After a brief interval, Anu was back to having dinners at Vineet's place. This time, Shrest joined them. 

"So..." Shrest began, as the three of them ate.

"You two...are dating?"

Anu nearly choked on her food. She had a fit of coughing. Vineet hurriedly offered her a glass of water.

"So, you two are really dating." Shrest glanced between the two of them and watched his food wistfully.

Anu and Vineet sent each other confused looks. Should they deny and keep it a secret or confess the truth...?

Anu turned to Shrest. "Your brother and I are dating...Do you have any qualms about it?"

Shrest shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I? You're doing me a favor actually. You should have seen the moping mess that he was, when you-"

He got smacked on the head by Vineet, who cleared his throat.

Anu wanted to prod further but she had other questions to ask.

"Does anyone else suspect that we're dating? Among...your classmates?"

"It's not just a suspicion. It's considered a fact now."

Stunned silence filled the room. Maybe, Anu and Vineet were not as discreet as they thought. After all, for a couple who had just begun dating, how could they control their overly sweet smiles to each other?

"That means..." Anu looked at Vineet. "It is possible that the teachers know as well..."

The next day was a school day and Anu had a bad feeling in her heart about it.

The bad feeling proved to be correct. Vineet and Anu were called up to the principal's office the next day. The two felt like students who had been engaging in puppy love, despite the fact that they had long graduated.

"Should we deny? Wouldn't it be better if we denied?" Anu paced the waiting room, panicking and mumbling. Vineet sat, calmly and determined.

"Ma'am, sir, you can go in now."

The two went with one shivering and the other calm and composed.

The principal, Maya's aunt, Meghna watched them with a severe eye. Maya, thankfully, was also present in the room. She sent a wink in Anu's direction. Anu felt relief wash over her.

"So you two...I heard through gossip that you were dating."

Vineet and Anu remained silent.

"You are grown adults and you can do whatever you want but-" She cleared her throat. "This is a school. Teenagers can be easily impressed by what you do and decide that they can take part in dating as well, which is strictly prohibited in our school."

A pause.

"Hence, I ask you if you're serious in your relationship."

"We are serious." Vineet responded. Anu's gaze remained firmly on her lap. 

"If you're not serious about it, and are going to break up-"

"We're dating, with the intention of marriage." Vineet answered, solemnly. Anu's head snapped to his. Maya's head, also, snapped to his. This was news to both of them.

"Well, If-"

"Oh, don't be so hard on them, Aunt. They're serious, you know it. Let them go now." Maya retorted.

Meghna glared at her niece, who rolled her eyes in response.

"All right then. You two can leave now."

As they exitted the door, both the principal and Maya engaged in bickering with each other. Anu didn't smile as she usually did , when she witnessed the bickering. Her wide eyes were firmly on Vineet, her mind blank.

We're dating with the intention of marriage.

"We're dating with the intention of marriage?" Anu asked, on their way out of the administrative block. 

"You thought otherwise?"

"Well...I didn't really think about it."

"That's ok. I don't plan on getting married this soon. But, I am dating with the intention of getting married to you. I hope you know that, now."

Anu slowly nodded, processing it. She smiled, deliberately walking at a slower pace compared to Vineet. How did she manage to land such an amazing guy?

That night, Vineet rang her doorbell and gave her a shoebox.

"Paper planes?" Anu smiled, remembering the last time he had given her paper planes.

"I hope you read all of it." He said, before walking back to his apartment. 

Around 7 hours later, Anu had read all of it. Her eyes held tears in them. How she wished they could've been together for the 8 years they missed.

✿

word count: 647 words