"Aditya hume....", she was mumbling in sleep when he took her inside the tent. He put her down gently and covered her with the blanket.

After he thought Zoya had slept, Aditya stood up to go but she caught his hand. "Kya jaa rahe h aap Aditya Hooda hume chod kr?", she asked in a drowsy voice.

"Mujhe laga tum.....kahin nahi. Tumhe kuch chahiye?", he asked her in a gentle tone.

She nodded her head with closed eyes. "Aap"

"Main?"

"Aap....aap hume yahan pr akela chod kr mat jaiye. Hume bahut darr lagta h", her voice was almost pleading.

He looked her with concern & surprise. She was expressing her feelings for first time. He felt something move inside his chest. He never knew this side of hers.

He held her hand & spoke in firm voice. "Zoya tumne kise se darr ne ki zaroorat nhi h. Main yahin pr hu, tumhare paas"

Zoya started crying. "Aap ko pata h jb se hamara Nikaah hua h, hum bahut akele pad gaye h. Hum apne dil ki baat kisi se nhi keh skte. Sb humse naraaz ho jate h. Koi humse pyaar nhi krta"

After spilling out her heart to him, she sobbed hard holding his hand. And for the first time he got to know about the pain she had in her heart. How come he never know that she was so vulnerable? He scared from thinking since how long she had been hiding her pain.

"Meri taraf dekho", cupping her face he  softlt asked to open her eyes. She forced her eyelids to part slowly. His face was appearing all blur to her and so did his words.

"Kabhi yeh mat sochna ki tum akeli ho. Main humesha tumhare saath hu. Tum jo chaho mujh se keh skti ho"

He didn't know when his eyes started wetting too, as if he could feel her pain. She watched him as if he was her angel. He wanted to protect her for ever.

"Aur tumne yeh kaise soch lia koi tumse pyaar nhi krta haan?" he questioned her in an emotional tone, removing her hair which was falling on her eyes. She held his collar for support while struggling to keep her eyes open.

He wiped her tears with his thumb and they kept falling, "Zoya main tumse....". His confession was cut short by her lips as she pulled him down and her mouth told him the unsaid. Her arms wrapped around his neck while her wet lips tried to find their place inside his mouth. He let her slip her tongue inside his mouth and moaned feeling the wetness of her lips. He bit her lower lip hard when she licked his insides. His hands slowly slid below her waist & he rolled beside her.

~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning was beautiful, both outside and inside their tent. He stared into her beautiful ocean blue eyes. She had a shy smile on her face. It had been whole night since they were playing the staring game. He didn't blink once. And she had no idea what was so fascinating about him that was pushing her to him. It felt like she was seeing him first time. There was some purity in his eyes.

"Aditya"

"Hmmm?"

"Subah ho gayi h"

She whispered but neither of them gave up.

"Meri subah to bahut pehle hi ho gayi h Zoya"

Not breaking the eye contact with her, he lifted her arms to his lips & kissed them softly. As he did that, tears broke in Zoya's eyes and she looked down.

Aditya lifted her chin and asked, "Kya hua?"

She denied by her head. "Kuch nhi. Aap nahi jante aap kitne achche h Aditya"

Aditya held her waist by his other hand and pulled her over him. "Aisi baat hai kya?", he asked with a naughty smile.

Balancing herself on top of his chest by her elbows, she replied by blinking her eyes twice & then looked down shying.

"Iss achchai ke liye ek reward to milna hi chahiye", she watched his lips move. He then shifted her haira to one side & lifted his head a little from the ground. Zoya closed her eyes in anticipation as he brought her face closer.

"Aaj tumhara koi bahana nahi chalega"

"Jaan please ek baar meri baat sunn lo"

A faint shouting noise from outside the tent broke in the ears. Zoya opened her eyes and looked at Aditya who dropped his head down to the floor after both of them recognised the voices.

"Siddharth, aaj tum mujhse nahi bach skte. Chahe jo ho jaye"

Roshni was running after Siddharth in anger while he was moving away from her. Vatsal-Ishita-Ayaan were watching in a corner and laughing over the two.

"Zoya please bachao mujhe...", Sid ran & hid behind Zoya.

"Arre pr hua kya h? Aap dono aise kyun lad rahe h?", she asked while he ducked behind her.

"Kuch nahi yaar. Maine kl thodi zyaada kya peeli...."

"Thodi zyaada?" Roshni shouted at him "Aur peene ke baad jo kiya woh?....", she tried to catch him but he used Zoya as a shield to protect him.

"Roshni, baby meri baat to suno. Maine Saasu-Mom se kuch nahi kaha yaar....", he ducked the beer bottle she threw on him. It was the same bottle he had last night before he called Roshni's mom & invited this storm for himself.

"Zoya, tum please beech me se hatt jao", Roshni warned Zoya who was getting sandwiched between the two of them to step aside while Roshni was constantly trying aiming her husband who had hid behind Zoya.

"Zoya tum meri friend ho. Hattna mt....", Sid stepped backwards holding Zoya as his cover.

Zoya got irritated and screamed loudly. "Yaa Allah! Kaise bachcho ki tarah lad rahe h aap dono. Aur aap teeno wahan khade ho kr kya hans rahe h?", she said scolding all of them. For a minute, the fighting couple stopped and all of them looked at her.

