The narrow pathway giggled at the tickling rendered by the pebbles and the soft thudding movement of a girl.

Arvika was jogging on the jittering pathway of Mussoorie, both the sides surrounded by tall eucalyptus and old oak. Her breath was getting heavy but she strived. The process of aerobic respiration suddenly became an unexplored exhilaration to her, giving her new zeniths of ecstasy and joy.

Dev was just a few steps distant from her; unknown to her, he was following in her footsteps, trying to ensure himself that she was not in any kind of trouble. He'd not care a bit if someone would call him a stalker for the same reason for he was following the steps of his beloved for her security and nothing was immoral in that.

****

Wild is natural, raw yet dangerous.

Arvika was in her own euphoric world enjoying the rejuvenated air, the breathtaking scenery and the earthly odour of her surroundings that she didn't notice a baby monkey leaping near her. Her feet halted unexpectedly but her heart was palpitating at the sudden intrusion of an unknown cute immigrant. The stupefaction was so intense that she didn't hear a piercing masculine exclamation from behind.

Soulful eyes amid sober brown fur, sat the baby monkey in quiet contemplation. He looked at Arvika with those eyes that held the power to liquefy even the glaciers. And suddenly, out of nowhere, he hugged her legs to never let go of her. Arvika stiffened at the monkey's way of tenderness and her breath hitched wondering what more could it do to her. Though she adored baby animals, getting a hug from them out of nowhere was not on the bucket list of her interaction with them for she was afraid of their scratches and clashes.

She loved animals' babies but followed the rules of 'social-distancing'.

Pure horror was transparent on her face.

She was horror-stricken for the bites, scratches and all the violence that she expected from a wild animal.

"No...no...go away. Shooooo," she muttered, her teeth cluttered and her body shuddered.

Dev hastened and got near her and then looked at the curious eyes of the baby monkey and then at his horrified love, Arvika. He couldn't control his laugh and started laughing at the dreadful state of Arvika.

"Hahahahaha....." He laughed uncontrollably and then Arvika realized Dev's presence and for the first time, she thanked God for sending him to her. He would help her, wouldn't he?

"Please remove him from there, please," she whispered in desperation not wanting any kind of brutality from the baby monkey. Dev somehow controlled his laughter and captured a beautiful picture of his sweetheart along with the cute monkey. He'd surely post it somewhere in the future. Maybe on 'world wildlife day'?

Dev hummed in response and then solemnly said, "Even a monkey couldn't resist your charms and you try to give lessons to me to stay away from you".

Arvika glared at him for bringing such a silly topic to such a grave moment. But her eyes immediately softened when she realized the earnestness of the situation where she was crossly webbed right now. Only Dev could save her now as she feared the monkey as if it would eat her up.

The baby monkey licked her legs and it was enough for Arvika to let out a loud cry which made Dev laugh more at her lolly Polly antics, "He loves you so much just like I do. Now I am jealous of him already, lucky monkey!".

"Please remove him," she pleaded again and prayed for her safety from that cute baby monkey, and Dev finally decided to kneel down to touch the monkey.

"My parents have given me such a good name, 'D.E.V' yet you keep calling me sir all the time. Firstly, promise me to call me by my name, then only I will remove him otherwise who knows he might bite you on your soft calves," he demanded and stood up again with his eyes shining with playfulness and gaiety. Dev knew the baby monkey won't do any violence yet he wanted to take full advantage of this beautiful circumstance that nature conspired in his favour. After all, negotiations and business were running in his blood.

Arvika shivered more when Dev gave a dose of chill to her marrow about the biting thing. She closed her eyes in dread and spoke, "Dev please, please, remove him from my legs. I don't want to become handicapped....please....".

He loved how his name sounded so seductive yet so enchanting from her lips. He could die to hear her voice pronouncing his name a million times.

"What will I get after removing him?" he negotiated further and Arvika opened her agitated eyes. She already did what he asked but he had a long to-do list for her perhaps. She sighed heavily and whispered, "Isko hatane ka kya lenge aap?".

