Some of them had gathered around the camp fire while others were setting up the tent. The negative temperatures had taken toll on them since their very first night in the snowy mountains. After trekking for the whole day, the fire was a relief on their cold feets. Aditya was sitting near the fire watching Zoya who was helping Ishita pack leftover food in foils.

"Sid you guys need blanket?", he heard a voice nearby asked. But his eyes didn't leave Zoya even for a second to see who the person was.

It was their second night in Shimla, and things were never better between them. Though they were sleeping in separate tents, he was already missing her. It was actually Vatsal's idea to divide the tents between the boys and the girls, so that it would be easy to organize. Although his tent was right opposite hers. She smiled at him whenever her eyes catches his & he couldn't stop himself from blushing. He once again blushed at the thought.

"Thanks but I don't think we need it", Sid replied Ayaan who stood with a pile of blankets in his hands and wrapped his arms cosily around his wife.

"Sure?", he asked staring at Roshni.

"Very sure", she replied with a smirk.

"As you wish Bhabhiji", Ayaan smiled and moved to ask others.

"Wait.....what did you just call me?", she realized after a second.

Aditya turned his head away from Zoya only when he heard Roshni shouting at Ayaan.

"Oye main tumse baat kr rahi hu", she yelled at his back when he didn't reply.

"Aap gussa kyun ho rahi h Bhabhiji?", he looked at her innocently.

"STOP calling me THAT!", she snapped.

"As you wish Bhabhiji", he grinned that irritated her further. She scoffed at him.

"Roshni, it's ok darling. He's just joking. Cool down Jaan", Sid persuaded her.

Ayaan winked Aditya who was quietly watching the scene. He turned his back to her and handed a blanket to Aditya. And this was it to for her short-temper.

"Smjhte kya ho tum apne aap ko, haan?", she turned him around by his shoulder.

Ishita & Zoya who were just done with the packing of food joined the group of watchers. They looked at each other not knowing what just happened there.

"Come on guys, let it go. Tum dono jb se yahan pr aaye ho tb se lad rahe ho. Baby, you come with me", Siddharth stepped in between Ayaan-Roshni putting a stop to their about-to-happen-fight scene.

"What is happening here guys?", Vatsal joined them too.

"Nothing, tumhara yeh friend khud ko kuch zyaada hi smart smjhta h. Loser!", she commented while Sid dragged her.

Ayaan coughed loudly, "Excuse me?".

"Excused. Loser!"

He heard her shout without looking as sighed in disbelief.

"My Angry Bhabhiji!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"I love you Sahir.......I love you so much", the lovely voice was saying. He smiled. He wanted to tell her that he too cannot live without her. He wanted to embrace her in his arms. But she seemed far.

"I love you too Zoya", his voice echoed. He walked a few steps towards her. But their distance was only increasing. She was crying. He noticed someone pulling her away from behind. Perhaps her evil Abbu, he thought.

He walked faster in order to catch her. He wasn't going to let anyone take her away from him. But he didn't know why he felt weak, as if someone didn't want him to reach her.

He heard a voice, as if someone else was there too. He saw her standing with her back at him. Soon an unfamiliar face came into the view. He was a man.

"I love you", the unknown man spoke. She smiled at him and both hugged.

His heart broke into millions of pieces seeing his love in someone else's arms. Tears dropped from his eyes and he fell on his knees. He raised his hand in the air, as if to touch her. But his body had already given up. And so did his eyes.

When his eyes opened again, there was nothing. He felt nothing. There was no pain, no emotions. His brain felt numb. He laid lifelessly on the bed staring the ceiling above him. He wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or if he was already dead. Only when after a minute he felt something wet on his cheeks, he knew that his fears were nothing but real. His soul was still trapped inside his body & his heart......it was still beating.

There was complete silence in the room except for the clicking of the iron chain which he was tied to. He tried pulling it as if he could break the heavy metal. He pressed his teeth hard on the cloth that was stuffed in his mouth. He wanted to scream at the top of his voice as if that only could free him from his pain.

It was the same room where he was tortured to death few days back. Now he has only a faint memory of it. The shock has had its effect on his brain. Because he remembered only murmuring of the background voices that sounded happy as they charged his body with thousand volts of electric shock while he cried in pain. He pleaded them all, begging for mercy. But they were enjoying his pain. He was losing his consciousness bit by bit, drowning in dark. But the laughing never stopped. And he swore to shut the voices that mocked him forever.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Aap ko malum h na Roshni ko mazaak pasand nahi h. Fir kyun tang krte rehte h unhe?", finding her old friend sitting alone in the chilling weather of Shimla with nothing but a bottle of Beer, Zoya joined him.

"Kyunki ab tumhe to pareshaan kr nahi skta naa", Ayaan said taking a sip from his bottle.

"Kyu? Hum koi alien h kya?", she asked taking interest in the talks.

"Mmmmm pata nahi", he shrugged "pr badal gayi ho", he told staring her while she wrapped her arms around herself shivering from cold.

"Badal to aap bhi gye h", Zoya confessed observing him from top to down.

"I know......pehle se zyaada handsome jo ho gaya hu", he whispered in her ear.

"Aur pehle se zyaada besharam bhi", she said agreeing.

