Abhishek had reached the college and was waiting for Rhea in his car, tapping his fingers over the stearing wheel, when he witnessed an endearing scene. Laughing and chatting with each other, Pranbir and Arhana were heading towards Ranbir's car. Abhishek smiled affectionately at the adorable couple, i.e. Pranbir. 

Rhea who had reached the car, pulled open the door and settled inside. As she turned to look at her father, she found him looking out of the windscreen and quite engrossed in whatever it was that he was seeing.

Curious, Rhea followed his gaze and instantly her features hardened as she witnessed the scene that had been unfolding in front of her. She looked away for a while and after composing herself, turned to her father.

"Dad! Shall we leave?" Rhea tried to gain his attention.

Abhishek, who was looking at Pranbir with a soft smile, turned towards the source of the voice and instantly the smile faded away, leaving on its wake a dark frown. Without a single word, he started the vehicle.

After a few moments passed in uncomfortable silence, Rhea decided to break it.

"Dad?" Rhea called out tentatively.

Abhishek, however, didn't give any sign, either by word or action, that he had heard her. Sighing, Rhea decided to continue anyway.

"Dad, we are going to have a college trip. So, I thought of asking you if I can...." Rhea began.

"I should just abandon any hope that you will ever feel the slightest regret for your deeds, shouldn't I? You are so shameless that even after all these you are asking me if you can go to a college trip. Why? To kill Prachi off this time? Permanent solution to your so called problems. You can always push her off a cliff and tada, job done. Is that why you are so desperate to go to the trip?" Abhishek didn't even bother to look at Rhea.

"Dad!" Rhea's voice was tinged with hurt.

"Just shut up! You are going nowhere. And that's final." Abhishek glared at her and then turned his gaze to the road ahead.

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A few days passed by and the day when they were to leave for the college trip had finally arrived. 

Kohli Mansion

Ranbir was rushing down the stairs when Pallavi stopped him.

"Ranbir, have something before leaving." Pallavi cajoled.

"No mom, I don't wanna be late ..." Ranbir began.

"To meet Prachi? Don't worry, my daughter in law is one in a million. She will wait a little. Have a sandwich and juice. Then go." Vikram chuckled.

"Dad! I was going to say that I will be late for the college trip. The bus will leave from college." Ranbir made an excuse.

He mentally kicked himself as his dad was right, he was going to blurt out what his father said. He hastily picked up a sandwich and took a bite. He had just finished the sandwich and washed it down with a glass of juice, when Aryan arrived.

"Ranbir! We are going to be late for the college trip. Hurry bro!" Aryan urged.

"I am done, bro. Let's go. Bye mom, dad, dida."  Ranbir rushed out with Aryan after bidding a hasty farewell.

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Saritaji's house

"Prachi, listen, don't go anywhere alone okay? No need to loiter in the forests and the mountains alone. Make sure that you and Sahana are always together. And also take Ranbir and Aryan along if you decide to look around the place." Pragya cautioned Prachi.

"Ma, relax, calm down. What happened Ma? Why are you so tensed? We went to the college picnic last time too." Prachi tried to calm her mother down.

"Yes, and that girl, Rhea, got you into grave trouble that time too. What if she tries her cheap tactics now too?" Pragya looked worried.

"Then you have no reason to worry, Masi. That factory of trouble is not coming with us. Mehra Sir didn't allow her to come for the trip. In fact, Aryan told me that Rhea isn't even allowed to go anywhere alone or with her friends anymore. Mehra Sir said she will step out of the house only with him. That's a part of her punishment." Sahana chirped.

"Such a nice human being! God knows why his daughter turned out to be such a vicious person." Pragya wondered.

"Because she took after her aunt, Masi. Like aunt, like niece." Sahana scowled.

"Forget about Rhea, Ma. As you heard from our personal All India Radio, Rhea isn't coming with us. So, this time there will be no trouble." Prachi hugged her mother and assured her.

"It's okay, then. Take care of yourself and Sahana. And enjoy the trip." Pragya kissed Prachi's forehead.

Then she hugged and kissed Sahana's forehead too. Prachi and Sahana bid farewell to Pragya and Saritaji and hurried out of the house

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As the bus pulled up in front of the entrance to the college, students, who had already gathered there, started filing in. 

Prachi and Sahana looked around but there was still no trace of the boys. The two girls looked at each other frustratedly.

"What do you think, Sahana? Will these latecomers make it on time?" Prachi frowned.

"No idea, Prachi. What if the bus leaves before they come?" Sahana looked around worriedly.

Before Prachi could reply, they were interrupted by a professor.

"Prachi, Sahana. What are you doing down here? Get into the bus now." The professor demanded.