(What will you take to remove this?)

"Your companionship!" Dev was quick to reply and bowed down instantly on the cemented road.

"Will you be my friend?" Dev asked and this time, Arvika didn't linger for a second and promptly replied, "Yes, yes, Dev. I will be your friend but please firstly remove him from my legs otherwise what will you do with a monkey-eaten friend!". Arvika's apprehension of the baby monkey had surely made her more amusing than her normal stoic nature.

And that's how they lived happily ever after!

Dev thought and grinned from ear to ear at her prompt response. This was the first step towards their entwined destiny, Dev deduced and finally touched the monkey to remove his hold from his lady love.

"Oye bandar, chal aaja. Bahut pareshan kar lia meri Jaan ko."

(Hey monkey, come on now. Enough of your troubling caused to my love)

Dev articulated in a solemn tone but from inside he was guffawing. The monkey chattered but ultimately he left Arvika's legs. She took a deep breath of relaxation but it was for a very brief period as she was gobsmacked at the newly arrived group of some adult monkeys in front of her.

"Oh god," she whispered in despair and Dev too turned around and was astounded to see a troop of large monkeys. "F*ck," he cursed and left the baby monkey who hopped towards his family perkily.

"What would we do now?" she quivered. Arvika didn't know when she caught hold of Dev's waist whereas Dev's whole body felt like it was on the pyre. Her innocent touch was too sensual for him to endure and a painful yet pleasurable arousal surfaced his body; he closed his eyes for a second to open it again at the sound of one of the monkeys.

Fortunately, he was carrying a packet of biscuits. Just as he was about to open it to offer to them, one of the monkeys snatched it from his hand and hopped away along with the entire troop.

The duo sighed relaxedly.

"So Arvika, let's go? Or do you want a tiger's cub to hug you this time? I am sure they'll not accept a biscuit in exchange for your luscious legs!" Dev joked and out of fear, Arvika turned back towards their resort and made sure she was matching the steps of Dev for she was too dreadful of the wild now.

The rest of the day was spent sightseeing of the beautiful hill station and in the evening, the entire college students retracted back to Delhi after accumulating plenty of memorable and joyful memories.

****

Everyone was back to life with placement rounds happening every other day. Most of the companies were from the IT and CSE background as the demand for software engineers in the market was at boom. The other branches too had their core companies coming on the campus but they were very rare as compared to the number of companies from CSE background. That was the reason many students from non-CSE branches were sitting in the coding rounds, competing against their CSE pals.

The freshers and all the other years were having their regular classes except for the final year students.

"Man! I flunked it! I seriously flunked the only company which was my only way to get a job in my hand," Rohan cursed after throwing off his blazer and tie on the desk harshly. Dev promptly stood up at Rohan's outburst and glanced at Rohan who was extremely near to losing himself to the hands of frustration and anger.

Dev held his hand and made Rohan look at him. He knew his soothing words won't affect his friend a bit but other than condolences and some motivational quotes, he couldn't say anything else.

"What happened?" Dev asked after making Rohan sit on one of the desks present inside one of the computer science labs of their college.

Rohan breathed heavily and said, "I couldn't explain to them the working of an electric motor. I knew the answer but..." Rohan stopped and placed his hands on his face in shame.

Dev sighed at Rohan's state and put his hand on his shoulder, "Why were you nervous, Rohan? They were just testing your confidence. And I think every interview is about how you present your knowledge and perspectives confidently. What happened to the confident Rohan who was the winner of almost every Debate competition of our school? Tell me?".

"I don't know, I just forgot everything. I couldn't even explain the projects that I have done so far. My resume was the strongest among my classmates yet I failed this interview so gruesomely." Rohan's eyes were almost on the verge of moistening when his cell phone started ringing.

Both the friends glanced at the caller ID and it was none other than Kavya who was calling him.

