The last batch of trials is about to end. It is a matter of a few days now. Harjot ma'am is all set to return. Everything will be in place for her to review. Early that weekend, this is the reason Samrat throws a pre-victory celebration at a local dhaba near the airbase for all those involved in the Shakti aircraft project. He sees it as a means for all of them to unwind, for which they all are grateful.

Ten am. The officers dressed in their comfy civilian wear are scattered around the spacious, colourful dhaba. Tanvi grabs Samrat's favourite spot, dragging Vivek to sit with her.

Samrat, who's a split-second away from occupying the charpai, can only move away to where some of his flying squad guys are inviting him to.

"Arey kya hua, Vivek? Baitho na tum. Yahan baitho mere sath..." Tanvi tells Vivek who's hesitating.

From his spot, Samrat takes a glance at the scene and turns away, pretending he's not troubled by any of it. He's not bothered by the kiss or her closeness with Vivek. She said, "I'll only love you, Sam," so her bond with Vivek is only a friendly one. Ugh, Sam, kya soch raha?

"Sam, kya khaoge?" Rahul, his flying squad member's words are Samrat's saviour, his distraction for the moment.

Vivek takes a seat next to Tanvi, glancing at Samrat, confirming the latter isn't ready to pounce. He smiles at Tanvi apologetically, but it isn't necessary. She's in a great mood, chatting about the project and her family and beloved pet that she dearly misses. He listens with interest, revealing a few details of his own.

"Wow! So you wanted to join the Navy, lekin Air Force mein join ho gaye. Glad you are in the Air Force Vivek."

Vivek chuckles. Their food arrives. Parathe and meetha of their choice, gajar halwa for her, besan ka for him. All around, the officers are also relishing similar delicacies. It's great for unwinding. Samrat is an outstanding leader to do this for his team. Vivek's thoughts come to a halt as Tanvi chuckles loudly again, glancing up at the grey skies.

Vivek looks at her with a smile, but feels a pair of eyes looking over the two of them. Samrat... Haha, quite the possessive type you are. You'll forgive me for pulling your leg today na? You're my friend and today I feel like teasing you. Or maybe... this will help you with your current situation...

"Tanvi." Vivek clears his throat. "Are you really sure, main yahan baithu? Tumhare boss ko gussa nahin aayega kya?"

Tanvi shakes her head. "Gussa nahi aayega. Bolti band jo ho gayi na uski. Usey samajh mein aa gaya, acche boss ki tarah kaise bartaav karna hai. Aur abhi toh usne bola, everybody is equal today. And that this is his treat; hum dil khol ke kha sakte hain. Main soch rahi hun do-chaar dessert aur order kar loon."

"Haha! Quite the foodie you are, Tanvi? Nice..." Vivek laughs.

Samrat rolls his eyes but can't help but chuckle at his "bhukkad" best friend's antics. No matter what she does or says, he can never be mad at her. It didn't upset him when she doused him in the hot tea, or now when she's being overly loud, gossiping with Vivek. He only... loves her as a friend and more. If only their situation was different, he'd have accepted — okay, Sam, you need another distraction!

He focuses on ordering another dessert, grateful when Rahul asks again, "ice cream hojaye?"

Despite urging himself not to look at Tanvi, Samrat can't help but look at her. Every time he looks, there is a cheerful expression on her face, which gives him a sense of relief. He is happy that she is smiling again. With whatever was going on between them, he was afraid it was stressing her out. That was why he called her brother and Shamsher to the airbase, but he cannot do that every time, right? Yep, he needs to thank Vivek later! For taking care of her.

"Tumhara mood to bahut achcha hai, Tanvi?" Vivek remarks with a smile.

Tanvi nods. "Bilkul. Maine pasa jo palat diya. Kisi ko lag raha tha ki uski akad, uski zid chalegi, lekin... maine usey uski jagah per baitha diya."

Tanvi sounds prideful. Samrat, who hears this conversation, rolls his eyes.

