"I can't believe that small girl in skirt is you." Farhan said scanning out the photo in his hand.

"Is it because I looked ugly then?" Shreya cocked a brow at him.

"Ofcourse." He shrugged intenting to mock her.

"So what's up with now?" She placed a hand over hips glaring. It made effort to shut his mouth for a while.

"Uh, I mean.. you looked below average then. And now you look average. Just average." He emphasized on last words.

Shreya smiled as she never felt offended at any of his comments.

Afterall it was Farhan.

He never spoke up his heart. He was too weak when it comes to emotions. And she knew how he liked making fun of his favourites. Her heart smiled at the thought of her being one of it.

Once Farhan was about to poke at the other things in the box, "Uh, it's over. Nothing more to see." She covered it with her palms.

"Come on, It would be fun to see that whole box of yours."

"Farhan, those are my private things. I don't want to show you."

"Don't forget you are the one who brought me here." He accused a finger at her.

"But.."

"No but. Move." He pushed her aside to get a clear view of the box. Then his eyes caught something inside the box. He took out the photo and stood still seeing it. "You--you have this?"

Farhan looked at the photo in which they both were laughing out. Shreya held his guitar as he looked into her. He remembered it.

Every time she came saying she wanted to play guitar and ended up crossing the strings altogether. Though he considered his guitar to be sacred, he never scold her for what she did. He used to forget everything seeing her.

"Yeah. I kind of save it." She said biting her lower lip.

And the next picture was horrible. He sat on a desk with his arms circling around a girl with swollen, red lips.

Yeah, the Viha.

"Oh my god! What on earth made you keep this? Look at her lips. It's scary."

"Well, you were not scared then." She pointed.

"Because I was--uh-so into her that I even ignored the condition of her lips."

"Oho." She rolled her dramatically.

"Wait wait. So that's confirmed. You were stalking me all those while, were n't you? And you might have felt jelly, huh?" Farhan asked amused at the fact.

"Uh, what? No." He laughed watching her stammering.

"I guessed that you two would end up in the way you did. But the thing haunted me was Kaira. I thought you too had.."

"I hadn't, okay?" He assured as she smiled back.

"I can't believe that filthy lady, Suzan had done all those dirty play to patch you two." He added.

"She is so cruel. The thing she had done to me was okay. Afterall she was my aunt for god's sake. But Ishaan had gone through a lot because of her. I still remember his face when he confessed that non existing thing." she added.

"Yeah, he was suffering then."

"And I never failed to see you too. I saw how devastated was you on that day." she said softly trying not to hurt his feelings.

Farhan raked a hand through his hair chuckling. He could not forget that day. When he literally thought the whole world had shattered.

"I'm sorry Farhan." Guilt laced her voice.

"Why? It's all because of me. For not speaking my heart out and letting you go through those hard times."

"Just forget it. Now everything is okay, right?"

"Yeah, everything." Farhan ran a hand through her silky hair.

"Are you crying Farhan?" She asked noticing the wetness in his eyes.

"Like.. happy tears?" stuttered him.

"Happy or sad, we don't want it anyways." she wiped it away. Forever!

▪▪▪▪▪

Amaaya took a last glimse at him as she settled in a side seat in the bus. Ishaan held no expression leaning outside. He stared her shoving his hands in pockets.

Damn! She regretted ignoring his plead to go with him. But the idea of her having a midnight drive with him didn't feel so good to her.

Especially when she found her feelings for him grow day by day. He always effected her. His look, his voice, his touch..

But now the problem was that she wanted him. She always wanted to be with him like she was addicted. She tried hard to focus on the other side avoiding his gaze.

When she heard the bus starting of, she heavied a disappointed sigh. She never wanted but wished he would drag her out and drive back home.

East or west, phone breaker is always phone breaker.

She thought exactly before jerking up seeing the one beside.

"Ishaan?!" Her eyes popped out in a way that he could make an omlette with it.

He indeed was unpredictable!

"Yeah." He passed his tantalizing smile.

"Are you sure? This is bus. I mean B.U.S? The bus."

"Stop shouting you biscuit girl. You are scaring people over here."

"I can't believe you are here." She said amusement lacing her voice.

"Okay, I can do something to make you believe." With that he reached for her face but she pulled it right away threatening, "No thanks!"

"And can't you see those vaccant seats waving at you? You can occupy one. Other than just torturing me." she hissed.

"So you want me to go there and sit?"

"Yeah." she said softly not looking him.

"No, you don't."

"I do." she made up her mind for the fight.

"You don't seem to."

"I do."

"I saw your face when you spotted me here. So stop with your stupid arguing Ainu."

Amaaya groaned inside shifting her eyes out the window. It was then her mind striked something.

What she just heard?

