PART seven***

Virat sighed.He was quite sure himself but he just- okay, he was starting to feel a bit diffrent, may be even started observing how things were progressing between Prem and her.But- that hardly mattered! He didn't have any problem.Yes, that was it!

"Koi problem nahi hai!" he assured her, as she smirked,"tumhari craziness ki bimarii hai na..its contagious, I don't want you around my friends!"

That came out a bit harsher than he intended.Prem raised a brow.That was weird, Virat was - well, never so rude.

Maanvi's jaw dropped.

"Main paagal hoon?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Oh! There, finally you agreed!" Virat gave a victory smile.

"I agreed? You're the real crazy person out here!"

He dismissed her remark.

"See, Prem! She has confessed herself! Pagal ladkii..now chalo! Mom is here, she wants to see you, and our gang is waiting for you!" Virat dragged him by his arm, offering a crooked smile to Maanvi.

She grunted. That horrifying bhai of jiju! She would plan for the revenge, really.

"Tum..tum toh had ho.."

"I know," he smiled again, "vaise..tumhe thanks kehnaa padega!" he began glancing towards the door, "us pizza ke liye!"

"Kya?!" Maanvi was shell shocked.

"Yeah, voh pizzawala abhi tak aagaya hoga! Just pay him okay, chalo yaar!"

"Tum ne mera pizza khaaliya???" she shrieked.

"Yeah, actually, Shekar ne bhi!"

That prat!

"I'll kill you! I swear, I would have done that if it isn't your bhai's shaadi!" she gritted her teeth as Virat glared mockingly.

Prem interrupted her.

"Oh my god!" Prem exclaimed," stop it guys! You remind me of the tom and Jerry show! Now..easy guys, I can pay for you, Maanvi! Just later, " he smiled as Virat snorted," I'll see you later!"

He offered his hand, which Mannu shook, "after seeing maa!" He smiled before joining Virat by the stairs.

~~ Scene shift

"Toh, Prem..how is life?" Virat began casually.

"Its really nice actually, now that I'm with you guys!" Prem patted his back.

They climbed up the stairs, smiling slightly, remembering all those childhood memories.

"Aur tu ne humare Tina mam ko propose kiya!" Virat laughed aloud.

Prem turned slightly pink, "I was a kid, Virat! I didn't know what to do! Everyone said she's smart, witty-"

"Ah! You're thirteen then! Koi baccha nahi the.." Virat teased, " us vakht sab ne humari Maths madam ko
pasand kiya..Maanna padega yaar, tu toh bachpan mein hi hero niklaa.."

Prem smiled again, he ran his fingers through his jet black hair, "oh, thank you! Actually main abhi bhi..kisi bhi ladki ko pataa saktha hoon!"

Virat shook his head, "Tu nahi badlega yaar!"

Prem laughed, "I only said, I can, Virat! I'm not play boy type, you know!"

Virat nodded, waiting for him to continue, "Voh kehthe hai na, bas sahi vakht ka intezaar hai..Bas kisi aisi saathi ka intezaar hai, jo meri duniyaan badaldegi..aisi koi, jiske saath rehkar, kisi bhi baat ki phikr naa ho!
Koi uljhan naa ho! Agar kuch ho, toh ..sirf khushi!"

Virat's eyes widened, he almost tripped off the last step he was standing on, " Wow! Tum voh ektaa ki serials dekh rahe ho, kya? Ithni senti kab ho gaya??!"

Prem chuckled, "No yaar, I still watch discovery channel..aur haan! This is the fact yar, har kisi ko aise saathi ki zaroorat hai! As, your friend, I wish, tumhe bhi koi mil jaaye!"

Virat choked, "no, don't drag me into this! I don't believe in that rubbish called love!"

Prem cooed, "Oh man! Calm down! Saari ladkiyan Saachi jaisi nahi hothi, I admit Saachi ne Atul ke saath galat kiya! Isse tujhe kya? Voh toh bilkul theek hai!"

Virat frowned, "Easy now! I was talking in general, there! Patha nahi koi mil jaayen tab na.. Now lets go, there's a surprise!"

"Surprise!?" Prem couldn't speak as Virat pushed open a near by door, pulling him in.

It was pitch dark inside.Prem could hardly spot a thing.

"Virat! Yaar, what's happening here?" he asked.There was no response, he spoke again, "Virat!"

And suddenly, the lights were back, he closed his eyes in a daze.

"Surprise! Haapppy birthday to you...Happy birthday..Happy birthday..Happy birthday to you, Prem!!"

Puja, Shekar, Atul and others sang in unison.

(sanaya irani as puja)

Prem grinned, as the song ended, "Thank you guys, thank you Virat! " He hugged his best mate.

"Naah, thanks toh usse kaho! Puja ne hi yeh sab plan kiyaa!"

Prem rushed to hug her small form, "Thank you Poo! I love you yar! Tum toh duniyaan ki sab se best
friend ho meri.."

Puja turned faintly pink at his remarks, "its nothing," she managed to smile as he released her, "Happy
birthday!"

"Thanks Poo! Atul, Shekar and woah! Viren Bhai..finally aapka darshan hua! Aur yeh toh zaroor bhabhi hi
honge..Namasthe Jeevika bhabhi.." Prem went on excitedly, now hugging Viren.

"Namasthe," Jeevika replied with a shy smile.

