They entered the theatre and settled into their seats. Abhi sat right next to her, very close. His proximity made her feel a strange unease. She can feel his warmth despite he sat in a chair beside her. She can smell his fragrance too.. She huddled in her seat, keeping her hands on her lap instead of the armrest. The movie hadn't started yet. Tulasi, feeling tense, looked around. Next to her sat a woman, a small child, and the child's father—a lovely, cute family. Tulasi smiled, looking at the child, and said, "Hi". The child saw Tulasi, said "Hi," and with a leap, jumped out of her seat and landed next to Tulasi. "Hi," the child chirped. Tulasi returned the high-five and hugged the child. Meanwhile, the opening credits rolled, and the movie was about to begin. Before the film, a video about tobacco addiction played, showing a man whose mouth and liver were ruined by tobacco, and his wife selling her gold bangles for his treatment. Abhi burst into laughter, continuing to laugh. Tulasi didn't understand. "What is it?" she asked.
"Is that your sibling? You also gave gold bangles for an operation, just like her" Abhi said, still laughing. Tulasi's face flushed with anger. Seeing her anger pouted lips , Abhi laughed even more.
Abhi, who was usually so stern and irritable, looked incredibly handsome when he laughed. She found herself liking him very much when he smiled. She, too, began to laugh. After a short while, silence returned, and the movie began. Again, she became aware of Abhi beside her, feeling his warmth in the surrounding darkness. She felt a little uncomfortable.
Just then, the little child came back. "Sister, why are you both laughing?" she asked. Tulasi, inspired by the child's innocent words, had a brilliant idea. She spoke to the child's mother and had the child sit between herself and the child's mother. Tulasi then focused intently on the child, playing with her hands and ignoring the movie and, most importantly trying her best to ignore Abhi and the way he smells and the feel of him sitting this close to her. Initially, Abhi didn't react, but soon he grew annoyed that Tulasi was ignoring him, concentrating solely on the child.
Abhi leaned closer to Tulasi, whispering in her ear, "I brought you to the movie, not that child". Tulasi was shocked. In the dark, Abhi's closeness and his words spoken so intimately near her ear sent her heart racing, his breath on her neck, his lips almost touching her ear.
No, Tulasi, don't even think about him. Don't look at him.
She quickly got up, gently nudged the child, and seated her between Abhi and herself.
Abhi looked at Tulasi seriously. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Tulasi pointed to the child's parents, who were now leaning comfortably on each other's shoulders, enjoying their privacy. "I'm giving them privacy," she explained.
Abhi looked at them. He made a mental note: "Next time, I'll take Tulasi to an A-rated movie. Children are never allowed there. We can watch in peace," he thought.