Sana went inside her home with the trophy. She went straight to the kitchen and hugged her mother from behind.

Parminder Ji noticed the trophy and asked excitly, "Yeh trophy tujhe project ke liye mili hai nah?"

Sana nodded.

Parminder Ji became very happy and said, "Paata tha mujhe ki tu hi jeetegi."

"Accha main Papa ko dikha ke aati hoon." Sana said and went to her father.

Her father, Santokh Ji was sitting on the sofa and talking on phone. He was discussing about some case.

"Papa dekho nah mujhe kya mila hai....."

Sana suddenly stopped after Santokh Ji indicated her to stay quiet.

"Jab dekho phone pe baat karte rehte hai." Sana said in her mind.

"Papa abhi rakho na." Sana said in a slow voice.

Santokh Ji continued talking on phone. But Sana kept insisting him to cut the call.

"Accha thik hai main aap se baad mein baat karta hoon." Santokh Ji said finally and cut the call.

Sana immediately snatched away the mobile from his hand.

"Important call tha Puttar. Case ke baare mein discuss kar raha tha." Santokh Ji said.

"Case ke baare mein baad mein baat karna. Filhaal yeh dekho." Sana said sitting beside him and showed him the trophy.

"Trophy kis liye?" Santokh Ji asked.

"School mein humein best science project ka award mila hai." Sana said.

"Yeh kaunsi nayi baat hai? Meri Sana toh har chiz mein best hai. Aur kyu na ho? Itni mehnat jo karti hai."

"Waise yeh trophy mere akele ke mehnat se nahi aayi hai. Mere doston ne bhi bohut mehnat ki hai."

"Phir toh acchi baat hai. Waise ek baat baata, saamne tere exams aa rahe hai nah?"

"Ji Papa."

"Iss baar bhi tujhe hi top karna hai. Okay?"

"Definitely karungi."

Santokh Ji put his hand on Sana's head and Sana smiled. After that she stood and left from there.

She was going to her room. Suddenly Parminder Ji hold her hand and said in a slow voice, "Sun, Papa ki baaton ka pressure lene ki zaroorat nahi hai. Tu bas apna best dena. Baaki jo hoga dekha jaayega."

Sana smiled and said, "Papa mujhe pressure nahi de rahe. Yeh toh unki umeed hai ki main har baar ki tarah iss baar bhi top karungi. Aur main zaroor karungi."

Parminder Ji smiled.

Later the night...

Sana looked at her phone and said in her mind, "Hadh hai. Ek toh school se bina baataye na jaane kaha chala gaya, aur upar se call kar ke pucha bhi nahi ki main safely ghar pohuchi yaa nahi."

Suddenly her phone started ringing. It was Sid who called her.

"Ajeeb hai! Iss Mr. Problem ko mere dil ki baat sunai deti hai kya?" Sana said in her mind and received the call.

"Hel....." Sana coughed and said in a serious tone, "Hello!"

"Tu thik se ghar pohuchi?" Sid asked.

"Nahi abhi tak sadko par ghum rahi hoon."

"Kyu mazak kar rahi hai? Seedhe seedhe jawab de naa"

"Jaisa sawal tune pucha hai uska waisa hi jawab milega."

"Aise kyu baat kar rahi hai?"

"Toh kya arti utaru teri? Ek toh mujhe school pe akela chhor diya upar se ab jaake fursat mili hai mujhe call karne ki."

Sid understood that her mood was off.

"Gussa hai mere se? Sorry na meri jaan." He said.

Sana melt hearing 'Meri Jaan'.

"It's ok. Iss baar maaf kiya. Waise Asim ko bhejne ki zaroorat nahi thi. Main akele bhi ghar aa sakti thi." She said.

"Aur jaise ki main tujhe aane deta. Agar Asim nahi hota toh main khud hi tujhe drop kar deta. Chahe kitna bhi kaam kyu na ho."

"Sid main koi chhoti bacchi nahi hoon jo akele ghar bhi nahi jaa sakti. Waise achanak se aisa kaunsa kaam aa gaya tha jo tujhe yun suddenly jaana pada?"

"Woh.....tha kuch..... Personal kaam......"

Sid couldn't find words.

"Accha sun, abhi bye ok. Main bohut tired hoon." Sid said to avoid the topic.

"Yeah bye." Sana said.

Sid cut the call and hold his head.

"Mujhe bilkool accha nahi lag raha Sana se jhut bolte hue. Lekin karu bhi toh kya karu? I can't tell her about Rashmi. Usse yeh sun kar accha nahi lagega ki maine Rashmi ko jalane ke liye uska use kiya. Sayad yeh jaan ne ke baad woh mujhse dosti hi tod de jo ki main bilkool nahi chahta. Lekin kabhi na kabhi toh usse paata chalna hi hai. Waise main yeh sab kar bhi kyu raha hoon? Aaj pehli baar Rashmi ke saath main walk par gaya, usne acche se mere saath baat ki. Lekin mujhe kuch feel kyu nahi ho raha? Accha kyu nahi lag raha? Sayad yeh first time hai iss hi liye mujhe aisa lag raha hai. God knows aage kya hoga." Sid said in his mind.

On the other hand, Sid's behaviour bothered Sana.

"Usne iss topic ko avoid kyu kiya? Aisa kaunsa kaam tha jo woh baata nahi paa raha? Kahi woh phir se Rashmi ke paas toh......"

Sana hit her own head.

"Main bhi nah. Mujh par na Shivangi ka bhoot chadh gaya hai. Iss liye zyada soch rahi hoon. Aa gaya hoga koi personal kaam. I should stop thinking about this. Abhi mujhe studies pe focus karna chahiye. Exams bhi toh aa rahe hai." Sana said in her mind.

