A few weeks after the "traitor" incident had been dealt with; Samrat was convinced to stay by everyone in his team Hawks, especially Tanvi, and the two of them were working together on a project that involved upgrading the radar systems over the desert borders.

Between moments of brief respite during everyday work, Tanvi observed Samrat was completely into his shell. Sure, they weren't the friendliest lot who chatted often, but the silence wasn't Samrat. He barely uttered a word over the past few weeks, only speaking when necessary. Plus, it was all business, and he'd wear this gloomy expression, tighten his jaw or space out at random times when work didn't demand his attention. Pity wasn't the emotion she felt, it could have been genuine concern. She acted overly cheerful around him, hoping that'd compensate for his lack of emotion. And hopefully, it would help him cope with whatever was bothering him. Alas, not that simple.

She heard the story from Abhimanyu. The baggage weighing on Samrat wasn't too light to cast aside. What a sad scenario; she never once imagined the chill dude Samrat Singh Shekhawat had another hidden side, an entirely different one.

That afternoon, they arrived in the cafeteria together for a quick break after their morning shift. Just a few minutes after which they'd drive with their seniors and other colleagues to check out the new radars.

Samrat stuck to a coffee as they sat at the table where Farhan and the other ex-Hawks members were present. Tanvi ordered herself her usual lunch.

"Lunch, Tanvi?" Samrat said, looking at her lunch tray laden with all kinds of delicacies — parathe, paneer-chhole, even dessert. "Panch minute mein tum yeh Sara lunch khaoge?"

Tanvi was delighted that he finally spoke of something that wasn't strictly business. He said her name as he would address a friend, not in that detached way he addressed her. And wow, that was an elaborate sentence coming from him. She had been looking the fool over the past few weeks, babbling everything and anything to him and trying to cheer him up. Did it work? Is this a teensy bit of hope? She smiled, shaking off her excitement.

"Samrat, panch minute hai na! Watch me!"

As Tanvi dug in, Samrat curiously looked at her, watching her scarf down everything. A question naturally popped into his head. "Tanvi, are you sure tumhe problem nahi hoga itni jaldi yeh sab khakar?"

"Koi problem nahi hoga!" Tanvi answered, pausing in between while chewing the panner cubes. "Agar main na khaun to problem hoga! Mujhe bahut bhookh lagegi! Aur pata nahin dinner kab khane ko mile! Are you sure you're fine with just coffee?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Samrat showed her a briefest smile and shrugged.

As she ate with lightning speed, clearing away the items on her plate, he couldn't hold in his laughter. She could only stare at him with wide eyes, secretly thrilled at the sight, while Farhan said, "you finally got a smile out of him, Tanz!" and patted her arm. "Maine lakh koshish ki par yeh nahi kar paya!"

Samrat's smile dropped momentarily, but he forced himself to smile again for his caring best friends. There was no doubt in his mind that Tanvi was also one of his closest pals now. Maybe she'd been all along, with the rest of the hawks. But the question was, was it okay to be friends after what he did?

His hesitation melted away soon in the coming weeks; he felt the least he could do was be a good friend to his friends, reciprocate their feelings. Tanvi couldn't forget the moment he smiled for the first time at her. As they talked more between their work, she was ecstatic knowing there was more to come. More had come already. He began smiling a lot, especially around her and Farhan. He was also socialising again, although he wasn't the same Samrat Singh Shekhawat.

Game days on day offs, attending parties. He wasn't the chill dude who won everyone over with his charming words, but it was something! A part of Tanvi was glad that she could contribute to bringing forth these positive changes in him. It would be prudent to accept she brought along those changes, would it not? But then the other day Samrat himself said that; laughed at the silly way she drank her sports drink after the Sunday game, patting her head, "thanks Tanvi. If not for you, I wouldn't be here."

During that moment, he looked at peace for the first time in ages. Could she... would she hope that these changes, this peace and happiness he found, could be permanent? She wasn't sure.

***

That Monday morning, Samrat was in charge of the new team checking the radar systems. He was no engineer; working for the flying squad always, though well-versed and officially recognised as a bomb-expert. He was overseeing the radar testing when Tanvi arrived. He threw her a look, to which she awkwardly smiled. He decoded the coded message she silently sent him. She wasn't late. The other guys were early!

