Author's note: Planning to turn this into a short story, abt 15-20 chapters ig? Please please let me know your views

Frolicking across the campus, now a sheer mess with colours everwhere, she frowned in disappointment, her head turning behind ever so often, fearing if either of her friends came following her.

Shalaka Joshi hated Holi.

She never understood the concept of  wasting water, lading oneself with colour and walking around looking like a ghost.

Whether it was played with water or simply dry colours, she abhorred it.

" Shalaka! At least apply colour to Vivaan!" Her friends had persisted.

" I'll pass." She'd told them, she knew her friends far too well.

Tricking her into applying colour to her crush would lead to her getting smeared in them too.

" All girls have applied it. His fangirls, you two are on good terms. You won't get opportunities like these again. Get a go!" Piya insisted but she shook her head.

As much as she hated the sight of girls being able to get close to him, having him chuckle at them, she wanted to stay away from colour.

Veeha, his sister and her friend rushed towards her panting and she immediately scurried back, maintaining distance.

" Not even a dot!" She warned but Veeha shook her head.

" Dada is searching for you."

" Bet it's for applying colour, I must be the last one remaining in his huge social circle. Tell him I'd pass. Not even a dot like I said. I hate colours! I'm allergic to them!" She clutched her plazo and rushed away, drawing sighs from her friends.

And as she looked behind yet again, she bumped into someone, almost falling as he held her.

She looked back at the person in order to thank him, only to find Vivaan Kulkarni stand before her with a wide smile etched on his lips, laded with colour from top to toe, his white kurta too coloured.

But strangely, he did not look like a ghost.

At all.

In fact the colours looked good on him and he looked all the more attractive.

She stepped back immediately.

" I see you're clean, Joshi."

" I see you're not, Kulkarni."

" Let me colour you?"

" What? No! Not even a chance!"

" C'mon. A little bit of colour does no harm!"

" Stay away from me Vivaan!"

" Vivaan? No Viv?" He sighed dramatically, but the emotions swirling in his brown eyes clearly insisted he was upset.

" Why do you not like colour?" He asked as she continued to walk away from him and he continued following her.

" I just don't! Please leave me alone!"

" Nope. Sakaal paasun shodhtoy mi tula. Sakali pan lavkar nighali college saathi, ani mag gayabach jhaalis. Ya vela hi opportunity mi naahi jau denar."
"-I've been looking for you since morning, you left for college pretty early in the morning and then disappeared. I won't let this opportunity slide away this once."

" Itkya maitrini aahet tujhya. Tyanna zaaun laav na ranga. Mich kashala? Atta asa noko mhanus ki tyanna laaun zhala, ajun koni milala naahi mhanun mala lavayla aalas. Mi maarin tula. Aai shappat sangte haa!"
"-You've got so many female friends. Go and smear them with colour. Why me? Now please don't say you're done smearing them with colour, you didn't have anyone else left so you came looking for me. I swear upon my Mother's name I'll hit you!"

Vivaan chuckled, shaking his head.
" Naahi. I told you didnt I? I've been looking for you since morning. I did apply colour to all of them, but because I couldn't apply it to you first. I tried stopping them from smearing colours on me, because I wanted you to be the one doing it first."

" Why?" She finally turned towards him with a frown.

" Because you're you, you're Shalaka. You hold a different place in my life where they cannot even stand."

Shalaka's heart raced at that as she desperately hoped it stopped.

This was one of the main reasons why she fell for Vivaan Kulkarni, he made her feel special, he made her feel home, no matter where she was.

He was always surrounded by a sea of people, often resulting to her admiring him from afar.

And yet, in that sea of people who had their eyes on him, his eyes would always find hers.

But Vivaan could never like her.

Vivaan Kulkarni liking Shalaka Joshi?

Impossible!

Two friends with stark opposite personalities.

Vivaan loved the crowd, and the crowd loved Vivaan.

He'd barely take any time to befriend someone.

While Shalaka would take a while to observe before starting a mere conversation with someone, let alone befriend them.

She was like the eagle, preferring her own company most of the time, soaring in the sky all alone.

While he was like a swallow, chirpy, taking along everyone with him.

Why would he like her?

He'd want someone more like himself wouldn't he?

Vivacious, social, sweet and fun.

Not someone like her.

Her eyes had already bore into his, staring at him intently and he stepped forward, not having broken her reverie, slightly tilting her chin up for her to look at him, he dipped his hand in the colour and smeared it across her cheeks.

" And there you go, perfectly coloured in my colours. Happy Holi Shalaka." He smiled at her and her eyes enlarged as he pulled her in for an embrace, her clothes getting smeared with colour as well.

And as if playing the perfect song in the background, Shreya Ghoshal sang

Apne hi rang mein, mujhko rang de, dheeme dheeme rang mein, mujhko rang de...