"Ruko, badmash..."Aditya heard his mother shout from behind him, but Aditya ran past the gate faster than his mother.

With huge grin and mirthful eyes, he ran to the park around the corner of the street. Why was his mom angry? Is mixing gems with Daadi's medicine such a bad prank?

Aditya looked around the park trying to find his friends. Spotting Ashwat and Deep playing with football in the farthest corner, he ran towards them ignoring the young girl riding a cycle and dashing her making her fall.

"Oye!!! Batameez." The girl, not more than ten years old shouted.

Aditya stopped on his tracks. Years of being the notorious boy in the society has taught him that badmash, batameez, rowdy, naughty and other sweet names belonged only to him. Turning around he saw a girl just an inch shorter than him standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him with lips pressed together in anger.

"Kya !!" He asked turning around impatiently.

"How dare you trip me down?"

Aditya looked confused for a minute, before the fallen bicycle told him the story.

"Oh!!!" Aditya made a thoughtful face

"OH??? Is that what you have to say?" The small girl walked towards him. Holding her little index finger before him, she spoke in a warning tone. "You better fix my cycle, else I will complain to papa. Mind you my papa is a cop."

Aditya wouldn't have budged by the threat. Who was she kidding? His father was The Harsh Hooda, a corporate lawyer with reputation to make people squirm. But, for some reason he wanted to humour this girl who has the most charismatic face he has ever seen. So, he took her and her bicycle to the nearby mechanic shop.

"Bhaiya, check the cycle." Aditya said

Sitting on the small table swinging her legs, the girl started to observe mechanic bhaiya carefully. Aditya sat beside her.

"My name is Aditya." He introduced himself.

"So?" she asked in full attitude

"So, it is manners to tell your name in return."

"Zara Siddiqui." She said flipping her hair, too proud of her name.

"I have not seen you in the neighbourhood before." Aditya questioned

"I recently moved from Mussorie." She answered nonchalantly. All her attention was only on the mechanic working with her cycle's tyre.

"Mussorie?" asked Aditya trying to recollect if he has ever heard this name in his geography class.

"Arre!! You don't know Mussorie?" Zara asked as if he has just admitted to not knowing the colour of a leaf.

"Where is it?" asked Aditya quiet conscious if he forgot major metro city of India.

"It is far from here. World famous Mussorie. You should visit there once to know how good it is." And then began her nonstop chatting about oh so pious Mussorie making Aditya think that he could have as well stayed at home and listened to his mother's lectures.

Aditya sighed happily when the mechanic completed the work on her cycle.

"Pay him." She ordered Aditya. When he looked at her unsure, she said, "You only damaged it. Now pay.'

Helpless Aditya handed him his pocket money for the week. Why was he even doing this for her?

"Okay, bye." She was all set to leave once they reached back to the park.

"Hey, wait..."Aditya called. "Can we be friends?" he asked

Zara frowned looking at Aditya suspiciously.

"My mom said I should not talk to boys."

"I am a good boy. You can talk to me."

"No, I will only listen to my mother."

With that said, she began to peddle her way to her house and Aditya followed her jogging until they reached her house. Zara glared at him and was about to reprimand him for following her when her mother came out to greet her.

"Aunty!!" Aditya called even before Zara could speak. "Can I be friends with Zara?"

Mrs.Siddiqui was surprised by the cute boy's direct yet innocent question.

"Who are you beta?" she asked

"Aditya, Aditya Hooda. D block, fifth floor. I am studying sixth standard in St.Michel's school."

Zara gasped at the new information and immediately offered amused, "I am in the same school. Sixth standard. "

"See, now we are in same school. We should be friends." He said looking between Mrs.Siddiqui and Junior Siddiqui.

Mrs.Siddiqui was too impressed to disappoint the boy. So, she agreed for their friendship and even inaugurated it by offering both of them pomegranate juice.

That paved way for the epic friendship goals created by Aditya and Zara.

***

"Yaar, Zara, do my homework please." Aditya cribbed.

"Aditya, can't you see I am preparing for science test."

"Just three sums. You can complete in five minutes, after all, you are a topper."

"Do you know why I manage to score well? It is because I do all homework twice because of you ."

"Ms.Siddiqui, are you telling me that I am the reason for all good things that happen to you?" he asked proudly.

"Shut up and don't irritate me." Zara took his notebook from him and pushed him out of her room

***

"I don't want to watch cricket with you, Adi. It bores me." Zara, a thorough football fan, complained

"This is not just cricket. It is IPL and what are you complaining about? We will be watching match live sitting in one of the best seats." Aditya beamed flaunting the tickets.

"That is the problem. I can't even doze off peacefully with all the shouting."

"Don't be a bore, Zara."

"Why don't you take one of the boys?" Zara asked

"Hey, you are one of the boys." Said Aditya ruffling her hair

***

"I think I love, Pooja."

"Just the way you loved Nikita and Lavanya?"

"No, I truly love Pooja."

***

"Zara, I don't think you should go on this school trip." Aditya said sniffing and rubbing at the red spot on his wrist.

