Tanvi waits for her bus near the air base gates. The official buses run by the authorities leave every evening at 6, convenient means of transport for those in the force. She arrived half an hour early in her hurry. She has been waiting for 20 minutes now. Farhan has left, but Sameera and Isha are kind enough to keep her company. With her going on transfer, there was not much to talk about. The mood was heavy; they have been quiet all this while.

"Thanks, guys. I hope you are not bored..."

Sameera and Isha sigh, hearing the words from Tanvi. Just then Isha receives a call on her phone. Tanvi looks on, confused as Isha screams into her phone, "what?" Then quiets down and gestures a hand towards Sameera.

"Something urgent came up," Isha says, catching hold of Sameera's arm. "Hume jana hoga. Sorry, Tanvi, talk to you later, Haan?"

"Kya donon ko?" Tanvi looks at the other girls in confusion. She can assume duty calls like this one suddenly but...

"Yes!" Isha says and Sameera nods. "Sorry, Tanvi." The two of them leave the bus stop in a hurry.

Tanvi doesn't know what is going on. "Maybe yeh log bhi mujhe jaate hue nahi dekh sakte... Guys, do you realise yeh mere liye bhi mushkil hai?"

Around her, there's none to hear her sad whisper. Just then, she hears a jeep stopping nearby. She checks her watch — 5 minutes are left for her bus to arrive. Who's there in the jeep? When she looks up, only Farhan stands in her view.

"Farhan!" A smile involuntarily blooms on her face. "Achcha hua tum aa gaye! Kabhi mujhe Khuda Hafiz bolke mat jana aise!"

As Tanvi expresses her honest feelings at the moment, Farhan steps aside with an apologetic smile. Behind him is someone very familiar! Tanvi gasps looking at his face. "Samrat..."

She whispers his name and looks at Farhan for answers. Farhan just shrugs his shoulders.

"Sorry, Tanz. I don't know what I was thinking. But I had to tell Sam you were leaving. It is not fair ki hamare doston mein sabko pata aur usko nahi. And... I didn't know what I was expecting from him but... lagta hai he doesn't want you to leave either..."

Tanvi can't hide her agitation at the new turn of events. She fists her hands and looks away from both men standing near her. Turning her back on them, she looks at the four heavy suitcases that are lined up near the small metallic bench of the bus stop.

"Sometimes the bus arrives early! Aaj kyun nahin aaya? Farhan, you are stupid! Samrat mujhe kyun rokna chahega?" She mutters and turns around, ready to lash out her frustrations at Farhan and ignore Samrat. But to her surprise, there is no Farhan, but only Samrat.

She looks away from Samrat, gritting her teeth. "Yeh Farhan mujhe kahan fasake chala gaya?"

Before him, Tanvi stands agitated, looking for Farhan. Samrat almost wants to chuckle at her annoyance. Or maybe it's relief that puts a smile on his face. He made it in time. Tanvi hasn't left!

Just then, the bus she's supposed to get on arrives.

"Achcha hua bus aa gaya!" Without looking at him, she attempts to board the bus, asking the conductor standing near the doorstep to help with her luggage.

The conductor lifts her first bag and takes it onto the bus. Tanvi is about to follow him inside when Samrat jumps into action.

He holds her hand and tugs on it, pulling her towards himself. She winces, though he's sure he didn't hurt her.

The conductor pauses on the steps, watching the two officers — one woman in civilian clothes, one in pilot uniform, thinking what drama is unfolding, whether he should bring the other suitcases inside the bus or not.

Tanvi still doesn't look at Samrat. Samrat feels like whacking himself on the head for being so late to act. But he just froze after seeing Tanvi. They were not on talking terms for a week, and several weeks passed since they stopped being friends. He's here to do what? What does he say? How does he convince her... to stay?

Does he have any right to stop her after he pushed her away in the worst way possible? He was trying to make her hate him, right? He probably doesn't even have the right to meet her eyes. Honestly, he doesn't have the right words to say to her, but he has to say something. Anything. And stop her. He cannot let her go.

