|PRIYANKA|

It's been a couple of days since we edited the final draft of the article, it was published yesterday. It was not easy to get the approval of Richa. It had to be one of the most exhausting things ever. But after making a few changes and a few almost tears from Rhea and me we got one somewhat satisfying nod from Richa after which we could breathe properly.

It was a moment of celebration for the entire team when the article went live. I had a great time celebrating the win with the team. The response to the article had been commendable. I was eager to know what Anurag thought, I wanted to text and ask him but I was annoyed with him. There was one text reply from him which said he was okay after the interview and nothing after that! It has been almost five days and that's all I get from him? I was annoyed.

I sighed and went back to editing the latest article that Rhea and I were working on. We had a light argument on some things but other than that everything was moving smoothly. It was still early Saturday morning. Although it was the weekend I was swamped with work.

I attended a meeting with my father a few days back along with Ram Uncle and Revathi Aunty. The meeting was intense. My father did not go easy on them, he grilled them, me, and a few people working on the project. But the good news was that we had received all the approvals and the construction would be starting within the next two months.

Komal Speciality Hospital was now going to be a reality. I liked the name, I felt that there was a purpose behind the name that Revathi Aunty and Ram Uncle chose but I was hesitant to ask, it was their choice, and if they wanted to share they would tell the story behind the name eventually.

I cracked my neck and placed my feet on the other chair. I attended a few meetings with my NGO team. I got caught up on the work and activities that have been going on. I was busy drafting an email when I heard a loud screech near my ear. I jerked and almost spilled my coffee.

I rolled my eyes when Nyra laughed loudly and walked towards the kitchen. I glared at her and threw a spoon in her direction, she dodged it and grabbed a glass of coffee for herself.

"Priyu! It's Saturday! Since what time have you been working?" I sighed and sent out the last email before shutting my laptop.

"I have been awake since 6:30." I groaned and grabbed my coffee mug from the dining table and placed it in the sink.

"Are you done with them? You are free in the evening right?" She asked and sat on the dining table and sipped on her coffee.

"Yes, I am free! But what is happening this evening?" I frowned and asked.

Nyra raised her brows and shook her head. "You forgot?" She nearly screamed. I scratched my head and racked my brain trying to remember.

"Ohh today is the party! It's Sana's birthday!" Nyra nodded, I exclaimed excitedly and poured myself and Nyra a bowl of cereal.

I passed the bowl to Nyra and sat opposite her on the dining table. "What are you gifting her?" I asked.

"Some killer art supplies!" Nyra exclaimed excitedly, I chuckled and rolled my eyes. Anyone could tell that Nyra's first love was everything related to art.

"That's great!" I said, I thought about what to gift her, art supplies were a good option but I'm sure she would already be getting that as a gift from the majority of her friends and family.

I decided to pick some books for her and also print out some pictures that Sana had insisted I click whenever she wore a cute outfit. I glanced at my phone to check if Anurag had texted but no such luck.

"By the way Priyu, I read your article and it was amazing!" I smiled and muttered a meek thank you. Nyra frowned for a second then she smirked tapping her spoon against the bowl.

"No text from Anurag yet?" I groaned and nodded.

"Do you think I should ask him? Will it be too much if I text him? Ughh! Tell me Nyra tell me!" I screamed while Nyra laughed loudly.

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the chair. Then, I let out a gush of breath. "Shut up Nyru! If you are not willing to help me make a decision then you do not get the right to laugh!" I crossed my arms against my chest and Nyra finally stopped laughing.

"He will text Priyu! Or better yet he might say something to you at the party today. Just be patient and calm." She said and stood up grabbing both out bowls to wash them.

I groaned and threw my head back. Nyra was right, and I had kind of forgotten that he would be there at the party today. Nyra washed the dishes while I was seated on the chair trying not to think about Anurag but I failed miserably. I sighed and drummed my fingers lightly against the table, thinking about all the moments that I had shared with Anurag so far. They were all special and most of them made me smile.

