It took them a long time to reach the picnic spot. The place was situated in the lap of nature, surrounded with lush greenery as far as vision could reach. Flanked by mountain on all three sides, the spot was a visual treat for nature lovers. 

Since Prachi was an ardent lover of nature, as soon as she disembarked from the bus, she walked a few feet away and twirled around, taking in the beauty of the spot. 

Ranbir smiled lovingly seeing her so happy and playful. He made his way towards her.

"This is so beautiful, isn't it?" Prachi gushed.

"Yes, very beautiful. I have known since forever." Ranbir was staring at the enchanting beauty in front of him and not the surroundings.

"Since forever? Have you come here before then?" Prachi frowned slightly as his words and the tone in which he said them bemused her.

"Come where before?" Now it was Ranbir's turn to be puzzled.

"Ranbir! Just now you said that you have known this place is beautiful since forever. What was that?" Prachi rounded on him.

"This place? Who was talking about this place?" Ranbir rolled his eyes.

"Then what were you talking about? I was talking about the beauty of this place." Prachi stared at him with innocent confusion clouding her beautiful eyes.

"And I was talking about the beauty of the girl standing right in front of me at the moment." Ranbir smiled.

The cloud of confusion dissipated from her eyes only to be replaced with shyness as she looked down and then away. A hoarse voice made her turn around and her eyes met the hilarious scene of one of their lady professors taking a boy to task. With a mischievous smirk, Prachi turned around.

"Ranbir, you never said. I didn't know that..." Prachi trailed away deliberately.

"Never said what? You didn't know what? What are you talking about?" Ranbir looked at her, befuddled.

"That you find our professor, Mrs. Mehta, so beautiful. Her husband is national champion in boxing you know. Just a word of warning. Not someone to mess with." Prachi shrugged innocently, her lips twitching.

It took Ranbir a second to realize that she was teasing him. He narrowed his eyes.

"Then I am fortunate that the girl I was actually talking about isn't committed. Don't you think so?" Ranbir smirked.

"And what if she does have a boyfriend?" Prachi challenged playfully.

"Then I am ready to mess with him anytime, no matter how powerful he is. I am ready to fight the whole world only to have her by my side." Ranbir's eyes displayed a strange determination.

Prachi stared at him in silence. Her playfulness was replaced by a myriad of emotions swirling in her eyes and chasing each other on her visage.

"You really mean that, don't you?" Prachi asked quietly.

"I do." Ranbir's words sounded very much like a vow, which it probably was.

Sudden hurried footsteps made them look around and the scenario that met their eyes made them chuckle. Dimpy and Saina were walking towards them but as soon as they saw them, especially Ranbir, they immediately changed their direction and walked away, giving them a wide berth.

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Soon, it was time for the arrangements to be made if they were to stay in that place as it was an open plain land in the midst of hills. The students were asked to set up their respective tents in which they would live for the two days of the trip.

Prachi and Sahana were engrossed in setting up their tent. The tent was almost done when Sahana received a call.

"Prachi, it's almost done. I will just come after receiving this call. Till then let it rest. After I return we will fix the top." Sahana advised as she walked away.

"When Sahana starts talking it is always never ending. If I keep waiting for her, God knows till when I will have to wait. So, it's better if I do it myself. And anyways not much is left. I will only have to fix the top." Prachi muttered to herself.

Prachi reached out but couldn't reach the top of the tent as it was taller than her.

Sighing in frustration, she started looking around and almost immediately found an abandoned stool.

She instantly headed towards it and lifting it, carried it back to their tent.

In her excitement at finding a way out of her immediate problem and in her haste to complete the task at hand, Prachi failed to notice the defective leg of the stool.

She set it on the already slightly uneven ground and mounted the stool. She began to fix the top. Within minutes she completed the task.

However, what she was unaware of was that with every passing minute the defective leg of the stool was inching towards collapse.

As she managed to fix the top of the tent, the leg of the stool finally collapsed. Prachi felt a lurch before feeling her body moving backwards in thin air without any support.

Her hands were flailing to clutch into something to save herself and a scream tore out of her throat. She closed her eyes in fright and braced herself for a harsh contact with the hard surface beneath.

Minutes ticked by but the fall didn't come. Gradually the fact that she was airborne registered in Prachi's fear stricken mind. Perplexed, she slowly opened an eye and peered through it and then slowly opened both the eyes and look into a pair of gorgeous brown eyes.

It took her another second to realize that she hadn't hit the ground because Ranbir was holding her safely in his arms. As soon as the realization dawned on her, an intense feeling of safety washed over her making her almost sag with relief.

