Chapter 12: Impressed

He continued speaking out his mind to her, "frankly speaking, I may be very close to someone who I like but it doesn't mean that I have fallen in love with that person, until and unless I really start to feel that way. As I have been living all alone for so many years, I don't want to lose a good friend like Pooja by giving another name to our relationship in an untruthful manner" Arjun completed it all.

Saniya was really impressed by the clarity in his thoughts. The guys these days, she thought were so confused that if a girl just smiles also at one, he starts believing she has fallen for him. She found Arjun to be very different from such giddy-headed guys and told him she was really happy to have him as her friend.

"Same here dear," Arjun told her politely.

Saniya was a bit worried about what sort of relationship she should think was there, between her and Arjun. He had a different mind whereas she had developed a fondness for him. She did not realise when she fell in love with him. Now, after hearing him blunt and clear, she couldn't dare to share with him how she had been feeling for him. Still, she had some confidence that Arjun too was in love with her. She was thinking all this and walking quietly.

"What happened, dear? You seem to be lost in your thoughts, anything wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing I never expected that I would meet such a great guy like you in my life. It seems I have been staying away from boys for these many years, only because I deserved the nicest one to be my friend," she said.

He continued the conversation, "really, but I am not that great."

"O yes, you are...." she told him firmly.

"You are my most special friend from now on" he stopped a while to look into her eyes and say this.

"I would love to be so for the rest of my life," she said, holding his hand.

Saniya actually wished to say that she wanted to be in his life forever, not just as a friend only, but also as his soul mate. She wanted to be his wife, to spend her entire life giving him her love and taking care of him. She had already developed a crush upon him but could not tell him about it at that time. 'One day for sure I will share my true feelings with you Arjun' she thought.

Arjun asked her, "Can we go to that same shop where we had been earlier for the drinks?"

"No Arjun, I think it is quite far away from here as we are in Anjuna now and I don't feel like drinking anymore, but still if you really want to, then I don't mind," she said.

Arjun insisted, "It is not that far away, Baga is just 6 kms from here. We can manage to get a lift and will reach there. Come let's go, I want more drinks."

"Okay, if you say so." Saniya agreed.

They took a taxi near the Lea Market in Anjuna and were now going Baga. Suddenly Saniya noticed tears in Arjun's eyes!

She got anxious and asked, "What happened? Arjun, are you alright?"

"Nothing......" he wiped off his eyes.

"You can share it with me, whatever it is. It will remain a secret with me you can trust, but if you are not comfortable in sharing with me, it is fine"

"Nothing really dear, look we have reached and let me get some beer....." he changed the topic.

She told him that she will wait outside the shop for him. "I will be back in two minutes," he told her and went in, she nodded.

Arjun got a few bottles of beer from the shop and then they went towards Baga Street and the beach. It was late in the night.

Saniya asked casually, "Why you never buy tinned beer, it looks quite odd holding these bottles; a beer-can is always cool and comfortable to carry."

"Actually I like these bottles more" his explanation was very simple.

"Ok, this must be your favourite brand? I noticed it on the first day only" she said.

"Yes you are right, Budweiser is my favourite brand and I'm choosy here," he told her.

"Good to hear that, so Mr. Arjun you have not yet told me everything about you, I still feel that you are hiding certain things from me"