"Hi Rohan, are you free from the interview? How did it go?" Kavya's eager voice echoed inside the silent computer lab. Dev closed his eyes in disparity and Rohan could only try to take long breaths to homogenize his shaky voice.

"I am caught somewhere, Kavya. Can I please call you later?" Rohan whispered solemnly and without waiting for her reply, he cut the call and put his head down on the desk.

Dev noticed how melancholic Rohan looked and he realized that it'd be fruitless if he'd even try to say some motivational words to him at this time. "Rohan, how much were they offering?".

"15 lacs, and in hand, was about 1 lac and more than that, it was the only core company for mechanical, yaar!". Rohan gritted his teeth and gobbled down water through his parched throat.

Of course, his father had a great business, but for once he too wanted to be someone on his own without the help of his ancestral family's intervention otherwise what kind of man he would be! He had seen enough hate for nepotism in recent times and he didn't want to be one among them.

Dev was in some deep thought when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and frowned at it when he saw Arvika's name flashing on his phone. Why would she call him anyway? Before he could run more of his horses, he picked it up.

"Bhaiya, are you with Rohan? Can you please tell me what has happened? I know something is wrong, can you please at least tell me where are you both?". It was Kavya on the other end and Dev could discern why Kavya chose to call from Arvika's phone.

He contemplated whether to tell them their location or not and then decided to go for the latter. "Kavya, Rohan's interview didn't go well. That's why he doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. You can call him later, but please understand, it's alright to leave him alone for some time."

Kavya's heart fell when she learnt about the sad news. She knew how much Rohan had wanted to grab this job. She knew how hard he had prepared for it. "Bhaiya, can you please tell me where you are? I promise I won't take more than a minute!".

Dev gulped at Kavya's pleading voice and asked Rohan from his eyes whether to tell about their whereabouts or not when Rohan snatched the phone from Dev's hands and was close to admonishing Kavya when they heard some shuffling in the background.

"Rohan, I am very sorry to hear that but always remember, I am with you, always. It was just an interview, just a company out of many other companies in the world and they will come and go. You should know where you are lacking and prepare for the next battle. Okay? Are you hearing me?".

Kavya's quivering voice held some deep meaning that she had never stated in front of the frolic Rohan. A fresh gust of stimulation hit Rohan and immediately wiped all the invisible tears from his face and after a moment of silence, he eventually spoke, "I cannot thank god enough for giving me a companion like you".

Kavya chuckled at his remark along with her soggy eyes and answered, "Meet me in the library tonight", and cut the call.

Rohan smiled looking at the phone and shook his head. Dev was noticing all this and he knew what his friend was feeling right now.

"That's why you need a girl in your life. They know how to handle a crying baby, don't they?" Dev joked and chortled at his best friend's sudden change of attitude. Rohan too laughed at himself and suddenly a question arose inside his mind.

"You didn't tell me about the first company for which you sat, Dev, about a month ago or two," Rohan asked confusedly.

"Nothing much. Earlier I sat in the company as they have a good name in the market but I was not aware of their bond period. The aptitude test, group discussion, coding round everything was clear. But at the last moment just before the interview, I came to know about their bond period which was 3 years! Can you believe that? That's why I said anything that could directly sabotage my joining into their company," Dev explained and laughed at the distant memory.

Rohan was puzzled and he asked further, "What exactly did you say? And why? You could've easily said that you don't want to give an interview because of their bond period? No?".

Dev smiled at his friend and continued, "Of course, I could've but denying a company for an interview is not good for the college. What impact could I have left then? That company would've never come to our college for placements in the upcoming years for our juniors. That's why I didn't deny, rather tried to be over-smart and gave some of the silliest answers to them".

"Wow! You thought for others, great man! But what did you exactly say to the interviewer?".

"Well," Dev chuckled and quoted, "I had said, 'Sir, I see myself as the CEO of your company and along with that, having the love of my life by my side, who would increase my zest and vigour for working for the company, making it reach the umpteenth height of success and a lot more of success,' and the sheer look of disapproval was evident on the interviewer's face. The plan went well and I was successfully rejected." He ended and snorted at his past memory.

