Probably because he had a lot of practice, I thought and I pushed him away, breathing heavily.

We looked at each other and I knew from his expression that he wanted to do it again, just like I did.

I put my hand on his chest. His heart was racing and I just used that excuse to feel his chest a little more with my palm. He caught my hand, looking at me intently.

‘Was that you being aggressive?’ I asked him softly. He didn’t say anything, so I shook my head. ‘I don’t want you to be aggressive.’

‘What do you want?’ he said, pushing his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner.

‘You,’ I said, not sure where the courage came from. His eyes lit up and he leaned close to kiss me again, but I stopped him.

‘It’s important to me that you want me too,’ I said quickly.

‘I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t,’ he said, tracing my jawline with his finger.

‘So this isn’t just a novelty to you?’ I persisted.

‘Why would you say such a thing?’ he asked, looking puzzled.

I looked down, not sure how I could explain my lack of self-esteem and what it meant to me to have him look at me like this. Like I was desirable and beautiful. But I couldn’t say it without sounding pathetic. I wanted him to say the words to me but I couldn’t spell out why I wanted him to. I squirmed at the way he was looking at me.

‘So what happens after this?’ I asked, belatedly realizing that it would sound sexually suggestive.

‘Um . . .’ he said, trying hard not to smile.

I covered my eyes with my palm in mortification and he peeled it away gently. ‘I know what you meant,’ he said, kissing my palm.

‘And?’ I said.

‘And let’s just take this a day at a time? See how it goes? I really, really like you, Ananya, but the truth is that I’ve always liked you. I’ve liked you best. You were my best friend even though we never lived in the same city. Even though we never met that often. Because whenever we met, we could just pick up from where we left off last time. I’ve never had that with anyone else. I don’t make friends easily. But you, you’ve always been my friend, except that you’re a friend I’m crazily attracted to now,’ he said.

I don’t know what warmed me more. His words or the earnest expression in his eyes, or his wandering hands that were running over my arms.

‘One day at a time,’ I repeated, feeling so happy inside that I could burst. I could take things one day at a time.