glasses of sparkling water for us" the man nodded at the waiter, his head bent over the menu as he pondered over it like as though it was his blood report.

Tall, broad shoulders and biceps that pushed through his blazer, the man was good looking - sexy even! His hair was gelled back and his eyes sparkled under the golden light of the hotel.

His hazel orbs turned darker as he gazed at the woman in front of him, giving her a tiny smirk.

The woman in front of him however rolled her eyes, crossing her legs over one another, and crossing her arms across her chest, waiting and watching how the man would proceed.

So far, the man had behaved exactly as she'd predicted. But Tara Prasad was a PR and very good in her field. She knew how the minds of these businessmen worked! She was an excellent judge of others' characters too, which of course not only came handy with her job, but also for her personal life.

Dressed in a beige suit and black tie, pairing it with a baby blue shirt, the man did look handsome. However, Tara had mentally judged him the moment she'd met him.

This was her 12th blind date in the past 6 months and the year wasn't even over! Her friend's cousin's friend knew the guy apparently!

They'd arranged to meet at this posh hotel through their friends, and Tara had never met this man in her life before!

But before coming over to meet him, she'd gotten a little background check done on the man, not to mention, sit at the bar at the very hotel and having observed him for a good 15 minutes before she'd finally approached him.

The man had entered the hotel earlier than she had. She'd directly entered and sat at the bar, watching the people at the hotel till her eyes had landed on this man - her blind date for the night.

She'd recognized him by the look of nervousness and anticipation written on his face. Though he was dressed smartly, he'd arrived much earlier than her - meaning he'd been nervous.

The man had also kept jiggling his legs and looking around, as though searching for someone.

Twice Tara had noticed the man observing the women at the table beside theirs, his eyes shooting unnecessarily towards the exposed legs of the women.

Though he'd earned good points from her side for arriving early and for being a well dresser, he'd lost all the points as Tara watched him gawking at other women.

But she'd given him the benefit of doubt - that he's probably searching for her.

All the benefit of doubt vanished however, when she'd finally decided to walk over to him, and he'd gazed at her from head to feet - as though eyeing a candy!

Tara was dressed in a suit herself - a pair of black formal trousers and fitting jacket, with a white blouse.

But her blouse was sheer, and her date for the night kept shooting glances towards her chest every so often since she'd arrived at the table!

He'd smirked at her, but had drawn her chair for her and even shook her hand, introducing himself as Praveen Makhija.

"Any other drinks sir? We have a good selection of wine and.." the waiter's voice trailed off as Praveen cut him off.

"I don't drink" Praveen shook his head at the waiter, who was waiting for Tara to respond. But she just smiled at him and shook her head - she knew the waiter and this hotel so well by now!

She'd been to the hotel so many times now that she had the menu memorized as well - it was a favorite of Rohan and Mark so their monthly team lunches were almost always in this very hotel!

"What would you like to eat?" The man, Praveen, asked in his deep voice, smiling a dazzling smile at Tara who cocked her eyebrow.

"You ordered my drink for me, thought you'd do the honors of ordering my food for me too!" She said in an impasse voice.

Parveen missed the sarcasm in her voice, and went ahead with ordering a seafood salad for them both, along with shrimp risotto and a chocolate soufflé.

The waiter however shot Tara a quick look, as though making sure she was okay with the order.

Tara waited for Praveen to be done, before she smiled at the waiter.

"I'll have a scotch, fig salad and fettucelle with mushroom Bolognese. I'll also have the vegan flan for dessert" she smiled at the waiter, who nodded and retreated from their table.

Praveen gaped at her, before smirking.

"I did expect you to like seafood" he said.

Tara shook her head.

"I'm a vegetarian" she shrugged.

"I love my meat and seafood is my favorite. But because of the fat content I can't have it as often as I would like" he sighed.

Tara nodded.

And then he went on and on about his gym routine, his body fat percentage, his favourite food and how alcohol tampers his gym progress and thus he avoids it.

All along, Tara nodded and hummed in response, waiting. But he never asked her anything. It was like he just wants somebody to listen to him!

"Women aren't supposed to drink you know?" He said, as the waiter brought them their drinks - a glass of scotch for Tara, and a glass of sparkling water for Praveen.

"Really? Never knew!" Tara raised her eyebrow, looking mildly interested, and taking a sip of her scotch.

"A good woman doesn't drink" he nodded.

"Really? And what else does a good woman do??" She asked, sounding interested.

"A good woman will look after her man, satisfy his every needs" he shrugged.

"But I'm not a good woman" Tara smirked.

"I know! That's why your first marriage fell through;" Praveen said in a silky voice and smirked.

Tara pursed her lips.

"So, it's not my ex husband's fault at all for cheating on me?" Tara kept the cool in her voice.

"If you were a good woman, he wouldn't have had to cheat on you!" Praveen shrugged.