Then she started studying.
_______________________________________

Next Day In The School....

After entering the school, Sid started looking for Sana. He was dying to talk to her. Inside he was feeling guilty as he couldn't drop her home.

"Class suru hone se pehle mujhe Sana se baat karni hogi. Usne mujhe maaf toh kar diya lekin paata nahi itna bura kyu lag raha hai. Aisa hi toh plan kiya tha maine. Lekin mujhe kya paata tha, Ms. Solution se itni attachment ho jaayegi. Jo bhi ho, jab tak main uss se ek baar baat nahi kar leta mujhe shaanti nahi milegi." Sid said in her mind.

He again started looking for Sana but suddenly Asim came.

"Isse bhi abhi aana tha?" Sid said in his mind.

"What's up Bro? Kaal Rashmi ke saath ghum ke aane ke baad koi baat hi nahi ki tune. That's not fair." Asim said.

"Woh main tired tha." Sid said being unmindful.

"Koi baat nahi, ab baata de. Kya hua kaal?"

"Kuch khas nahi."

"Dekh tujhe nahi baata na hai then it's ok. Lekin ek chiz toh maan ni padegi, mera plan finally kaam kar gaya. You should thank ne."

Asim kept talking.

On the other hand, Sana was going to her class. Suddenly she bumped into Ayush and her books fell on the floor.

"Oh I'm really sorry." Ayush said.

"It's not your fault. Actually main hi thodi zaldi mein thi." Sana said and bend to pick her books.

But Ayush stopped her and said, "Main kar deta hoon."

Ayush picked up Sana's books and gave them to Sana.

Sana smiled and said, "Thank you."

Ayush also smiled.

The whole scene got noticed by Sid. His blood boiled seeing them.

"Waise mujhe paata tha yeh plan kaam karega. Kyu ki insaan humesha uske liye possessive ho jaata hai jis se
woh pyaar karta hai. Aur agar apne pyaar ko woh kisi aur ke saath dekhle toh usse jealous feel hota hai. Aur tab jaa ke usse pyaar ka realisation hota hai." Asim said but Sid didn't pay any attention to him. His eyes got fixed at Sana and Ayush.

He clenched his fist and jaw to control his anger.

"Iss Ayush ke paas aur koi kaam nahi hai? Jab dekho meri Sana ke paas chala aata hai. Wait! Meri Sana? Whatever, isse toh abhi baata ta hoon....." Sid said in his mind and went to them.

"Tere aur Rashmi ke case mein bhi yeh hi hua hai....."

Asim suddenly stopped after he looked beside and couldn't find Sid.

"Yeh Sid kaha chala gaya?" Asim asked himself.

Meanwhile, Ayush left from there before Sid reached. Sana was standing there alone. Sid grabbed Sana's hand tightly and took her to a corner.

"Sid, what are you doing? Mujhe class mein jaana hai." Sana said.

Sid left her hand and said, "Tu phir se Ayush ke saath baat kar rahi thi? Maana kiya tha nah maine tujhe."

"Sid main baat nahi kar rahi thi. Woh galti se meri books neeche gir gayi thi. Ayush ne mujhe utha ke diya, that's it."

"Seriously? That's it? Aur jo smiling viling chal rahi thi, aankhon aankhon mein baatein ho rahi thi uska kya?"

"Aankhon aankhon mein baatein? Tu pagal ho gaya hai kya? Kuch bhi bole jaa raha hai."

"Dekh Sana, mujhe nahi paata tumhare bich kya chal raha hai aur mujhe koi interest bhi nahi hai. Main bas itna nahi chahta ki meri friend mere dushman se baat kare."

Sana thought for sometime and said, "Tu sach mein nahi chahta ki main Ayush se baat karu?"

"Bilkool nahi chahta." Sid said.

"Listen, main class ki topper hoon aur Ayush second topper hai. Ab topper aur second topper ke bich mein baatein toh hogi hi, chahe woh study related hi kyu na ho. Lekin agar tu chahta hai ki main Ayush se baat na karu, then tu usse padhai mein beat kar de."

"What?" Sid asked being shocked.

"Main Ayush ko padhai mein beat karu? Tu pagal hai? Ayush ko beat karna matlab class mein second aana. Yeh kabhi nahi ho sakta."

"Kyu nahi ho sakta? Tu toh humare project ka presentation dene se pehle bhi yeh hi keh raha tha. Lekin agar woh ho gaya toh yeh kyu nahi ho sakta?"

"Kaise hoga? Main kabhi last se bhi second nahi aaya hoon. Aur tu class mein second aane ko bol rahi hai. It's impossible."

"I knew it. Mujhe paata tha tu yeh nahi kar paayega. Isliye maine yeh shart rakha. Ab main jab chahe Ayush se baat kar sakti hoon. Kyu ki tu toh kabhi usse beat kar hi nahi paayega. Accha hi hai." Sana said and started leaving.

Sana's word irked Sid.

"Are you challenging me indirectly?" Sid asked.

Sana stopped and looked at him.

"Yes I am." Sana said.

Sid went near her and said, "Then challenge accepted. Waada karta hoon, aane wale exam mein main Ayush ko beat kar ke rahunga."

Sana gave a sarcastic smile and said, "Tu yeh challenge haar jaayega."

"Sidharth Shukla aaj tak kabhi koi challenge nahi haara hai. But you have to make a promise as well. If I win the challenge, you will never talk to Ayush."

"Promise!" Sana said and left from there. While leaving Sana smiled in her mind.
_______________________________________

Who will win the challenge?

Sid or Sana?

Stay tuned.

Also vote if you liked this chapter.