[Happy belated birthday thisuni21. This is a small birthday gift from me. Hope you like it. 🤗🤗]

As Prachi and Ranbir drew nearer to the gathering around the camp fire, they were bemused as they could figure out even from the distance that an argument was going on.

They exchanged perplexed glances and hurried over to the spot where the argument was brewing.

"Hey guys! What's going on? Seems like you are arguing about something." Ranbir looked at the other students including Aryan and Sahana curiously.

"Actually, we were thinking of some pastimes. But everyone is arguing with everyone and nothing has been decided yet." Sahana sighed, irritated.

"Let's play dumb charades. What do you say, friends?" Prachi suggested, smiling.

There was a general murmur of agreement as the rest of the students found the idea quite interesting.

"That's a great idea, Prachi. So, students, let's start dumb charades. Now let's get divided into teams. Boys vs girls." Professor Roy urged.

"Oh come on! Why does it always have to be boys vs girls? Why can't it be boys and girls together? I want Prachi in my team not the opposite team." Ranbir grumbled in a low voice, looking at Prachi.

Prachi who was listening to Sahana's chatter didn't hear him but Aryan, who was standing right next to him, did.

"Let's go Romeo. You always want to be with Prachi. Nothing new there. But the problem is our professors don't know that. You can do one thing though. Go and tell the professors that you want to be in the same team with your Juliet, aka Prachi. May be they will take pity on your loveria affected condition and allow you to be the only boy in the girls' team." Aryan suggested with a straight face

"Are you teasing me, Aryan Khanna?" Ranbir glowered at him.

"I sure am. You have become crazy in love. Come on. Let's go to the boys' side." Aryan chuckled and grabbing Ranbir's arm almost dragged him away.

The dumb charades game began. First it was the girls' turn to enact something and the boys would have to guess it.

The girls whispered something among themselves and finally decided on something. Sahana got to her feet as she was the one who was chosen to enact it to the boys.

"What is it Sahana?" Aryan asked eagerly.

Sahana showed thumbs down, making Aryan's jaw drop.

"Hey, what kind of a friend are you? Game hasn't even started properly and you are already showing us thumbs down? Fine then, this is for you too." Aryan showed her thumbs down, frowning.

Sahana was taken aback for a second and then hit her forehead with her palm. The others began to laugh, making Aryan confused.

"What are you doing here if you don't even  know the rules, Aryan the Great?" Sahana glared at Aryan, placing her hands on her hips in a combat style.

"What are you talking about? I know all the rules." Aryan frowned.

"Oh yeah! You don't even know the basic rule, Mr Know It All. Thumbs down in dumb charades means Hindi and thumbs up means English." Sahana rolled her eyes.

"Oh...um...is that what you meant?" Aryan looked around sheepishly.

"Yes, Einstein. That's exactly what I meant." Sahana glared at him.

"Oh! Sorry." Aryan apologized.

He was looking at her with such woebegone expression at her that Sahana melted instantly.

"It's okay. Let's start the game guys." Sahana changed the topic.

The game began finally. Sahana showed a house.

"House. I mean Ghar." Ranbir guessed correctly.

Sahana gave a thumbs up and then again made a house with her hands.

"Again house...Ghar." Ranbir was trying to figure out what exactly the girl was trying to say.

Then Sahana pretended to write something on her palm.

"Writing. Writing? Writing what?" Ranbir looked at Sahana, befuddled.

"Ghar ghar likhna.... Writing in every house?...Does that even make sense?" Aryan looked at Sahana, perplexed.

Sahana giggled and the other girls, including Prachi, joined her too. Girls catcalled and jeered while the boys grimaced.

"Ranbir, do something, Man! If we lose the girls will never let us live it down." Rohan, another close friend of Ranbir, hissed in Ranbir's ear.

"Wait! Writing...writing what?....poem?...Nah...story?...Yes...it can be story, right? Story means Kahani in Hindi. House...House...Story. Got it, guys! Ghar ghar ki kahani. Story of every house. Yes, that's it." Ranbir finally came up with the correct answer.

Sahana nodded and made a face. Now it was the boys' turn to whoop in triumph. 

"Okay, okay, calm down everyone. Now it is boys' turn to show through gestures and girls' turn to guess the correct word or phrase. 