"Samrat!" Tanvi finally looks at Samrat after several vain attempts to free her wrist. "Hath chhodo! Jaane do mujhe! Tum yahan kyun aaye? Conductor bhaiya, mere bags andar rakh dijiye please. Mat rukiye!"

Samrat tightens his hold on Tanvi's hand. He throws a look at the conductor before turning to her.

"Conductor bhaiya, rukiye please! Tanvi, tum meri baat suno!"

"Main kuchh nahin sunna chahti. Tum yahan kyun aaye? Farhan, tumne apna wada kyon toda?? Samrat! Mujhe jana hoga, hath chhodo!"

Tanvi tries to pull away but Samrat holds on to her hand tightly. The conductor looks on and so do the passengers, deeply interested in what is going on. Even the driver sahab is looking with a slight smile on his face, whispering to the conductor, "lagta hai luv-shuv ka maamla hai."

The conductor nods. "Aur nahi toh kya fauji ke bhi dil hote hai..."

Tanvi is flabbergasted and embarrassed to be the centre of all the gossip. And the prying eyes of everyone on the bus. She pleads with Samrat, as her strength doesn't work.

"Please leave me... Samrat, let me go!"

"No, Tanz, don't go... I can't let you go!"

Samrat sounds weak at first, but his voice takes on a desperate pitch, and his grip on her hand oh-so-tight. Tanvi feels like crying because she cannot free herself. She feels like an utter weakling at the moment, which she hates. She doesn't know whether it's her emotions that have rendered weak or she's weak herself. Where is all her fight? Gone before Samrat? Is her body weak or is her heart? Why is Samrat here, trying to stop her from leaving? Why does it matter to him?

As her thoughts and emotions turn into a mess, Samrat asks the conductor to return Tanvi's suitcase and requests the driver to drive ahead.

"Nahi!" Tanvi struggles, watching the conductor and the driver obeying Samrat. Just like that, right before her eyes, the bus is gone.

"Yeh kya ho gaya! Ugh! Koi baat nahi. Agli bus se niklungi!" she reassures herself. Her head droops for a moment, but she looks up and glares at Samrat. "Agli bus ab kal sham tak nahin nikalegi!"

"Tanz, tum mat jao!" He pleads, his eyes looking moist.

Tears in his eyes. The flood gates open for her tears too. She doesn't know why she is crying. It could be all the frustration from many, many weeks. He hesitates for a moment but brushes off her tears with his free hand. He looks vulnerable, but a moment after their eyes meet, his determination returns.

"Please, mujhe chhod ke mat jao, Tanz! Tum chali gayi toh, main kaise...?"

Tanvi's eyes widen. She didn't expect Samrat to say something like this. Samrat goes on, sounding utterly broken,

"Sab kuchh kho diya hai maine, Tanvi. Sab kuchh. Mera kuch nahin hai iss duniya mei. Jisko maine apna samjha tha, usne mujhe dhokha diya. Tab se pyar naam ke chiz se vishwaas uth gaya tha mera. Lekin fir... maine ek nayi zindgi ki shuruat ki! Tumhari wajah se! Apni doston ki madad se. Toh ab bhi, mere paas apna kuch nahin hai sivay... Meri duty aur tum sab log. Tum... tum meri sabse acchi dost ho. You mean the world to me, Tanvi. I cannot let you go. Agar tum chali gayi toh, I don't think I can handle myself. I agree, I am stupid to accept this truth so late but... please, mat jao. I need you in my life.... Please stay, Tanvi. Main nahi chahta yeh dooriyan jo aayi humare bich woh kabhi dobara aaye! I promise main jo bhi hua humare bich woh dobara hone nahi dunga. So don't leave!"

Samrat's tears, his soulful eyes and his repeated pleas get right into Tanvi's heart. She nods her head without hesitation while tears stream down her face.

A part of her was reluctant to leave. A part of her wanted to stay and mend her ties with Samrat. Even more so now. Samrat's words have impacted her own honesty. So she ends up flashing a watery smile, saying, "I need you in my life too, Sam..."

The smile Samrat shows her is so heartfelt, so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Tanvi feels like crying again. But she smiles at him, her heart feeling light after many, many weeks.