"Sahi jagah par bithaya?" Vivek asks, "kaun hai yeh? Koi dushman?"

"Nahin..." Tanvi shakes her head. "The opposite."

She feels a little embarrassed and doesn't look at Vivek, who only chuckles. Vivek can understand what is going on. He understood the day Samrat confronted him. His intuition is telling him he is 100% correct. Currently, Tanvi is referring to Samrat.

"Achcha? Agar dushman ka opposite hai? Toh tum lad kyun rahe ho?"

"Uski wajah se!" Tanvi nearly screams in frustration, though she's grateful Vivek hasn't asked who she is talking about. His consideration is evident on his face.

"Sab uski zid hai, Vivek. Aur nahin to kya?"

"Hmm tum bhi to usse ladai kar rahi ho, toh tum bhi to ziddi hui na, Tanvi?"

"Hmm..." Tanvi nods her head a bit shamefully. Soon she sighs. "Halat bhi toh aise hain Vivek, main kya kar sakti hoon! Khair. Mujhe bahut khushi hai aaj. I'm feeling relaxed. Kitna suhana mausam hai. Lagta hai ki barish bhi hone wali. Itni garmi ke baad, thandi hawa chal rahi hai..."

"Sahi hai." Vivek drops the topic, taking the hint. "So toh hai..."

Tanvi shows him another grateful smile; they focus on their brunch. Samrat, too, focuses on his breakfast and interacting with his fellow soldiers. It rains for a while. The officers take shelter under the eaves of the dhaba, while the dhaba crew hurriedly puts the charpais in the shed in the back.

Samrat makes the payment, watching Tanvi from the corner of her eye. She's enjoying watching the rain with a smile, holding her hand out and feeling the raindrops. He hasn't noticed before, but she looks quite cute today. Girly too, though she's dressed in jeans and a frilly knee length top. Vivek is next to her talking about whatever.

Samrat turns to the dhaba owner, making the payment, and asks him to keep the change.

As the party comes to the end, the rain subsides, and officers get ready to part ways. That is when the ex-hawks stop outside the dhaba in their jeep. Abhimanyu and Sameera are in the front. Farhan, Isha in the back.

"Tum logon ka kaam ho gaya hai na subah ka? Let's have our day out! The hawks are inseparable, aren't they? Sam, Tanz, are you in?"

Samrat laughs as Farhan calls out and responds with a yes. The day is still young. It's only afternoon, so why not?

Just before he boards the jeep, Tanvi blocks him. "Ladies first!" she says and climbs in the jeep ahead of him.

Samrat lets her have her way with a slight smile. Once he's settled in the back seat, Abhimanyu, who's holding the steering, throws a glance over his shoulder and asks,

"Tum donon ki ladai khatm ho gayi hai kya?"

"Han hogayi hai na." It's Tanvi who answers. She notices that coincidentally, as Farhan and Isha are sitting together, she and Sam are perched on one seat.

Samrat lets out a soft sigh. There is still a soft smile playing on his lips. Tanvi's confidence is refreshing and appeasing. She isn't this outgoing outside of work, so yeah. It is a pleasant change of things. What did she say earlier? Pasa palat? This is nice...how long will this go on? His transfer will be accepted and he will be gone after the Shakti project ends. So the end time is close....

Just as Samrat thinks this, Tanvi asks Farhan to switch seats. "Mujhe mat dekho," Samrat conveys through his eyes after Farhan settles next to him with a pout. Isha, however, is giggling next to Tanvi. Yep, still a fun day.

***
Part (II)

Tanvi's bossy attitude carries on that week. A few more days of flying trials. That day, during the tea break, Tanvi says that Samrat will arrange for tea for everyone. "Ab boss or subordinates mein fark nahin raha na. Waise bhi Harjot Maam is returning. Toh saj ki chai aur lunch Samrat ka treat!"

