Aarush liked a hot coffee in the afternoons on a Monday. No matter how bad it was for your sleep cycle, he seemed powerless against the gentle beckoning of a hot cup at five in the afternoon, just before sunset. If someone asked him, he'd say the coffee felt good after the particularly unbearable grind of a Monday. Maybe he was right, or maybe it was just his subjective opinion. Either way, it wasn't interfering with other more important aspects of his life, so he wasn't too worried. Lately though, it was becoming more and more obvious that he wasn't himself. Something was off with him. I was definitely the first to notice it, having spent two beautiful years with him as his lover. But something told me I shouldn't just ask what was bothering him.

We were sitting in the cafeteria just outside my office. He had come here today way ahead of his shift closing time. He must have taken part of the day off. I wondered what it was that was bothering him. I decided to ignore the part of me that was sceptical, and just ask him.

"Aarush, what's wrong?" I said, poking his abandoned coffee glass slightly.

"I've been wanting to ask you something for some time."

"Go ahead."

"I don't know how to say this."

"Say however it plays in your mind."

"I would like to introduce you again to my parents." He said. Okay, that was something unexpected.

"Okay..." I said, dragging the word for a whole of two seconds. "And?"

"And I want to tell them about us, about how we want each other."

I smiled. He looked at me curiously, "why are you smiling like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like there's something mischievous going on in your mind. I know that smile all too well."

"Well, now that you mention parents, there's something I want to tell you too."

"What?" He seemed utterly confused.

"Your parents know about us."

"What? How? When?" He frowned.

"I told my parents, and I believe they have already spoken to yours. I know you've been mulling over it for some time now. It's obvious from your ways. And since you are such a huge procrastinating idiot, I decided to take matters into my own hands."

Aarush blew a raspberry. "Why do you have to ruin all of my surprises like this? And how can you read my mind like that?"

"Because I am the one who struggled with a high school crush, I get to call the shots. And I can read your mind because you let me."

"Says who?"

"Says the girl who's always been listening to her heart, and simply doing what she wants. And I know you can't be mad at me for this."

The End

Author's Note:

Thank you very much for reading this short story. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. There are certainly things that could have been made better and corners that shouldn't have been cut. And that is where you, the reader come in. Please share your thoughts and opinions on this story in the comments section of the story home page. And as always, stay tuned for more...