"Whom you are calling again Mehak?" Anjali asked out.

"You are not even bothering about the game." Amaaya added.

"Uhm.. It's my friend Tia. Excuse me?" She said before walking out the room.

"Where are you frog? It's already 10:15. I swear the girls will be mad at me for this." She murmured to the phone.

"Don't worry! That's so obvious dear." Aju choked.

"Idiot!"

"Okay, now you open the door for these idiots. We are here."

Mehak was shocked to hear it eventhough she knew it before. She could not believe that she was the one who agreed to their stupidiest idea to come there and have talk with Kaira.

She took a deep breathe before opening the main door. But plastered a smile after seeing three of them.

"Hey!" She said noticing a depressed Farhan.

"No time for your hey bye and all. Move you little girl." Aju pushed her aside and entered in with the other two.

"What the hell! And where is the fourth one?" She asked almost shouting.

"He is in the car." Someone replied back.

Ishaan placed his hand over the steering, still thinking about the same thing. He took out his phone and swiped to call her.

Shreya Rubayya.

Ishaan had been trying to talk to her since a week. But his mental state was too weak for that.

Even after knowing everything, how could he?

After three or four rings, he cut the call. Talking with her could only make the things worser. Now all he wanted was nothing but a simple thing.

Peace of mind.

Without leaving seconds, he stepped out the car and moved after locking it.

——

"I think every boys are like that. Cheaters! Boys are just unbearable." Rinu commented to Anjali and Kaira.

"Yeah. They are stupids." A male voice said.

"And idiots too." Rinu added.

"Wait, what?" It was then she came to see Aju who was sitting at the back, wearing a cute smile.

Her eyes were popped out when she came to see Farhan and Eby with Mehak.

"What you guys are doing here?" Three of them stood up and asked in unison for which they replied with a grin.

"Rinu and Anjali, please get out from here." Aju ordered them.

"Whoa! Great! You guys are here without any permission and you are asking us to get out." Rinu said with her hands on waist.

"We have already got permission." Eby glanced at Mehak who was getting nervous.

"Wait, wait, wait. I will explain you everything. Please let Farhan to have a talk with Kaira." Mehak pleaded.

Rinu and Anjali looked at Kaira for a second and left the room with others.

"So, video games, cards or movies? What we are gonna do?" Mehak sounded excited.

"No need of that Meha. You will be murdered anytime soon." Rinu faked a smile.

"I think this time is for Farhan bro. Kaira will be the death of him. She is getting engaged in two days and now is the time he chose to talk." Aju shook his head in disbelief.

"No Aju. Kaira won't hurt him. She is not like typical girls." Eby commented before glancing at Anjali.

"We can sit in the next room. Let them have a little privacy." Anjali guided them to the sit out area.

"You are always late man!" Everyone snapped their heads to the doorway following his eyes.

"Ishaan? You too?" Anjali asked surprisingly.

"If they could. Why not me?" He raked his already messed hair.

"So, where are the others in home?" Eby enquired.

"They went to...." Anjali could not complete it as Eby cut off her words.

"I was asking Rinu only."

"Ohh!"

"They went for the get together party at her grandparents home. They will be staying there. So we can have lots of fun." Mehak said before taking a place on the floor.

"What fun? We will go once their matter is solved." Eby blurted out.

Anjali took a glance at him to which he looked at the other side.

▪▪▪▪

"What you want Farhan?" Kaira asked without looking him.

"I'm sorry Kaira. I don't like to hurt you. But..."

"See, I'm happy right now. Then why you are digging this matter again?"

"Don't lie kair. I really want you to be happy. But the sad part is that you are not."

He took hold of her hand and looked into her wet eyes. But she put her face down.

"Tun Tun Tun! I'm back." The loud bang of the bathroom door broke their silence.

Ainu stood there like thunderstuck with her bath towel in hand.

"Faru?" She rubbed her eyes to get a vivid sight.

"Uhm.. Ainu, he came for...." Kaira begged for words as she was unaware of his actual intention.

"What? What is going on?" She walked to them keeping her towel aside.

"Can you please get out from here? We need some privacy." Farhan said without even facing her.

"Uhh, yeah. I.. I will go." His unexpected change of tone made her to feel a nerve.

She walked out and closed the door not daring to ask any other questions.

They need privacy!

"What is your problem man? Why you reacted to Ainu that way? This is so strange!"

"I felt so." That was all he replied to her big question.

"So, will you tell me the reason for here and leave?"

"Kaira, I have something to tell you. You asked me naa what is my problem?" He gulped, burrying his face down.

I'm living a dead life. My life is like a sinking ship." He shook his head out of emotions.

"Farhan?"

"I have lost my Dad since teenage. You know what? He went taking the doorkey of my happiness. And then I came to see the real face of her. The so called Mom. I hate calling her that name. She always complained about Dad after his death. She even claimed that he had been treating her like a servant. How could someone do this?"

"I know but she is your Mom."

