NEXT DAY

We all including Zara were in the ground, playing antakshri.

Me: chodd do padhai.

Siya: Pakad lo kadhai

All in chorus: mil kr talo pakode.

"Padhai nhi kroge to pakode hi talne padenge tumhe", we all turned around, hearing Ashrit sir who was standing behind us with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Aayein", Nishant asked unable to understand him.

"Baigan!!", Ashrit sir replied and we all burst out laughing.

We started playing antakshri then.

"Your turn Niya", Reyansh chimed in excitement.

Hmm.. R se...

Raat ka nasha abhi aankh se gaya nahin
Raat ka nasha abhi aankh se gaya nahin

I began singing this song of 'Ashoka'

Tera nasheela badan baahon ne chhoda nahi
Aankhein to kholi magar sapna woh toda nahi

Reyansh looked at Siya and their gaze locked. They were drowning into each others essence.  

Haan wahin, woh wahin
Saanson pe rakha hua tere hothon

ka sapna abhi hai wahin

Suddenly Siya looked down shyly, as if she remembered something .

O. Raat ka nasha abhi aankh se gaya nahi

As I completed the song, everyone in the room was a blushing mess as if they imagined different scenario's with someone special.

Nishant's cheeks were pink now, and there I knew he went too far in his imagination.

Ashrit sir eased the environment by saying

"Ab next N se kon gayega?"

"Naino me sapna , sapno me sajna , sajnaa pe dil aagya ,, ke sajna pe dil aagyaa ohohh..", all of us started singing in chorus.

Soon the antakshri changed into a concert and all begin to sing their hearts out.

"AAP JAISA KOI MERI JINDGI ME AAYE"

Zarika started.. and we started vibing with her.

"TOH BAAP BAN JAAYE .... HAHA BAAP BN JAAYE", she proudly sang wrong lyrics 

Our eyes widened whereas, Siya nudged her to stop. Ashrit visibly blushed, a tint of pink coating his cheeks.

We continued singing and laughing when

( RED FLAG ALERT GUYS)

"Zarikaaa", Kabir came towards us shouting like a mad man.

"What do you think of yourself haan!, I always knew you were an attention seeker but this... this is unacceptable", he flared in anger, his face twitching slightly.

"W... What do you mean"

"shut it"

"Behave yourself Kabir", Aashrit sir intervened.

"Don't support her Aashrit, she is a bi*th", he said 

*SLAP*

Zarika slapped him hard

"Stay in your limits... I haven't done anything", Zarika said, her tone wavering in anger.

"how dare you bi*ch", he tried to slap her.

"Don't you dare touch her", Aashrit held his hand in mid air, giving it a sharp tug.

We were again the spectators of the unplanned drama. I was right when I said Kabir actually was a trouble.

Others were watching their fight too stopping on their tracks.

"STOP IT", Siya shouted at the top of her lungs.

"At least clear out what happened..", I added patting Siya's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

"What happened! this girl leaked our pics.", he said with disgust.

"what!!!", all of us shouted

Kabir showed us our phone where someone had leaked their pics ... of yesterday when Kabir had grabbed her waist.

"I ... I didn't doo this.. trust me", Zarika cried.

"oh shut up attention seeker", he mocked her.

We all were visibly shocked at the revelation. Who could have done this? 

"You have to pay for this", he spoke with gritted teeth.

I could see her losing her confidence.
She was getting sweaty and visibly shaken.

Ashrit squeezed her shoulders providing her some support.

"Don't give meaning less threats", NISHANT finally spoke.

Kabir looked at him with rage

"You think, you can harm her when we are there then you are mistaken", Reyansh added.

"And how are you so sure it was Zara who posted the pics", Siya questioned.

Kabir was visibly irritated.

"I'm not obliged to answer you freshers,  stay out of it.", his face twitched in anger.

"We have all rights to speak for our friend", I declared .

ZARA NEEDS A LESSON AFTER THIS.

"get lost right now", Aashrit whispered, his tone filled with protectiveness as he saw Zarika crying.

Kabir left muttering a few curses under his breath. Aashrit turned to us and said.

"You guys have a lecture now right? go to your classes, I'll handle her"

"But...", Siya intervened but I full her with me leading our way towards the class.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING???", Siya yelled.

"Aashrit sir will handle her, we should give them space", we left for our class.

******************************************************************************* 

AUTHOR'S POV

Aashrit and Zarika were now alone. She was sobbing hysterically. 

