The flowy long hair. The hazelnut brown eyes. The white crochet shirt. A melodious laughter. The familiarity was daunting and more so, it pinched him to be distracted by a stranger. He was lost in this strange mix of feelings when Cabir seemed to be waving his hands in front of him.

"Kya hua Manik? I know I asked you to think through where we came but, bhai, itni gheri sooch?"

"Shut up, Cabir", Manik made a bad face and shushed him off. "Hotel ka kya scene hi?"

"None. Who knows were to go? This all looked so different in day light."

"Guys, it would be most practical to ask someone!" Mukti suggested as she gazed on the two people she saw running and laughing on the street ahead.

"Aur agar aapko koi jeeve nazar aaye to batana Mukti mohtarma?" Cabir said in a sarcastic tone while looking back at her from the rear-view mirror.

"Samane." she answered in one word and eyed the boy and the girl who giggled away.

Fab 5 followed her line of view and Manik's eyes fell upon their silhouettes- the flowy long hair, a loose dangling shirt and a melodious laughter rang in the alley.

"Good point." Cabir replied monotonously, he too was lost in the jolliness of the couple he saw. He started the jeep and reached the tall white church where the two shuffled on the winding stairs. Manik tagged Cabir from behind but, parked at bit farther than him.

"Um.. Excuse me!" Cabir called out.

The two "tom-and jerry" chasers pay no heed to the shout. Cabir glanced at Fab 5 and then, tried once again.

"Hello! Excuse us!"

His louder decibels worked this time and the boy turned his attention to him. A sculpted lad in rugged jeans and black jacket with a loose white shirt underneath descended down the stairs and came to their jeep. His finely cut jawline, deep brown orbs and ruffled hair made him look slick and hot-mess that for a moment, left the girls with wide eyes tracing over him. He winked at the girls and distracted their gaze. Embarrassed both of them looked away and toggled with their phones.

"Hello to you too, bro! What's up?" he greeted in a cool manner.

"Well, we are new here, first timers, and seem to have lost our way.." Cabir continued to described their situation in short.

"Don't stress, man! It's a bummer that you're phones died but, anyways, where could I guide you all?"

"Four Points by Sheraton" Manik said in a deep voice. The too-friendly, cool demeanor didn't gel along him, may be because this young-lad was associated to the girl that had pulled him a bit to much to make him go hay-wire.

"Fancy!" the lad replied. "You guys seem to have made good progress by far. It's not super far-off from here, just take the right road and follow along, it would take you to the city and from there, I think a few more rights later you'll be there."

"Aryaa! The game's not over. If I win, then don't you crib!" a mellifluent voice called out to the stranger presumably. He looked back at his excitedly jumping friend and shook his head at her childishness. He bid Fab 5 a bye and climbed the stairs two at a time. The jeep revved away and as soon as the stranger reached the girl who stood afar, Manik breezed away his bike too.

--------

"Bol chirkut!" Aryaman reached Nandini and huffed at the last stair he climbed.

"Tired already?"

"Tu chard 50 stairs twice and then carry a person as heavy as you and then tell me!" he complained while resting his weight forwards and massaging his slightly cramped legs.

"Aya barda hero! Who told you to go down there anyways?"

"My humanity! It was some lost group of friends finding their way back to a fancy hotel."

"Samaj sevak, good boy!" Nandini proudly patted his back twice and in third one lightly hit harder than usual.

"Ouch! Seriously, Nandu."

"Yup!" she proudly agreed and then excitedly squealed when a cotton-candy seller came in her line of sight. Abiding to her childish requests, Aryaman followed her down and shared the sweet with her. Since Aryaman was drained of enthusiasm and sleep was about to take over him, they decided to walk back home while Nandini chattered with her cotton-candy in her hands. It may seem childish to Aryaman and very insensible of her, but, for her, her childhood was being re-written and the wishes that couldn't be because of her responsibilities and circumstances, were being fulfilled. In a way, this was one of the most memorable moments of her life and in a way, this was a step to her recovery.

---------

Fab 5 had reached the hotel and their plan was to perform one more gig at a cafe tomorrow before returning to Manglore for their hunt for Nandini. Manik was a bit off from the happenings of the day. He had sensed a familiarity in this unfamiliar place. He felt it strong near the two stranger they had met, but turned away from them earlier than he would like to. Fab 5's charm didn't turn out to be as he would like to. His search for Nandini was more draining than he imagined and her memories drugged him to such an extent that the voice of stranger, especially that girl, seemed to hers. He wanted to believe that his mind wasn't playing games and that his senses were right to match the familiarity with Nandini but, his mind and logic twisted him away and stated otherwise. Cabir and Mukti were too tired to play any tricks or laugh around or contemplate with Fab 5 on what went wrong in their gig today. The two hadn't take minutes before their snores filled the room. Dhruv and Aliya knew that Manik was acting weird and hadn't been himself in the day. They knew that alongside Fab 5's inner yet- to- be- sealed cracks, Manik's slips out were the reason for their loss in a magical gig. They knew that Manik would be better the moment Nandini would be infront of him and thus, they chose not to mess with him but, they could work on the later. Dhruv stared at Aliya with love and apologies in his eyes. He regretted what he did, Aliya knew it. He held the same affection that she had, she knew it. But, was he sure about them, was she not a mere rebound for him, she didn't knew. It was only him that could answer that and his honesty was only her mind's creation.

Manik had gone to the terrace with his guitar. He wanted to be left alone and thus, Aliya and Dhruv stayed back. The room was quiet and lit by the lamp kept on the side. Aliya and Dhruv sat in the middle of the bed divided by Mukti's and Cabir's legs on either side, intertwined with the blankets as they slept awkwardly. The breeze blew in through the window announcing that the two had no other option and no escape for today.

"Aliya!" Dhurv initiated. It was his mistake and he still had to be repent it, he knew that was the fact.

"Hmm"

"I am sorry!"

"I know. But," she hesitated.

"I know, I am trying to make it up. I am trying to sort it out. I have realized I was selfish, at least at the wrong time. I am sorry. I am trying my best to get to Nandini. Personally, I have even talked to my uncle, you know he is a private detective. He couldn't find out anything." Dhruv continued in one breath.

"Hold on, Dhruv! Why are you telling me this? I know you are sorry. I know you are trying but, why should I know. You've been wrong to Manik and Nandini, tell them, why me? Why am I the person you are explaining stuff to?" She cut him through. From her perspective, he sounded as if he was explaining himself and making himself realize that he was correcting his mistakes rather than believing in his actions. She knew he was insecure and needed validation and she was willing to be that validation but, he had to realize that there was more meant to be between them. For her fairy-tale, he had to be the one upfront. For her friendship, she was the one upfront.

"I know, you seem to feel you and I are no-one and just friends. But, Aliya, I have realized that I was selfish at the wrong time and for the wrong person. You are my right, Aliya. Make me right, please." he begged and a lone tear escaped from his eyes.

His word's depth touched Aliya and she knew the hidden meaning behind them. Tears slipped through her eyes and she took him into a a tight hug. She would have tugged him closer if it weren't for the blankets and the awkwardly sleeping "twins". Dhruv leaned in forward and buried his face in the crook of her neck and wet her shoulder. The two lovers sobbed at their insecurities and confessions. Aliya lifted his face and planted a gentle kiss of promise. In the dim lights of the room and amongst the messed up blankets, the silence sealed their promise for a forever and their magical journey embarked with the cold breeze that sailed with blessings.

-----------------

Hey,

To meet or not to meet?

Happy Reading!

Love.

HF