A Perfect date (wasn't)

Vansheekha

Vardhan

Aarav

Kabir

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Some girlfriends dream of candlelight dinners. Some want long drives with romantic songs.

Me? I just wanted my boyfriend to remember me for more than twenty-four hours.

So I came up with an idea. A perfect date. Maybe if I recreated enough “memorable” moments, Vardhan’s brain would finally lock me in.

“Are you sure about this?” Aarav asked, leaning against his scooter as I fumbled with a picnic basket.

“Yes,” I said firmly, adjusting my dupatta. “Psychology says memory sticks better with emotions. So… I’ll give him the most unforgettable evening of his life. Done deal.”

Kabir snorted, juggling two soda cans in his hands. “Or maybe he’ll just remember the samosas. Vansh, chill. He already forgets math formulas, what chance do you stand?”

I shot him a glare. “You’re lucky Aarav’s here or I’d strangle you.”

Aarav chuckled quietly, stepping in before Kabir could retort. “I’ll drop you two at the lake. Kabir and I will… hang around.” His voice softened, almost hesitant.

Kabir immediately rolled his eyes, covering whatever was flickering in Aarav’s tone. “Yes, yes. Babysitting duty. As always.”

I caught it again—the way Aarav’s gaze lingered a moment too long, and Kabir, chaotic as ever, brushed it off with a joke. Something was there. Definitely.

But I had bigger fish to fry—namely, my fish-brain boyfriend.

—

The lake looked like something out of a Yash Raj movie. Golden sunset, soft breeze, even the ducks were cooperating. I laid out the picnic mat, nervously watching Vardhan.

He sat down, eyes scanning the setup like a curious kid. “Wow… this looks nice. Did you do all this for me?”

“No,” I deadpanned. “For the ducks.”

He laughed, shaking his head, and my heart did its usual somersault.

I pulled out his favorite aloo parathas, placing them in front of him. “See? These are your favorite. You told me once you’d kill for them.”

“Really?” His brows lifted in surprise. “Guess I have good taste.”

I groaned. “You literally said the same line last week.”

But then he smiled—soft, almost shy—and took the first bite. “Well… maybe I don’t remember everything, but if you made it, then yeah. It’s my favorite.”

My stupid heart melted. Again.

For a while, everything felt normal. We laughed, teased each other, argued over who got the last gulab jamun. He leaned close, his shoulder brushing mine, and whispered, “You know… even if I forget tomorrow, today feels perfect.”

My breath caught. I wanted to believe that was enough.

Until—

“HEY LOVE BIRDS!” Kabir’s voice echoed across the lake as he and Aarav appeared with chips and cold drinks. “We thought we’d give you privacy but honestly… you’re boring.”

I nearly threw a gulab jamun at him. Aarav muttered, “Kabir…” in that warning tone, but Kabir just grinned wider, unbothered.

Vardhan chuckled, clearly amused. “Your friends are… entertaining.”

“Trust me,” I sighed. “You don’t want to know.”

Still, as Vardhan’s fingers brushed mine under the fading light, I realized maybe I was chasing the wrong thing. Maybe it wasn’t about making him remember yesterday. Maybe it was about giving him enough reasons to fall for me again today. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

Even if it meant reliving this love story on repeat.

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