"Why?"

"It is not safe."

"My parents have already agreed and I am going." Declared Zara

"Don't you know what happened last year?"

"That happened because senior boys were filths. I am sure my class boys are gem."

"I will not let you go."

Zara narrowed her eyes at Aditya. "Is it because you won't be coming as you got pox?"

"No."

"You are such a selfish boy."

"Either you agree for not going or I tell uncle about what happened last year and stop you."

"And a blackmailer."

"Your choice."

"You won't dare"

"Watch me"

"I hate you."

"No problem."

***

"Zara Siddiqui, did you tell my mother that my tuition fee is only twenty thousand?"

"Yes."

"How can you? Don't you know I was saving for something special?"

"You had told aunty tuition fee is forty thousand. That is clear looting not saving."

"You back stabber!!!"

"You cheater."

***

"I think I love, Amira."

"Just the way you loved Nikita, Lavanya and Pooja?"

"No, I truly love Amira."

***

"I can't go with you to the party, Zara." Aditya said shaking his head.

"Why?" she asked frowning

"Because, you are Zara, my best friend." Said Aditya as if it was all the explanation needed.

"What do you mean?" Zara asked

"You are my best friend. If I take you to the party, I will miss my chance of kissing my date."

***

"What do you mean you are going with Ajay?" asked an outraged Aditya

"Flash news: We need partners to attend farewell party."

"So?"

"So? I am going with Ajay." Zara shrugged

"But he is..."

"He is?"

"A nerd."

"By that if you mean a decent boy. Then yes, he is."

"Zara, you can't go with him. What about your reputation?"

"I have a reputation as tom boy who is also a geek. So, I think showing up with a boy will only save my reputation."

"Are you going to have your first kiss with him?"

"Who is talking about kissing?"

"Come on, everyone knows that people kiss their date at the end of the party. It is unwritten rule."

"Don't irritate me, Adi. Get out."

***

The day of the farewell party was the most happening St.Michel's has seen in the past decade. Juniors had put in extra efforts to surprise their seniors, who were more welcoming and guiding to them.

Aditya walked in with Ananya, one of the prettiest girls in their batch and such a sweetheart to everyone. No one could believe Aditya's luck at getting Ananya to go with him. Most of them only pegged Aditya as the type to be attracted to beauty without brain. Couple of his friends had vocally admitted to Aditya that they were jealous of him. Normally, this should have done wonders to male ego, but Aditya was far from relishing the jealousy of his peers for he was too involved in eye stalking his best friend.

If anyone had paid attention to the Aditya's behaviour keenly, they would have known that Aditya with and without Zara are two different persons. When alone, Aditya can be carefree, reckless lad. But, with Zara in close vicinity, Aditya is the possessive protective type never wanting to leave Zara out of his sight. Handful of parties Zara attended always saw Aditya keeping track of Zara's whereabouts.

"Where are you going?" he would ask promptly the minute she tries to move away from crowd.

"Washrom." She would reply irritated at his nosy atrocity. But, that wouldn't stop Aditya from bee lining her path to make sure she was fine.

It takes a genius like Ananaya, with maturity beyond age and rational thinking, to realize that Aditya was suffering from bipolar while Zara is around syndrome. If only she had not placed her crush on Aditya before his obsession on Zara, she wouldn't have been in the situation where her date would be looking at a girl in the far corner of the hall while she was talking about a memory of her first meeting with Aditya in the first standard.

"Do you want to be somewhere?" asked Ananya swirling the straw in her juice.

"Huh?" asked Aditya distracted by looking at Zara giggling at something Ajay said. She never giggles at him. The maximum he could get is a chuckle with a duffer tag.

"Aditya, are you okay?" Ananya asked. She was too proud to point out to him what he was failing to see.

"I am." He said as he shifted himself on the chair. "Now." He added as he sat back down.

Ananya turned around to find that Zara had gone to the washroom and that caused Aditya's attention to shift to her for a while.

"How are you enjoying?" asked Aditya

"Not as much as you." Ananya answered dryly.

"Why? " he asked lifting his juice to his mouth. "It is not half as boring as last year."

"You will not find anything boring as far as you have Zara." she murmured loud enough for him to hear.

"Excuse me!!" Aditya spitted couple of drops of juice coughing. "What do you mean?"

"I don't care if you admit it to you or not Aditya, but I have admitted to myself that I am not the girl who has your attention today. In fact, no one can be the girl who has your attention ever except..." Ananya deliberately left the sentence trailing before walking away to the place where she spotted her bench mates. She wanted to give Aditya the strain of figuring out. Not that it was going to be difficult.

Aditya was about to follow Ananya until he saw Zara and Ajay approach the dance floor together. 'I could mug up the periodic table and repeat in a breath, but not dance.' Zara would say often. So, how come she decides to dance with the nerd?

Aditya marched to the dance floor determined and stood between Ajay and Zara before the former could lay his hands on her.

"Aditya!!" Ajay uttered pushing his specs up his nose. "Is everything alright?" he asked

"No" Aditya spat in a cold voice. "It is not. I have to take Zara away now for everything to be alright."

