Moon behind the clouds

And if you are to love,
Love like the moon loves.
It doesn't steal the night,
It only unveils the beauty of the dark.

When you least expect it, love will come to find you and remind you of who you are. 
When love sneaks up on you, it can be the most wonderful surprise.

He came uninvited, took over, and now rules over my heart, mind, body, and soul.
Vividly remember seeing him for the first time. My gaze followed his laughter which caught my attention. Something special in the way he smiled and those dreamy sparkling eyes.
Blue denim jeans paired with a white button-down shirt and blue sneakers complimented his dusky complexion. Splash of leather in his waist belt, wrap bracelet, and that chunky wristwatch helped accentuate his persona. Top two buttons that were left undone along with those rolled-up sleeves revealing all that skin and the forearm ink, added to his casual avatar and also made him appear sexier.
My heart skipped a beat.
BEAUTIFUL.
Surrounded by a bunch, mostly girls.
POPULAR.
I was totally checking him out.
HOT.
DESIRABLE.
Might have stared a bit too much that he felt the burn on his skin? His eyes caught me and with an air of sophistication I strutted outta there.

Saw him many times after that in the library, in frat parties, campus roads & hallways, movie theatre, malls, clubs. Always surrounded by a bunch of people and him being the heart of the crowd. Whenever our eyes met, he would stop & stare and glance away smiling slightly.
SEDUCTIVE.
I wondered if he could read my mind?

Gathered he is a friend of a friend. New to the town. A rich spoilt brat, I was informed.
RISKY.
They say all good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring heaven to you.
Ahem ahem. Scratch that 😉

A new semester began and we were enrolled in the same class. I was doing my master's and he was pushing the limits of his bachelor's degree by enrolling in advanced courses.
BRAINY.
We started sharing pleasantries and engaged in small talk before & after the class, while we walked to the library, while at the cafeteria and while working on labs & assignments. He asked a lot of questions as if trying to figure me out. And in turn, I got a chance to know him.
CURIOUS.
The day I didn't show up to the class, a text message from him read, "Missed you at the class. Want me to catch you up on the lecture?"
Wait. How did he get my number? Apparently, he had that for a while now. Blame it on the common friends who were playing cupids.
SNEAKY.
"Sure. That will be great. Thank you." 
"So, it's a date then?"
"Err?"
"OK. OK. No date."
FAST. 

That one didn't deter him and he kept at it.
"Hey, it's meteor shower night. Wanna come stargazing?"
"Have some other plans with friends. Thanks for asking though."
"Dang it! No date again... 😐 Alright... laters beautiful."
PERSISTENT.

He definitely wasn't someone who would give up that easily.
"Hey, wanna come over for dinner after class? Don't worry... it's not a date 😉"
"Hehe. Sure. Thanks for the invitation."
Italian he cooked was yummy and his books and music collection was enormous.
TASTEFUL.
Spotting a 6 string, I couldn't help but inquire and was treated with a slow romantic number. His husky voice and the way he sang the high notes took my breath away.
MUSICAL.

The third time was surely a charm.
"By the way, what plans for the weekend?"
"I really want to go to the temple, it's been a while."
"Oh, there's an amazing street food restaurant near the temple complex, which I so want to visit. We can check it out together?"
"Sure. Why not."
"But I assume, still can't call it a date?"
"Nice try 😉"
DETERMINED.
He picked me up in his gorgeous red mini cooper. After the tranquil temple visit, there was a challenge in place to see who can handle more spice. I was pretty confident of my South Indian genes, but boy he did beat me in my own game.
Such a captivating presence, he has. Striking a conversation with strangers and entertaining everyone does come naturally to him. And his feat of devouring the spiciest dish, got everyone talking. Guess he pushed all limits to win that battle because after that we ordered an array of desserts to wash down that spice.
ATTENTION SEEKER.
Such a fun date. Err, wait, no it's not a date. Not yet 😂
On our drive back, he bought every single rose the street vendor was selling at the signal and handed them to me.
"Did I earn that date yet, madame?"
"I guess you did."
"Finally!"
SMOOTH.

"Pick you up at 6?"
The text message read and my heart jolted. I was nervous. Butterflies in my stomach. 
"Why is this happening to me? Does he feel the same way I do? Breathe."
The doorbell rang and I quickly glanced at the mirror one last time before answering the door. And there he was with a long-stemmed red rose in his hands. He gave a peck on my cheek, whispering "You look beautiful."
I was under his spell intoxicated by the smell of his cologne. Gathering my wandering mind, I said, "You too."
"Beautiful?"
"Ummm hmmm"

He held the door of his car for me and strapped me in. The proximity got my heart racing. Looking into my eyes, he confessed, "I imagined this date several times in my head. I couldn't tell apart reality and dreams."
"Really?"
"Well... you are always on my mind and I think about you all the time."
DREAMY.
ROMANTIC.
Carefully tucking away flyaways behind my ear, he whispered "God... you are beautiful. Be mine!"
The playlist was carefully curated and had a mix of old and new romantic numbers.
Stealing glances without a word a storm brewed inside us.

A classy romantic candlelight dinner where we shared sweet nothings, likes, dislikes, tales of past, dreams, and aspirations. I realized he was a lot more than what meets the eye. A beautiful soul with a heart of gold. Like a hopeless romantic, I was falling for him head over heels.

"Let's skip the dessert? I have a better idea."
"Go on. I am listening."
"Can I drive?"
"As you wish, my princess!"
"Would you mind if I drive your car with the top down? What's the fun in driving a convertible otherwise."
"Most girls complain about that messing their hairdo. So I thought..."
"Most girls... Ahem. Buckle up."
Driving through the crispy chills of the autumn night in the moonlight alongside the oceanfront with the sound of waves in the background is quite invigorating. And then being treated to hot cocoa with marshmallows can definitely heighten your senses.
"You surprise me. I wish the night never ends. This is just perfect."
"It's not over yet."
"What's on your mind love?"
"Do you see those street lights hugging the beach? We have to drive until the last one."
"You know, you are one crazy woman. Why I never saw this side of you?"

Chasing the lights, chasing the moon, chasing the wind, we made it to the end of the road. The serenity of the place was breathtaking. His face shined bright under the moonlight and love struck I would stare at him and the moon and back.
"Moon is quite shy. Often it hides behind the clouds. Mysterious but very romantic."
"It is indeed romantic. Let's see if I can capture this moment right. You are my moon behind the clouds."
While he was busy capturing that perfect shot of the moon in the veil of clouds, I couldn't stop myself from gently touching his lips with my fingertips followed by a soft kiss. When our lips parted, he didn't open his eyes for a moment and said,
"I am still processing. Processing your presence. Processing your touch. For all I know, I might be hallucinating."
Hearing that I blushed and he demanded to know  
"Then why play so hard to get?"
"Because I wanna be your endgame."
He pulled me closer and kissed sweeping me off my feet. And I confessed how I felt about him.
"I love you."
"I love you more."
"Hey, how can you say that? You don't know that."
"Darling, I know that. And soon you will too."
LOVING.

After he dropped me home, a notification on Facebook showed my name tagged on the picture he clicked of the moon behind the clouds. And that's how we became official.
COMMITTED.

In all these years few things haven't changed.
I still lose myself looking into his dreamy eyes. His words still captivate my senses. His smile still blows my mind. And every time he walks towards me, my heart skips a beat. Exactly like the first time I saw him. He has that power over me.

But one thing surely did change.
Now when he says "I love you more." 
I don't argue back, because "I know" now.