Writer's POV:

"Yours," Sarthak offered the butterscotch ice cream he bought. He still remembers that Tanvi likes ice cream and that too butterscotch flavour, so he bought it for everyone sitting at the shore, watching the sunset.

Tanvi had never felt this ecstatic ever before in her life. No matter how many people were present on the beach, nothing disturbed her. Not only her, both Ajay and Jiya felt the same. All of them were enjoying the sunset except one.

It was none other than Rohan Sarthak. He was busy enjoying his moment with Tanvi, who sat just beside him. Though he didn't stare at her or talk with her, it was just this silence that was extremely affable and beautiful between them when both the souls are peaceful. 

So, when he saw some child eating ice cream, he immediately recalled the time when he had seen her enjoying her ice cream. Hence, he got up from his place and bought 4 ice creams for all of them so that none will get any doubt. 

"Hey!" Tanvi said with a smile and took the ice cream from him. She is felt she was in another world of peace, and now this ice cream has added more to her happiness and tranquility. She then realized that she hadn't thanked him, so she turned towards him, only to find him handing the remaining ice cream cones to Ajay and Jiya before settling himself in his previous spot beside her.

"Thank you. There is no need to bring this," Tanvi said with a smile. 

"It's ok. There is..." Sarthak tried to finish his sentence that it was not a problem for him, but Ajay interrupted him.

"Why did you buy this for me? You should have asked me before buying this, right?" Ajay said, oscillating the cone in his hand. He was too much immersed in admiring nature's beauty to notice that Sarthak was not sitting next to him.

This pissed off Sarthak's mood. He immediately retorted saying, "If you don't want it, give it to me. I will enjoy it."

He thought he made him shut but then Jiya said, "Even I don't like butterscotch much. You should have asked me," 

Sarthak gave her a dismayed look and wondered, 'How ungrateful these people are? I bought them something with my own money and they are behaving like this?' Though much more thoughts ran in his mind, nothing came out.

Tanvi chuckled, seeing her friend's sad face for ice cream, while she is enjoying her ice cream. She gently tapped her shoulder and said, "C'mon, he bought something for us, and you are whining over that. Be grateful."

"You are saying that because he bought your favourite," said Jiya and suddenly fell silent, diving deep into her thoughts. Turning to Sarthak, she asked, "How do you know she likes this flavour?"

Sarthak stopped eating. He hadn't expect this sudden question. Did she just ask the question out of blue, or was there a deeper meaning behind the same?

After contemplating for a minute, Sarthak said, "I just bought whatever I got first. That's it. How would I know who wants what!" Saying this he again started munching his ice cream to avoid Jiya's gaze. 

"Ok, I will exchange it. Where did you bring this from?" Jiya asked him and stood up from the shore, smacking the dust from her clothes. 

"C'mon, Jiya. It's good only. Eat it for now," Tanvi requested her friend while she had already finished her cone. 

"It's not just about this. I am hungry. Let's go and eat something," Jiya said. They have been on the beach for the past one and a half hour and now the time is 15 minutes past 6. 

"Ok. Let's go to any food court and call it the end of the day. Ok?" Ajay said, who hadn't unwrapped the ice cream like Jiya.

"But we have to return by 7, or else the warden will treat us as though we are some criminals who killed someone and returned late after burying the body," whined Jiya, and Tanvi nodded, looking at both the boys.

Ajay and Sarthak looked at each other and burst into fits of laughter hearing her, while the girls cast bewildered looks at them, not understanding their reason to laugh while they were afraid of the future consequences. 

"What?" Tanvi asked them, standing up, to leave along with Jiya. 

"Nothing. Let's go to the Sea park food court. C'mon," Ajay said, still laughing. Sarthak also laughed, looking at their pitiable faces.

"Are you making fun of us?" said Tanvi, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at them with a frown. 

"No. Nothing. The way Jiya expressed her agony made me laugh. That's it. Shall we leave now to eat something before it gets late and your warden thinks something," Ajay chuckled again and teased them. 

Though Tanvi and Jiya scowled at them, they followed them reluctantly to fill their hungry stomachs. 