"Jahapana, tussi great ho," Rohan said and mimicked the pose from the movie "3 idiots".

(O my King, You are great!)

Dev chuckled at the distant memory. "Yeah, so much like a Bollywood movie's interview!".

****

"Arvika, I have to go. Please make sure that the warden doesn't come to know about my absence, alright? I need to meet Rohan," Kavya was all set to meet her boyfriend, Rohan. After the Mussoorie trip, they were the latest talk of the town.

Arvika yawned and peered at her friend. From the last few weeks, she noticed how many changes 'love' brought to Kavya. "Are you sure? This is too late, Kavya?" she asked for assurance as it was already very late. She had thought that Kavya would go around 7 pm or so but surely not at 1 am in the midnight to go and meet Rohan inside the library.

Kavya sighed and said, "Rohan needs me, Aru. I need to be with him."

"Okay, but please don't do anything in haste. Be patient. I hope you are getting what I want to say," Arvika, like a good friend, advised her best friend and Kavya hugged her assuredly. "Nothing that would make you ashamed, Mumma," she giggled and got a punch from Arvika in return.

"Accha, listen. Tomorrow, we'll go for an ice-cream treat from my side. Okay? I know I am not giving you time these days but tomorrow, it'll be our day? Okay?" Kavya felt guilty of her negligence towards Arvika but her newly found love was crucial too and it happened with everyone. Once everything settles down after some time, there would of course be a balance between studies, friendship and her relationship, right? That's what Kavya thought in contrast to Arvika.

Arvika smiled slightly and nodded her head. Her smile didn't reach her eyes but she didn't want to make her friend glum too. "Go, your Rohan Baby would be waiting for you," she faked cheered and finally Kavya sneaked from the hostel and reached the library which was 24*7 opened for the scholarly students.

Some scholarly in the subject of engineering and some scholarly in the subject of love & romance.

Arvika landed on her bed and pondered the changes that she found in her best friend from the last few weeks. She had tried to make her understand but Kavya didn't listen to her once.

Kavya had started bunking her classes so that she could meet Rohan and spend some quality time with him. She had also started to visit Rohan's house. She had started ignoring her, she even skipped her meals in the name of dieting.

Arvika wanted to reprimand Kavya but she also feared her best friend's anger. What would happen if her only friend would break friendship with her? She didn't want to lose Kavya's friendship but day by day, her frustration was increasing. She wanted to put some sense inside her best friend.

"I think I should talk to her. It'll really take a toll on her future if she keeps doing this. Shall I take help from Dev? Will he help me to make both of these love birds understand to take their careers seriously? It was Rohan's interview that flunked today, what if Kavya too....no! I should definitely scold her now! Enough of her tantrums and True love quotes!" Arvika decided and planned something to bring her friend on the path of self-enlightenment. She conspired till her eyes closed on their own into a deep slumber.

****

"Kavya, you just missed the test! You should take your studies more seriously. You are with Rohan all the time. You bunk your classes. You aren't even focusing on your goals and ambitions for which you came here. As a good friend, I should scold you and right now, it's reached the saturation point of my patience. Either you focus on your studies or I break this friendship with you," Arvika was outraged by the way Kavya had transformed so metaphorically as if she was a tadpole from which a completely new frog had emerged. She had missed an important test today whose marks would be added to finalize their CGPAs.

"Arvika, it's not what you think. Rohan and I are not being hanky panky. Really," Kavya tried to explain but Arvika was in no mood to listen.

They were outside their classroom after all the classes were over and no students were near their vicinity.

Arvika sighed deeply and said, "Really? Then why are you bunking your classes? Tell me? Don't fool me Kavya. By doing this you're destroying your future only. I don't know why you guys always need to be together. I am really done with your silly girlish behaviour now. This was not my ambitious friend. There is a limit to everything and I think you're crossing it now. I will tell aunty about everything you are doing if you bunk any more classes now."

