Chapter 18 - "The Moments Of Ecstasy"

It was the next morning that I was sitting in the garden of our college, my eyes holding more of a sparkle. I didn't even comprehend when things shaped up so beautifully. I loved her. Damn! This was just so incredible to even think.

I saw her coming towards me when a smile crept up on my lips. She sat beside me on the bench, keeping her bag aside. I looked over at her, grinning wide. She sighed, smiling back at me.

"Avni." I called out as she hummed in response.

"I'll always be there for you." I spoke, holding onto her hand.

I saw the corners of her lips twisting up in a smile as she kept her hand back on mine. She held my arm and kept her head on my shoulder murmuring a small 'I love you' that was audible enough to be heard by me.

We sat together for long until I saw Rhea and Ali moving towards us. Avni sat up straight but I still did not let go of her hand.

They halted their steps just before us, shooting their brows up.

"What is it?" Ali voiced out, thumping in front of us on the grass.

In turn, I kissed Avni's reddened nose making her blush even more. I swear, I loved her that way. Ali's mouth shaped in an O while Rhea's eyes kept on widenening. I giggled at their antics.

"Is it then?" Rhea asked, calming herself to which Avni nodded.

"Wow! Credits to me?" Rhea asked, winking.

"Yeah of course. Thank you so much Rhea!" Avni faked as we laughed out.

"How many of you are prepared for the exam tomorrow?" Ali asked after we stopped laughing.

"Oh my, how are you so concerned about exams? Lagta hai bht padh raha hai noodles! " I spoke, dramatically, bending down.

"Shut up. I am trying to be serious. Last semester hai, fail hogaya na tou detained! Aur please-" He stopped and joined his hands, bowing his head down, he continued, "I don't want to stay in this college more now!"

"Haw! Is it that bad? We enjoy, at least. College life is college life, babe! Chill." Avni said, tucking a hair strand behind her hair.

"Hehehe. College life is college life!" Ali mimicked Avni, making faces as he faked a laughter.

"I don't want to survive this college life, please!" He continued.

"Acha na! It's the last semester anyways." Rhea jumped in, finding something in her bag.

"Matlab not anyone of you is continuing?" Avni widened her eyes, taking her hand out of my grip as she spared a glance at me before looking at them both.

"Matlab you are continuing your studies?" Ali asked, mimicking Avni once again for which she slapped his arm, leaning down.

She nodded her head, looking at me and then back at them both.

"I'll see if I can. You want to be a doctor, not us. Hum tou aage jaake kahin bhi adjust ho hi jayen gy." I finally spoke, pursing my lips together.

"Okay." She mumbled, shrugging.

"But, are you guys really leaving? What about DD?" She soon looked at us simultaneously, her eyes moist.

"Hey. Shh. Don't cry na, Avni. College se jarahy hain, zindagi se nhi." I pulled her to me, slowly stroking the small of her back.

Ali poked his tongue out while Rhea smiled slightly.

"About DD, I think he'll leave too, his parents want him to marry now!" I giggled lightly. Soon, I heard an earth shattering laugh. Getting startled for a moment, I looked over to the direction of the voice only to find Ali, rolling over the grass, clutching his stomach.

His laughter went on until he felt ignored since none of us responded. Instead, we kept on looking at him with blank faces. As soon as he got up, an expression of defeat smudged over his face, three of us started laughing madly. He did the same, staring at us with a blank expression, but we did not stop.

"I hate you all!" He got up, frowning and ran away. Rhea followed him, throwing a book at Avni.

I looked at Avni as she smiled, pulling my cheeks.

"You look cute when you laugh." She said, twitching her eyes.

"You were staring at me?" I yanked her to me, grabbing her waist.

"Neil. Leave me." She tried pushing me away, careful of the eyes around.

I tightened my hold on her waist, pulling her more to me, "You are beautiful."

She looked into my eyes and I felt she would literally read my soul. "I love you." She said again, making me grin wide.

We were startled by a scream that we heard. I looked behind us only to find DD, his hand over his parted mouth. He was blinking fast, his other hand in his hair. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"You scared me." Avni spoke, rubbing her left eye.

"You guys?" He couldn't complete as his overwhelmness took over. He jumped up and landed exactly near our feet.

"OMG! I can't believe this! Really? Wow. What a surprise!" He went on blabbering and I had to literally cut him off, "Shut up DD! Shut up!"

"Tell me then. Is it what I am thinking it is?" He asked, not affected by the fact that I asked him to shut up.

"Yes. It is exactly what you are thinking it is." Avni said, plastering a smile.

He screamed again before he started laughing. "I uh-laugh when I am excited." He clarified, once he had stopped laughing.

"Well. Congratulations."  DD chirped, smilingly. I nodded my head in acknowledgement while Avni simply smiled, looking at me.

"Acha tell me, are you going to take the next semester?" Avni asked him, after sometime.

"I don't think I will. Let's see." He replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"Are you going to marry?" She asked again, as I looked on.

"Nah. Not planning anytime soon. But yeah, if I find someone, then why not!"

Moments later, Avni started laughing. I looked at her, not knowing what was it so did DD.

"Ima- imagine, DD as gr- groom!" She managed to speak in between her unending laughter and that made me laugh too! She kept on laughing while DD got up, frowning as he walked away. I looked at her as her laughter turned into a soft grin.

This is all that I had wanted. Her beside me with her hand in mine. This feeling that I was going through couldn't be explained, I was so happy, I was afraid it would be snatched.

And God knows, how right I was!