The Friday night party had been a tiring one! Since, Randeep's place was the nearest, the gang had decided to crash there for the night. Sanjay and Raghav were snoring on one side, while Ayesha and Kristina were huddled in a corner mattress on the other end of the living room. There were only two people in the house, who somehow could not get sleep that night.

Ashi turned for the seventeenth time as she looked at her wrist watch. They'd been so tired that they hadn't even changed from their party clothes, and here Ashi was trying to sleep from the past one hour but couldn't. All she could think of- was him. Why? She didn't really know. But somehow these days, thoughts of Randeep, about Randeep, frequented her mind more than she'd would've liked to admit. She was beginning to get convinced that she was falling for Sameer- well the one who was Sameer in real life. A year back- she had not even known that such a man could exist who could bring in thoughts of love in the career oriented girl that she'd become. Years of struggle had finally yielded fruit, when she'd bagged the female lead role in a new venture by Sony TV and Shashi- Sumeet Productions. Yes, the show which relived the 90s era, was a nostalgic treat to many of its viewers, the show which explored the times when love was pure, innocent and true, the show with which Shashi Aunty and Sumeet Uncle were reliving their own love story- well the show which had redefined love for Ashi.

'Yeh Un Dinon ki Baat Hai' had definitely brought a huge change in Ashi's thinking. She'd started identifying with the female protagonist. She recalled how she used to be exactly like Naina in school! How scoring one mark less than someone hurt her more than a heartbreak could- if only she'd fallen in love then. And then, the way Sameer's character was written, and the way he was redeemed, Ashi knew that along with all the lady fans of the show, she could die for a man like Sameer in her life. The only problem was- the man who was like Sameer, well 80% like Sameer, as Ashi chuckled remembering his words, was already there in her life. And he was the one who was roped in to play her love interest on screen- the male protagonist- Sameer Maheshwari. And now, Ashi had started admitting to herself that Randeep Rai had become more of an off-screen love interest for her as well. She could totally relate to Naina's condition, when she was smitten by Sameer the moment she saw him. And he never even gave her a thing as half a glance. Girls were drooling over Randeep! Would he also want a Naina in his life...like Sameer wants? Damn these two! Can't they put a bet or something for him to make me fall in love with him, she looked at the sleeping figures of Raghav and Sanjay. And then Ayesha- she'd been teasing her with Randeep's name for the past two months. Obviously, Ayesha was too smart not to notice the tinge of red in her cheeks whenever she did so.

Randeep was lying on his bed, eyes wide open. Sleep had deserted him too. Well, Randeep could be stubborn. He'd said he can't sleep if he's not sleeping on his own bed, when Raghav and Sanjay forced him to sleep with them. He always put his privacy first anytime. But here he was, lying awake like an owl, that too, after binge drinking on alcohol, dancing till his feet hurt, on his own bed- yet his mind could only think of one girl- Ashi- the Naina of his life. Randeep turned to a side as he smiled. Was he really in love? That too with Ashi? He remembered how when the show started, he'd hardly talked to any of the cast. Because that was the demand of the show at that time. His character, Sameer hardly knew anyone in the school; so Randeep too wanted to replicate Sameer's emotions. And as Sameer opened up to Munna, Pandit, and Naina; Randeep too opened upto Sanjay, Raghav and Ashi. God! He wasn't the Sameer of 90s. But the truth was, he was almost like Sameer, and Ashi was almost like Naina- no? And then the age old adage- opposites attract. Sameer and Naina had finally fallen in love. But was the same happening with him and Ashi too? He definitely seemed to be losing it. He'd caught himself staring at her point blank, and then he could realize he was blushing whenever she was around. And when she touched him- didn't his heart flutter everytime. Randeep had tried flirting with her too- casually though. And her reactions did tell him that maybe Ashi was feeling the same flutters that he was. But then, she was a beginner- very ambitious. And he'd been in the TV industry for long enough to know the fickle nature of relationships here. Randeep was an old-world romance shipper. Only he knew that. And then playing Sameer in 'Yeh Un Dinon ki Baat Hai' was like living the romance he would've wanted to be in. With time, Randeep was realizing that Ashi was growing on him. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. He got up to make a cup of coffee for himself.

Ashi heard the clanking of utensils in the kitchen and realized Randeep had woken up. Is he not able to sleep as well? She got up and tip-toed to the kitchen to see what he was upto. "Ohh to the Famous Randeep Rai coffee ban rahi hai?" she chimed in. Randeep was startled. "Tum soyi nahi?" Ashi shrugged, "nind nahi aa rahi...". "Pyaar to nahi ho gaya tumhe?" he winked. "Tum bhi to nahi soye...to kya tumhe bhi pyaar ho gaya hai?" she chuckled. "Kya pata ho hi gaya ho...!" Randeep replied, as his eyes met hers. There was a brief silence as their eyes lingered onto each others. And then Randeep spoke, "Coffee piyogi?" "Coffee?" Ashi said, "Is waqt?" "Arey ladkiyan marti hain Randeep ke saath Coffee peene ke liye!" he said, in his typical flirtatious manner. "Haaye...phir to pila hi do!" Ashi responded. She came inside the kitchen as he prepared coffee. Both were wary of their proximity to each other, but none said a word about how it was affecting them.

Finally, they took their cups of steaming, hot coffee and settled down on the cane chairs on the balcony of Randeep's apartment. As they sipped their coffee, they looked onto the expanse of Mumbai. They could hear people on the road, cars whizzing by. It was true. This city never sleeps. "Coffee badi achi bana lete ho tum!" Ashi complimented him. "Wo to hai...main hoon hi itna multi-talented!" came the reply. "Matlab khud ki tareef karna kabhi band karte ho tum?" Ashi rolled her eyes at him. "Haan...jab dusre meri tareef karte hain!" he winked at her, only to receive a playful punch on his shoulders.

"Tum na so jao jaake...kal shoot pe varna dark circles dikhenge!" Randeep told her. "Kyun...tumhe nahi aate dark circles?" she asked. "Main to itna handsome hoon ki aaye bhi to ladkiyon ka dhyaan nahi jayega na...," he started again as Ashi raised her eyebrows in a "firse shuru ho gaya ye expression!" Randeep grinned at her exasperated face. "Kal yaad hai na important shoot hai? Tayyari ho gayi tumhari?" he asked again. "Haan ...usme kitni tayyari lagti hai?" Ashi replied as she took another sip. "Kuch bhi...kal pura confession shoot karna hai...I Love You bolne mein tumhe tayyari nahi karni padegi?" he asked. "Arey kaunsa sach mein I Love You bolna hai...," Ashi exclaimed, "Shoot hi hai na...Itna kya darna!" "Hmmm...baat to sahi hai...itna kya darna....!" he mumbled to himself. "Tum badi tayyari kar rahe ho I Love You bolne ki!" she added mischieviously. "Kar to raha hoon...lekin bol nahi paa raha...," Randeep replied dreamily and then as if jolted into the present by his own words, he immediately covered up, "matlab...wo feel nahi aa rahi jo aana chahiye!" "Arey bas socho tum Sameer ho aur main Naina hun...Sameer ki jasbaaton ko samjho...apne aap feel aa jayegi...aur bas fir bol dena wo three magical words mujhe!" Ashi tried to help him out. "Acha...keh dun...?" Randeep asked, his eyes boring into Ashi's with an intensity which was typical of Sameer when he looked at Naina in the show. "Hmm...," Ashi managed to utter as she tried to control her heartbeats.

Randeep put his coffee mug aside, as he inched closer to her, while her eyes remained captivated by his. She didn't realize she was holding her mug a tad too tightly. Randeep's eyes flickered over to the mug in her hand and a slight smile escaped his lips. "So, she's nervous too. Does she also...?" Randeep cleared his head again as he moved closer to her. "Keh dun...pakka?" he asked again. Ashi had eyes only for him as she nodded slightly. "Mujhe...mujhe....," Randeep started. "Mujhe...mujhe tum...," he stammered again. "Bolo na...mujhe tumse....," Ashi tried to help him out involuntarily. Again a slight naughty smile flickered onto his lips as he finally completed, his voice as husky as he could make it, "Mujhe...tumhari...ye red dress bilkul nahi pasand....I hate red...!" Ashi was taken aback. " Par Ayesha ne to bola tha red tumhara favourite hai...isiliye to maine red pehna...," she realized her slip of tongue seconds late. Randeep raised his eyebrows, "mera favourite hai red...isiliye tumne red pehna...kyun?" Ashi felt an uncanny resemblance to the way Sameer would've reacted to Naina's blooper. "Wo...wo....,"Ashi's mind was trying to find up a good excuse to cover up. "Mera to birthday bhi nahi hai...birthday to Ayeshu ka tha...!" Randeep acted as if thinking. "Fir mere liye red kyun pehna...main itna special hun kya tumhare liye?" he asked, trying to sound as innocent as he could. Ashi faltered. She was gone now. "Uhh...meri coffee ho gayi hai...lao kitchen me rakh ke aati hun mugs!" she stretched her hand out for his mug. But Randeep did not move. He was still looking at her. Much to her irritation, he was smiling meaningfully. And then he grabbed her by her arm and pushed her down, back on her chair. "Nahi...abhi nahi...abhi to practice karni hai na...Sameer ko Naina se I Love You bolna hai na...!" he reminded her. Ashi tried to look everywhere but into his eyes. "Vaise script ke hisab se pehle Naina Sameer ko I Love You bolti hai...to tum start karo...vaise bhi tum kaafi confident ho use leke!" Randeep prompted her. "Haan...wo to theek hai...lekin...abhi...is waqt!" Ashi stammered. "Arey tum to aise ghabra rahi ho...jaise Naina ko Sameer se nahi...tumhe mujhse I Love You bolna ho!" he said deliberately. Ashi looked up at him in surprise. "Damn! Now he can definitely see me blushing! Ye suraj itni jaldi kyun ugg raha hai!" she mused, as she became aware of the impending sunrise and the lightening of the surroundings. "Bolo na...Naina...bolo...I Love You!" Randeep said again, slowly, his voice silky soft. Ashi kept mum. Words had deserted her. She felt trapped. Randeep smiled. Maybe she too likes him? Should he tell her what he feels for her now? But then, if she doesn't feel the same way- then how would they work together? Randeep pondered on these lines for a moment and then decided to trust God. He closed his eyes as he prayed to Hanumanji. He's had immense faith in him since he was a child. "Hanumanji...main Ashi se apne dil ki baat kehna chahta hoon. Please ab sab aapke haath mein hai. Aap bas aashirwaad dijiye ki main aapki tarah bajrang na reh jaun!" he prayed silently.

With this, Randeep pulled up his chair very close to her and took her hands in his. He gulped as Ashi looked at him in surprise. "Ashi! I'm in love with you! Aur ye Sameer nahi Randeep bol raha hai!" he blurted it out finally. Ashi looked dumb-founded at him. "Kya?" she could only manage to utter. Randeep felt a lump form in his throat as he saw Ashi's shock, and his hold on her hand loosened. "Sorry...wo...," he started. "Ek minute...tumne kya kaha....ki tum mujhse pyaar karte ho?" Ashi asked, trying to clarify yet again. Randeep nodded. "Matlab ye practice nahi hai Sameer aur Naina ki...ye tum Ashi aur Randeep ki baat kar rahe ho?" she asked again, pointing at the two of them. Randeep again nodded, his body stiffening up with tension.

Ashi's mind tried to absorb the information. And then, Randeep felt her hold on his hand tighten, as she smiled. Her eyes lowered as he looked at her. "Toh?" he prompted. Ashi didn't know nor care if it was Sameer or Randeep. Both were the same for her- telling their Naina or their Ashi that they were in love with her. "Toh....I Love You too...," Ashi replied and then added, "Randeep!" She finally looked into his eyes and saw immense happiness and a strange contentment in them. "Sachi?" he whispered. "Muchi!" she replied. "Phew! Thank you Hanumanji!" Randeep finally let go of his breath. He pulled Ashi into his arms tightly. "Kya kar rahe ho! Wo log dekh lenge!" Ashi pointed out to the gang sleeping in the living room. "Dekhne do...keh denge...Sameer aur Naina romance ki practice kar rahe hain!" he chuckled as Ashi grinned. "Ashu..?" Randeep asked. "Kya??" she asked. And then she saw Randeep's face inching closer to hers, his eyes on her lips. "Tum...! Bade fast ho!" she smiled, abashed. Randeep couldn't help laughing. "Ab ye to inn dinon ki baat hai na...hum to kiss kar hi sakte hai na...?" he pleaded. Ashi smiled, "pyaar chahe un dinon ka ho...ya in dinon ka...hamara pyaar saccha hai...jaise Sameer-Naina ka hai...vaise hi Randeep-Ashi ka hai!" Randeep smiled and nodded, "hum hamesha saath rahenge?" he asked. Ashi nodded, "hamesha!" And then, much to Randeep's surprise, she cupped his face and brought it closer to hers as her lips touched his. One moment, Randeep was pleasantly surprised by this sudden initiation from Ashi, and the next moment, the couple was enjoying the bliss of their first kiss, while the sun now rose in the sky.