"

Did I say always?" Siddhi tried to act confused, "maybe slip of tongue, what I meant was..."

"Stop lying! I am not a fool. Its damn clear that you both are more familiar with Faizal than Zoya. I had hardly seen you talking about her." He shook his head, "are you Faizal's friend?" He was staring at us with his suspicious gaze.

Siddhi and I shared a look and he heard our silence. "Why did you lie?" He paused and later answered his question. "Because of Fufaji and the rest. They couldn't accept you as Zoya's friends, I can only imagine." He shook his head. "How did you know him? Banaras?" He stared at Siddhi for a minute, "I don't think he ever travelled to Banaras, recently."

"We met online," Siddhi explained. He seemed not convinced. "I am not lying, we met online more than three years back. We had a craze over a same celebrity, the craze died but the friendship survived during these years. Moreover, we turned into a family."

"This wedding, we had invited ourself to this wedding years back. We were going to meet each other for the first-time in bhai's wedding but seemed like it turned his sister's."

Zain shook his head, "explains his anxiety from past few days." He glanced at us, "you people do really mean a lot to him. He had never argued to his family before. He had always been the person to sacrifice his needs for the wellbeing of his family and there is nothing wrong with it but yesterday he was furious. He didn't lose his ground." Zain had a proud smile playing on his lips. "Zoya didn't left his side. She definitely was aware about the importance."

"Did they fought with their parents just for the approval so we could attend the wedding?" Siddhi seemed amazed, "they made such a big deal about our presence?"

"It wasn't about your presence. It was about the fact that why it was kept hidden from Fufaji. He was furious over it!" Zain sighed, "I can't entirely blame Zoya or Faizal for it because Fufaji wouldn't have appreciated the idea of online friendship. He was born and brought-up in an orthodox mentality. He had hard time accepting modern thinking. He would trust his neighbors over online-bonding." The way Zain was trying to reason Faizal's father behavior made me curious. He understood him better than Faizal.

I wanted to ask how he understood him so well yet I kept my mouth shut. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me but don't reveal the truth or even offer a slightest hint to anyone." He warned, pressing a smile at me. He walked out a minute later.

°°°

The evening was rather spent locked in the room. We were second guessing ourselves on whether to walk downstair or not. We weren't comfortable facing any of Faizal's relative.

"Do you think staying back was a good idea?" Siddhi inquired, looking from her cellphone.

"You wanted to..." I pointed out. "I seriously don't have the courage to face them." I sighed at the thought of walking downstair. "We can't keep ourself locked either..." I groaned as I heard a knock on the door. "There we are..." Siddhi and I shared a look of disappointment.

Siddhi forced her legs towards the door and opened it. We were gifted with Aahna's bright-smiling face. "What are you people waiting for?" She was staring at us with a sparkling orb. "Aren't you coming?" She wasn't looking less than a princess in her baby-pink salwar-suit. And her beautiful smile was complimenting well.

"We are coming..."

"The bus is getting pack, if you waste a single minute you will have to go in another bus." She rolled her orbs at the thought of it. "And I must tell you travelling in bus along with Tavu, Chachu... Khala..." her orbs widen at the thought of it. "Is never a good idea," she shook her head at the thought of it.

"We are going somewhere?" Siddhi inquired in confusion.

"Yes!" Aahna stared at us in suspiciousness. "Hadn't Zoya informed you about the destination wedding?" Excitement was visible in her voice, "to Manali!" Her eyes were twinkling in excitement.

"Manali!" My orbs were almost out of my socket. Flashes of past came jumping back into my brain.

~~~

'You and your, not so pretty tantrums'

'You had been ignoring me from past 24 hours because I said I am going to make a new friend.' *Rolling my orbs*

I shook my head as I typed that message. The way I had dealt with his tantrums.

After 6 hours...

As I opened WhatsApp a message popped and a huge smile played on my lips.

'I hadn't been ignoring you.' - Mr. Idiot

'I had come on trip with my friends and we had been travelling from last night. I didn't have the time to check my phone.' -Mr. Idiot

'Oh! Never mind, enjoy your trip.' - Drama Queen

'I won't mind being gifted with sight-view.' *Puppy orbs*

After 2 Hours....

I hadn't opened WhatsApp yet I was online. I didn't expected message from him but the minute I opened; I was stunned to find a video waiting for me. And the joy I had on seeing it was undescribed. He had a hard time recording the video for me sitting on the backseat of the car, a huge music playing in the background. While I heard his chuckle for the first time as the phone was on the verge of dropping from his hand as the car took a turn.

Later I was gifted with various pictures. Of mountains, lakes, sunsets none of them having his pictures because I had called him joker and he wanted to deprive me from glancing at the joker.

'Those scenes are so beautiful! If it looks so beautiful in pictures, I only can imagine how amazing it would be in person.'

'Maybe you get to see it someday!' *Wink*

I had never taken those words seriously because I never imagined I could ever visit the North.

~~~

"Yes, Zoya was adamant that she wanted a destination wedding. I thought she might had mentioned to you?" Aahna seemed uncertain, "she had a dream of it as a child and everyone who knows her is aware about her dream."

"Maybe she wanted to surprise us," Siddhi tried to handle the situation.

"Yet," Aahna seemed unconvinced but she faked a smile at us. "Come!" She was holding Siddhi's wrist. "We will end up late!"

"Wait! We will need to pack," I objected, staring at the clothes shattered around. Only if we had been informed it a day before, we would have been prepared.

"Make it fast!" With that as an order, Aahna walked away.

"You were informed about it?" Siddhi inquired; I shook my head.

"Do you think if I was aware, I wouldn't have provided a better reasoning."

"She wasn't convinced with my lies." Siddhi sounded doubtful. "If they ever find the truth," she shook her head in horror. "I don't even want to imagine!"

"Let's not spoil our mood and concentrate on the packing."

I was feeling anxious as we walked down with our set of luggage. I didn't have a very good idea about the trip. My consciousness was killing me! Somewhere, I had the feeling by the end of the wedding our truth will be out because we had least clue about Zoya's life. Claiming that we were her friend from past three years, we needed to have at least basic idea about her life but we had none.

"Where are you lost, dream-girl?" Zain waved a hand in front of my face, bringing me out of my series of thoughts. A playful smile was playing on his lips.

"Dream girl?" Siddhi giggled, "her username is the same..."

I glared at Siddhi while she ignored it. "At last, I am aware of her username," he removed his cell from his pocket. "There are lots of Dream Girl out there," he groaned while searching for my ID.

"Check the one, Zoya di is following stupid." A reasonable voice came from behind, I smiled at Zara. "And do share the profile with me as well," she winked at me.

"Sent," Zain had victory smile playing on his lips. "Do accept my follow request," he pleaded with his orbs while I giggled at his dramatic-spirit.

"Zain!" A stern-authorative voice called out. "Are you planning to stay behind?" Mr. Qureshi was in a very sore mood.

"Coming... Fufaji..." he attempted to get our luggage but we opposed. "Please, Fufaji is already losing patience. He will drive without us and trust me the next bus won't be worth it!" The horrifying look Zain offered us convinced us too not be stubborn.

He carried our luggage towards the carrier of the bus as he eyed us to get inside the bus. "Why are they in this bus?" We heard the protest, the minute we entered inside.

"Why won't they be there, Ammi?" Zara came in our support, "they are Zoya's di friend. They will be attending the wedding, right?" She shook her head at her mother's foolish question.

"Zara, get in the seat!" The lady scolded her and Zara was forced to grab a seat beside her. We walked further inside, each one of them was staring at us with despise. With each passing second, I was getting more anxious about the journey.

The front rows of seats were occupied by senior individuals, and later ones were followed by youngster. Aahna waved a hand at us as she pointed at the seat behind hers. We were on the verge of getting into it when one of the random girls came running and occupied it.

"Aahna! I had told you to reserve a seat for me." She complained paying least attention to us. I passed a sweet smile at Aahna as we passed at the backseat which was vacant, as we took a sit, Siddhi murmured softly. "I feel so unwanted over here!" I could feel her disappointment. "I never knew, things that I had imagined for so many years would turn so awful!" She sighed in exhaustion, "our meeting was meant to be beautiful only if you hadn't added bhai in it."

"He was always in our group, Siddhi."

"It doesn't seem so..." she shrugged her shoulder. "I wouldn't have beared a word against you from my family and I am fully aware you would never allow your parents to disrespect any of us. If you won't fight at least you will try to correct their wrongs. But people over here are judging us for no particular reason, just because we came from the different lifestyle."

I sighed; I understood her frustration. I would have the same opinion if I wasn't dealing with Faizal's family. I was tolerating them for him! I hadn't got a glimpse of him after the morning. I wasn't sure whether he was still mad at me for deciding to leave.

"I had reserved my seat at last!" Zain screamed to someone as he entered the bus. His joyful spirit spread brightness to the dull surrounding.

"What are they doing here?" Mr. Qureshi was glaring at Zain with fuming orbs.

"Zoya wanted her here, most of her friends are accompanying us so I thought there won't be much trouble."

"We don't have enough seats," another elder figure tried to reason out. "The next bus will be vacant," he suggested.

"That's why Fufo, Fufa had gone on it," Zoya entered the bus. "If you want, you can accompany them as well." She provided him, her sweetest smile. "Oh! The back seat is vacant, I am going there."

"No!" A feminine voice protested, "the back seat isn't comfortable. We have a long-ride," she stood from the seat. "You should..." Zoya interrupted her in middle.

"I will be more comfortable with the people at the back," at those words she followed Zain towards us.

"Are you to going to follow their footprint?" Mr. Qureshi seemed disappointed with his children.

"No!" Faizal muttered as he closed the door of the bus and motioned the driver to start the engine. He walked towards the front, sitting next to the driver. The little hope I had of interacting with him was lost in the thin air.

___

Do you think that it's only Nivi in love with Faizal? Or is there something more??