"Toh yeh hai woh secret huh, Tanz, shuru se!"

Tanvi sighs loudly hearing Samrat's voice. She doesn't even try hiding her agitation. A feeling of embarrassment and annoyance overwhelms her.

"Meri timing kitni worst hai ab dekh bhi lo, Farhan!"

Farhan is speechless, unable to utter a single word. He definitely wasn't expecting Samrat to overhear this conversation with Tanvi. Tanvi's timing is the worst, as she claims. He throws her a sympathetic gaze. He rises from his chair and slowly backs away, allowing Samrat to approach her.

"Seriously, Tanvi..."

Tanvi's eyes are downcast, her hands knotted together. Samrat resignedly kneels before her so he can peer into her eyes.

"Tanvi, you said there's no one you like! But that was a lie, hai na?"

Tanvi lets out a small growl. "What was the use? You were always suspicious, na? Ugh! I'm not talking to you. Mujhe tumse koi baat nahi karni hai, Samrat!"

Tanvi tries to leave. Samrat swiftly rises to his feet and blocks her path.

"We need to talk!"

Tanvi sidesteps him and tries to get away. He holds her hand and tugs her back. Her fierce glare lands on him as they face each other, her hand small and warm in his large, ice-cold one.

"How dare you, Samrat! Haath chodo mera!"

Samrat narrows his eyes and shakes his head. "No! We need to talk. Ab aur bhagna nahi, Tanz!"

"But mujhe koi baat nahi karni!"

She tries freeing her hand in vain. As an officer, she should be able to free herself, but she can't. