The following day, the clique reached Napa Valley by noon. Nestled between gigantic mountain ranges sits the valley where some of the world's finest wine is produced. The group decided to go on some of the famous tours and try out the liquor the wineries had to offer. A town known for its high-end Michelin-star restaurants, there was no shortage of grandiose.

They walked around the different vineyards and wineries, apprehending the science behind wine production. They got to know about the delicate nuances behind oak barrel wine and stainless steel wine, and the tasting session was quite a new experience for them. The most attractive bit of their day was when they got to sip it while riding a hot air balloon over the valley. Admiring the deep gorges below, the high mountains on the sides, and the clear blue sky above, they clicked as many pictures as they could, creating memories forever.

As the winds blew a bit too hard at 1500 ft above sea level in a hot air balloon, Nandini's hair flew all over her face. Bringing the glass of wine to her lips, swirling the content, sniffing at it, and then gulping down the contents, she was quite enjoying the ride. But her hair was creating trouble for her, and she found it irritating to tuck it behind her ears repeatedly. Huffing each time the strands of her unruly hair tickled her cheeks, she cast the glass aside, placed it on a nearby table, and unzipped her sling bag to take her hairband out. Pulling her curly hair neatly into a bun, she tied the band around it. With a satisfied smile on her face, she again took her wine glass and resumed admiring the view below.

A few moments later, she felt something tug at her hair, after which her locks cascaded down, rippling against the wind once again. She glimpsed around, trying to see if someone had done that to her. Shubham was standing on one side with a child-like exuberance shining in his enticing orbs while Rishi was on her other side, grinning at the enigmatic views below.

She poked Shubham's shoulders. "Did you take my hairband?"

He furrowed his brows, shaking his head.

She smiled wide. "Enjoy the natural beauty."

He giggled, his gaze going back to the green mountains below.

Taking a deep breath, she took the last hairband she was left with from her bag, her gaze momentarily landing on Aditya standing next to Rishi. She saw the slight smirk on his face and could tell he was up to some nonsense, but she was too busy marveling at nature. Tying her hair into a ponytail, she scooted closer to Shubham.

However, moments later, her tresses were uncaged once again, and she knew what that smirk on the devil's face was all about.

Striding towards him, she tapped on his shoulders and placed her hands on her hips, scowling. "Brute! Devil! Stop doing it."

He tapped his fingers on his lips, noticing the way the rest of the clique was glancing at them in order to discern the source of the sudden screeching. "What am I doing, Nandini?"

She glared at the innocent expressions he had adorned. "You pulled my hairband out of my hair. Twice!"

"Adi!" Piyali smacked her boyfriend's back. "Why would you annoy the poor girl to this extent?"

"Me?" Aditya snorted. "From her hair?" He rolled his eyes. "You have got to be kidding me! I don't want to touch that bird's nest on her head."

All the girls in the group gasped, and Akanksha charged up to him, pointing her finger at him, glowering hard. "Our hair is our pride, and you don't comment insolently. Alright?"

"Jackass!" Nandini hollered, watching Aditya guffaw without a care in the world. She let her gaze sweep around the balloon. All the boys were indeed sniggering while the girls had their arms crossed across their chests, scowling. "I tell you, girls. Aditya is a complete asshat. Piyali!" she shrieked. "How do you even live with this guy?"

Piyali twisted her lips. "It's a humongous task, Nandini. Never appreciative. Never brings me gifts. Unless I whine, he doesn't take me on vacations or dates. I have no clue why I am with him."

Aditya rolled his eyes yet again. "Sense the mood, Piya. The topic is hairbands. Not your stupid complaints."

"Jackass!" Nandini yelled again as Piyali gasped audibly. "I will push you down."

"Oh. My. God! This girl wants to kill me now," he said, his mouth hanging open. "If I die, please charge her with my car's and my murder."

She gritted her teeth. "My hairband!"

"I don't have it," he said, chewing gum and offering her one.

"Give it back," she screamed.

"Don't ruin the experience, please," the hot air balloon operator said, noticing the loud confrontation that could be detrimental to the people on board.

Aditya wiggled his brows at the girl, who stuck her tongue out at him before going back to her spot.