"Mom? Seriously? She did not even care about my existence. For her, I was just a person who needs food and money for survival. She was acting all those days with Dad. All she ever wanted was a luxorious life which she had got after coming back to her home."

"And you guys are asking me to go home. For me, it's not home but hell. I even doubt that she felt happy in his death. But, my dad was so pure and...."

Kaira felt sad hearing his shaking voice. She placed her palm on his shoulder to console. Few drops of tears escaped from his eyes.

"I lost my dad. Mom. My family. And now I think I'm gonna lose her too. I can't bear the pain of losing her."

Kaira was shocked to hear those words.

"Maybe I'm not the one for her. But the only thing I know is - She is the one."

▪▪▪▪

"Mehak, this is too much! What if her parents come to know this?" Amaaya asked for the n-th time.

"Can you please stop your blah blah blah?" Eby said before turning back to the videogame.

"Eby, I thought you were the only one who is normal among the four. But I was desparately wrong."

Amaaya walked to the kitchen only to find the one who was the actual reason she came there.

Ishaan was busy making something so that he didn't realize she was standing behind. Once he turned back, he got scared by her.

"You? I thought..."

"Ghost?"

"Then I would not scare because there is no difference, right?" He scoffed.

She took a sudden glimpse of herself through the glass window. Ishaan smiled as he knew she would do that.

"What you are making?" She asked, observing him.

"Biryani. Chicken biryani." She gave a sheepish smile not missing his sarcasm.

"I'm so thirsty. It will be nice if you can get out from the kitchen." She said very sure about his response.

"You really think I will get out from here?"

She heaved a sigh shaking her head in disbelief.

"Sit there."

"Huh?"

"You are thirsty, right? I will make coffee for you." he said without looking her.

"Don't make me laugh."

"I said sit." his tone was not less than ordering.

For a second, she felt like she was just but only a pet dog for him.

"You want me to make you sit there?" Asked Ishaan, not leaving her eyes.

"Uh, uh, No. I.. I will.." She stuttered.

Amaaya took a place on a bar stool feeling awkward.

She watched him standing there and making coffee as if it was his own house.

He was fully focussed on coffee whereas she was completely lost in him.

She kept noticing his striking features as if she was going to draw a picture of him.

"Here." He handed her the cup of coffee and felt an electic impulse when he came to contact with her fingers.

Her eyes were searching for something for so long. Knowing it, Ishaan walked to the other side and took out the biscuit packet.

At the next second, she heard his phone ringing beside her. "Hey! Someone is calling. A number lasts in 64."

Knowing that it was Shreya, he stood frozen, thinking what to do. "Uhh, just cut it."

"Yeah." But instead of swiping the red, she went for the green one and ended up hearing a feminine voice in the speaker. "Hello? Who is this?"

Amaaya looked at Ishaan who seemed so nervous. Without having any idea, she placed the phone on his ear for which he gave a look of 'why did you?'.

"Hello. Anyone there?" Ishaan was at loss of words, hearing her voice after knowing everything.

"I know this voice... Yeah it is..." Before Amaaya could say  it, he filled her mouth with one full biscuit. They locked gazes for seconds.

He was glad that shreya cut the call at the next second. He took his phone from her hand and watched her playing with a mouthful of biscuit.

"Who was on the call? And why you kept mum?" She asked out after having biscuit.

"Not your thing. Biscuit dipper." He said with a warning look.

"But why did you...?"

"None of your business."

"Huh?" She narrowed her eyes at the sudden change of his attitude.

"Well, how is my coffee?"

"Uhm, not bad! But mine is more delicious. My coffee is just out of the world, you know?"

Ishaan didn't say anything but smiled as he didn't want to tell the bitter truth about her coffee that day.

▪▪▪▪▪

"Are you guys going this soon?" Mehak asked out sadly.

"No. We are gonna stay here forever." Said Aju.

"But, where are they?" Anjali enquired.

"We are here." Kaira walked to them holding his hand.

"So, any good news?" Eby asked, noticing their tangled hands.

"Yeah. She is going to be committed. That's a great news, right?" Farhan replied with a smile.

"What?" Everyone felt a nerve of disappointment at that.

"Okay girls, we are leaving now." Farhan walked away making them more confused.

"What did he say?" Eby asked Kaira which was the question playing in each heads.

"Nothing much. Good night guys." She gave a smile indicating them to leave.

"Okay. See you all." Aju said before stepping out with Eby who was not even ready to bid goodbye to his love.

Amaaya felt so hurt that her bestie acted blind to her existence.

He had never treated her that way before!

Leaning at the doorway, Ishaan could see the hurt in her face.

"Good night Amaaya." Once again he made her amused with his melting smile.

Ishaan felt somewhat magical that it was simple for her to make him happy even in his tough situation.

It was then he realized how badly he wanted her. It didn't mean that he was too selfish to sacrifice his family for her. But he knew that he could solve the things very soon.

And he was ready. Ready to fight for the one.

▪▪▪▪

*PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO HIT THE STAR*