My phone vibrated snapping me out of my reverie, I immediately grabbed it and checked the messages. My heart stopped for a second when I swiped it open I let out a breath and my shoulders sagged slightly in disappointment. It was a text from Aarav.

"Hey, Red! The article was written splendidly! I must say I'm very impressed!"

I sighed and sent him a quick reply.

"Thank you, Aarav! I'm glad you liked it!" I bit my lips and contemplated if I should ask him what Anurag thought about it. What is the worst that could happen? Aarav would tease me more? He does that either way, I typed a quick text.

"What did Mister Grumpy think about it?"

I tapped my fingers and waited for his reply. My phone vibrated after a minute.

"Ahh straight to the point I see😂. I'm willing to give that information in exchange for a favor. Deal or no deal?"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled softly. Of course, he would not give the information easily.

"Ugh! Fine you will first tell me his reaction then I'll do you a favor! Deal?"

His reply came a few seconds later.

"Well played again Red! So his reaction was pretty much the same, picture his normal frowny face, and when I asked him what he thought he nodded and walked away."

I let out a frustrated breath. But then again I was not surprised with his reaction. Oh well, he better give me a proper answer today at the party. I'm not going to spare him until he does. I smirked at my plan.

My phone once again pinged.

"Now for the favor! Can you ask Nyra to wear something black? Please🥺."

I laughed at his request and typed out a quick reply.

"Why exactly should she wear black?"

I got a reply almost immediately which made me laugh.

"Umm because I'll be wearing black for once and not Anurag and I want to kind of match with Nyra."

I chuckled and shook my head. It was a silly request but a cute one. 

"Okay, Aarav 😂. See you in the evening!"

"See you in the evening Red!"

I locked my phone and stood up. I smiled at the prospect of talking to Anurag today and maybe even annoying him a bit okay not a bit but a lot. I rubbed my hands together and laughed like a maniac mentally.

The next few hours were spent shopping. I was happy with it as it was my favorite kind of shopping. I brought a few books for Sana and got them gift-packed. Then I got a few photos of her printed out and placed them in a cute album.

I almost threw a tantrum when Nyra dragged me shopping but didn't protest too much as she pointed out that she had endured my kind of shopping so I had to endure her kind of shopping. We shopped for a bit or more like an hour where I did nothing but whine but I managed to convince Nyra to buy a black top so I called it a win. After having lunch we finally went home where I was relieved and left alone to read for a few hours.

***

I sighed and fidgeted with my hair again and hissed when Nyra slapped my hand away. We walked towards the entrance of the Khatri residence. The garden looks more beautiful in the evening, especially with the fairy lights surrounding it.

"Stop touching that butterfly clip! You are ruining the braid and the style! They look fine!" I rolled my eyes in exasperation before casually ruffling my hair over my shoulders.

"Ugh fine! I didn't want to wear that stupid clip in the first place! It's irritating me!" I hissed back while she tightened the clip on my hair.

"Hey, it goes well with your purple top!" I rolled my eyes. I was dressed in a purple flowy short top paired with black jeans while Nyra was dressed in a beautiful black top that had netted sleeves paired with blue jeans. She looked beautiful, Aarav won't know what hit him.

I rang the doorbell and slapped away Nyra's hand when she fixed the clip again. Nyra hissed glaring at me. "Stop it! I don't care how it looks!"

"You owe me a book for enduring your stupid shopping spree!" Nyra gasped and was about to shout at me but the door opened and we were greeted by Revathi Aunty.

"Hello, girls! Come on in! You both look beautiful. Sana has been eagerly waiting for you two." We chuckled, she hugged us both and ushered us into the house.

I looked around and felt like I was transported back to my childhood. The entire living room was decked with colorful streamers, balloons, and a huge banner that read Happy Birthday Sana. A few of her friends had already arrived and they had all surrounded her. She looked happy and elated. We took a minute and wished her. She was happy and excited to see us. 

"Ahh to be a kid again." Nyra sighed beside me. I chuckled and nodded.

"I know right? Just be cute, make puppy eyes, get whatever you want, and frolic around." Nyra chuckled and pulled me to the other side. We placed our gifts on the side table.

"Hi there ladies!" We turned to find Aarav grinning widely at us. His eyes gleamed when he looked at Nyra, I raised my brows and smirked at him. I mouthed "You are welcome!" He rolled his eyes and passed us both two glasses of juice.

Revathi Aunty and Ram Uncle were busy attending to the guests. Nyra and Aarav began conversing while I frowned and looked around for Anurag. Where was he?

I sighed and gulped down my juice disappointed that he hadn't shown up yet. I wanted to ask Aarav where his brother was but I knew he wouldn't miss the opportunity to tease me more rather than giving me the information. So I pouted lightly and ate a piece of chocolate.

"I'll be back Priyu." I smiled and nodded while Aarav directed her towards the washroom.

I chuckled and sat on the chair as I watched Sana chat away with her friends. A couple of minutes later she noticed me and waved her hands. I waved back and blew her a kiss. She giggled and twirled then went back to talking to her friends.

"Anurag is currently out getting Sana's cake, just in case you were wondering about his whereabouts," Aarav said and tapped his fingers on the table. My heart slightly fluttered at the mention of Anurag's name but I maintained a neutral face.

"Thank you for the information. So kind of you but I was not thinking about him." He laughed and shook his head.

"I refuse to believe that," Aarav said, while I stuck my tongue out at him which made him laugh harder.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang. Nyra was conversing with Revathi Aunty. "Speaking of the devil," Aarav said and pointed his head behind me.

I turned to find Anurag walking towards the living room, he had a box of cake in one hand and was frowning as usual. I chuckled when he shook his head at the noise around. Sana ran towards him and hugged his waist, Anurag smiled slightly and ruffled her hair. The warm look on his face which was reserved only for a few people and showed up only on rare occasions sent my heart into an overdrive. 

I watched him shamelessly as Revathi Aunty walked towards them and spoke to him softly. He handed the box to her and nodded before pecking Sana's forehead lightly. He whispered something in her ear softly.

"Wow, this open ogling will not get you anywhere. Go and ask him out on a date Priyu!" I snapped out of my trance when Nyra whispered in my ear. She wiped my chin while I snapped her hand away.

"Just wiping off some drool." I glared at her while she chuckled.

"Shut up!" She only laughed harder. I decided to ignore her and turned back this time my eyes directly collided with Anurag's dark ones. I sucked in a breath at the sheer intensity of his stare. I waved my hand lightly while he frowned but gave me a curt nod before going back to conversing with Aarav. I sighed and glared at him. Stupid Giraffe, why couldn't he at least smile?

I decided to ignore him for the time being and focus on the party which had started. The cake was cut, after which Revathi Aunty and Ram Uncle engaged the kids in some games.

"Come on let's go!" Aarav said a few minutes later.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he began walking towards the stairs.

"This is a kiddie party Red! We are going to have our very own grown-up one at the terrace." He winked, Nyra chuckled and I rolled my eyes.

"I swear nothing wild. It was Mom's idea. Come on!"

I smiled and followed him up the stairs. I stopped for a second and looked at the photos on the wall. The same ones when I came here the last time. Nyra also smiled and admired the photos before we ascended the stairs and entered the terrace.

I sighed contently as I looked around, it was decorated with fairy lights, and the sky looked beautiful studded with stars. There was not much noise from the traffic here and it looked more magical.

I walked closer to the ledge and leaned against it. The wind blew, tousling my hair. I chuckled and tucked it behind my ear.

"Here you go." I turned to find Anurag handing me a glass of wine. My eyes widened slightly, I cleared my throat and grabbed the glass from him. I sipped quietly and thanked him.

"Hi, Anurag. Since you forgot to greet me like a normal person." I took another sip and it numbed the nervousness a bit.