***

Getting down from the balloon, she again demanded that he return her hairband since it was the last one she had brought on the trip. No matter how many times Shubham told her to let it go and that he would get her scores of hairbands, she was adamant about getting it back from the devil since she didn't want a single thing belonging to her to spend a moment more than necessary in his presence.

"I don't know. I want it back," she screeched, shoving Shubham out of the way and striding towards Aditya as he continued to saunter down the green hills with Piyali by his side. "Give it to me, you jerk!"

He halted in his steps and pursed his lips. "This irritable girl will not let me live in peace," he muttered in Piyali's ears.

Piyali snickered. "Why did you take it, Adi? Now face the music. She can be really stubborn."

Aditya huffed and swerved around to find the chubby girl breathing rashly with a frown on her face. "Yes, Baby Elephant?"

Nandini flashed her eyes at him. "My hairband."

"So very stubborn," Piyali mumbled, taking a few steps back and refusing to listen to the two banter back and forth over something as inconsequential as a hairband.

Once Piyali was out of earshot, Aditya smirked at the furious girl. "Call me 'Adi', and I might consider."

She bit her cheeks to avoid the slang from slipping out of her mouth. "Adi, give it back."

"Mmmm..." He tapped his fingers on his cheeks, furrowing his brows. "No. You have to say the magic word."

Her nose flared in anger. "Please."

He grinned. "Answer one question, and I might consider."

She clicked her tongue. "What is it?"

He glanced at Shubham. "Has your boyfriend ever told you that you look pretty with your hair down?"

She smirked. "He finds me beautiful every minute of every day because he loves me. Love doesn't see outer beauty, Mr. Shallow!"

He grimaced, giving the hairband back to her. "I am not shallow. Outer beauty is as important as inner beauty. But you are too stubborn to admit that."

Groaning, she slid the hairband back inside the bag, leaving her hair open as it fluttered against the wind.

An amused grin formed on his face. "Won't you use it? You had been whining for so long."

She blushed hard, refusing to meet his gaze. "Shubham might like me more with my hair down."

"Oh!" His brows went up and he leaned closer to her, whispering in her ears. "Shubham or me?"

***

With her arm looped around Shubham's, her head on his shoulder, she continued to gaze at Aditya sitting across her, strumming the guitar in his hands as adroitly as she breathed. The entire clique was huddled around the campfire like the previous evening. Only the city and the resort had changed. And the evening activity had too. Instead of narrating stories, they were busy listening to the soulful music Aditya Roy played on his guitar—the soft tunes, the meaningful lyrics, his soothing voice.

Taking a deep breath, Aditya let the pick strum all the strings in a quick, successive motion before concluding the song and casting the instrument aside. Glimpsing around the largely silent group with a grin on his face, his smile faltered as everyone continued gaping at him. Unmoving. "Was it that bad, guys?"

Piyali was the first one to break the silence as she leaned ahead and pecked his lips. "It was amazing, boyfriend. You are a pro."

Everyone hooted and clapped in appreciation.

Nandini had a faint smile on her lips. "And you should consider a..." She licked her lips. "A..."

"A YouTube channel?" Aditya grinned. "Yeah, I know. You have..." He bit his lips, casting a wary glance at his girlfriend. "I... Thanks. I might consider that."

She smiled weakly, her head finding Shubham's shoulder yet again.

As the night wore on, Aditya took everyone's requests one by one, singing for them, playing for them. Tirelessly. With only a few breaks between to dampen his parched throat. However, Nandini stopped herself from placing any request in front of the entire group. Somehow, the very idea felt intimate, and she didn't want to speak up at the moment. Perhaps if they would ever be alone again, she might request him to play for her.

Much to her jubilance, the opportunity knocked at her door sooner than she had expected. As she twisted and turned on her bed in the room, unable to slip into a slumber, she was prompted to go to the garden and check if Aditya was still sitting there, hoping they would again get to dance under the stars.

Glancing at Shubham, she sighed as he was fast asleep. Prodding his arms, she whispered in his ears, "I can't sleep. I am going to the garden to take a walk. Call me if you need anything."

He cleared his throat, opening his eyes. "Will it be safe out there?"

"I will call Rishi if no one is there."

He grimaced. "Your affection for him is sometimes intolerable."

She snorted and left the room, heading straight towards the garden. A wide smile crept on her lips when she saw the very person she had been hoping to find, still busy with his musical device, adjusting the strings, tightening or slackening them as and when required.

