At 12 am, Samrat is in the cafeteria again by himself. This time he's not scrolling his phone but is staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed across his chest. As usual there's no one around at the late hour, just Farhan keeping him company.

"Maybe it's all in my head, Farhan."

Farhan listens with his usual empathy. Samrat feels nothing but gratitude for his best buddy who's always been closer to him, even when he was faking things in the air force. As usual Farhan listens. It is nice to have someone to vent out to at the end of the day and Farhan is that kind of friend. Of course it goes two ways, Samrat is always there to listen when Farhan needs an ear.

"Maybe I was wrong and Tanvi doesn't love me, Farhan. Main jab kaam mein busy rehta hu toh yeh khayal nahi aate, lekin whenever there's a spare moment I think of this! Main pagal ho raha hu sach mein..."

Farhan throws an arm around Samrat's shoulders. "Yaar, tum itna kyu sochte ho!"

"Puch toh nahi sakta hun na usse."

"Lekin itna tension kyun? Agar kuchh hai bhi toh... hone de na!"

"Nahi! I have to put an end to this. Tanvi ka mann badalna hoga. Without hurting her."

"Hmph. So you are saying agar usko tumse pyaar hai toh you will try changing her heart and mind... Koi aisa kar sakta hai kya, Sam? Aur ek baat bata, tere andar Tanvi ke liye 1% bhi feeling nahin hai kya?"

Samrat doesn't answer him and soon a colleague comes calling his name.

"Samrat woh jo fax nahi aya tha earlier! Woh agaya aur Abhay sir is calling for a meeting?"

Samrat nods and dashes out of the cafeteria. Farhan sighs thinking, meeting is waqt? Yeah, what do you expect as an air force officer? You always have to be ready.

A few moments later, he hears Tanvi's voice.The realization that only the three of them seem to inhabit the cafeteria so late at night makes him chuckle. He lifts a hand in greeting at the girl, not moving from his chair.

"Huh, Farhan tum!" Tanvi looks around the cafeteria. "Sam! Sam nahi hai?"

"Nahi hai!"

Farhan reigns in his disappointment. Is Tanvi not happy to find him? Tanvi is still standing a few tables away unsure if she has to stay.

"Really, Farhan? Kahi chupa hua to nahi hai na firse?"

Farhan huffs and laughs. "Nahi, usko bulawa aaya toh woh gaya. Toh ab yaha sirf Farhan hai!" He rises from his seat with a flair and pulls a chair for Tanvi, "Aap aayiye, padhariye. Batayiye, hum aap ke liye kya kar sakte hai?"

"Haha, oh, Farhan! Kuch nahi. Main bas ghar jane wali thi. Pata nahi kab aadat hui, mere shifts khatam hote hi main Samrat ko dhundhti hun."

"Aur woh tumhe yaad karta hai!"

Tanvi is surprised but also mighty pleased. "Really?"

"Really. Abhi abhi mahashay aap hi ko yaad kar rahe, fir bulawa aaya. Agar meeting jaldi khatam hojaye toh wapas aata hi hoga!"

Tanvi suppresses a grin. Farhan enjoys the expressions he got out of her. Earlier with Samrat too, it's become a habit - he enjoys meddling with intimate affairs of his friends (well that's friendship isn't it?) But then he is also not an insensible guy who causes them discomfort or disclose the secrets they entrusted him with to anyone. He smiles to himself at this analysis.

"I will wait for Sam to drop me home. Hum humesha sath ghar jate hai!" Tanvi drums her fingers on the table, now seated and stares vacantly into space.

Farhan's attention returns to her. While he expects she'd make small talk, she's silent? Also she's suddenly frowning now, her expression transforming into that of sadness. He can ask her why but that's not his personality. So he makes a joke out of the situation -

"Seriously! Yaha par sab log aise pareshan rehte hain! Jaise ki aasman tut pad raha hai! Abhi toh koi problem nahi hai, yaar. Hum dushman se nahi lad rahe! Tanvi, yaar, relax karo yaar waise hum logon ki nind bahut kam hoti hai! Relax nahi hopate kaam ke waqt."

Tanvi smiles at his outburst. "Farhan, main relaxed hi hu..."

"Really? Agar koi baat hai to tum mujhe bata sakti ho! Aisa nahi hai na that you will only confide in your girl pals Sameera and Isha? Or your bhai Abhimanyu! Main bhi to dost hu tumhara, you can tell me."

"Farhan... Thank you, yaar. Of course I confide in you. Main theek hi hu, bas..."

Tanvi trails off with a small smile. "Bas kuch soch rahi thi..."

"Samrat ke bare mein?"

"Ah!"

"Gotcha! Batao, kya soch rahi thi..."