"Hello, Priyanka. If I remember correctly friends don't have a set rules for greeting." I raised my brows as he smirked.

"Still think we are only friends?" I cursed internally after the question slipped out of my mouth. What is wrong with me? It took me so many days to be his friend. I don't want him to distance himself from me. I placed the glass on the ledge, I blame the stupid wine. I sipped too much way fast.

"What did you say?" Anurag asked and leaned a bit closer. I swallowed as I looked at him. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved t-shirt that stuck to his body and the wind blew slightly jostling his hair.

"Uhh, nothing. I just said that yes we are friends indeed." I mumbled and took another sip. This was going to be one long evening. Anurag narrowed his eyes at me, he heard what I had said but chose to ignore which is probably the best for now.

I looked around to see where Nyra and Aarav were but did not find them anywhere on the terrace.

"Aarav took her to give a tour of the house and also play some board games," Anurag said casually and sipped his drink his throat bobbed as he swallowed. He looked ethereal under the moonlight. I turned away when he looked at me.

"Truth or dare," I asked randomly. I wanted to talk to him and this was the only way that seemed fun but also doable. I turned to face him, I grinned when I saw a small smile making its way across his face.

"Truth." He answered and leaned sideways mirroring my stance.

"How was my article? I don't want a one-word answer. I expect at least a sentence." He shook his head but smiled slightly which caused my heart to leap.

"You are stubborn and smart." I chuckled.

"I know now answer," I shrugged casually and took another sip.

"The article was truly a splendid piece. I didn't know I could motivate so many people." I smiled at the warm look in his eyes.

"You are a great motivator!" He scoffed at that and didn't argue further.

"Truth or dare." He asked.

"Truth." I smiled.

"Who is your celebrity crush?" I burst into laughter at his question, finding it particularly unusual coming from him.

"That's your question?" Anurag frowned and nodded.

"I'm intrigued," I said and took another sip. My head was slightly buzzing and I was jittery but that was more because of Anurag's presence.

"Just answer the question." He muttered.

"Umm, I do admire Shawn Mendes," I answered and looked at him waiting for his reaction.

I chuckled when he frowned and shook his head. "That singer? What's so great about him? He is okay." Anurag muttered, I sort of felt he was jealous which is cute. I laughed harder while he glared at the sky.

"I dare you to say that to his fans! They make groups and hunt you down. He is amazing, down to earth, sweet, has a great voice and he is quite handsome." I rambled while Anurag kept shaking his head in disdain.

I heard him mutter something under his breath.

"Truth or dare." I chuckled.

"Truth." He answered.

"What's your favorite genre in songs?"

He tilted his head thinking. I raised my brows waiting for him to answer.

"I enjoy rap songs just as much as the other person but I would prefer the soothing ones over them any other day."

"That's interesting. I pegged you for the hard metal kind of music." Anurag scoffed while I laughed softly.

"I'm starting to realize that  Anurag is a softie by heart." I placed my hand over my chest, I chuckled when I saw him smiling softly.

"Wow, you are not even denying the fact." Anurag rolled his eyes.

"Your turn, truth or dare." I chose truth again. We conversed back and forth for a few minutes. Laughed at a few revelations well I laughed more loudly while he chuckled softly which warmed my heart further, if I thought I was thinking about him too much before I was definitely in deep shit now. Every moment with him felt memorable. He seemed relaxed and I was happy about that. He of all the people deserves to loosen up.

The next time he asked me to choose I chose a dare. It was getting kind of boring with all the truths.

"Dare," I said and Anurag smirked.

"I dare you to sing talking to the moon." I gasped while he chuckled softly. He was sneaky.

"No, I don't want to sing right now. Pick another dare!" Anurag smirked and chuckled.

"Fine then you are a loser." I rolled my eyes and gulped down the remaining of my second glass of wine.

"Ugh fine! I'll sing!"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I sang the first few verses of the song and opened my eyes to find Anurag staring at me intently. Once again, the wind blew, sending my hair cascading across my face.

