Ishaan raised the music volume before glancing at Farhan who was leaning over the other seat still looking out the window.

Ishaan smiled at himself just at the thought of where they were heading to.

"Can you please change this non-sense song?" Farhan let out a frustrated sigh.

"Ohh! Sure." Ishaan extended his hand to press the button.

Farhan ran a hand through his messed up hair, thinking the previous song was better than that.

"Please stop the music. It's getting into my nerves"

"What happened to you? You always love music." Ishaan was putting up with his bossy behaviour since they got in the car.

"Same goes with you. What happened to you? You always hate music."

"Nothing. I'm just..." Ishaan felt it was better to shift his gaze straight to the road.

"I remember your dad asking you to attend some meetings. Then why you came for droping me?" Farhan turned to him, rubbing his chin.

"Uh, It is not that much important." Anyhow, Ishaan tried to convince him.

He did not want to get caught for the excitement over seeing her. He even cancelled his meeting after knowing Farhan was going to Ainu's home.

Finally, he was going to meet her after a gap of two days.

Farhan turned his face to the otherside before looking up the darkening clouds. He blinked at the sky as her words were still playing on his head like a tape recorder.

"I always wish to have a life with you Farhan. I don't know how exactly it happened. But whenever I think of my future life, you were always there. I hate me for not accepting the truth that you don't love me. I know that it is impossible for you. But I want you to know it."

"I love you so much Farhan. More than you can ever think."

Farhan parted his lips thinking of Kaira's tears welled eyes. He did not have any idea how he was feeling then.

A mixed feeling of guilt, sad and lost.

"Turn left and go straight" Farhan guided the way as he managed not to express his emotions.

"I know" Ishaan smiled, recalling that night's strange incident. He stopped right before her small house.

"You better wait here. I will come fast." Ishaan was about to step out when Farhan blew away his hope.

"No. I can..." Farhan had stepped out the car before he could find any excuse to get in.

Waiting there without seeing her was the last thing which he ever wished for.

"You don't have any idea about the mental disorder of Ainu and her siblings. Everyone is retarded here. So you better not come." Farhan walked to her home, leaving him with a desparate face.

"What the hell?" Ishaan muttered as he hit his fist on steering.

"Emy, give back my pringles" Ainu was running after her crazy sister when he dragged her back.

"Faru?" She smiled, trying to catch up her breath.

"What? You want someone else?" He drew his brows together.

She smiled richly, looking at him.

"Why didn't you come yesterday? You didn't even attend my calls" He pulled away her arms with a serious glare.

"I'm not feeling well Faru." She plastered a sad face. "And, I was having a seminar on which I had no idea." She shook her head and looked up to see him.

"Ainu, I have finished your pringles." Emy grinned at her.

"You creepy little monkey. I will never give anything to you." Faru smiled, watching her turning into a ghost.

"See Faru, I'm here dying with fever and these kids are driving me crazy. They can't even make a tea for me." She turned to him with a puppy face.

"Are you feeling cold?" He put his palm on her forhead, checking she was okay.

"A little bit." She gave a slight smile after noticing his worries.

"Come. I will make a strong tea for you" He put his hand on her shoulder before heading to the kitchen.

"You really have time for making tea?" Ainu asked, folding the sleeves of her pink nighty.

"Anything for you." He gave a hearty smile with a wink.

"I can't believe the great Farhan is making tea for me." She cleared her throat and looked back at him.

"I missed you." He placed his palm on her face, looking into her dark eyes.

She held his hand before he spun around to make the tea.

She smiled, watching him making tea for her with much concentration.

"Uhm, Kaira called me yesterday." She glanced him as he paused for a while.

"Why you are so heartless when it comes to Kaira?"

"Ainu, please..."

"I don't know why you are behaving like this." She cut off him, wearing a disappointed face.

"I can't love her" Farhan bit his lips shifting his glance to the other side.

"I'm asking the reason for that." She made him to turn and face her.

"I, I can't tell you."

"Why Faru? You always think that I'm a potato, right?"

"Please, we can talk something else." He blinked before looking at the ceiling.

"You will never change. I don't want your bullshit tea." She turned around to leave when he caught her hand.

"Call me anything. But drink this tea Ainu" He extended the cup of tea with a pleading eyes.

She felt hard to say no before his words. She took a sip of hot tea before glaring back at him.

"How is it?" He raised his brows with a smile.

"Bomb blasting"

▪▪▪▪▪

Ishaan walked to and fro, thinking of ways to get inside her home. Atlast, he decided to get in with a non-existing urge to use washroom.

When he was about to climb the steps, he came to see Farhan walking down.

"Come, let's go." Farhan wore a satisfactory smile, glancing at him.