Well, that doesn't mean you're allowed to arrive after everyone else? You gotta be earlier than that, Tanz... Though he was on duty and had to put on the strict expression their current mission head, Arjun Kumar did, Samrat only chuckled, sneakily concealing his laughter behind his palm. Did I say Tanz? It could be in my thoughts. Farhan was the one who came up with this innovative short name which you said you disliked, Tanvi. But it's pretty cool. Maybe I should try calling you that next time and see how you react...

Tanvi beamed as she joined the other engineers, having her own thoughts. Yay! No punctuality lecture today because I arrived on time. And I got to see Sam smile again! Ah, I called him Sam in my thoughts. It's partly Farhan's influence. He's the one who calls Samrat that way. But I can try later, no? And see how Samrat takes it...

***

As weeks elapsed into months, the radars were successfully upgraded; the airbase was more sophisticated, much to the satisfaction of the seniors. Samrat and Tanvi were a pair of close pals alongside Farhan and others.

After the busy months of work and no play, Tanvi was looking forward to attending Abhimanyu and Sameera's sagai the coming weekend. In a story nothing short of a fairytale, Abhi Sameera had found love together and now they were getting engaged. Late that night, as per their usual schedule, she met Samrat and Farhan in the cafeteria and shared her excitement. The guys' response was less enthusiastic; especially Farhan's as he was lost imagining his and Isha's sagai.

"Farhan!" Tanvi pinched his arm, breaking his day dream (although it's midnight, ahem), "earth par wapas aajao... chand par na raho..."

Farhan quipped with a breezy smile, "chand par hogi meri aur Isha ki sagai."

"Farhan! You — Haha!" Tanvi giggled lightly. It was Samrat who couldn't hold in his laughter and burst out laughing. Farhan followed suit. Then Tanvi. As they laughed their thoughts out, Tanvi thought, finally, the winds are changing.

***

Two days before the Sagai. The afternoon sun was up in the sky on a clear day over the airbase. Tanvi, ecstatic that her shift ended early, went shopping, dragging along Farhan and Samrat, whose shifts also ended.

"Jo important chiz emergency daur par tumhe kharidni hai! That's a face pack?" Farhan frowned as Tanvi picked several sheet masks off the supermarket shelf. They had to drive about 60 km into the city to get here. That was the reason Farhan was grumpy.

"Yeh wakkai hai sabse zaruri chiz!" Tanvi pulled a face and glared at Farhan.

They were all still dressed in uniform. As they walked to the bill counter, Farhan was afraid there could be some disciplinary action for this. He frowned for a moment. Then his mood changed in an instant. He made fun of Tanvi for not picking a gift for Abhi and Sameera right away.

"Arey! Woh dusre store mei khareedungi, dumbo! Supermarket mei kya khareed ke dun? Gobi?"

Farhan rolled his eyes at Tanvi's words. Samrat quietly chuckled to himself. He could hear Farhan and Tanvi bantering back and forth about beauty products, especially face packs!

"Farhan! Ab tu mera mazak udana band kar! I have to look beautiful at the function, na!" Tanvi dumped her armload of facepacks on the counter for billing and glared at Farhan.

Farhan rolled his eyes, "but iske liye itni dur drive karwaya bechare do ladkon ko! Not fair! I would have gone on a date with Isha, you know? Aur Samrat could have gotten his nap!"

Tanvi smacked his arm. "Hamesha Isha ke sath date per jaane ki pade rehti hai! Idiot! Woh available hi nahi rehti, serves you right! Aur Sam afternoon sota nahi! Why can't you be happy ki tum apni dost ki madad kar paye? Stop complaining and think of it this way, Farhan! Maine Sahi kaha na Sam?"

Tanvi looked at Samrat, her eyes widening as she noticed he had already paid for her purchases. "Arey, nahin Samrat! Bil main bhar deti!"

"Come on yaar, it's nothing!" Samrat said with a smile glancing at her from over his shoulder, "But honestly tumhe face packs ki kya zarurat hai? You are already that beautiful na, Tanz... Jaise tum ho."

