Mike laughed aloud and came to sit next to her while Zebbu was still busy finishing it's treats.

"If you can't bear it then say it." He said with a fix gaze at her while leaning against the counter, "And for God sake put off those dark shades. You already getting enough of dark circles these days." And he raised his hand to pull off her shades in irritation.

"Woohh.. not so easy Dude!" Max dodged his hand and continued while getting up from her place, "And I am so good to you since morning because it's a special day for you. So, I just want everything good to happen today. Especially for you." She raised and eyebrow tilting her head toward exit, "Now will you move, The Mall must be opened by now let's start Your shopping." She added.

"Zebbu come on boy!" He called Zebbu to follow them but she took pause from her walk and turned to Zebbu,

" Zebbu baby stay with Uncle Jeff, Mumma- Dadda will be back in few hours. And don't be naughty ok!." She said while pampering it's head. Zebbu replied with another lick on her other cheek.

"Yeah! Yeah! You got me right. And You have wiped rest foundation of mine as well." She said with a bit of laughter this time. She opened the door and left the cafe while he was still standing there looking at her.

"Why don't He just say it?" Uncle Jeff's voice fell on his ear from behind.

"Because He loves Her too much." Mrs. Jeff replied to her husband.

With their fading conversation His feet left the cafe following her, without turning back, feeling like sinking in her shadow, closing the door behind. As the café door shut at his back he pulled out his shades too from pocket and wore it. The inner struggle he was feeling like overcoming all these days had freshen up once again.

"Oh! Someone was asking me to pull off my shades." She taunted him but he didn't reply.
He just took the driving seat , soaked in his own thoughts and looked at her, extending his hand in front of her for keys.

She got bit surprised when he didn't replied but instead of inquiring She handed over him keys, and sat beside him.

"Nervous? " She said looking straight out of vehicle as his silence had started to made her feel awkward.

"Ahm... Yeah A Bit." He replied hesitantly looking in the opposite direction, sensing the tension brewing between them.

"Me too." She replied.

"Why are You nervous?" He asked turning to her in a vain hope of some insecurity in her voice.

"I never shopped for another Girl. That too for a Proposal! Am a Girl Dude! That too straight!You think I had proposed any Girl!" She exclaimed with irritation at his question, balancing her emotions and continued, "Why are You nervous? You are not going to meet her for the first time, You guys know each other."

"That's the thing. I know her but that doesn't mean I know her likes and dislikes too. And If You are so nervous for a shopping only then don't you think I have much valid reason for being nervous!" He exclaimed back turning to her in the same tone.

" Oh really! And what's the reason?" She made face and slapped at his shoulder .

"It's because Am going to propose a girl, to be my girlfriend that too when I have been refused by someone in very first attempt of mine!" He said it all in one go and then heaved helplessly as a part of his heart had already poured out.

She felt his fear of loosing in love again and her guilt rose up again. Unable to reply she just turned her back at him and ordered him to drive while looking away from him at window.

"I'm sorry Mike. What ever I have done, the hurt I have caused you. I know am the wound which can't be healed because am bleeding inside myself." She thought to herself while suppressing her tears.

On other hand He found himself dumb to voice his fear of rejection that too in front of her! Who had rejected him once. Yes he knew, that was not the right time to say it, not the right way but His feelings was pure just like Her.

He was always grateful of God that She accepted him as her best friend even She had admitted in last six years of friendship that He had a very special place in her life. But She always brought an end to his hopes by saying , "You are the Greatest Friend one can dream of to have."

"Friend! Just Friend!" He said to himself turning his face away from her as a tear finally broke the edge of eye's and rolled out on his cheek from beneath those shades.

That Tag of 'Friend' always caused him trouble because he could never say it but She was not just A friend for him or even The Best Friend only. She was the one who became his first Love, Love of first sight.

She was never a conventional beauty.
She hardly behaved like any typical school or college girl, interested in any beauty product or thinking about her looks though She is very pretty and looks stunningly beautiful in those loose cargos, pyjamas and cropped tops.

On top of all, the way She treats guys, She hardly talks to anyone. Everyone around them knows her as a generous human being, animal lover as well as a philanthropist but everyone knows about her blunt remarks as well . May be that was the reason She had more Fans than Friends.