***** 

"One veg paneer pizza, one chicken pizza, one coca-cola and french fries," Sarthak gave the order at the cash counter after learning everyone's preferences. From there itself, he kept observing the banter underway between the other three. Actually, it was more of Ajay and Jiya  talking while Tanvi was still staring at the sea through the glass pane and looking at the other two people from time to time.

Sarthak finally got the bill receipt and returned back to their table. When he reached the table where the were sitting, he heard Ajay suggesting, "The conversation is getting boring. How about we play some game?"

This gained the attention of them all. They came forward, curiously waiting for him to continue. 

"What game?" Jiya asked, breaking their silence. 

"Well, sitting in the crowd, we can't play any sports, and neither are we kids to sing songs and dance. So let's play an adult's game. Truth or Dare," said Ajay. 

"Ok," was the immediate reply from both the girls. After all, these kinds of games always creates fire in the moment and many interesting facts come to the fore. But all of them looked at Sarthak, who didn't give any response. Sarthak looked at everyone, especially Tanvi. He saw how eagerly she was waiting for his answer. 

Finally, after a moment of silence, he agreed to play along with them. They thought of asking for a bottle from the waiter but dropped the idea when Tanvi rolled a shining steel spoon on the table, which went rolling pretty well.

"In school and college, we play with pens and here with a spoon," Tanvi joked, to which everyone laughed. So they commenced the game and the first chance went to Tanvi.

"So truth or dare?" Jiya asked, clapping her hands in exuberance. 

Tanvi thought for a moment and said, "Truth."

"Ok. Let's dig up some hot things," said Ajay and began to think what to ask her along with Jiya.

"What are your feelings for Ajay?" Sarthak said, expressing whatever was roaming in his mind for a long time. He kept staring at her and was anticipating her answer. Of course. he didn't have any doubts about his best friend or on Tanvi, but he wanted to clarify few things. Why was she so free and friendly with Ajay and not him? The answer might ease him and creates peace in his heart. 

Everyone had an expression beyond shock. Initially, Sarthak spoke little, and now, when he ask something so serious that everyone became numb. Especially Tanvi.

Tanvi eyes widened out as she hadn't expected this sudden question. She looked here and there, contemplating over what she should say. After a moment of thinking, she smiled, "He is a... person I have never met in my life. So positive, funny and full of life. A good friend indeed."

Ajay smiled hearing her response, and the contentment in Sarthak's heart had no bounds.

"Ok, let's roll it again," said Tanvi, breaking the awkward silence and rolling the spoon again. This time it stopped, pointing towards Ajay. Both the girls squealed out and asked him to choose. He choose truth.

"Why did you laugh at the beach when I told you about my hostel warden?" Jiya asked without discussing it with anyone.

"Arey, Jiya, why did you waste the chance? We should have discussed before asking him, right?" Tanvi slapped her arm lightly in frustration. 

Ajay laughed, "You lost your precious chance. I expected big, you know. So the answer to your question is the way you explained was very funny, like killing someone and then observing you like you are a criminal."

"What can we say? You don't have any restrictions and don't have to follow any protocols, unlike us," Jiya scoffed. Though Ajay didn't mean to offend her with his answer, Jiya felt bad. Ajay immediately apologized to her, and she just looked away, refusing to glance at him. 

All this while Sarthak had been a spectator. He had a smile all the time, but he felt a bit uncomfortable because of the other people present over there. And apart from Tanvi, he had no interest in anyone else, not even his best friend.

On the other hand, Tanvi was feeling discomfited too because of the sudden change in his behaviour. She knew that he had been staring at her from time to time and behaving like a creep, but she had no other option except to sit there. So, to avoid her crazy thoughts and to lighten up Jiya's mood, she again rolled the spoon, and this time, it stopped pointing at Jiya.

"Ok, tell me the when was the last time your heart skipped upon seeing a boy?" Tanvi asked her.

"It's getting interesting," Ajay whistled and waited for her answer.

"Just now. At the beach. There was a hottie beside us, damn good looking you know," said Jiya with dreamy eyes as if she is remembering him again. 