"Kaise ho, Prem!" Viren asked him as the latter congratulated him.

"Maanna padega bhai, aap aur bhabhi toh ek doosre ke liye bane hai! Kithne cute lagthe ho aap donon
ek saath.. " He greeted Jeevika, who smiled back.

"Hello, bhabhi ji, I'm Prem, is duffer ka dost, " he patted Virat's back, "shaadi mubaarak ho!"

"Shukriyaan..aap ko bhi, janamdin ki shubh kaamnayein, " Jeevika smiled.

"Oh, that's sweet! Thank you bhabhi! Ab bhai, mujhe bhi apne liye dulhan dhoodhna hoga," Prem joked,
"hey Poo! Kya kehthi ho?"

Prem laughed watching her flushed face, "joke yaar, relax!"

Everybody laughed.

"Shaadi ke liye sahi vakht ki zaroorat hai, " Vanshika began, tugging on to his ear, "bahut shararthi ho gaye ho, Prem..huh,vahi ruko, main tumhari dadi ko phone karoongi!"

"Mrs.Hitler ko- No, outch! Chodiye maa!" Prem whined as everyone laughed again.

"Okay! Lekin ek shart..moo meetha karo!" Vanshika procured a sweet box from behind and Prem took a bite, "Love you, maa..thank you!"

"Happy Birthday!"

Prem turned around to see Maanvi standing by the door.

"Thanks, Maanvi ji! " Prem smiled as he walked up to her.

"I didn't know you were here!" she began, "aap ne bataaya nahi!"

He smiled again," aap ne poocha nahi!" he shook her hand in greeting.

Virat eyed them.He couldn't help but feel uneasy, seeing them there, but he didn't know why. He grimaced, why was he feeling so..well, he couldn't even describe it.Hell, he shook it off.It was nothing, he assured himself.It was Prem's birthday and he needed to be happy, to be greeted by everyone, Maanvi was just one among the people.Before he could stop himself, he was already by their side.

"Oye, yaar!" Virat walked up to him, "toh treat kab de raha hai!"

Prem turned around, "sure yar, after the shaadi! Now, Maanvi ji..I'll introduce you to my best of friends!"
Prem walked into the room, Maanvi by his side.Did he just ignore him? Virat couldn't believe it, Prem had ignored him, for HER? He shook his head and walked over to him.

~~

"That's Atul, Shekar! Virat- and she's Poo!" Prem introduced her to his friends.

"Kahan naa..mujhe Poo mat bulaao!" Puja shot him an annoyed look.

"Bachpan ki aadat hai, Poo! Abhi badalna mushkil hai!"

Maanvi smiled at Prem's words.It was great to have childhood friends.Prem was so lucky.She- she was really unlucky person.She was going to loose her best friend, childhood freind and her di.She bit back the tears, welling in her eyes.The room was thankfully empty, her di, everyone left the room.Only the young gang was left behind.Prem finished cutting the cake a while ago, so everyone was off.

"Anyway, I'll go get some snacks!" Puja walked into the kitchen followed by Atul and Shekar.

"Toh, Maanvi..kal ka plan kya hai?" Prem began a conversation.

"Dude!" Virat interrupted him, "baatein toh baad mein ho sakthi hai! Dadaji tumhe bulaa rahe hai!"

Prem grimaced. What the hell! Why was Virat constantly tugging on him? Its not that he really minded,
but it was weird, how Virat only acted this way when he was near to Maanvi.That was it! It was all because of Maanvi.Virat must have had a thing for her, no! May be not! He never believed in love, but, the way he was acting was just fishy.Prem mused.

"But- I- Virat!"

"Chal- chal na..."

Something was wrong.Virat was acting a bit odd around Maanvi, Prem though and he needed to find out why!

~~~~~

An unexpected update! Hope u enjoyed it.

Next part:

"Maanvi sahi keh rahi hai, yar! Main Mannu se baat kartha hoon, toh tumhe kya problem?"

Prem was satisfied, as Virat threw an annoyed look, "Problem- I don't have any problem! Chodo yaar,
I've gotto go!"

"Oh right!" Prem watched him disappear and whispered, ' nahi yaar, abhi bhi nahi!' He devised a plan.

The plan was on.

Somehow Prem cornered Maanvi.

"Maanvi ji, " he began as she smiled, " aapki madad chahiye..please, naa mat kahiye.."

Maanvi thought for a moment, "I'll try, kya baat hai!"

Good, everything was perfect, according to the plan.He narrated a fake story, the one he had planned.

"Aap ko mere saath dinner par chalna hoga, please! You won't be alone, Puja, Shekar, every one will be there, please!"

"Okay, Prem! If its for such a nice thing, you don't need to ask me! I'll come!"

Prem's phone rang ,"hello, Atul, kya? Aagaya?" he looked around, to spot Virat well with in his reach,
"done!"

"Kiska phone hai? Kya hua?" Maanvi inquired.

"Really, n-nothing Maanvi, " Prem replied. Out of the corner of the eye, he could feel Virat's intense gaze
on them.

"Toh, tum dinner pe chalna chaahogii??" he asked loud enough for Virat to hear.

"I'd love, to Prem!"

Virat was lost.

*******

What's Prem's plan? Is he going to play cupid for virman? Why is Poo all in smiles?

Stay tuned for more!

Comment please! Thanks!