Samrat agrees to the expectant gazes of his fellow officers on him with a smile and looks at Tanvi. He knows she's enjoying this; it's a sweet badla for her. It's not as if she is putting him down or being overbearing. He was the one who asked his team to reach out for anything they needed. So he has no objections.

The streak continues. Samrat lets Tanvi have her little moments of cheer. Then one night, she follows him to the cafeteria. He doesn't notice until she joins him at Farhan's table. As usual, at the late hour, the three of them and Ramu Kaka are the ones in the cafeteria

Farhan asks cheerfully, "kya chal raha hai, guys? Coffee hojaye? Fir ghar chalenge. You know it's so relaxing to meet you two after my shift. And I'm glad tum dono ne ladayi band kardi."

Farhan is hopeful. Yep, he could see Tanvi did the whole "pasa palat" thing. She herself explained to him when they talked during the Hawk's team outing that day but, things should have settled down, right? Could he hope? He looks at Tanvi. She says,

"Hann! Ladayi band ho gayi na! Kisi ki bolti band karadi main uss wajah se..."

Farhan looks at Samrat, suppressing a sigh. Does this mean ladayi khatam nahi hui, Sam? Samrat shrugs and asks Ramu Kaka to bring two coffees.

Tanvi rises to her feet and exaggeratedly holds a hand to her chest. "Ramu Kaka? Kya, sir? Aap mujhe order nahi denge kya, sir...?"

Samrat ignores her, which only encourages her further. He observes and stays calm as she babbles. Not that he can ever be genuinely angry at her for anything.

"Look at what we have here! Samrat, the cool dude, can't even meet my eyes! Wah, Tanvi, tune kya kamal kar diya!"

For a long stretch of time, she rambles about having the upper hand over him to Farhan.

"Samrat has lost it! No argument even?"

It's true, but she doesn't need to brag. How long will she carry on this way? thinks Samrat. Tanvi, oblivious to his thoughts, smiles at Farhan.

"Tanvi," Farhan says to her as they sip their coffees, stealing a glance at the quiet Samrat. "Lagta hai apna banda thoda sudhar gaya hai. Tum usko bigaado mat..."

Those words hold weight and meaning, which Tanvi can't understand. Don't pull until it breaks. Who knows when Samrat might snap if this were to continue and unpredictable things might happen?

However, Farhan's words have the opposite effect. Tanvi boasts about how she got Samrat Singh Shekhawat under control. A few more minutes of this, Samrat feels vexed. It happens on an impulse; he cannot stop himself. He holds her arm as she's about to follow Farhan once their coffees are finished. Cornering her against a wall, he looms in her personal space.

"What? Sam, ugh!?"

Tanvi feels the sudden momentum of someone pulling her by the arm, the impact of her back hitting the hard wall. It takes her one more second to realise Samrat has done this. He still has a hold on her arm and is looking down at her with an unreadable expression. What's going on? She wanted to annoy him. The way he annoyed her. Did she cross the line?

Did she get carried away way too much? But it was her distraction from that kiss! This was her strategy to counter the mix of emotions she felt. She didn't know if her kiss meant anything to him, if her words impacted him. Sure, he stopped harassing her, but... that meant nothing.

It irked her to see him act indifferent and calm. Maybe deep down in her heart, she wanted him to accept her confession. Maybe she was lying to herself when she told him. "I will always love you, Sam. Mere feelings mere hai. Tumhe mujhe pyar karne keliye nahi bol rahi na main..."

Her thoughts scatter as Samrat leans forward and traces a line down her jaw. His face is super close, and he's looking at her lips! Ugh... my lips... I think the lipstick is worn off and ugh, did I wipe my mouth after I drank the coffee in a hurry... Where's Farhan or Ramu Kaka... W-what's happening? Okay, okay... Cool, Tanz, cool. Push him off. Shove Samrat off of you!

"S-Sam...."