Then she looked in those eyes again and she was lost. A soothing breeze was blowing over the grounds, ruffling their hair affectionately but it could have been a tempest and they still wouldn't have noticed, so lost in each other they were.

Someone clearing their throat pretty loudly madethem come out of the spell that their eyes had cast upon each other. Theyblinked and looked towards the source of the voice. Aryan and Sahana were standing in front of them with identical, teasing grins.

"We didn't want to disturb both of you, you know. It's just that the professors have the tendency of being at the wrong place in the wrong moment. That's why just wanted to give you a word of warning. That's all." Aryan said with a straight face and then chuckled seeing the young couple's embarrassed faces.

"Especially when the wrong place is an open field." Sahana giggled.

"Ranbir! Put me down." Prachi hissed as Ranbir still hadn't done that.

"Oh sorry." Ranbir grimaced and immediately put her down and helped her to find her footing.

"My God! Ranbir, have you become so used to carrying Prachi that you forgot that you were still carrying her?" Sahana laughed.

"Actually Sahana, he is practicing." Aryan nodded.

"Practicing for what?" Sahana smirked, knowing already what he was going to say.

"To carry Prachi across the threshold of his home." Aryan nodded understandingly.

Both Aryan and Sahana burst into fits of laughter as Ranbir and Prachi gave them a 'You are so dead' look. Arhana turned on their heels and sprinted away as Pranbir chased them.

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The lunch had been arranged in buffet style and all the students and professors had gathered near the tables. With much difficulty, Prachi, Ranbir, Aryan and Sahana managed to squeeze past the others with their meals intact.

They walked a few feet away from the crowded area and stood in circle in a corner and tucked into the food. Ranbir, who was engrossed more in talking then in eating, was about to dip his bread into some green liquid in one of the small bowls on his plate when Prachi stopped him.

"Ranbir! You are impossible! At least see what you are eating. You were about to dip your bread in the chilly chutney." Prachi huffed impatiently.

"What? This is chilli chutney?" Ranbir looked down on his plate and grimaced as he realized that it indeed was.

"Yes, Your Highness." Prachi narrowed her eyes.

Ranbir smiled sheepishly.

"Why? Ranbir don't you like chilli chutney?" Sahana stared at them quizzically.

"No he doesn't. He can't eat spicy things. His state becomes bad to worse if he eats spicy dishes." Prachi explained.

"Oh ho! Seems like someone knows everything about you, Ranbir?" Sahana wiggled her brows making both Ranbir and Aryan laugh and Prachi frown.

"Who else will know everything about me except that 'someone' Sahana?" Ranbir raised a brow, smirking.

"The absolute truth." Aryan nodded.

"Shut up guys. I know because I have seen him in action. Last time we ate in dhaba, he had to challenge me and eat spicy paratha. You should have seen his state them. Smokes were coming out of his ears." Prachi giggled remembering that particular day.

Sahana and Aryan burst into fits of laughter while Ranbir glared at Prachi.

"My state wasn't that bad." Ranbir grumbled.

"No you are right. It wasn't that bad as it was far worse than that." Prachi giggled.

Ranbir grumpily turned his attention to his food while the other three went on laughing and teasing him.

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It was evening when everyone had gathered round the huge campfire lit in the middle of the ground. The tents were scattered throughout the green field, roughly circling the center.

Prachi, who had slept a bit more due to exhaustion, was hurrying towards the gathering. In her haste , she had forgotten to bring her shawl with her. The soothing breeze of the day had already began to transform into chilly winds with day drawing to an end.

Prachi began to rub her hands up and down her arms to warm them up as the biting chill in the wind blowing over the fields had increased its strength.

All of a sudden she felt a warm, fluffy shawl covering her, providing her with the much needed protection from the chill in the air.

Prachi turned around to see Ranbir smiling down at her lovingly. She smiled back even as she wondered how someone could be so much caring and loving. Her heart and brain both accepted at that moment that any girl would be lucky to have him in their life as her partner.

"Thank you." Prachi said softly.

"It was my duty." Ranbir smiled.

"What is your duty?" Prachi looked at him with utmost tenderness.

"To protect you from everything that troubles you." Ranbir replied simply, leaving her awestruck.

"Shall we go?" Ranbir asked after she was silent for a moment.

"Let's go." Prachi agreed.

Together they walked towards the gathering with the newly risen moon and diamond like stars smiling down on them.

Let's end it here today. Hope you all like it buddies. Waiting for your feedbacks.