"Please don't cry Zaru, you are strong firefly", he consoled her whispering sweet nothings to her.

"What was my fault? Did I deserve all this?", she sobbed.

"Sometimes the people we care about turn out to be our worst experience.", Aashrit said, his voice holding anger against kabir.

People say rejection hurts the most, but loss of friends is another really painful experience.

First Aashrit, who left for studying and then Kabir, who even though was their but not available.

"Zara it's high time now, you should stand for yourself. Know your worth and not let anyone show you down."

"Stop letting Kabir cross your boundaries.",Aashrit said with a ting of firmness in his voice.

"Ab chalo .. rona band kro aur class me jao", he cupped her face pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead and wiping the remnants of tears from her cheek.

Zara closed her eyes, feeling his lips on her forehead. A hint of redness made way to her cheeks.

Aashrit noticed her blushing face and chuckled.

Zarika blushed even harder and ran away to her class.

Aashrit stood their chuckling to himself, shaking his head in amusement.

************************************

In the same evening.

Netra came upstairs to the terrace for some fresh air and much needed 'me time.'

She stood near the railing, gazing at the luminous stars. It was the night of Amavas, therefore the sky had no moon and the stars were the steal show of the sky.

'Beautiful', she muttered.

'Indeed' , she turned towards the source of sound.

Nishant was there too, looking at her with an unwavering gaze. For a moment they did not say anything. They kept looking into each other's eyes in a comfortable silence.

'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?', Nishant said breaking their trance.

'But today is a new moon day', Netra said confused.

'Obviously when the moon herself has come here to gaze stars, how would someone find it up there the sky', Nishant said making her blush.

'You are beautiful Niya', he said genuinely, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Netra kept mum for a few seconds before asking.

'Am I?'

'Kabhi meri nazro se khud ko dekho, smajh jaogi', he whispered in awe.

Their gaze locked, they conversed through their eyes about the new emotions swirling within them.

Netra broke the eye contact, turning her gaze towards the sky.

'The moon indeed is beautiful', hearing her Nishant smiled.

They continued to gaze at the celestial bodies. One gazed at the star and the other at 'his moon'

************************************

Reyansh and Siya had planned a movie night, but as Netra backed out

So here were the duo ready to watch a movie..

"We will watch action movie.", Reyansh declared.

"No we will watch horror", Siya dismissed his idea.

"Pehle se hi toh tu chudail hai...  kyu dekhna hai khud ko horror movie me", Reyansh joked, but soon after he received a punch from Siya.

"Kutta", she muttered.

"Haww", Reyansh faked a hurt expression while Siya rolled her eyes at him.

"Chal ab remote de", Siya demanded but Reyansh lifted it up, challenging her to get it herself.

"Aree aise kaise madam", He teased.

Siya tried snatching the remote from him but failed miserably.

They both were practically laying on the couch now with Siya hovering over Reyansh and Reyansh trying to keep the remote out of her reach.

Their eyes locked, as they noticed their position. For a moment they were lost into each other. None of them made an attempt to back out.

Reyansh's hand instinctively held her petite waist. Siya's breath hitched, but she didn't protest.

Reyansh slided his another hand on her forehead in an attempt to remove the baby hair falling freely on her forehead.

Siya leaned closer as they both closed there eyes.

'Bheege honth tere'
'Pyasa dil mera'

Their moment was interrupted by Reyansh's phone.

They abruptly pulled away, as Reyansh shifted uncomfortably. They both were flustered at the mere thought of what they would have done if the phone didn't ring on time, but at the same time they were disappointed on the timings.

It was Netra's call..

Netra: Siya kaha hai?

Reyansh: mere room me kyu?

Netra : tum dono akele kya kr rhe ho  ?

Reyansh: kuch krne se pehle tera phone aagya (he whispered)

Netra : what?

Reyansh: kuch nhi .. movie dekh rhe the.. kyu tujhe kuch kaam tha?

Netra: nhi koi kaam nhi tha ..  i was just asking if the movie plan is still open for me to join.

Reyansh: yah it is.. come over ..

Netra: NISHANT bhi hoga naa..

Reyansh: ha ha kyu nhi ( he mocked)

'Mera romance khrab kiya naa. Ab dekh tu ..', he thought.

************************************

Sooo 1600 words
And this marks the end of ch 8

Yayyy

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