Plopping next to him, she said, "I have a request."

He was not surprised this evening. A small part of his heart had hoped she would make an appearance, and hence he sent Piyali off to their room when she was too somnolent to sit straight while ensuring to remain in the garden premises. Chuckling, he said, "What do you want to listen to?"

"Surprise me."

And he did, playing a very mellifluous melody, but she couldn't recognize the tune. There were no lyrics accompanying either. Nonetheless, she sat still, listening as he played with an ardent passion, a glint in his eyes, swaying her torso from one side to the other. Forgetting the surroundings and losing track of time was but natural.

When he was finally done, he placed the device aside. "Liked it?"

"Loved it." She beamed. "It was perfect."

"What all do you love apart from music?"

"I love reading books." She giggled. "They are so dreamy and perfect."

He snickered. "Books? Really? What are you? Four?"

She scrunched her nose. "You can't let the nice mood be intact for more than a minute, can you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Why read when you can binge-watch such wonderful TV series?"

"It's all about entertainment for you, isn't it?" She twisted her lips. "Not everyone is that shallow, Mr. Roy."

He grinned. "What is it about then?"

A gentle smile played on her lips. "Reading books is an art in itself. The anticipation of what is written on the next page and the slight second delay between reading the last line on the previous page and the first line on the next page is the most beautiful feeling ever."

"Wow!" His brows went up. "You are a dork."

She smacked him hard on his arms. "You are a dork who cries because his insurance rates go up."

His mouth hung agape. "You were the one who tried an attempt to murder my car."

She groaned, hiding her face behind her palms. "And you call me stubborn? This is the gazillionth time you are repeating this."

He raised his arms in surrender. "Fine!"

"What do you like?"

He bit his lips, pondering. "You. Music. You. Adventure sports. You. My job. Piyali. You."

She giggled. "Right!"

"And I like skinny dipping in the ocean under the moonlight."

Her eyes widened. "I am terrified of water. I can never go skinny-dipping. I like watching waterbodies from a distance."

He sniggered. "I think you are frightened of almost everything."

She pouted and slapped his arm. "Shut up!"

"So, what exactly are you not scared of? Okay, let's put it this way, what is on your bucket list of things to do?"

She mused for a moment. "I want to do a lot of different things in life. I want to go sky-diving, learn to swim. Not in the ocean but in a pool," she emphasized when he was about to cut her off. "Take guitar lessons, maybe learn a few dance forms, travel the world, get a matching tattoo with my partner, and most importantly, I yearn to land my dream job. My current work is also fantastic, but I am still awaiting the ultimate dream job," she said, suspiring. "However, the problem is that I am always overthinking and don't actually get to do anything."

"Dream job, huh?"

She nodded.

"What is it?"

"Landing an engineering role at Google. It has been my dream company forever."

"Interesting. Have you applied for any roles yet? I have a friend working there. He can refer you."

She bit her tongue. "I haven't applied ever. I don't think I am capable enough to get in. I will most certainly not get past the phone interview. Heck, my resume itself will not get shortlisted."

He was in utter disbelief. "Are you for real?" he screamed. "How can you underestimate yourself like that? Unless you apply, how would you even know what you are capable of?"

She tucked her hair behind her ears. "I... I..."

Sighing, he said, "Once we go back to SF, you are applying. I will tell my friend to refer you, okay?"

"But..." She let out a deep breath. "I would need more work experience, Aditya. I will apply in six months."

Shaking his head, he murmured, "If you doubt yourself, why would others believe in you? You are so confident all the time. Why are you behaving this way right now?"

She remained silent, her eyes on the crackling fire in front of them.

"What's the big deal in applying, Baby Elephant? What's the worst that can happen? You will be rejected, that's it. Don't be so afraid of failing. You might never try if you keep that fear inside of you."

Fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater, she weakly nodded her head.

He slid closer to her and held her hand, his touch as tender as possible. "Even if you get rejected, we will celebrate. It would be a triumph over your fears, after all."

She flashed him a warm smile. "I will call you then. You will have to come to my place and celebrate."

"Done!"

However, when she grinned, she watched his smile falter. His gaze went to their entwined hands, and he deftly pulled his palm away from hers, scooting a bit away. "Sometimes," he gulped, "I feel like running away from the world."