"Arvika, at least please listen to me," Kavya almost begged but Arvika continued, "What explanation do you really have Kavya? You just missed the test which had a weightage of 20%, and for what? Just for your so-called love which has made you blind!".

"Arvika!"

Before Arvika could've admonished Kavya more, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Kavya, you go. Rohan is waiting for you outside." Dev signalled towards Kavya and she was just about to leave when Arvika held her hand tightly and stopped her movement.

"Why should she go to him? Is she a nanny to him or what? What have you made my friend? She has lost all her personality just because of your friend!" Arvika seethed in anger and tautened her hold against Kavya's hand. It was her defensive nature towards her best friend at its apex and nothing else.

"Arvika! I need to go now, please," Kavya tried to remove her hand out of Arvika's tight grasp but her one single glare stopped her movement.

"Arvika. Listen. It's not what you think. Rohan is not well, that's why Kavya is bunking her classes to take care of him."

"Oh really! You really have got a free nurse! I don't understand what kind of...."

"Arvika, stop it! Please stop it! Do you want to know why I am always with Rohan? Then listen! My mother is bedridden, fighting life & death; Rohan and I are taking care of her along with Dev Bhaiya."

Kavya finally blurted out cryingly and Arvika became rooted to the spot. No words could come out of her mouth.

"What happened to Aunty? Is she good now?" After a moment of silence, Arvika finally composed herself and asked with moist eyes. She felt deceived; why didn't her friend tell her all this? Didn't she consider her worthy to share such a piece of grave news? But the feeling of sympathy was more severe than the feeling of deceit. She let it go. There might be some reason.

Kavya wiped her tears but they were rebellious, "She got a heart attack and was admitted to one of the private hospitals of Delhi. For the last few weeks, Rohan and Dev Bhaiya have always been busy taking care of her. She had to undergo tragic surgery. I bunked classes to take care of her. She's at Rohan's flat as getting her to Mathura would be too long a journey. And, unofficially, I...". Kavya couldn't complete her sentence when Arvika embraced her impetuously. She had big droplets of tears in her eyes and a huge pang of guilt inside her heart. How deplorably had she judged her best friend!

Arvika breathed heavily and whispered to Kavya against the firm hug, "I didn't know you were going through so much. I am so sorry, extremely sorry for being such a fool."

"That's why I told her not to share this with you. Can we go now?" Dev was observing their talk for so long and didn't say anything but Arvika's tears pierced his heart. He couldn't see her crying. It stabbed him but more than that it reminded him of some woeful old memories.

The last time she cried like this was the last day of their meeting five years ago, wasn't it?

That's why he finally pitched in.

Arvika moved away from the hug and concluded, "I will come too, I want to meet Aunty". She wiped her tears and held Kavya's hand, ready to go wherever Dev was intending to.

Dev just sighed and nodded his head a bit and ushered the girls towards his car where Rohan was already waiting for so long.

****

"I didn't tell you because I knew you would worry a lot. Also, you too would miss classes with me but I didn't want you to. I told Rohan because I didn't have the money the doctor asked for the operation. And coincidentally, Rohan's Uncle came out to be the trustee of the hospital in which Mumma was admitted. Every day we used to go there and take care of all her needs. I was dead from within but it was Rohan and Dev Bhaiya who handled everything. Who were my pillars when I was in debris! Because of all these things only, Rohan missed the place..."

Rohan immediately interrupted Kavya and said, "Kavya sshh, it's not your fault. I missed it because I couldn't present myself confidently. It's not your fault. And don't you worry, a big automobile giant is coming to our college for the placement of Mechanical guys like us. I am very sure that I will crack it this time."

"Yeah.

Currently, Arvika, Dev, Kavya and Rohan were at Rohan's house, sitting inside the lavish drawing-room. Kavya's mother was in one of the rooms; she was on heavy medication, that's why she was always sleeping. Arvika could only talk with her for a few minutes.