"Dekha humne kaise aap unn foreigners ke saath flirt kr rahe the", she smiled in a knowing manner settling his doubts.

"Woh to sirf mera warm up session tha", he saying when she snatched the bottle from him & gulped it in a sip. He looked at her unsurprised. Her throat burnt as alcohol touched her system after a long time.

"How is it?", he asked after she finished half the bottle.

She burped in response. 

"Pasand aayi naa?", he asked taking the bottle away from her hand.

Zoya smiled sheepishly & then slid her arm inside his. She put her head on his shoulder just like old times when they were kids.

"Shaadi kyun nahi ki Janab ne ab tk?", she asked after a moment of silence.

He shook his head. "Kaise krta? Tu chali gyi thi mujhe chod kr", he said pressing his warm hand over cold ones.

"Achcha to issme hamari glti h?", she put her finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"Obviously ab...."

"Idiots main kb se dhundh raha hu aur tum dono yahan baithe ho", suddenly an angry voice came from their behind.

"Tum dono ko kya laga? Mujhe pata nhi chalega", he said & smashed the empty bottle dramatically on the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~

He had checked both washroom & tent twice. But he didn't find her there. She was with him few minutes back before he went to take a call. Roshni-Ishita had retired an hour back to their tent, tired from all the day's trekking. And now he doesn't know whom to ask.

"Adi? Kise dhundh raha h?", Vatsal who was returning to his tent stopped seeing him standing confused.

"Tumne Zoya ko dekha? Abhi thodi der pehle main yahin chod kr gaya tha. Pata nahi kahan chali gayi ab", he expressed his concern.

"Usska tent check kia? Ishita ya Roshni ke saath hogi", he suggested.

"Maine sb jagah check dekha. Woh kisi ke saath nahi h".

"Really? Main bhi itni der se Ayaan aur Sid ko dhoondh raha hu. Yeh teeno gaye kahan pr honge", Vatsal said pondering over something.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Saale Ayaan tu best friend ke naam pr dhabba h. Yahan aa k meri help krne ke bajai wahan khade ho kr maze se sharab pii raha h", Siddharth cursed his bestie and patted Zoya's back.

"Bhai maine bola tha na 10 saal baad bhi madam ka haal yahi hi hoga. Dekh meri bhavishya vaani fir se sahi saabit hui h", raising the small bottle in the air Ayaan claimed as Zoya puked on the ground.

"Allah ke waste chup ho jaiye aap dono. Aapko dono ko mazaak sujh raha h, aur hum yahan.....", Zoya spit out the last of the alcohol left in her system while her two best friends keep bickering on each other.

"Aur 10 saal baad bhi tum log nhi badle. 3 Idiots!", a voice said with a frown.

The trio stopped fighting for a moment hearing the title they were called with which once used to be their pride back in the school days. Vatsal came into the view with a HELLO-IDIOTS look on his face and on his left was standing Aditya rather shocked with the scene in front of him.

"Adi maine kaha tha na kuch to gadbad h. Yeh teeno hamesha saath me hi gayab hote the humate school me bhi", Vatsal told with a grim. While Aditya who was horrified seeing her in that state ran & kneeled down beside his wife who was lying on the ground in pain holding her stomach.

"Aditya aap bhi aaye h?", Zoya smiled as soon as she saw him and tilted her head dreamily. Clearly, there was still some alcohol left in her.

"Zoya tum yahan pr kya kr rahi ho? Aur yeh kya piya h tumne?", he asked as he  get her whiff.

She shook her head like a scared kid. "Hum ne kuch nahi kia. Yeh inn dono ne hume pilayi", she blamed pointing at Sid-Ayaan and started crying hiding her face in his jacket.

"Kya pilaya h tum dono ne isse?", Aditya inquired like a strict teacher.

Both of them hid the Beer bottle behind their back. "Kuch bhi nahi pilaya hum ne. Right Sid?", Ayaan who himself was drunk shuddered with the look Aditya gave them.

"To Zoya jhooth keh rahi h?", he looked them in disbelief. He held back Zoya's hair as she spitted more. He rubbed her back watching both Sid and Ayaan as if they were culprits.

He got up and looked at her, "Come on. It's time to sleep now. Lets go".

But she was not done yet. "NO! Aditya pehle aap humari baat suniye. Hum aap se kuch kehna chahte h", she protested.

"Mujhe abhi kuch nahi sunn na h. Tum ne bahut manmaani kr li apni. Ab chup chaap chalo mere saath", he scolded her too & grabbed her hand.

Zoya had realised from his tone that he was angry on her too. She slowly looked to her left & then to her right, expecting some kind of help from her friends who were watching silently. Then she looked at her angry husband and placed finger on her lips like an obedient kid.

"OKAY", she made an effort to stand but fell on the ground & fainted.

Aditya slid his hand behind her waist & lifted her in his arms. With a look to all the boys, he left the place with sleeping Zoya.

**********

To kaise h aap sb? Are we ready to enter 2021? Just 2 more weeks left and I have already taken my New Year Resolutions. Have you taken yours?

My story and I have completed an year on Wattpad. Feels like I started writing yesterday only.

Can't wait to see y'all on that side of the time ;)