"Why didn't you show me? How was he?" Tanvi asked, forgetting the people in front of them, and got pretty interested in the topic. 

This made Sarthak worried and angry. Why did she want to know what that person looks like? Thank God she didn't see anyone else, and she wouldn't see anyone too, he assured himself.

"Ok. I don't care about how good he was. Let's turn it," Ajay said, getting annoyed with their banter, and turned the spoon, which stopped at Sarthak finally.

Sarthak sighed. He internally prayed very hard that food must come before his turn comes, but the food was no where in sight, even when it had been 15 minutes. My bad luck, he thought and choose Truth. 

"Why did you hug me at the hospital, and why do you want to be friends with me?" Tanvi asked him as fast as she could, not giving others a single chance. She had been waiting for his turn as she half expected him to choose truth because he was not a person who would take a dare. Now she needed full clarity on this sudden change washing over him.

"I felt very relieved when I saw you fine and fit on the hospital bed. While rushing to the hospital, many scenarios ran through my mind. I saw my mother pass away in a hospital bed, and I got too scared.

And regarding being friends with you. I realized I missed out on such a good person. I have been like this from before. There are trust issues, and I don't know how to behave and react. It takes me a lot of time to understand people, and now I don't want to be on your blacklist. Not on yours, too, Jiya. I want to make friends and be happy," Sarthak didn't lie at all when expressing his true feelings. What all he said was true and he wanted was to first create a place in Tanvi's life, heart.

All fell silent listening to him. But before they could react the food finally came. They tried to be normal again and chatted about food and all, but the entire time Tanvi and Sarthak kept stealing glances at each other. 

Finally, they had a hearty meal. The time was already 7 by then. So, the girls were worried about the timing, but Ajay assured them, and this time, they booked a cab to reach fast. 

In the cab, Ajay took the first passenger seat while the remaining sat behind, with both Tanvi and Sarthak sitting beside one another. Tanvi again felt her heart throbbing at a furious pace, similar to whatever happened when she was near to him. To ignore this feeling, she kept leaning towards Jiya and continued chatting with her.

Sarthak felt the sparks emerge within him. Even the two-speed breakers and three turnings, which caused them to come close to each other, made him feel all hot. He noticed that she was leaning towards her friend. Maybe she was feeling uncomfortable with me, he thought and he too leaned towards the door. 

Finally, they reached their hostel. The girls asked the cab driver to drop them at the bus stand only so that their warden or anyone from the hostel would not notice them. 

"Are you sure? We will come till your hostel?" Ajay asked as they got down from the cab. 

"It's ok. It's just a street more to walk and it is better for all of us," said Jiya and smiled.

Tanvi, too, smiled and glanced at Sarthak, who was looking at her too. He turned his gaze away when she saw him and started walking back to his hostel.

"Sarthak?" Tanvi called him, which made him halt in his path. He turned around and saw both Tanvi and Jiya walking towards him along with Ajay.

"Friends?" Tanvi asked, offering her hand forward. To say Sarthak was stupefied would be an understatement. In the car, he planned many plans on how he should make her trust him and talk to him and make her believe that he is a good onee, but she was standing in front of him with the same alluring smile for which he would do anything, and she was offering her hand for friendship.

"Me too. Friends?" said Jiya forwarded her hand too. Sarthak smiled widely. It'd been years since he had made friends. He never felt the reason to be with many people, but this one day, when he enjoyed being with all these people, he realised the need to be in a group and one among them. 

He took Jiya's hand first, and said thank you and then took Tanvi's hand. He took her hand later so that he can feel her hand for a long time, and would feel the magic again. 

He looked up to her, who was smiling at him, and as usual, a smile made its way on his lips too. 

A smile with happiness that he never wants to lose. 

So how's the chapter?

Hope you liked it?

And the truth or dare game? And that too with a spoon? Hope everyone know it and asked weird questions to your friends too.

And finally Sarthak being friend both Tanvi and Jiya?

So that's it for today. A big chapter again. Don't know where the next chapter will take us to.

Please do Vote, Comment and Share the story if you like it.

Thankyou.

Stay Safe.