"I am really sorry for judging you guys like that. I thought that you both were bunking classes, you know....I am really ashamed. I.." Rohan and Kavya had already forgiven her but Arvika was fumbling her guilt-ridden words once in a while. She misjudged them, their love so much like a typical Indian aunty.

"Arvika, it's alright. We have already forgiven you," the duo replied and moved towards the kitchen to prepare a light supper for all of them.

"It's the 37th time you said the word sorry," Dev made a dull face and huffed at her with irritation lapping from his face. Arvika threw a glare his way and rolled her eyes at his atrocity.

Kavya and Rohan were already inside the kitchen and that left the prospective lovers to bicker against each other.

Arvika further narrowed her eyes and asked, "I understand Kavya's concern but why didn't you tell me about all this? We had a friendship, right? Remember the 'Monkey treaty'?".

Dev was tongue-tied now. He didn't tell her because?

Because?

"Because I didn't want to trouble you?" It came out more like a question than a statement.

"Oh yeah, Bandar kahin ka," Arvika again rolled her eyes and whispered the last part to herself but Dev deciphered his love's so-called morse code and could only chuckle at her choice of words for him.

(Monkey)

"Bandars are cute, don't you think?" he teased her and got another glare from her. "Even pigs are," she gritted her teeth and started scrolling on her mobile phone. Anything to ignore his presence!

Their friendship was very new, signed beneath the testimony of those monkeys and that's why their friendship was a testament of the 'Monkey Treaty'.

Dev had decided to take it slow. He recently had read somewhere that girls first fall in friendship and then in love unlike boys who have bizarre experiences of 'Love at First Sight'. And that's why he always used to pull her legs or roast her every now and then just like how friends do; he gave a long vacation to his romantic side for he wanted to develop through this stage of friendship.

After having a light dinner with Kavya and Rohan, Arvika and Dev left for their college as Arvika had not taken any permission from her warden for staying outside the premises of her hostel. The government girls' hostel has its own set of stringent rules and compulsions.

She bid adieu to Kavya and Rohan and sat inside Dev's car on the passenger seat. Many thoughts were running inside her mind that she didn't hear Dev's continuous voice. She came into reality when she felt Dev closer to her, practically some inches away from her side profile.

"Seat belt! Please wear it otherwise, Challan will be created against me," he clarified and moved back to his seat and Arvika awkwardly started to wear the seatbelt.

After making sure she was securely encircled, he ignited the engine as well as the Radio FM to puncture the silence that was soon going to be inside the car for he knew Arvika wouldn't say a word. Her expressions were enough for him to fathom what she was thinking so profoundly.

'The beautiful tunes of 'Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se' by KK started to play, developing a sudden gush of raw sensations inside Dev. It was the same song he had played when for the first time he had dropped Arvika at her home five years ago.

But Arvika's mind was somewhere else. She somehow felt overly tired, overly coerced as if her existence was unimportant.

'If only I had money! Kavya didn't tell me about all this because I don't have a penny to help her! If only I was not an orphan like this. No one would want to share anything with me.'

"Arvika?" a gentle voice again got her out from her bleak thoughts about her own well-being.

"Yes?" She turned her attention towards Dev.

"I wanted to share something with you. But please don't share it with anyone until the time is right. Okay?" he sounded unsure. After getting confirmation from Arvika, he continued, "Actually, Kavita aunty had taken a promise from me. When her surgery was successful and was brought to Rohan's place, she had nearly pleaded me to take care of Kavya as her elder brother. She had requested me to get Kavya and Rohan engaged and perform all the duties as an elder brother of Kavya. I don't know why she trusted in me so much but she did somehow. Even Kavya and Rohan aren't aware of all this. I am sharing this with you as I think you might be able to help me with this, will you please?".

This was the second time when another bomb was dropped on her on the same day.

════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ════

5000 words!

I am feeling very apologetic for updating after a decade! :(

Sorry friends but I will really try to update regularly now.