And then there He was friend of all, always ready to help anyone who need.

They were polls apart yet His heart started to beat for Her the very moment He saw her. When She was settling in his neighborhood. He went there genuinely to help them but when he saw her, She became the reason of his frequent visits to their new home.

Without thinking much He expressed his feelings in front of her but she refused him saying -

'I don't believe in Love and specially when it comes from a Male'.

After knowing the reason behind her words, He accepted her words with a smile and a promise that He will rebuild her trust. That was the moment She accepted him as friend.

But fact was, He cried worse that night. She was his first love and it was his first heartbreak. Though He tried his best to change her mind in last six years but now He was finding himself guilty as for her, he was only a best friend but for him; She was everything.

So this way he found himself cheating her.
He was unable to suppress his love for her but at the same time unable to express it too as now he didn't have guts to loose her. But somewhere his conscious was not allowing him to keep this façade. He was feeling guilty of cheating her by tagging his love as friendship.

In all this dilemma he found a way to control his feelings. He decided to get a girlfriend. According to him this could help him to change his feelings for Her. Before parting ways from her He wanted to spend some time with her that was the reason he asked her to help him in proposing the girl.

"I know it's wrong but today am unable to look at you just as a friend only, You were, You are and You will be my first love of life." He said in his mind while looking at her then turned back to his driving.

○●○●○

After a few minutes of driving silently He pulled the breaks as they had reached the mall.
He parked the vehicle and stepped down of it.

She was still sitting in it lost in some thoughts. He had to reach at her side and knocked at window, "Excuse me! Sleeping Beauty! We are at the mall. Don't you think we should move inside it too?" He said with a fake smirk in attempt to erase his own foolish words from her mind.

She looked up at him with a fickle smile and opened the door but before she could step down he extended his palm in front of her. She looked up at him in surprise.

"What! Why are you looking so shocked?" He exclaimed with same amazement in his tone and continued, "Am just trying to be a gentleman after all am going to be with A Girl." He added to tease her.

"Yes , Sure, so today You will deal with a Girl only!" She replied back while sliding her hand in his with a smile and much feminine gesture just opposite to her normal behaviour.

That smile of Her's mesmerized him as always and brought his real smile on his lips. She gently stepped out of vehicle, stood next to him and flipped her hair on left shoulder.

Unintentionally, her soft hairs brushed at his cheeks while flipping. His smile turned more bright and alive as he lost himself in gazing at Her.

"So Mr. ...?" She acted like She forgot his name.

"Crazy for You Ma'am." He whispered in her ear getting a bit closer to her. In that instance He smelled the fresh fragrance of her hair and closed his eyes with a sigh of relief. As he had voiced the truth of his heart.

"Ha Ha Ha..." She laughed aloud slapping on his chest and said while moving away from him, "Crazy for Me so early? What will you call yourself by the end of day?"

"What ever you want to call me Ma'am." He said without looking back at her while composing himself.

"Oh Don't be too flatten Dude." She objected pulling off her denim jacket. "Now move fast and take your girl for some shopping ok." She added extending her palm toward him while hanging her jacket over shoulder.

He smiled a bit and stepped closer. His arm went around her waist while his eyes were fixed at her face. She kept gazing his arm as it went around her waist with wonder.

She never expected such behavior from him but She didn't opposed either. For a moment She felt like She never knew This Mike, She just looked up at him with amazement.

"What Happened! Don't I have right to hold my girl even a bit closer?" He smirked a bit while his arm was still in air around her waist. She looked away without any word. There was some kind of excitement yet annoyance, love yet anger in her heart. She felt like blushing at his behaviour and at the same time irritated too that How can He grab Her waist! Did that mean He was going to hold that girl like that! So close!

But next second, He held her palm and this time he actually grasped it firmly. Her fingers were perfectly filling the gap between his fingers. He raised their firmly tied palms between their faces and looked at her, "I Find this kind of holding my girl more close then holding her waist." And he placed a soft kiss on her hand with close eyes.

All sudden at his gesture, She felt like, her all questions got answered. Yes, This Mike is someone different, someone who actually knows how to woo a girl but certainly unlike rest of guys around her. Her Mike knows to win a girl's heart without playing with her body.