"Women like you need to be brought to the right path, and only then our society will improve" he added with a smirk, eyeing her sheer blouse.

"Ah.. I see" Tara nodded, sipping on her drink.

"You women talk about independence and equality and what not! But what do you do with that independence and equality? Dress like a slut, drink and sleep around like a whore! And then, marry a well settled guy and you don't have to lift a finger for the rest of your lives!! That's why women shouldn't be given any independence! All you are about is money, nothing more" he said bitterly.

"Really? And what are men? If a woman is sleeping around, and if she's not a homosexual, isn't she sleeping with a man? So the men isn't a slut if he's drinking and sleeping around?" Tara clocked her eyebrow.

"Men have their needs.." Praveen trailed off with a smirk.

"And women don't?" Tara asked.

"Women need to reserve themselves for the right guy... until they get married, you know?" Praveen nodded.

Tara blinked, and then got to her feet.

"It's men like you who need to be brought to the right path Mr. Makhija, not women like me. The way you have been gazing at my chest all night.. and you're preaching about women being whores? Good luck finding yourself a decent girl" Tara shook her head and waved at the waiter.

"Put the bill on my tab" and smiled at the waiter, who nodded at her.

He bowed and left, and Tara turned to Praveen again.

"I'm financially capable of looking after myself pretty well Mr. Makhija. Heck, I can even afford to feed gigolos like yourself! Good bye" she smiled at him and walked away, leaving Praveen Makhija gaping at her retreating figure in shock.

He didn't know the meaning of the word gigolo - a male escort basically!

**************************

"I want a proper thali bhai!! I don't want this western food nonsense that you usually have!" Taniya glared at her brother as soon as she saw him walking towards her.

Dharam had just reached the shop, to take Taniya out for dinner. Since she'd been busy working for new designs for dresses for her boutique, and the wedding season in the air, Dharam hadn't even seen Taniya for the past couple of months, though they stayed at the same mansion.

Though he felt immensely proud to watch his baby sister having had grown into a successful businesswoman, having boutiques scattered in different places of the world, he did miss his innocent baby sister who'd always ask him for extra money to buy chocolates or toys!

The staff all bowed to Dharam as he walked towards where Taniya was working - at her desk.

She was designing a custom lehenga for a fashion show in a few months' time!

"We'll go wherever you want" Dharam smiled, patting her head once he reached her.

"Just gimme like 5 mins bhai, I'll finish up here" Taniya didn't look up from her work.

Dharam shrugged and walked around, gazing at the different designs Taniya had created - for A-lister stars for award functions, and some from international fashion shows.

But her froze, as his eyes landed on their family portrait at the center of the wall right in front of him - it was a picture they'd clicked after their parents' 35th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago.

They'd had a celebration for the same - their parents had gotten married again with a lot of pomp and circumstance. Over a thousand people had been invited, and the wedding had taken place at his mother's maternal place.

And though Gayathri wasn't in that picture, all Dharam could think about was of her!

After the wedding, Dharam had flown himself and Gayathri to Japan, right in time for the spring season. He'd gifted her a custom diamond set, with the necklace designed to look like the sakura flower, with matching earrings and bangles and mangteeka.

Gazing at the picture, Dharam smiled sadly - he'd signed the divorce papers the day he'd met Priya and had that talk with her. It felt like ages ago however! The memories of his ex wife didn't pop up in his mind as much as it used to before, thanks to his regular sessions with Priya!

Though he still slept badly and resorted to sleeping pills, he at least didn't recall Gayathri every waking moment of his life!

The loud buzzing of his phone brought him to reality, and Dharam pulled out his phone to find Nikhil's name flashing on the screen.

"Nikhil?" Dharam frowned.

"You're not ditching me today bhai!" Taniya hissed, still buried in her work.

Dharam chuckled, but answered the call.

"Hi bhai, you're busy?" Nikhil asked the moment he answered the call.

"Nah, just reached Taniya's boutique, to take her out for dinner" Dharam's reply earned a thumb's up from his sister.

"oh.. um.. actually, could you join us for dinner?" Nikhil hesitated.

"Join you for dinner?" Dharam raised his eyebrow.

Taniya finally looked up, her ears perked up in interest at the word.

"And why should bhai join you for dinner?" Taniya yelled, rushing to stand beside Dharam.

Nikhil froze as he heard her voice - she'd yell at him for inviting Dharam out for dinner with him?

"Taniya... Behena... I.. okay, I'm going for dinner with a few friends, and my girlfriend. And since it's just couples, this one single friend of mine would feel left out. So I was wondering if Dharam bhai would give us company" Nikhil went with the safest answer, addressing Taniya.

Standing on her toes, Taniya overheard the conversation through Dharam's phone. At the mention of a single friend however, she snatched the phone from Dharam's hand - it was time she took matters into her own hands!

"Single friend? Is it a woman?" Taniya asked.

Nikhil gulped to hear her voice - speaking to Taniya regarding setting up Dharam with a woman was equal to detonating a live bomb!

But Nikhil took the risk.

"Yup. Her name is Tara, she's Rohan's friend. She's 29, and 5'10 ft tall. She's good looking too, and yes, she's single" Nikhil gave out the details.

Taniya pondered for a while - the name Tara sounded very familiar. And then it hit her.

"Tara Prasad?" Taniya gasped, to which Nikhil hummed in response.

"Oh fuck!! Oops sorry bhai.." Taniya apologised to Dharam as he raised his eyebrow at her for cussing.

"Damn! Cool, okay Nikhil bhai, send out the address, I'll send Dharam bhai" Taniya grinned. Tara was a distant relative of their's.

Moreover, Tara was good friends with Lakshman, whom she knew through Rohan Kapoor's brother Veer. And Taniya admired Tara a lot! She had met Tara on several occasions - fashion events and celebrity functions and what not!

Tara was the perfect match for her dearest brother no doubt she thought! She'd met Tara through her brother Lakshman, and had hung out with her a couple times too - outside of work.

Tara was good company - she had an excellent taste in food, drinks and fashion! Moreover, she was exceptionally beautiful, multitalented, and a good talker - all in all, perfectly perfect for her perfect brother Dharam!

And grinning with malice, Taniya turned to Dharam, handing him his phone.

"No!!" Dharam refused flatly even before he heard Taniya.

"Arre bhai!! Suno naaaa!! Bhai, c'mon listen to me once!" Taniya whined.

But Dharam shook his head - "Uh hu! Not happening!" He shook his head, backing away from her.

Taniya froze on the spot and gazed at him sadly, before looking away, covering her face in her hands and bursting into a loud sob.

"Taniya!!" Dharam gasped, rushing to her side at once.

"Nah, aap jao bhai! Aap ko humari parvah hi nahi!! No, don't come close to me! You don't care about me!!" Taniya sniffled, turning away from Dharam.

"Taniya, beta... c'mon don't be like this!" Dharam turned her in his arms. But Taniya pushed his arms away.

"Puri zindagi hum ne aap se kuch nahi manga!! Bas ek bar kuch kehne ja rahe the aur aap ne hummari baat sunne se pehle hi NO bol diya!!" I've never asked you anything in life!! Just this once, I wanted to say something and you rejected it even before I could say anything!" Taniya choked, wiping tears, still keeping her back to Dharam.

Feeling distraught, Dharam ran after her - if there's one thing he couldn't stand - it was Taniya's tears! He couldn't bear to watch even a single tear from her eyes!

And here she was bawling!!

"Taniya.. okay fine.. tell me!" Dharam resigned, putting his arms around her and turning her to face him.

She still had her face covered in her hands, sniffling.

"Sachchi? Aap hummare baat maanoge? Really? You'll listen to me?" Taniya asked hopefully. Dharam sighed and grunted in response.

"Then go meet Nikhil bhai for dinner.. please??" Taniya sniffled.

Dharam pursed his lips - he knew this was coming. But it's not like he had a choice!

Taniya was bawling her eyes out!

"Ugh! Okay fine!" He sighed.

"Sachchi?? Pinky promise??" Taniya pouted, still resting her head against Dharam's shoulder and covering her face with her hands.

"Han, han, pinky promise!" Dharam sighed in defeat.

"Okay then, loads to do and a very short time!" Taniya grinned, looking up at him - her eyes were dry and she was grinning ear to ear.

It was as if she'd not shed even a single tear!

"Taniya!!" Dharam glared at her, but giving him her best cheeky smile, she dragged him out of her office - to the men's formal section of the boutique.

"You're going on a date, that too with Tara Prasad!! You can't go dressed like this!!" Taniya threw his suit a look of disgust as she called out for the staff to bring out suits in Dharam's size.

"This is Armani!!" Dharam gaped at her, indicating his coffee brown suit.

"You have no fashion sense bhai!! You just wait and see how Tara will turn up!!" Taniya glared at her brother, before turning her attention to the suits in display.

Dharam spent the next 10 minutes gazing at his reflection in the mirror in front of him and pouting - what was wrong with the suit he was wearing now?

"Khakhi suit!" Taniya nodded at the staff some 10 minutes later, who nodded and took out the indicated suit from the display.

"Taniya!!" Dharam sighed.

But ignoring him, she turned her attention to the selection of ties at her disposal.

"Black and emerald green go well with khakhi" the staff indicated the two ties.

Taniya pouted, taking both the ties and putting them against the Khakhi suit that the staff had placed on the table in front of her.

"Ta.." Dharam began, but froze mid sentence as his sister shot him a cold look.

"Emerald green I think! Bhai likes green" Taniya smiled at the staff, placing the green tie on the khakhi suit.

"Cuff links, socks, shoes, belt.." Taniya trailed off, and Dharam sighed in defeat - well at least his mother isn't here to join the madness, he thought!

*****************

An hour later, as Dharam walked through the reception of the posh restaurant, he felt exceptionally nervous.

He'd never gone on a date before - well, he'd gone on dates with his wife after they'd gotten married!

He felt like a clown in this suit - but Taniya had beamed and clicked a few pictures of him, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she gazed at him with pride.

That smile on her face had eased him a little - Taniya was his darling sister. He could do anything to make her smile. This date was hardly anything!

And so, straightening his tie, he walked in, his eyes immediately landing on Nikhil and Diya as they sat at a table inside the restaurant.

"Dharam bhai!" Nikhil got to his feet, smiling and hugging Dharam once he reached their table.

"Yo man! 'Sup?" Diya grinned at Dharam, who chuckled - there was something adorably similar between Diya and Taniya!

"I hope I'm not late?" Dharam sat down, looking around for his supposed date.

"Not at all!! You're actually right on time!" Nikhil grinned, indicating the people walking towards them.

Dharam turned in his spot to gaze at the new comers, his lips curling to a smile as he found Priya amongst the new comers. He felt a bit calmer, and reassured now that she's here!

"Hey man" Rohan Kapoor nodded and shook hands with Dharam, who nodded and smiled at him. He didn't feel awkward meeting Rohan this time, but Rohan winked at him with a knowing look in his face, making him feel a bit nervous.

There was one other person - a tall woman, standing beside Rohan, smiling at Diya, before she turned to gaze at Dharam.

The two of them smiled awkwardly at one another, not knowing what to say.

What the hell do you say to a person when you meet them on a blind date?

She was tall - Dharam noticed, dressed in a pale pink dress and carrying a white hand bag. Taniya loved this woman for her fashion sense - Dharam knew.

Of course, he didn't know if what Tara was wearing was fashionable or not, but she did look nice anyway! She was as tall as Taniya had described! But she looked a bit haughty he thought.

And then he shrugged to himself - haughty or not, he's just here for the heck of it!

"This is my friend and PA, Tara Prasad" Rohan indicated the stranger to Dharam, who nodded, trying to smile politely.

The woman, Tara, was dressed in a figure hugging pale pink dress, a bright red lipstick adorning her lips. She had very minimum makeup, her cheeks shimmering with blush. Her curly hair was in a bun, and she looked like a model worthy of the front page of any fashion magazine!

Tara however smiled politely and nodded at Dharam as Nikhil did his introductions.

It felt weird, sitting beside this unknown woman, surrounded by people he knew. The woman wasn't a complete stranger however. She was a relative of his third cousin he knew.

But he'd hardly seen her a couple of times many years ago in some family functions! Dharam hardly remembered seeing her.

But Tara remembered seeing him. She hadn't yet been engaged to her ex husband Sandeep at the time, and even Dharam had been a single man - he'd been pursuing his master's.

Tara's great grandfather had been interested in Dharam, but then Tara had been madly in love with Sandeep and their families were already in talks for their future, and so, nothing had ever come out of this interest of her great grandfather.

Back then, Tara had hardly spared Dharam a second glance - since her eyes were only on Sandeep back then.

Today however, she saw Dharam as a single man - a man eligible enough to be her boyfriend at the very least!

Dharam wasn't handsome in the conventional way like Abhi or Rohan or even Mark! He was leaner, but taller - easily 6'4 feet tall. He had curly hair - like her! And whilst her curls felt rather unruly today, his curly hair sat gelled elegantly on top of his head.

He had a clean shaven face with a chiseled jaw, though a 5 'o clock shadow was forming on his jaw.

Dressed in a khakhi suit, with white shirt and an emerald green tie, he looked dapper - and rather handsome too, Tara smiled inwardly. He was even wearing a pair of black shiny shoes - and Tara was impressed at how well he's dressed!

She usually had the ability to even strike a conversation with a pillar! Today however, her mind was blank. She knew, yet she didn't know the man. And surrounded by two of the cutest couples she'd ever seen, Tara didn't know how to proceed with the evening!

"Dharam bhai owns a top Manufacturing company" Nikhil tried at it again, indicating Dharam to Tara.

"She is my PA and PR... The best in her field!" Rohan too tried at it, indicating Tara to Dharam.

They both nodded at one another, trying to look interested but failing.

"Dharam bhai stays in Norway now... Actually shuttling between Norway and London!" Nikhil said.

"Tara studied with me in college... Her family are settled in America now" Rohan said.

Pin drop silence followed this. Whilst Nikhil's racked his brains, trying to build up Dharam whilst avoiding any mention of his ex Gayathri, Rohan gazed into oblivion trying to build up Tara whilst avoiding any mention of her ex husband.

Priya and Diya, who were watching the whole scene with their eyes narrowed, finally looked at one another and shook their heads at how tactless their respective beaus were!

And they both grinned and nodded as a silent conversation ensued between them. Tara and Dharam, who clearly looked bored, simply gazed around, trying hard to avoid one another's gaze.

"So Dharam, how was the competition?" Priya smiled at him, who looked rather relieved at this new conversation.

"I won" he said proudly, to which Priya raised her glass of water.

"What competition??" Diya asked, trying to look curious. The two other men simply gazed at one another dumbfounded!

"Oh I didn't tell you? He's a shooter. He had participated in a shooting competition in his club last weekend!" Priya said brightly, to which Diya gave a low whoop.

Tara turned her head to Dharam, now gazing at him from a different light, rather appreciatively!

"But that medal must be nothing compared to Tara's black belt in taekwondo!" Diya smirked, and as Tara sat up straight trying hard not to look too proud, Dharam shot an appraising glance towards her.

"Dharam used to be a Judo player during his college days!" Priya smirked, waving a hand airily towards him.

"Tara used to be a boxer during her college days!" Diya grinned.

"Dharam can play guitar!"

"Tara can sing!"

"Dharam knows horseriding!"

"Tara knows swimming!"

"Dharam has two dogs!!"

"Tara has three dogs!"

"Dharam is an excellent chef!!"

"Tara is an excellent... Eater!!"

Nikhil and Rohan were looking from Diya Priya, to Dharam and Tara, as though following a table-tennis competition!

And at Diya's final comment, as all eyes rested on Tara, she gulped.

"I can... Eat!" She shrugged, taking a sip of water.

Nikhil and Rohan burst out laughing, whilst the girls looked apprehensively at Dharam, waiting for his reaction.

"I can cook.." he gave her a half smile and trailed off.

Whilst the two couples began talking and drinking, Tara flicked her gaze to Dharam, and then looked away again.

She'd been to a dozen blind dates in the past six months. All had ended terribly needless to say! The thought of her previous blind date still made her cringe!

All the men she'd met so far either saw her as an heiress, or as a baby making machine.

Tara did want family and kids, but she longed the most for a companion - someone to give her a shoulder at the end of a long hard day!

Dharam didn't really seem like any of the men she'd met so far, but she didn't know if he had any interest in her?

Dharam gazed at Tara, now viewing her in a different light. She wasn't just a good looking woman, but she was an all rounder - just like Taniya had hyped back at the boutique!

And he itched to talk to her - heck, he had to spend the dinner with this lady, might as well see how it goes, right?

"Do you live alone?" Dharam's voice brought Tara to reality, who blinked, but nodded.

"I have a beach facing property here in Mumbai. Parents and grandparents live in Austin" Tara swiveled the scotch in her glass, watching it instead of watching Dharam's expression.

"And you?" She asked finally when she was only met with silence from his side for a few minutes.

"I live alone too, occasionally my parents drop in on me. Well my sister stays with me now, but she'll return to Norway next month" Dharam shrugged.

Tara nodded, and then bit her lip.

"I've read your father's interview in this month's entrepreneurs magazine" Dharam said after a while.

Tara looked up at him.

"Very insightful!" He nodded.

Tara scoffed.

"Me and business are like rubber and glue. We don't get along!!" She shook her head, sipping on her drink.

Dharam frowned.

"So what do you get along with?" He asked.

Tara chuckled.

"These idiots have given a decent intro about me! I like animals, dogs being my favourite of course! I love sports, shopping, art, writing and singing. I love to eat but I can't even bring myself to make a cup of coffee on most days. It's not that I can't cook, it's just that I don't like to cook! Of course, I make the best dal chawal, rasam, pasta, pizza and dosa" Tara grinned proudly.

Dharam gazed at her in awe. He indeed had never met anybody like her!

Of course, he'd hardly ever spoken to any girl before! Even in his office, he spoke only interns of work to his female employees!

And apart from family, now Diya and Priya were the only girls he'd spoken to properly - aside from work!

His eyes fell on his reflection in the glass in front of him and he hardly recognised himself! Taniya had had one of her makeup artist come over to give him a makeover!

Not that he looked bad, but he rarely used hair gel, or dressed up like this! He knew Taniya wanted Tara to get a good impression of him.

She'd made him swear that he'd give Tara a fair chance. Taniya didn't like Dharam brooding over his ex wife. And though Dharam was against this idea, he wanted to pretend everything was normal for the sake of his family.

And Taniya's tears were something he couldn't bear! And so, knowing his weakness, Taniya had blackmailed him.

And here he was!

But this was fun in an unexpected way Dharam thought.

Tara wasn't pretending to be anything - she was just her usual self - neither trying to flatter him, nor paint herself in a very good image!

He opened his mouth, to mention about Taniya, but then bit his lip - don't talk about me please don't talk about me bhai!! I want her to see you for who you are, not just as my brother - Taniya had warned Dharam just as he'd left the boutique.

And so, Dharam thought of something else to talk about.

"So you're a scotch drinker?" Dharam eyed the glass of amber liquid that she was slowly sipping on.

"Always a scotch drinker" she shrugged, expecting a sexist comment from him, specially at the way he was eyeing her glass.

On all her blind dates before, guys had commented on her preference of drink, saying a lady should drink wine, not scotch.

And so she waited, observing him through the corner of her eyes.

But Dharam shook his head.

"My dad's loves a good scotch. He has a nice collection back home" he smiled at her.

Tara blinked at him. That's it?? No comment about how she should not be drinking scotch?

"And what kind of alcohol do you prefer?" She asked, frowning at the glass of water in front of him.

"I'm a teetotaler. I had alcohol once, couldn't handle it, and vowed to never ever try it again" Dharam scrunched his face in disgust.

Tara chuckled.

"My dad wonders at times if I'm truly his son, or if the nurses and doctors at the hospital mistakenly exchanged me with his true son!" Dharam rolled his eyes, to which Tara could only blink in confusion.

"Dad loves his alcohol. I'm of course a teetotaler! I'm a workaholic. Dad isn't. I love sports. Dad hates sports! I like cooking. Dad only loves to eat what my mom cooks!" Dharam explained and chuckled.

Tara too chuckled - forget Dharam, she has a lot in common with Dharam's father! She too loved to eat rather than to cook, she loved her alcohol and she wasn't a workaholic either!

"I take after my mother" Dharam said proudly. Tara smiled. There definitely was something very adorable about this man!

"I take after my Papa actually... I love my drink, I love sports, I'm a foodie and I am artistic. Papa is the one who actually got me into sports!" Tara smiled.

Dharam raised his glass of water for a toast, which Tara clinked with her glass of scotch.

"Do you like golf?" Dharam asked, as the waiter brought around their appetizers.

He didn't even glance at the food, but let the waiter plate it for him, his eyes stuck on Tara as she smirked at him.

"I love any sport! Golfing is one of my favourites actually" she grinned, and then she smirked.

"I used to play golf for my school and College!!" She smirked.

Dharam raised his eyebrow appreciatively.

"But it's been a long time since I played... No company" Tara sighed, taking a bite of food from her plate.

"I'm going to play this weekend at a club.. you wanna join?" Dharam opened his mouth to ask, but shook his head.

The statement sounded wrong somehow!

And so he nodded at her silently and began to eat.

Tara shot him a gaze, frowning - it seemed like he wanted to say something, but was holding himself off. What did he want to say?

She bit her lip - maybe she's just imagining it, she thought, and shrugging, she too began to eat.

"Your brother Lakshman is here or he's gone back to London?" Tara's question made Dharam frown.

"He's gone back to London.. but how do you know him?" He frowned at her.

"Rohan! Rohan's brother Veer and I are good friends, so I know Lucky through him" she shrugged.

Dharam nodded and bit his lips - was she interested in Lakshman?

"What do you do in your free time?" Tara asked after a while of silence from Dharam.

"Work, hitting the gym, else I go to the club for either golfing or the shooting range" Dharam kept his eyes on his plate.

"You really don't look like a pro-gun person you know?" Tara chuckled. That earned Dharam's attention, and he looked up at her, frowning.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You look like a softie... not the rough and tough kinda guy!" She shrugged.

Dharam nodded - he got that a lot.

"Shooting, horse riding, cooking, music and business finance was part of the curriculum at my school. My dad wanted me to takeover business, which is why he put me into that school in the first place. And they gave all this necessary training sort of, for someone to grow into a good businessman" Dharam nodded.

Tara gaped at him in awe - Dharam looked like an innocent sweet guy! She just couldn't imagine him knowing shooting and horse riding! He didn't even look like a businessman!!

Considering his glasses and kind face, he actually looked like a geek - and on any other day, she'd have definitely mistaken him for a computer geek!

But his words made her gaze at him in a different light - never judge a book by it's cover indeed!! And she realised he indeed is more than what meets the eyes!

"Why do businessmen need to know shooting?" That question was stuck in her head.

Dharam chuckled.

"The school I studied in is for the elite. They used to teach hunting earlier, following the traditions of kings and queens. But with changing times, they updated their curriculum, and so it was shooting instead of hunting. Apparently business deals can be struck even in shooting ranges!" Dharam scoffed.

Tara chuckled.

And so, a full-fledged conversation broke out between them, starting from Dharam's school, and then to business and sports.

The two of them were so engrossed in conversation that they hardy realised what they ate!