With that said, Aditya didn't give time for either of them to react for he held Zara's hand and led her out of the hall into the gazebo.

"Where are we going? Home? Is everything okay? Is it dad? Did he call you?" Zara had dozens of questions for him as he dragged her out.

She looked at Aditya impatiently as he stopped near the bushes and heaved a deep sigh.

"What is it Aditya?" she asked worried

"How can you, Zara?" he asked hurt

"What?"

"How can you dance with him when you have never danced with me?"

Zara was taken aback with the untimely question. She looked at Aditya carefully trying to gauge his expression.

"Is this..." she didn't know how to even put her question in words. Glaring at him for the childish act, Zara was about to walk back inside the hall. Aditya was quick enough to grab her hand and pull her towards him.

"Don't you dare!" She warned but he only pulled her closer into a hug and let her small fist beat him. "Leave me." She shouted

"No..." he said determined. "Not until you dance with me."

Struggles had to stop as energy drained. Zara relaxed in his hold while he patiently waited for her to calm down.

"Just one dance." She agreed.

Everything about the world is music. That is the reason why they danced to the music of chipping insects instead of the retro music blasting inside the hall.

"You dance so well." He complimented. "I can't think why you never danced."

Dancing without music has its disadvantage. You never know what to expect. That is the reason why Zara was surprised when Aditya twirled her like doll and bent her down holding her in his arms creating a perfect pose out of movies.

Zara's hand shifted to his shoulder and she looked into his eyes naively.

Aditya's eyes were fixed on hers as well. He couldn't tell why he wanted her to stay just where she was, in his arms, and never he have to have the displeasure of seeing her go.

"Aditya..." she called not breaking the eye contact from him.

"Umm...."

"We have to go in now." She said. "Else you will miss your opportunity to kiss your date once the dancing ends and dinner starts."

"I don't want to miss the kiss now, do I?" he asked his eyes narrowing in mock concern and his lips curving into smirk.

And just then what Zara had never anticipated happened. Aditya leaned forward, closer to her face, with his lips puckered.

"What are you doing?" she asked placing her hand on his lips and pushing him away.

Zara lifted herself up and moved away from Aditya.

"Zara..." Aditya said in an apologetic voice when he looked at Zara glaring at him. "I am sorry."

"What do you think? You can just kiss me without telling me how you feel?" she asked

Aditya lifted his gaze and looked at her bemused. "How do I feel?" he asked like the dumb lad he is often

Zara's eyes widened in anger and she said, "Good. You don't feel anything. I am going back to party."

Only the moment when Zara began to walk back, Aditya realized that he felt completely defeated every time she tries to go away from him. So, the only way to erase this feeling is to keep her always with him physically and mentally.

"Zara, listen..." he called running behind her. "I know what I feel."

Zara had lost hope that Aditya will any day realize what he feels for her. She was sure that he will never reciprocate what she has been feeling for him ever since she saw him lying in the hospital bed after an accident two years ago. Her last hope was the farewell after which he was planning to move to Delhi for college.

"You do?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest and looking at him pointedly.

"I feel...." he stopped midway and looked around for any intruder. "I will do this the proper way." He said sitting down on his knees.

Zara gasped and her eyes widened in shock seeing him go down on his knees.

"I feel incomplete whenever you are not with me. Zara, can you please never leave me alone and come with me to Delhi?"

Zara's eyebrows narrowed as she realized that it was not the kind of proposal she was expecting.

"Why?"

"Because, I feel the last seven years I spent with you is not enough. The next four years I spent with you will not be enough. I think I want something as long as a lifetime with you. But, for now I will start by convincing you to come with me to college in Delhi."

Nothing could have been sweeter to her than this at the moment.

"Zara haughty Siddiqui, will you come with me to Delhi as my girlfriend? "

Zara chuckled at the name that usually annoys her. "Aditya Dumb Hooda, yes for I have already been accepted in Delhi University on merit." She added the last bit with a cheeky grin.

Smiling at the unexpected yet exciting turn his life took, Aditya stood on his knees and pulled his best friend, girl friend, teacher, shrink, support, motivator and voice of reason into a hug.

Few Years Later,

Mail

to :

from :

Wow!!!

Long time man. How are you?

I can't believe you are getting married. Last time I heard, you were working on your start up and now you are getting married. Thanks for the invitation. How did it all happen?

Mail

to :

from :

I know!!!

The whole world knows how it all happened, Ananya. Even you would have known if you hadn't hidden yourself in a godforsaken city.

Same old!! Zara and I went to same college. We dated there (of course). Nothing much changed because we already knew each other so well. Our relationship only became better. We decided to work on start up together. Now, after three years, we are in decent position and so decided to get married.

Marriage is only three months away from now and it is in Delhi. Dare you skip it! Everyone from school will be attending.

Zara says she wants you here at least a week before, so that you can attend her bachelorette party. Also, she wants you to bring your daughter Pari, because she looks very cute in your instagram pictures.

See you soon!

***