My heart raced at the intensity of his gaze. I lifted my hand to tuck my hair behind but Anurag beat me to it. His fingertips grazed against my cheeks as he gathered the lock of hair and pushed it behind my ear. I cleared my throat, prompting him to shake his head before running his fingers through his hair.

His throat bobbed slightly as he turned and walked closer to me. He leaned closer. "That day at the pub who were you going to dedicate this song to?" He remembered and he's curious to know. I let out a shuddering breath and shook my head smiling at him.

"I think you are forgetting the sequence. It's my turn to ask." He sighed but let the question slide without an answer.

"Truth or Dare," I whispered and moved closer to him.

"Dare." He looked straight into my eyes and answered.

I closed the distance between us. I don't know what came over me but at that moment I wanted to kiss him and claim him as mine. The wine gave me the courage.

I swallowed, "Kiss me." I could hear the sharp breath that Anurag took.

His throat once again bobbed when he swallowed. I hesitated but when he did not move away I placed my hands on his chest and stood on my toes. He leaned forward and touched his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingled and his scent surrounded me as his arm slid over my waist steadying my stance. He was about to say something when I shook my head.

"Shh, don't overthink it," I whispered and placed my lips over his. My chest burst and my stomach swarmed with a thousand butterflies. His lips were soft. 

I pulled away after a few seconds. "This is your first kiss," I whispered, he hummed and leaned forward again waiting for my lead. My heart soared. I smiled and kissed him again. This time he followed my lead and kissed me back moving his lips with mine. My hand slid around his neck as I pulled him closer. He groaned and tightened his arms across my waist. His rough fingertips cupped my cheek. We moved our lips slowly and passionately. Heat spread across my body.

Time stood still, the only one that existed was Anurag. I pulled away and panted. "So glad that no one interrupted us." Anurag chuckled and brushed his thumb across my cheek.

"Can I flex now that I'm your first kiss?" I asked pulling him closer, his chest rumbled with laughter.

"Sure, only if you are willing to answer my previous question." I chuckled and kissed him softly again. I enjoyed this lighter version of him, without any inhibitions and barriers. He pulled away and tucked my hair behind my ear before tracing his finger over my bottom lip sending shivers down my body.

"The song was dedicated to you, Anurag," I whispered and looked at my hands that were on his chest.

He tilted my chin and smiled. "I am your crush?" I felt heat spread across my cheeks.

"Yes!" I whispered he chuckled and leaned forward to kiss me. We pulled away after a few brief seconds when we heard footsteps. We moved away from each other. Suddenly I felt cold without his warmth.

"Hey come on guys! Dinner is being served." Aarav called for us from the entrance.

Anurag was still looking at me intensely. "We will be there in two minutes," Anurag replied.

"We should go," Anurag uttered before closing his eyes, his hand rising to rub his face with his palms.

"Yeah, we should." I wanted to ask him about how he was feeling but I felt it was wise if I give him some space.

I cleared my throat and sighed. "I'll go downstairs." Anurag nodded and stared at the sky his hands were in fists.

I began walking towards the exit, I hoped that he would not push me away again. I can't lose him just when I got him. But did I get him for real? The question gnawed my insides like never before. 

************************************
A/N: Ahhh! Am I screaming? Yes yes I am! Hehe! They finally kissed! I'm floating I'm floating somewhere. I wanted to update way before but then it took me time to write. I'm working on making a better update schedule.

So what will happen now? Any guesses as to what's going on in Anurag's mind?

Readers who have been with me since living the life Viraj and Naina had their first kiss under the stars so did Meera and Veer and now Anurag and Priyanka join the club 😂

Well, you can say that I am obsessed with the terrace and everything happening there is mostly magical for me.

You guys are great at choosing songs for chapters so suggest a song for this chapter.

Hope you guys liked this chapter! If you did please do vote and comment! I would love to know what you guys think!

P.s. This is a long chapter! 4000 words! Enjoy!!!!