The foursome around them - Rohan, Priya, Diya and Nikhil - looked in awe as Dharam and Tara laughed and conversed. They really hadn't expected the two of them to hit off so well!!

Finally, once dinner was done and paid for, Rohan gave Nikhil a tiny nod - their next move to make Dharam and Tara spend more time together.

"Let's get going.... Oh no!! Priya..." Rohan glanced from Tara to Priya, earning both Tara and Dharam's attention. The two of them were still busy talking with one another!!

"I need to drop Priya home!" Rohan shot Tara an apologetic look.

"Diya stays so far away, I need to drop her" Nikhil tried to look apologetically too.

Tara rolled her eyes - these two men really think they're so sly do they?!

"It's okay I can manage!" She shrugged.

"No no.. hey.. I have an idea.. Dharam bhai.." Nikhil turned to grin at Dharam, who blinked.

"Your place and Tara's place is so close by... you could drop her, couldn't you?" Nikhil grinned at him.

"It's not polite to let a lady travel alone after dinner!" Rohan nodded.

Tara blinked at Rohan - ew what's gotten into him?

"Really... I can manage!" She glared at the two useless friends of her's, before smiling at Dharam, who shook his head.

"I don't mind" he shrugged, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

In reality, Tara did want to spend a little more time with Dharam, and his smile only made her say a yes, and so, ten minutes later, she found herself getting into his SUV as he held the door open for her.

Such a gentleman - she thought - she didn't really recall the last time a man had held open the car door for her, well, except Rohan maybe, or even Mark!

Dharam got into the driver's side of the car, and adjusted the rear-few mirror, whilst Tara took her time to gaze at him.

She didn't know if it was the scotch or this man's charm that was making her view him in a different light right now?

At the start of the night, she'd only considered Dharam as a decent looking guy - good looking, but not really her type. Too silent and too innocent/naive for her liking!

But now, after having spent 3 hours conversing with him over dinner, she rather found him attractive. He still looked like a decent guy - a good and straightforward kinda guy - not the kinda guy who could rock her world, or leave her speechless with his gestures.

He still looked homely and simple - but damn, there was a charm to this guy that drew her to him!!

And so, adjusting her seat belt, Tara pondered - was she already considering another date with him?

"I'm sorry your stuck with me" Dharam apologized once they joined the main road.

Tara blinked at him, and then she scoffed. Out of the 13 guys she'd met so far, Dharam was a perfect 10!

"You're a good man Dharam, and I had a nice time tonight" Tara smiled at him.

Dharam shot a startled gaze at her and quickly looked away.

He wasn't a fun company like the other guys he knew - he wasn't a charmer, and his conversation skills weren't excellent either.

So, Tara's answer indeed baffled him.

Of course, it was a different issue that he too had had a nice time tonight.

But the fact that he had had a nice time baffled him.

"Except my ex wife, I haven't spoken to any girl or woman like tonight... I.. even at work, it's strictly professional. During my school and college days too I hardly spoke to girls.." Dharam trailed off.

He knew tonight was a sort of a date - well, he had been set up with Tara.

And he didn't want to mislead her into assuming that he's some sort of a stud!

"And except my ex husband, I've been on 12 dates... Or rather, have had 12 disastrous blind dates, all in the course of a year!" Tara sighed.

Dharam gazed at her in shock before he turned his attention to the road ahead.

"I meant.. I.. I've never had such dinner dates.. or any dates before..." There, he laid it all out.

This should give Tara an idea of what kind of a boring guy he is, he thought.

"I've also never had such a good dinner date!" Tara smiled.

Dharam blinked at her.

"All the guys I met before you were blind dates set up by family and friends... And all the guys I met only viewed me as an asset... It's either for my dad's name - marrying me will give them an image boost in the industry, or because I'm still young enough to bear children! Not one guy asked about my interests, or my hobbies or if I'm even interested in them!" Tara scoffed.

Dharam nodded. He knew how a single woman is perceived by the society. Heck, even single men aren't spared!

He was lucky enough that none of his friends and family pushed him into dating yet!

And shooting a furtive glance at Tara, he smiled, feeling glad that Nikhil had set them up.

Tara was good company to be around he realised.

She had a fresh optimistic vibe about her.

As she began humming a melody under her breath, Dharam's ears pricked up.

He knew the song, but he couldn't remember which one it was!

"Here come bad news talking this and that" Tara sang, looking out the window.

Dharam couldn't remember the name of the song but he knew the lyrics, so he sang along.

'Well give me all you got, don't hold back (Yeah)
Well I should probably warn you I'll be just fine (Yeah)" Dharam too joined her, making her turn and raise her eyebrow at him in surprise.

"No offense to you don't waste your time
Here's why"

And then she clapped, and Dharam chuckled as he finally recalled the song.

"Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
(Because I'm happy)"

Both of them did a hi-if instead of a clap, and then they chuckled, before singing on.

"Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
(Because I'm happy)
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do"

They hi-fied one another again and Dharam burst out laughing.

"I've never met anybody who could match this energy of mine!" Tara grinned sheepishly.

"You look so prim and proper, never thought you had this edge to you!" Dharam blurted before he could stop himself.

"This edge?" Tara asked, sounding amused.

"Hey look the moon is out!" Dharam tried to deflect her, but Tara clicked her tongue and gazed seriously at him.

"What edge do I have Dharam?" She asked again.

He sighed and shot her a gaze.

"A crazy edge... and not the bad crazy...the good crazy, like singing on a whim, and just not giving a damn about the world!" Dharam shrugged.

Tara nodded.

"I don't let this crazy edge out so often you know... only with people I'm comfortable with!" Tara confessed.

A smile touched Dharam's lips and he grinned - it felt nice to know that she felt comfortable around him!

He had never shared a space like this with a woman alone, except his ex wife perhaps, which was also why he didn't know how most of the women generally were!

Whatever, it did feel nice - Tara's presence!

"You don't have to look so surprised to hear that! You are a good man Dharam. You need to let go off your inhibition and live life as it comes by!" Tara smiled at him.

He was amazed - how did she know what he was thinking?

"You've followed your inhibitions all your life. They haven't taken you anywhere. So why not let go off of them for once and see where it leads you?" She added.

Dharam pondered over her words - a lot of thoughts and ideas popped in his head at this thought.

The first one to surface was of course - the end of the date. They'd reached the locality where Tara lives, and she'd be getting off the moment they reached her home.

He liked the time he spent with her - and he did want to meet her again. But how?

"Here.. can you stop here please? That's my place" Tara's voice brought Dharam to reality, and pursing his lips, he brought the car to a halt in front of a pair of tall iron gates.

Looking ahead, he saw that there were watchmen outside the gates, and it looked like a gated community, with multiple villas inside.

"I'll drop you to your place" Dharam turned to look at her, bringing the engine to life.

"It's just inside, I can manage" Tara smiled. But Dharam shook his head, and drove ahead.

The security stopped them at the gate, but finding Tara inside the car, they allowed them inside through the gates.

"Left here" Tara indicated as they reached a fork road ahead.

As Dharam drove along, Tara chuckled.

"Is this you letting go off your inhibitions?" Tara asked, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"No, this is me being a gentleman" Dharam's answer fell from his mouth even before he had a second to think over it.

Tara blinked, and then shook her head - she couldn't believe she felt jealous of Gayathri! That woman had dated Rohan Kapoor for a good five years, and had been married to this man for a good six years, damn she indeed had gotten the best of men!!

And yet she had valued neither of these men, Tara thought!

"There, that's my home" Tara indicated the white villa ahead, and Dharam brought the car to a halt right at the pathway leading upto the villa.

It was a modern villa, painted white, with high glass walls to one side of the building. There was 1 floor above, with creepers spilling out of the terrace. A large balcony was just visible from where the car was parked.

A sleek shiny red car stood right in front of the villa, and wild flowers grew all around the villa, and the pathway leading up to the door.

"Thanks for tonight" Tara's voice made Dharam turn to her, and he too smiled.

He wanted to say that he too had a good time tonight, but he bit his lip, feeling rather shy!

"Um.. do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?" Tara asked, sounding rather hesitant.

He smiled and shook his head.

"Some other time" he smiled at her.

Tara nodded. But before she could do anything else, Dharam got out of the car and rushed to her side, to open the door for her.

Tara gaped at him in awe - she really didn't remember the last time a man did something so sweet for her! Even her ex husband had hardly ever opened the car door for her!!

Tara sat shell shocked in her place, but quickly composing herself, she got out.

"Even I had a nice time tonight" he blurted out, just as Tara got out of the car.

They stood in front of one another, face to face, Tara gaping at him in shock whilst Dharam's cheeks turned slightly pink, and he rubbed the nape of his neck.

But as his words dawned on her, Tara giggled. He is very adorable indeed!

"Good night" she smiled at him, and before he knew it, she'd moved forward.

Dharam froze, the air heavy with her floral perfume, mixed with something like caramel and chocolate.

He took a deep breath, infusing his lungs with that sweet mixture of fragrances.

His eyes moved to Tara, to find her so close to him that he could see his reflection in her orbs.

Instinctively, Dharam closed his eyes, waiting - waiting to feel her lips on his.

To be continued...

A/n - that was a long chapter phew!

Well I hope you liked it. There's more to this of course. Next update will be in a couple of days (I think).

I'm very much behind in checking out all your comments but don't stop - do keep those comments coming, I love to read all your thoughts on the story!

Ah anyway, take care and be safe.
Love,
Megha.