"Well, I need to...." He was at loss of words while he kept on blaming his right timing.

"Come fast. Or else, we will miss your Mama's samosa." Farhan led the way to the car.

Ishaan turned around to see whether she was anywhere there. He shoved his hands in pockets, taking a last glimse.

He moved forward, looking back every now and then.

"What are you doing there Ishaan? Let's go man" Farhan waited him to unlock the car.

▪▪▪▪

"No way. We will sleep here only." Ishaan said as he changed the pillow cover.

"But I like to sleep in your room." Aju looked him before turning back to face the mirror.

"You know that he won't allow it. Then why you keep on asking it?" Eby settled on the couch, crossing his legs.

"I don't like anyone else using my bedroom." Ishaan made sure to place his gaze on Aju.

"Especially you people will mess up my room."

Aju let out an angry sigh before turning to Farhan who was sitting at the edge of the bed.

"If you are still thinking of her, why can't you accept her?" Aju asked as he took a pillow.

"I'm not thinking of anyone." Farhan replied firmly.

"Well, your Mama asked you to pick up Neil tomorrow morning." Said Eby, fixing his gaze to Ishaan.

"I'm not his driver or someone. I won't go for sure. Oh god! I don't like him." Ishaan shook his head at the thought of him.

"Well, he is your cousin only. It's upto you." Eby gave a slight smile.

"Who all are coming for tomorrow's party?" Aju raised his brows at him.

"I have invited our classmates and Dany. And that's enough." Ishaan answered as he caressed his beard.

"Okay. But, you should call her too." Three heads turned to Eby once he finished it.

"Who?"

"Anjali." Eby gave a warm smile at them.

"No Eby. There is no need of it." He wriggled his eyebrows after hearing Ishaan.

"If you don't invite her, Eby won't come too." Aju grinned sheepishly.

At the time when Ishaan turned to Eby with a questioning look, he nodded back.

"What the....?" Ishaan sighed heavily as Eby swiped his phone to call her.

"Oh god! You better call. I can't do this" Ishaan handed back the phone.

"Hello Eby..." Eby's face had lit up once he came to hear her voice.

"Hi Anjali. For your kind information, it's not your Eby. It's me Aju." Aju said out of excitement.

"Hey! Tell me Aju."

"Uhm, Ishaan has something to tell you." For, this he threw a murderous glare at Aju.

"Ishaan? What is the matter?" Anjali asked cluelessly.

"Hi Anjali." Ishaan tried to speak up whereas Eby kept on mocking him.

"Hey Ishaan." Her voice was laced with surprise.

"I'm...uhm... I have won a major project and we will be having a party tomorrow. So, you should come. Or else, Eby won't be here." Ishaan spoke up with a genuine tone.

"Ohh! Congrats! I will come for sure. But, did he really say so?" She asked, keeping a smile on her voice.

"Yeah. You are damn lucky girl." Aju said before pinching Eby.

Eby could imagine her cheeks turning pink at those words.

"What are you doing now?" Aju asked again.

"I'm at Rinu's home. We are playing video games." She replied hurrily.

"Then you should call Rinu too." Eby murmured to Ishaan to which he gave a hard stare.

"Uhm, you ask her to join tomorrow's night party. Both of you should come." Ishaan said faking a slight smile.

"Yeah. I will tell her."

"What about Amaaya? Call her too." Eby insisted him again.

Ishaan turned to be mum after hearing her name. He felt a heavy weight on his heart at the mere mentioning of her name.

"And...you...uhm.." Aju and Eby exchanged a glance, watching Ishaan begging for words.

"You want to call anyone else?" Anjali asked with a knowing tone.

"Yeah..uhm..no. I mean no. You both should come. Okay bye." Ishaan exhaled deeply after hunging up.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you call her?" Eby turned to him.

"I'm...uh, It's not a big party to call each and every girls in our college."

"Don't you have anything to say Farhan?" Eby turned his left to see the other one.

"Well, you should call my Viha too."

Three of them bursted out in laugh whereas Ishaan shot a hard glare at them.

"I told you naa? He would not call her." Aju said as he walked through the hallways with Eby.

"Yeah. What is wrong with him?"

"Well, I have an idea." Aju gave a wide smile with a glint of hope.

Mama was busy washing dishes in the kitchen.

"Mama" She turned to see the duo leaning at the doorway.

"You did not sleep yet? Tell Ishaan to wake up early tomorrow. He should pick up Neil from the airport." She said, without looking them.

"Ohh sure! He will." Eby replied.

"We need your help Mumma." Aju came to her with a paper and phone in his hand.

"What help?"

"You have to call someone. Someone very special."

▪▪▪▪▪

(?) Which one do you think is more special for Amaaya? Ishaan's coffee or Faru's tea?