She stepped aside between Sid-Roshni and stared angrily to all of them. "Kya ho gya h aap sb ko? Jb se aaye h tb se ek dusre se bas lade jaa rahe h. Agar aisi hi behave krna h, to hume yahan nhi rehna h. Hum jaa rahe h. Chaliye Aditya"

She held Aditya's hand & began leaving the place. Just as Zoya turned to go, she stopped as she felt something unusual. It was strangely quiet. She turned back and found her friends laughing. Roshni wrapped in Sid's arms was smiling.

"Aap sb hans kyu..", it took her a second to realize that she was fooled.

All 6 of them starting laughing openly. Zoya gawked at them with open mouth. "Isska mtlb yeh sb.....Ya Allah hum kitne bevkoof h", she cursed her stupidity.

"Sweetheart, it was just a prank. You are actually right. Hum jb se aaye, tb se sirf lad jaa rahe the. Then it was Ayaan who suggested this & for the first time I had to agree with him. It was so much fun", Roshni told her.

"How was the prank baby doll?", Ayaan mocked her & hi-fived Roshni.

Zoya turned to Aditya who surprisingly was smiling too. She felt cheated by all. "Aditya aap bhi jante the na?", she was shocked to know that.

"Zoya actually woh...."

"Rehne dijiye hume kuch nahi sunn na. Hume kisi se baat hi nahi krni", she left the place feeling upset after the scene.

"Yaar yeh to sach mein bura maan gayi. Bachpan me bhi aise hi gussa hoti thi", Sid said recalling the time when Zoya used to got angry whenever Ayaan & he used to play pranks on her during their childhood.

Aditya was going after her when Ayaan stepped ahead to go. "Main lata hu usse mana kr", he spoke and went after Zoya. Aditya stayed at his place and watched him going.

"Don't worry Aditya. Zoya maan jaegi. Ayaan jo gaya h manane", Ishita assured him with a friendly smile.

"Yeah I am sure", he smiled back dimly & lowered his eyes to hide the hurt look in them.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Uhmmm hmmm", he coughed to make her know about his presence.

Zoya was standing at a distance folding her hands and watching the mountains. She looked once at him and then turned back.

"Ab kyun aaye h yahan? Hume aapse koi baat nahi krni",

Ayaan coughed again. "Lgta h koi bahut naraaz h"

"Kyun na ho? Humara mazaak banane ka idea aapka tha?", she asked without looking back.

He took a step near her. "Ummmm haan mera idea tha. Pr mujhe laga ki tum....."

He stopped speaking when she started laughing.

"What? Zoya??", he looked at her back confused.

Zoya turned around laughing madly at him. "Look at you", she pointed his face.

"Really?", he looked at her laughing. She had double-crossed his prank.

Zoya held her stomach while trying to controlling her laughter. "Kyun mazaak sirf aap hi kr skte h?"

Watching her laughing Ayaan broke in a laughter too. And that was how Aditya & other 4 found them. "Kaha tha na yeh dono ek dusre se door to reh skte h pr naraaz nahi reh skte", Ishita interjected.

Aditya felt a pang of jealousy watching her laugh so freely with Ayaan. He had felt bad earlier when Ayaan asked him to stay because Aditya himself wanted to go after Zoya.

"Aap sb ko kya lga sirf aap sb hi hamare saath prank kr skte h. Hum nahi?", she asked when she spotted them standing there.

"Maan na padega Zoya. Yeh full power jawaab tha iss idiot ke plan ka", Sid said praising her as he walked near the two.

"Issi baat pe 3 idiots ki ek photo to banti h. What say?", Vatsal asked.

"Haan haan bilkul. After all hum 3 best friends kitne saal baad unite hue h. Yeh moment to hume capture krna chahiye", Sid smiled agreeing to the idea.

Ayaan, Zoya, Sid stood together to click for the camera. Vatsal asked them to say cheese and the 3 of them smiled. Aditya smiled watching Zoya happy. Then she got busy posing for more & more clicks their photographer Vatsal was asking them.

After a while, he started feeling lonely. "Guys excuse me. Mujhe ek call krna h", Aditya left saying that. But his awkward leaving didn't go unnoticed by Zoya!

~~~~~~~~~~

"So game kuch aisa h ki aap sb ko ek-ek paper dia jaega jis pr khade ho k aap ko krna hoga couple dance. Aur har round ke baad ek couple ho jaega out"

Vatsal announced the game at the Night Party where everyone had gathered for a fun time after the dinner.

"Hoga kuch yeh jaise jaise rounds aage badhenge, waise waise hum uss paper ko fold krte jayenge. Last me jo couple rahega, woh iss game ka winner hoga. Aur uss winning couple ko sb ke saame apne real partners ko krna hoga KISS", everyone started clapping and cheering as he announced the rules of the game.

"BUT there is a little twist in the game. Aap sb ke partners change honge. AND you don't get to choose your partners", the young couples hooted at the change which was both thrilling and chilling. Everybody started wondering who they will get as their partner. The chits were taken out & the dancing partners were alloted for the night.

**********

Happy New Year!

First update in 2021!

Feel good to surpass 2020!

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