Before she can brush off the tears brimming in Samrat's eyes, they fall to the ground and onto his uniform. He wipes them on his sleeve, shuffles lightly on his feet, and pulls her into a bone-crushing hug. It is a quick hug. She hugs him back, her movements gentle and awkward. She chuckles, the sound muffled by the solid strength of his chest, the warmth and ruggedness of his uniform. He's hugging her so tightly - it is so hard to put her arms around him. They exchange no words after that, but that hug symbolises the end of their fight.

They pull away and smile at each other once more. Then they collapse on the metallic bench together, both emotionally drained and needing to catch their breath.

A few minutes pass in comfortable silence. Farhan doesn't return. Samrat loads Tanvi's bags into the jeep and they drive back to her residential quarters.

.
.
.
.

The ride isn't awkward. It helps that they've been friends. But it proves hard to smile back at him every time he smiles at her. Her heart races wildly. He, on the other hand, appears delighted, relieved. Who's she kidding? She's also relieved to have their standoff out of the way. What an unpredictable turn of events!

To her surprise, they stop outside Samrat and Farhan's apartment, not hers. Though deep down, Tanvi feels relieved to be back, she's conflicted. How can she return after leaving? Isn't that odd?

She disembarks the jeep and looks around the officers' residential complex, not knowing how to react. Samrat has hoped out of the jeep too. Her eyes fall on the luggage settled in the back of the jeep.

"Subah se itni packing ki. Ab unpack karna padega. Really, I don't know. If I'm staying here again, mera transfer kaise cancel hoga? Pata nahin kya hoga mera..."

As she murmurs her thoughts aloud, Farhan arrives. Abhi, Sameera, Isha, are also with him. Tanvi is surprised to see them. Samrat, who is about to say something, leaves the explanation to the rest of the gang.

"Welcome back!" The gang says in chorus. Tanvi chuckles while Samrat watches with a smile. It is indeed a team effort to stop Tanvi from leaving.

"Welcome back, Tanvi! Meri dost, tu wapas ho gayi, khushnuma mausam cha gaya phir se..." Farhan tries sounding like a shayar in his happiness. Isha smacks him on the arm, but he goes on, eyes fixed on Tanvi,

"Teri transfer aur baki chizon ki fikr mat karo. Abhimanyu hai na! Humara angel!"

Farhan joins his palms and looks at Abhimanyu, the Hawks' team's collective guardian angel. Abhi just chuckles bashfully and pats Farhan on the shoulder.

"Haha, main koi angel nahi hoon. But leave everything on me, Tanvi..." he nods, looking between Farhan and Tanvi.

"Sorry for the trouble," Tanvi wears a guilty frown.

Abhimanyu shakes his head. "Come on, yaar, I am happy you're back. Aise khud se transfer par jana hurt us all. I mean, authorities hume transfer karein woh baat alag hai. Khair, ab sab kuchh sort ho gaya hai na. Tumhara aur Samrat ka jhagda bhi toh khatam ho gaya, nahi?

Tanvi smiles at Abhimanyu weakly. Has her stand off with Samrat ended? She doesn't know. Of course he apologised, requested, literally begged her to stay... But she doesn't know what's happening. The sudden turn of events feels too surreal to be real.

Just then, Samrat wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her into a side hug. Something he's done many times before while they were friends. She half chuckles and gasps at the gesture, then stares at Samrat as he addresses the gang on behalf of both of them—

"Of course, hum toh pakke dost hai. Humesha ki tarah, right, Tanvi?"

Samrat looks at her. Tanvi only chuckles breathlessly. As much as she is surprised, she has to answer with a yes. A satisfied smile spreads across Samrat's face. Everybody else erupts into cheers. What next? All's well that ends well?

❤️***❤️

❤️TBC❤️

💞up next: Samrat Tanvi go back to being friends. Tanvi has to explain what happened between her and Samrat to the rest of their friends! Will a real confession from him come soon? (Yes it's coming soon)

☺️🫠Keep reading! ^^ This story will have a max of 40 chapters, including the epilogues and bonus. V & C if you're reading ^^ Tysm 😄 to the very few number of amazing people who have added my story to their list. I hope you enjoy the story. And please vote and comment if you do