"Yahi ki Samrat mujhse woh baatein kyun ki! Sabke samne! Subah jis tarah se mujhse sawal kar raha tha... I wonder if he knows... it felt as if he was trying to verify the truth-"

She trails off again clamping a mouth to her hand a little belatedly. Did she give away herself? Farhan asks her in a calm voice, "So what's this truth? Can you tell me... only if you want to..."

"What t-truth!"

"Arey, the one you hinted at right now! That you might feel something more than friendship for Samrat."

"F-Farhan! You tricked me into this! Now swear tum ye baat Samrat ko nahi bataoge. Kisi ko bhi kuch nahi bataoge! Uh... tumse Samrat ne kuch kaha? Ki usne mujhse subah waisi baat kyun ki? Kya sach mei usko shak hora tha ki main..."

"Shayad..."

Farhan can't contain his laughter any longer, not caring Tanvi is punching his arm repeatedly.

"Idiot, swear! And tell me the truth!"

"Arey, you want to hide your feelings aur tujhe janna woh kya sochta hai? Unfair!"

"Ugh fine! At least swear!"

Tanvi takes a deep breath to calm herself and settles in her chair. Farhan asks Ramu Kaka to bring two coffees. They take a sip. After a moment's silence Farhan asks,

"So... Do you love him?"

"Of course I do! Pyar ke liye koi logic ya reason nahin hota toh..." Tanvi laughs, covering up her embarrassment. "Pehle, I was just trying to be his friend. I so desperately wanted to be there for him jab woh apne aap ko kos raha tha. I don't know when that changed."

"Pyar hai hi aisa. Sam is lucky to be loved. Everyone who's loved is so lucky."

"I don't know, Farhan. Tum jaante ho, Sam ne bhi meri kitni madad ki. He's always there for me. I thought I was saving him but he was saving me too. He showed me there's always more to seek in life. If I gained more confidence in myself while socializing and came out of my comfort zone more often toh it's because of him. Main khud keliye kuch chahne lagi toh it's because of him. How could I not love him? Par main nahi chahti mere feelings uske liye burden bane... Isliye main use kabhi nahi bataungi."

"Burden, aur kabhi nahi bataoge! Tanz, yaar, don't jump to decision making. Give it time."

"Farhan, tumhe pata hai na? Samrat abhi abhi apne zindgi ka sach accept kar chuka hai. Is airbase mei, humare beech mei apne aap ko accept kiya hai. He finally started his new life, lekin tumhe pata hai woh kaisa hai. He didn't forgive himself fully. Aise mein, main apne feelings use per thop kar usse aur pareshan nahin kar sakti. So yeah... I don't plan on telling him. Valentine's ho ya fir kuch bhi ho."

"Tanvi, really... Uff..."

"Magar main ye koshish karungi ki usey is dard se azadi dila saku. Main chahti hu the things he does for me, woh khud keliye kare. Main chahti hu ki woh khush rahe. Waise hum air force officers hain toh I don't know mujhe aisa sochne ka haq hai ya nahi... But I want happiness for him and everyone I love."

"Of course haq hai yar! Uff yaha par sab log itne serious hai! har waqt aisi chizon ke bare meim overanalyze karte hai! I agree, sabse pehle humare liye Desh hi sab kuch hai. But we are allowed to love yaar. Tanvi! You're being so serious and hard on yourself. Apne har decision ke liye itna sochne ki zarurat nahi hai. Itna dabakar, ghut-ghut ke zindagi jeene ki jarurat nahi hai. Kyunki pata nahin zindagi kab khatam ho. Agar aaj hum Zinda hai toh main ye sochta hu ki we have to use the time we have to spread love and laughter."

Tanvi smiles at Farhan fondly. She thinks Farhan doesn't know himself; he's so serious and committed to his principles. He's one of the guys who tries to comfort everyone. Ever the happy go lucky guy. Does he realise he's always selfless, not relying on others?

"I know, Farhan. Isliye tum aise masti karte ho humesha hm?"

Tanvi smiles in resignation again. "But main apna decision nahi badal sakti. Don't worry, I am not sad."

Farhan just shakes his head in exasperation. Tanvi nudges him in the forehead.

"Come on, now swear!"

"What?"

"Arey! Swear! Promise me you'll keep my secret and kisi ko nahi bataoge!"

As Farhan frowns, he and Tanvi hear Samrat's voice - "what secret?"

***
TBC

Next: Tanvi Samrat Farhan banter back and forth. Tanvi ends up naming someone else as her crush and the result... Samrat is relieved? Also agitated? He's also getting sick? How will things get better for him?
What turns will his and Tanvi's lives take? Will he ever know Tanvi loves him and not the other guy??!

Stay tuned to read more