Tanvi was floored that Samrat said that. It'd be a bit of shame to admit no other guy ever said it to her except her brother. The sentiment behind Samrat's words, his smile, were so sweet that her heart skipped a bit for the first time ever. She laughed, albeit breathlessly, whacking Farhan's arm. (He said "Sam, dude, you paid 2000 for face packs, that's something, and don't feed Tanvi's ego calling her beautiful," and Tanvi heard him.)

"Haha! See, Farhan! Dost aise hone chahiye! Sam ke jaise! Waise mujhe budhi hokar bhi khoobsurat dikhna toh yeh face packs haha!"

Farhan just shrugged but patted her back, bought her candies, which pleased her further.

Samrat looked at the two with a fond smile. Tanvi wasn't sure what the pleasant emotion in her chest was. What was her relationship with Samrat? Just friendship? Who could say? But certainly it was the beginning of something. Everything.

****

"Farhan!" Samrat listened to Tanvi as they walked together towards Abhimanyu's residence where the sagai was taking place.

It was a hot summer's night. The breeze was balmy. Tanvi was wearing a golden lehenga choli that complimented her fair skin tone and light makeup. He was dressed in a shimmering green kurta pyjama after so long, hair nicely gelled back, feet adorned in traditional joote. He had come along for Tanvi and Farhan and also not to disappoint Abhimanyu and Sameera. Abhimanyu's villa was further in beyond the fencing. They had parked their Jeep outside. With the other guests moving about, they were taking this short walk when Isha showed up. Farhan immediately absconded.

"Honestly, Farhan na! Humesha Isha ko dekhkar aise bhag jata hai uske sang rehne! Sometimes mujhe bahut gussa aata hai! Gala daba dene ka mann karta hai!"

Samrat chuckles at Tanvi's words. Despite her complaining, he couldn't help but think that she was enjoying this little walk, and she secretly appreciated Farhan being so much in love with Isha. She had mentioned it more than once, though he couldn't affirm if she remembered.

"Farhan, that idiot, really!" She complained again, pouting adorably, lost in her own world in her head, not watching where she went. Samrat held her hand and pulled her to his side, preventing her from tripping over a rock and crashing into someone passing by.

"Main hoon na tumhare sath," he said, looking into her eyes that reflected off the decorative string lights that were all over the place; particularly framing the long pathway to the villa.

The lights were sparkling golden; he thought her eyes held a light of their own. It was the first time he looked into her eyes. She was so innocent and pure. Her eyes were mirrors to her soul, unlike his tainted ones. She smiled at him sweetly, a bit shyly as she nodded. He could sense her pulse speeding up through their joined hands. He let go of it with a cough and stepped away, leading the way with a bit of regret. He shouldn't have held her hand. "Ab chalo, follow me and don't bump into anyone, okay?"

....

Presently Tanvi sighs, curling up on the soft matress of her bed inside her room. The memories she recalled are fresh in her mind. There are a ton more and peace is far far away. She heaves a sigh.

"I followed you that night... like I was in a trance. And... it was the first time you held my hand... Maybe it was the moment I fell for you. And how could I not? You began to open up to me. And you were so sweet to me."

Meanwhile Samrat too comes out of the vivid memories he recalled. He's still seated on his bed in his room. Farhan is fast asleep. The clock just struck twelve.

"I shouldn't have opened up to you as I did, Tanvi. I should have known my boundaries around you."

***

🌀TBC🌀

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💭📚✨Author's note: please vote and comment if you're reading this story. To know if there is someone out here following this as I write ✍️ ❤️ that'd mean a lot 😊

💭❣️Up next: Samrat and Tanvi recall more masti-filled moments from their past. Their friendship was so beautiful... And now the present moment is so chaotic. Do they have to give up their friendship? Can't they ever be more? Work lives are chaotic too. Harjot makes Samrat the leader of the Shakti aircraft project in her absense. With him deciding on making Tanvi hate him - what measures will he take? Also what does he say when Farhan questions his feelings for Tanvi?🥺

Stay tuned to read! More exciting things are on the way!🤗