"But Mam, we are..." Prachi began.

"No ifs and buts Prachi. Get into the bus asap. Come on." The Professor urged.

Sighing resignedly and looking back for the last time, Prachi and Sahana mounted up the steps leading to the bus and disappeared inside it.

As they settled down in their seats, Sahana smacked her forehead with the flat of her hand.

"What happened?" Prachi looked at her curiously.

"I forgot to fill my water bottle. It's already empty. You sit here, I will just come." Sahana was already on her feet.

"Okay. But be quick. Bus won't be waiting for you forever." Prachi warned.

"I will return within 2 minutes." Sahana chirped and hurried away.

A few while ticked past and Prachi was becoming increasingly tensed as neither the boys nor Sahana showed up. Prachi was looking out of the window searchingly when the seat beside her dipped as someone settled down beside her.

"Finally you have decided to come. What took you so long, Saha....Ranbir!" Prachi gaped at the guy sitting comfortably beside her.

"Yep! The one and only Ranbir Kohli." Ranbir winked with a mischievous smirk.

The next moment he yelped as Prachi swatted on his arm repeatedly for 3-4 times.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What did I do? Why this sudden attack?" Ranbir managed to speak while leaning back in an attempt to avoid further attacks.

"What did you do? I will tell you what you did. Where on earth were you? I knew you wouldn't be able to wake up. That's why I even gave you a wake up call and you said you will immediately get ready. What did you do after that? Went back to sleep, sleeping beauty? And  here I was looking for you and when you didn't turn up, I thought you are gonna miss the bus and thus, the trip. I was so...." Prachi bit back her lower lip, stopping mid tirade.

Ranbir was looking at her with a loving smile and it made her realize that through her tirade she had provided him the proof of how much she cared.

"You were so....what?" Ranbir smiled.

"No...nothing." Prachi let her eyelids shield her expressive eyes from him.

"Worried and upset. Because you were missing me. Very much." Ranbir beamed.

"No" Prachi's denial was instant.

"No?" Ranbir looked at her questioningly.

"No." Prachi bit her lower lip again, this time to stop herself from smiling.

"Then look into my eyes and say it." Ranbir challenged Prachi.

Prachi looked up and met his eyes. Then she looked away without another word.

"Point proven. By the way, it should be sleeping handsome." Ranbir smirked.

"What?" Prachi looked back at him, bemused.

"Sleeping handsome not sleeping beauty. And if I am sleeping handsome, then you do know the procedure of waking me up, don't you?" Ranbir grinned impishly.

For a second, Prachi was confused as she wondered what he meant. Then she recalled the story of the sleeping beauty whose prince woke her up by kissing her. An attractive rosy hue tinted her cheeks.

Ranbir was openly admiring the blushing beauty.

"You are shameless of first order." Prachi didn't quite met his eyes.

"I know. But only with you. Thank you anyway." Ranbir laughed softly.

Sahana, who had just stepped into the bus and was heading towards her and Prachi's seats, felt strong fingers wrap around her wrist and then a pull and found herself sitting beside someone.

"Hey, what do you think you are do....Aryan!" Sahana gaped at him in astonishment.

"When did you come? We thought you both weren't coming as you were so late. But why did you pull me like that. I was going to my seat. Prachi must be waiting and..." Sahana went on with her ceaseless tirade.

"No, she won't. Look there. Let them sit together." Aryan gestured to the 3rd seat in the opposite row with a smile.

"Wow! Of course. I wouldn't dream of disturbing the lovebirds." Sahana giggled.

"But where is Sahana? It's been quite a while since she was gone." Prachi looked around.

Ranbir too looked around and found Aryan and Sahana sitting together.

"Hey, Sahana." Ranbir called out attracting Prachi's attention.

"Hey, Ranbir." Sahana called out.

"Hi Prachi." Aryan greeted.

"Hi, Aryan. Sahana, why are you sitting there?" Prachi greeted back and then turned to Sahana with a slight frown.

"Because I don't want to intrude." Sahana wiggled her brows and then giggled seeing Prachi's crimson face.

"You will get a good beating. You just wait." Prachi threatened.

"It will be long wait then. It can only come after you get some free time from Ranbir. Right, Ranbir?" Sahana raised a brow.

"Sahana..." Prachi began as the boys laughed.

However, her next words were interrupted by the announcement of the beginning of the trip.

After checking if all students had settled down, the professor in charge of their bus gave green signal to the driver and the driver pulled away from the parking spot.

Let's end it here today.. No cliffhanger today too as per my promise to candy54789. 😁😁

Hope you all like it. Waiting eagerly for your feedbacks. 🤗🤗