Next day

Monday

'did she miss the bus or is she not going to come today? But if she is not coming, she should have atleast messaged me. i am missing her already. How will i spend another 24 hours without seeing her!!! Nandini please ajao...please...please...' these were manik's thoughts because he had reached the school, but nandini had not arrived yet.

Cabir-navya

"so how was yesterday? Did you enjoy?" cabir asked navya.

"hmmmm" she replied trying not to look in his eyes.

"ghar mein koi problem toh ni hui?" he asked.

"ni" she replied.

"tumhe ni lagta tum mujhse 2 syllable se jyada mein v baat kar sakti ho?" he asked sarcastically and she forgot that she had decided not to look in his eyes.

"thank god tumne meri taraf dekha nit oh i was feeling i am talking to the wall" he joked and she couldn't control her heartbeats now.

"acha suno..i am ok agar tum mujhse 1 syllable mein v baat karo toh...atleast we are talking, itna hi kafi hai. And by the way i brought this for you" he said and forwarded a box of pierre cardin pen. He spoke again "i know tumhe likhne ka bahut shauk hai islye this...is...for you"

Navya looked at the pen for a few moments but then she pushed it back to him "i can't take this"

Cabir got little disappointed and said "par kyu ? ek pen hi toh hai"

"ye bahut costly pen hai...ghar mein kisi ne pucha toh main kya bolungi..kisne diya...ni ni main ni le sakti!" as she said this cabir sighed in relief.."bas itni si baat! Keh dena nandini ne diya"

"but diya toh tumne hai"

"tum janti ho na...ki maine diya...itna kafi hai...baki logon ko bol dena nandini ne diya...agar asa karne se ye pen tumhre paaas reh sakta hai toh yahi sahi!" cabir smiled.

Navya smiled a sad smile. She felt bad for him. 'For whom is he doing all this? Me...who can never be his?? It would be better if he forgets me. but he is so stubborn. I asked him to forget me and he said that will happen only when the sun rises from west!!'

Navya was busy in her thoughts when cabir shouted from right beside her "manik! Agyi teri jaan....book ka murder karna band kar de ab"

Navya and manik both looked at the door first and then at cabir. Manik glared at cabir for shouting such a thing and then looked at the door to admire her panting and huffing figure.

Navya too glared at cabir for the first time and he shrugged his shoulder "cabir why did you shout such a thing...other students might have heard...problem ho sakti hai!"

"whole class is fish market already, everyone is shouting ...mere shout ko kisine ni suna...relax"

Navya huffed and buried her face in the chemistry text book.

"by the way...you look cute when you are angry" cabir remarked and navya just rolled her eyes, ignoring him completely. Cabir waited for nandini's conversation with manik to get over so that he could go away from here, because he knew navya is not going to speak a word now. Thankfully she had atleast kept the pen in her bag.

Nandini reached manik's desk and said "hi"

"you missed the bus again??" he asked angrily. She made a puppy face and said "yes...sorry!!"

"aaj v late se uthi??" he asked softening a bit.

"ni"

"then??"

"wo i asked mamma to make this...toh bante bante late ho gya" she answered cutely taking out a lunch box and handed him.

"oh acha...tumhra lunch" he said giving back to her. She shook her head "ni...not my lunch...its dosa, sambhar and chatni...for arzoo...yesterday she had said she likes this...so i brought it for her"

Manik was surprised "nandini! Ye sab karne ki kya jarurt thi!! Bekar mein aunty ko pareshan kiya tumne"

"manik...mummy ko koi pareshani ni hui...this became our breakfast too...so mummy ko double efforts ni lage"

"but iski kya jarurt thi!" he said

"jarurt thi...meri koi behen ni hai...i had always wanted one...ab mujhe arzoo arisha k roop mein 2 sisters mili hain ...don't stop me from fulfilling my wish....please" she requested.

"ok baba theek hai...anything for you" he said finally giving in and kept the box in his bag.

"wese tum ye mat sochna ki ye sab maine tumhe impress karne ke liye kiya hai" nandini said teasingly.

"ha ni sochunga...because you know already that i am impressed with you" he smiled.
.........

2 months later.

In the auditorium, all the sections of class 11 were assembled to hear what the cultural secretary of the school had called them to inform.

"students! You have been called here to inform 2 things. First, you all know that std xii will be passing out from here in a few days time. So like every year , this year too, we are going to organise a farewell party."

As he said that all the students started cheering and whispering among themselves.

"silence , please. I have not finished yet. So i was saying that farewell is going to be held next week, during school hours, here in the auditorium itself. Passes will be issued to the students of std xi and xii. No outsider will be allowed in the party. Keep this in mind."

Again the whispering started.

"i will announce the second thing only if you pay attention to my words. Good!! So after your annual exams are over. There will be a break of 10 days before the next session begins. So we thought that before the most important one year of your life begins, you should get a chance to rejuvenate and refresh yourself, so that you begin the battle with a renewed vigour. So...we will take you for a recreational tour to kullu Manali in those 10 days.

Whole of the auditorium burst into claps and cheers hearing the news.

"the amount that you will have to pay, the travel plan everything has been put up on the notice board. Also collect the form from the office and fill it and take your guardian's signature and submit it by next week. Remember a form without guardian's signature will not be accepted. That's all for now. You may leave."
.......

"what should i feel excited for first?? The farewell party or the tour?? Omg omg...i am so excited!" alia jumped like a frog and others smiled at her childish behaviour.

"i would suggest first you should get excited for the party" Dhruv spoke and alia kissed his cheek as a reaction . then she realised what she did so she apologised "sorry guys i forgot that you all are also here!"

"oh that means if we would not have seen then it was ok?" mukti teased her and alia didn't answer , she just blushed.

"so guys everyone is coming for the tour na?" mukti asked. Everyone nodded except four people.

"i am not coming" nandini announced. Before anyone could react cabir spoke "i am also not coming"

"arey but why??" asked mukti, alia, dhuv, abhimanyu in unison.

"i won't be free at that time" nandini said.

"same here" replied cabir.

"what nonsense is this!!" mukti exclaimed.

But they didn't answer and left from there, followed by manik and navya.

"what is wrong with them??" mukti asked.

"we all know what is wrong , mukti" abhi answered. And then the knowledge dawned upon them.