"But the world is so beautiful, Aditya. Why would you want to run away?"

He chuckled humorlessly. "I just want to." Glimpsing at her, he said, "Would you come with me?"

She cackled. "You want me to accompany you? We fight so much."

"That's the challenge, isn't it? To love the other person's company no matter what silly banters happen between them. That's what companionship should be all about. You fight, you argue, but at the end of the day, you still sit by the other person and listen to them no matter how silly their complaints are. Or you sit with the other person in utter silence and even that's enjoyable. Or," he took a deep breath, "you sit with the other person and play the guitar as cold descends from all sides."

She looked away. "Why would you need me? You have Piyali with you."

"Yes. Piyali," he mumbled. "She is not... not you," he said under his breath.

However, she caught it. Clearing her throat, she said, "Would you do me a favor?"

"Yes."

She frowned. "At least listen to what I have to ask."

"I would do anything for you, Vixen."

She tittered, shaking her head. "Would you teach me how to play the guitar?"

"Of course. Anytime."

She beamed. "Fine. I will take lessons from you after we go back home."

He smiled too. "Can I say something?"

She hummed.

He murmured, gazing at her, "I enjoy your company the most in the world, Vixen. Is it bad? Am I a terrible person?"

She chortled, scoffing. "Do you have to fight with yourself every moment of every day so you can tell your partner that you indeed love them and that you indeed want to be with them? For a lifetime."

He nodded, his eyes shimmering. "You have to fight that too, huh?"

She huffed. "Relationships are supposed to make you a better version of yourself, and I know I love Shubham. I have loved him for a long time now. Then why the fuck is this so hard? He is super nice to me. Supports me. Loves me unconditionally." She prodded his arm. "Then why am I struggling each day?"

He giggled. "You are on the same boat as me, darling. We love them. We are just not in love with them. Perhaps we got it all wrong since the start. We confused giddy crushes with the powerful emotion that love is, and now we are..."

"Stranded." She sniffled. "I can't hurt him. Nope. That's not happening. Breaking up with him is not an option."

"I concur. You shouldn't."

"So, yeah," she shrugged, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a tissue, "we are both terrible, terrible people."

He took out two cans of beer from the crate and offered one to her. Popping his can open, he raised the metal container in front of his eyes. "Let's toast to being the most horrible people on planet Earth."

She tittered, clinking her can with his. "The most horrible."

***

Once the trip ended, transitioning to a normal routine was proving to be a task for Nandini. They had spent so many special moments with each other, and no, she was not talking about Shubham. Although the majority of the time was spent with Shubham indeed, she could only remember the instances when she was with Aditya. The way they had danced under the stars, the way he played the guitar for her, the way he teased her, flirted with her, made her blush beyond what should be permissible for a woman, and the way they shared a beer on their last night of the trip—everything was so perfect, quintessential.

Their trip had concluded with a walk around Muir Woods where they sauntered through the darkness of the forest, watching koala bears and a variety of other birds native to Northern California, but then they commenced their drive back to San Fransisco, and the wonderful vacation ended just like that.

It had been two weeks since the memorable drive by the Pacific Ocean, but he did not call her once. Neither did he text her. She didn't either. They were busy wrapping up their work before the Christmas holidays.

Shubham was planning a trip to India, and he wanted Nandini to accompany him, hoping to meet her family. Meanwhile, Piyali got the chance to get introduced to Aditya's family as his girlfriend over a video call. Things were progressing fine between the two couples.

However, Aditya couldn't stop himself from comparing Nandini and Piyali. The latter used to be very supportive of his job and passion once upon a time. But with the passage of years, she had changed in ways he didn't quite comprehend. But he did understand that something very crucial had been missing from their relationship all along. If only he could pinpoint what it was that he couldn't find with Piyali in over four years that he had easily discovered with Nandini in less than five months.

"The word is passion," Abhi said, his gaze fixated on the television that evening as Aditya stood in the kitchen, trying to make himself a salad while his mind was troubled with a variety of different questions.

Aditya's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"The word you are looking for," Abhi muted the television, "is passion. Missing between you and Piyali. Abundant between you and Nandini. Passion. Zeal." He swerved on the couch to face his friend. "Chemistry."

Aditya's fingers balled into a fist. "Passion?"