Tanvi calms her thoughts and brings one hand to Samrat's chest to push him off. Thankfully, there's that space between him. It's only his handsome face that's close. Why is it close? Their height difference should mean... Yep, he bent to meet her eye level! Okay, Tanvi girl, say something sensible

"Samrat Singh Shekhawat, what are you doing?!"

Samrat doesn't pull away even as she shrieks. Instead he smiles, boyishly, coyly. Yep, oozing playboy aura suddenly is unfair. Tanvi's heart races.

"Ugh...Sam! Release me, I say... How dare you..."

Samrat chuckles as she glares. "How dare I? Tumne jo men's changing room mei kiya, uska kya?"

Tanvi's face turns beet red, amusing him. She doesn't have a solid comeback. Fidgeting under his smouldering gaze, she stammers something that comes to her mind.

"You... you meanie! Now you bring it up? This... S-step away. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable inside the airbase!"

"Achha achha? Aur men's changing room mei tumne jo kiya! Uski bhanak kisi ko lag gayi toh... court martial kiski hogi?"

"Huh?" Tanvi stares at Samrat in disbelief. Samrat isn't threatening her but... Of course she'd be court-marshalled. Ugh... Sam! Always so unfair.

"Fa... Far—"

Samrat clams a hand over her mouth before she can scream for Farhan's help. She cannot push him off. There lies the option of biting him, but he's pressing in tightly. Sabse worst kism ka ladka is back again?

"Silly girl. Tumhe lagta hai, you're bossing over me these past few days, no? Tumhe lagta hai you are winning. You didn't win... I allowed you to..."

Samrat whispers the words in her ear, as if confessing a sinful secret. Embarrassed, Tanvi can't meet his eyes.

"Now who's the one who can't meet my eyes, hmm?"

"S-shut up! You don't need to be so mean, Sam!"

Tanvi says, summoning some fight. It's futile though. The shame she feels is immense. Just like that, the strength leaves her to flee or fight. She's at Samrat's mercy though she hates it. He holds her chin and lifts her face so they can see eye to eye. Though overcome with the urge to close her eyes, she looks head on, like a fauji. Yes!

His eyes are beautiful black as usual. For a moment, he smiles oh so softly, his gaze turning to one of adoration. Then he steps away, suddenly leaving her at a loss for words.

"Hey, Tanz! Did you call for me?" When Farhan comes in calling her name, there's enough distance between her and Sam for the guy to assume their conversation never happened.

"Tanvi, yaar tum aarahi ho ki nahi? I will drop you as usual. Aur Sam, tum akele jaoge na? See you at the abode then?" Farhan asks, knowing the days they will ride together might never come back.

Samrat nods and urges Farhan to take Tanvi home.

"Let's go, Farhan!" Tanvi rushes out in quick strides. Holding Farhan's arm for support, she exits the cafeteria.

Left alone, Samrat heaves a heavy sigh. What did I do? I should have let you have the upper hand. Ab kuch dino ki hi baat hai na. But being close to you... I shouldn't do it again. It will be hard for me to let you go. Can you forgive me this time again? I guess it's been forever. I only wanted to look at your face... This is a rare occasion where I'm acting on impulses. Tanvi... Why do you insist on loving me? It will give you nothing. To be honest, humari kahani ka ending main jaanta hoon. Yet I foolishly wish halat different hote toh ... kaisa hota.. I'm really a fool...

Samrat holds his head for a long moment. Ramu Kaka comes to clean up. Samrat helps the old man close up and then retires home. The hour is super late. Work awaits him tomorrow. Tomorrow, things between him and Tanvi won't be like today. And soon they will change forever when he leaves this airbase. Maybe then she can truly move on? After he leaves, it should be easier for her, yes. 

***

❣️TBC💫

WC: 2.7k (didn't break the chapter)

💫❣️Up next: Samrat gets to know his transfer appeal is rejected! His talk with Abhimanyu... will it enlighten him to accept his new life and his love for Tanvi? Meanwhile Tanvi is leaving as Project Shakti is ending??

Stay tuned! A confession is coming very soon 🩷👀