The boys decided among themselves and this Ranbir came forward with a smirk and eyes dancing with devilry. He was the one to choose the name of the movie and he had chosen it very carefully, knowing that Prachi was the only one who would be able to decipher it and then she would have to say it.

As he walked into the middle of the two opponent teams, he looked directly into the eyes of the girl of his dreams. Prachi frowned in confusion, seeing mischief in his eyes as she wondered what he was up to. She got her answer soon enough.

Ranbir pointed his thumb towards himself.

"Tum (you)" Sahana chirped excitedly.

Ranbir shook his head, chuckling.

"Not you, it's me. Main (me)" Prachi corrected Sahana.

Ranbir nodded with a smile. Then he made a heart shape with his fingers.

"Dil (heart)" Sahana guessed it correctly this time.

Ranbir smiled and nodded and then pointed towards Prachi.

"Main (me)? Oh, ok, I got it. Tum (You)." Prachi guessed correctly.

Ranbir nodded again and then he made a gesture of giving away something.

"Are you giving us alms or what?" An especially formidable looking girl glared at him.

Ranbir fisted his hand and hit his forehead with it in frustration as Prachi giggled.

"No. He meant giving something. Dena (To give)." Prachi clarified.

Ranbir nodded quickly and threw a weird glance at the girl who had spoken earlier. The girl grinned sheepishly.

"Main (I)...Dil (Heart)....Tum (You)....Dena (To give)....Uh...what can this be...oh...oh right...ok, I got it." Prachi declared triumphantly.

"If you know then tell what it is." Ranbir challenged, knowing very well that Prachi would never back out from a challenge.

"Simple. Maine Dil ...." Prachi instantly froze and looked at Ranbir, as soon as the words left her mouth.

Sahana looked at her in confusion, wondering why she stopped in the middle while Aryan was smiling knowingly at her. Ranbir's lips curved into an impish smile as he knew that this time Prachi could not back out even if she wanted to as the other girls wouldn't let her.

"Prachi, what happened? Complete it na. Why did you stop?" Roshni, one of Prachi's friends, ujrged.

"Ya, Prachi. Please say it if you know the answer. Otherwise we will lose to the boys. Please Prachi." Priya, a girl from another section, pleaded.

Soon, all the girls joined in and together they urged Prachi to finish what she was about to say.

"Okay. Okay, fine. Maine...Maine..." Prachi still stuttered making Ranbir grin.

"Prachi! Come on!" Sahana urged impatiently.

"Maine...Maine dil tujhko diya." Prachi glanced only once at Ranbir and then looked down with a shy smile. 

Ranbir beamed, ecstatic that though indirectly he had finally heard the words he wanted to hear from his dream girl. The rosy hue that tinted her cheeks provided the confirmation that he needed that the phrase she had just uttered was not just the name of a film to her too.

Sahana finally understood why Prachi was shying away from speaking out the name of the move. She turned to Prachi with a teasing smile and wiggled her brows. Prachi lightly pushed Sahana's head back with her fingers.

The evening passed in fun and frolics and soon it was time to have dinner and retire for the day. They called it a day and went to their respective tents.

Prachi, who had been twisting around in her bed for a while now, decided to go for a walk and get some fresh air, away from the polluted toxicity of the city air.

Unwilling to wake Sahana up, Prachi slinked out of the tent with her sandals in one hand and a shawl in the other. After coming out in the open, she put on the sandals and wrapped the shawl tightly around herself.

Feeling warmer, Prachi began to walk towards the iron railings bordering the grounds as a prevention measure against the steep abyss into which the ground ended.

As she reached the edge, Prachi placed her hands on the cold surface of the iron bars and stared thoughtfully into the unending darkness. She knew what she wanted and probably the time to confess it was drawing nearer too.

She was so lost in the emotional turmoil raging within her that she failed to hear the footsteps drawing nearer. Out of the blue, or so it seemed to Prachi, another pair of hands held the railing beside her.

The sudden intrusion in her solitude jerked her out of her musings and startled, Prachi turned towards the newcomer.

Who is this newcomer? Socho socho ;)

So, I am officially back with my cliffhangers. LOL

Hope you all like this part, buddies. Waiting eagerly for your feedbacks.