"Did you just call me.. Ainu?" she asked not being able to hide the smile.

"No. Never." He shrugged making her to groan even more.

With that Amaaya moved uncomfortably, "Ergh! I can't sit here properly. This is one person seat I guess."

Ishaan smiled watching her making weird faces moving right and left. He knew it was for nothing but to show her distaste for what happened a while ago.

"What is your problem Ainu?"

"The thing is..." she stopped at the beautiful realization that she got what she wanted.

Ishaan jolted once the driver suddenly applied a break. Amaaya reached for his tee to balance him. "Haha! You look super scary at the break."

"Man, what was with the driver? Is he gonna kill us?" Ishaan brushed through his already messed up hair.

"Problem is not the driver but your umcomfortability. See, you can hold here to balance yourself." She placed his hand over the grip.

"Yeah, got it." He seemed amazed.

"This is not your jaguar or tiger. You have to be very careful."

"Don't act like you own this." he glared.

"Aha, then you can go and sit there."

"No!"

"You won't ever get rid off me, will you?"

"HA! Sorry?"

"You always chase me. And ask for what. To shout. To bark. To argue." He grinned out sheepishly.

"I was living a peaceful life. Having biscuits and icecreams. But then you distracted me with your carking."

"Car--what?"

"Carking. Caring while barking." He was dumbstruck hearing her. Is she for real?

"You even affected my pogonophobia."

"PoGo--what? He asked puzzled again.

"Nothing." She smiled recalling everything.

"You better tell me now."

"I won't."

"Okay." He said planning something inside.

"Don't even think about it. You can't google it."

"Why?" He asked annoyed.

"Just one of my little things." She smiled at him as he shook his head.

"You seems so happy today." He said observing her very beautiful face.

"How can't I? It's Faru's big day. You see how happy he was?" And her face inturn made him more happy.

"You know there was a time I wished to be Farhan."

"Faru? Why?" She could not believe it.

"Because I envy how you treated him. How you placed him first at everything. How you sacrifice your own happiness for him. How you cared for him. And above all, how much you love him." Ishaan admitted as she stood still looking him.

"What? But how could.."

"Not always Amaaya. That period of time when I thought I lost you. When you left me.."

"Ishaan." She stopped as she never wanted to go through the pain hearing it all over again.

"But now that I have you." He caressed her hair before planting kisses on her knuckles.

She found herself melting in his touch. This was exactly why she ended up in the bus.

"I can't even imagine you as Faru. You singing and dancing with that scary beard of yours. Oh! Your dance was just bomb blasting."

"Actually, I did it.." he began.

"Did it?"

But something stopped him from saying it, "Nothing."

"Well, it's okay if you two are coming. But we have to set up the food for you two." The conductor interrupted them.

"Where?" Both asked in unison.

"To the driver's home." It was then they realized they had passed a couple of stops which unfortuntely included hers. But now that they didn't mind. All they wanted was to be with each other.

"Ainu, you never called me with the phone I gifted you." The hurt and offence were evident in his voice.

"Gifted? It is too far from gifting. You can call it just throwing. Just as the newspaper boy throws the paper at me." She whined.

"Afterall, it's something I gave, okay?"

"But I won't call you Ishaan."

"See, you are saying it to my face."

"I just can't. Whenever you call me I feel like.. like I wanted to see you at the very second. And my mom would think I'm mad if she found me running out." He laughed at her not-so-sense making words.

Ishaan never had an idea how he had lived before her. She became his entire world out of a sudden and he would get stuck asking when it exactly happened.

Amaaya entangled her arms with her resting on his broad shoulder.

I love you so much Ishaan. No matter how much you shout at me. You complain me. I will always love you.

She thought herself feeling the warmth of his body around her.

"You know why I always choose Faru over you?" She asked breaking the beautiful silence.

"Why?" He asked trying to hide the hint of pain.

"Because he gave me you."

           
             ▪  ●  ■ THE END  ■  ●  ▪

PHEW! Finally I completed my very first work. YAYYY! I can't believe it myself.

So, how do you feel about this book?

Hope you enjoyed the journey well.

It has been 2 years since I start this and I know I'll be missing it so terribly : (

But I feel some kind of satisfaction that I completed it.

*PLEASE DO MENTION YOUR FRIENDS TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK IF YOU LIKED IT*               
               
                 /DEDICATION/

I dedicate this very first book of mine to my bestfriend as this is all about the pure bond of friendship.

Sorry, I can't tell the name!

And one last question,

(?) Which one of the characters in this book you resemble that of. And WHY?

I just asked it myself and thought to ask you all amazing people. Who supported me all through the journey. Muahhhhh!!!

I really can't thank you enough for sticking on to it. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your time!!!

So, see you in the Epilogue : )))

Take care

Love,

Efy♥