There's always An Inquiry behind 'just asking'
Always An Intention behind 'just kidding'
And always a 'I wish' behind 'suppose'.

🍃🍁🍃

"I'm sorry for this. But may be this is going to be my last chance to live my Love. Though it's neither recognized nor accepted as Love by you. I have been living it every moment." He said in his mind as the feeling of guilt, of cheating her by hiding his true feelings for her, was actually hurting him inside somewhere.

The burden of truth was becoming unbearable for him. After all how long one can hide Love.

He took a deep breath and spoke, controlling his emotions, "My Girl will appreciate it. Wouldn't She?" He inquired, gulping the lump forming down there in his throat, trying to stare into her eyes.

"Gosh!! I never knew My Dumb friend is so romantic deep inside!" She exclaimed raising her eyebrows and controlling her own emotions.

"Oh So you mean if you knew you would have accepted me?" He teased her while stepping towards the mall holding her hand.

"Who knows? May be Yes!" She said gazing at him all baffled at his new personality, following him with the same pace.

His heart skipped a beat and he looked at her.
"Opss ! But it's too late now." She said quickly realising her slip of tongue. She couldn't wear her heart on sleeves! specially after coming so far. So close to get him what he actually deserved. She made a sorry face to cover up.

"You are a true Devil! You know it! Don't YOU?" He replied back holding his heart and they both laughed at it while entering the mall.

Deep inside, his heart was still hitting hard against the cage of ribs. Her words gave him a hope which he lost in these years. But next moment, her expressions told him that it was just a joke for her.

Just a silly joke! He was feeling like crying but at the same moment He can't let her hand go from his. He just thanked God for wearing shades at the moment or his tears would have been visible in those deep brown eyes of his.

As they entered She left his hand and moved away from him. He tried to hold her hand back as if She was slipping away.

"Hey this is not fair! My girl can't leave me like this for any stuff in market." He objected balancing his voice.

"Stop it! You despo! Am not going to leave you so easily. Just going to fix my make up which Zebbu had messed." She replied without turning back at him.

He got a feeble smile as She said that She was not going to leave him. What else he could wish for.

"Ok then am coming with you." He said and held her hand stepping along with her.

"Mike am going to ladies wash room. I know you wanna show your affection to your would be girlfriend but if You followed her there! I feel You would annoy Her." She finally faced him by stopping his steps as She stood just in front of him.

"I would love to irritate my girl like this." He smirked looking at her face as he loved to see her angry on his own foolish deeds.

"Trust me, If you behaved with her the way you irritates me! Your relation will hardly last for 24 hours!" She replied back with the same smirk.

"Who cares?" he said with a light laughter and he removed her shades all sudden as those were hindering his sight from looking into her eyes.

"Hey what you doing?" She objected and turned her face away to hide her red eyes.

"Wait wait wait!!!" Before she could turn her face his eyes just met hers'.

"Why are your eyes red! Are you ill? Wait you got fever! Max you should have told me." He just lost his control out of concern for her.

"Stop shouting Mike. Am fine. I knew you would react this way that's why I wore it." She finally turned to face and looked up at him.

"Oh so you were trying to trick me with those shades of yours." He held her arm and started to step towards exit.

"Where are you taking me? We haven't shop anything yet." She resisted.

"We are done. Your health is most important. We are going to doctor right now." He replied almost dragging her.

"Doctor! Are you insane? Why should we go to doc ? We have to shop your gift first or You will be late for Your date." She said taking her hand out of his clutches.

"Because You need Doctor. And am taking you there only. It's your old problem your eyes turns red when you are not well or You have cried.! Wait a second. Have you cried?" He stood still for a moment and turned to her, " Look at me and answer me." He held her arm again and this time bit more firmly. And dragged her close to make her face him.

"Ahm... Yes I did." She replied with hesitation.

"Why!" He inquired while hugging her around shoulders.

"Don't laugh and don't tell anyone not even Mom Dad ok." She said trying to find an excuse.

"You cried and I will laugh! Are you out of your senses?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah because last night I was watching a series on laptop and it made me a bit emotional and I cried." She murmured looking away from him.

"You cried for a movie?" He exclaimed out of shock.

"Series!" She rectified him raising an eyebrow. She was sure to give him thousands of Series names which He would never watch to cross check her answer.

"Oh ! Ok! That mean you watched it for whole night and cried with it whole night. That's why you had to hide your eyes behind those shades! Oh Great Max cried for a fictional situation! May I know the name of such emotional series?" He groaned at her with anger.

"uhh!! Stop acting like an over protective Boyfriend. And be a good boyfriend I mean would be boy friend of Hers'. Let's shop for her." This time she held his wrist and stepped toward the escalator. But he stood still looking at her, She had to stop and turn toward him.

"What?"

"Go wash your eyes and remove this make up as well." He almost ordered her.

"Why!" She groaned at him in anger this time as She was the one who orders.

"Because now you don't need to hide from me." She looked at him with amazement as if He caught her lie. He added, " now I got Why you put that foundation. To hide your face as it turns Red when you cries. Now stop hiding. Am not accustomed to see you like this. I want My Max, who don't need any cover-up, who is breath taking in her own skin." He stepped a bit closer and touched her face with back of his index finger.

For a moment he forgot that he was just a best friend for her. His love had again overpowered him.

She looked up at him with wide eyes as if his words had stoned her. She felt her heart skipping beats as he stepped closer and that slight touch of his skin at her cheek brought a different kind of sensation in her soul. She felt the wall cracking with the load of emotions she has been hiding so long.

Her eyes turned a bit misty and it brought him back to reality. He drew back his hand and started to fumble, " am sorry, am... I...I didn't mean to embarrass .." but before he could complete She stepped closer and hugged him.

She wanted to hug him as firm as she could and tell him how much he had done for her, how much he meant for her, how essential he was for her existence but she knew that She should not so all she could voice was,
"Thanks Mike. For understanding me like this."

And She parted before he could hug her back as she was afraid to break down if he touched her again, any time sooner. She added while leaving, "She is very lucky to get you. Am ... just coming in few minutes ok."

He felt as if she was going to say something else but changed her mind. Before he could question She left him. He stood there for a moment , watching her stepping away from himself. He felt his vision blurring untill a silent drop of tear rolled down his cheek.

This time He felt a strong urge to relieve himself from that heaviness he moved quickly towards men's washroom which was just opposite to Her's.