Dating an Ice Cube

...Chapter 5 – Dating an Ice Cube...

Ananya never thought she’d actually pull it off.

After weeks—no, months—of pestering, teasing, and refusing to leave him alone, Ruhan had finally said the words she thought she’d never hear: Be mine.

Now came the next challenge.

Dating a man who had the emotional range of a brick.

---

Their first official “date” wasn’t dinner at a restaurant or a walk by the lake. No—Ruhan simply texted her:

Ruhan: “Meet me at the café near City Library. 5 pm.”

She stared at the message, unimpressed.

Ananya: “Wow. The romance is overwhelming.”

Ruhan: “Do you want to come or not?”

Of course she went.

---

When she arrived, he was already there, sitting by the window with his usual neutral expression, a black coffee in front of him.

Ananya plopped into the chair opposite him with a dramatic sigh.

“Ruhan, do you know what couples do on first dates? They smile, they compliment each other, they maybe even… hold hands.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“And you’re sitting here looking like you’re planning a top-secret assassination.”

He almost choked on his coffee. “I’m not.”

“Exactly my point!” She leaned forward, grinning. “You’re supposed to at least pretend to be normal.”

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, to her utter shock, the corner of his lips curved upward. Just a little.

“You talk too much,” he said softly.

Her heart flipped. That half-smile was better than roses, better than any sweet line.

---

From then on, their “dates” became a strange mix of his seriousness and her sunshine.

At the movie theater, he bought tickets for an action film. She insisted on romcom. They ended up watching a horror movie by mistake, where Ananya clung to his arm the whole time. Later she accused him of planning it.

At the park, she tried feeding him cotton candy. He gave her a flat look and refused. She stuffed it into his mouth anyway, giggling when he chewed reluctantly.

At the library, she whispered silly jokes while he tried to read. The librarian glared at them, and Ruhan muttered, “Why am I even here?” But he never left her side.

---

One evening, after walking her home, she stopped outside her gate and looked up at him.

“You know,” she said, “you’re really bad at being a boyfriend.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You don’t compliment me, you don’t flirt, and you refuse to eat ice cream on dates.” She crossed her arms. “Honestly, if you weren’t so handsome, I’d be filing a complaint.”

For a second, she thought he’d just roll his eyes and walk away. Instead, he stepped closer, his voice low.

“You don’t need compliments, Ananya. You already know I like you. Isn’t that enough?”

Her breath caught. The seriousness in his gaze made her chest ache in the best way.

But because she was Ananya, she quickly recovered with a grin. “Fine. But just so you know, I expect at least three romantic gestures by the end of this month. Minimum.”

He shook his head, but she didn’t miss the way his hand brushed against hers as he turned to leave.

---

That night, she scribbled in her diary:

Dating Ruhan is like hugging a cactus—painful, confusing, but somehow addictive. I think I’m in trouble.

She didn’t know how right she was.

Because while she was busy falling deeper, Ruhan was already struggling with the weight of secrets he could never share.

And soon, those secrets would cost them everything.

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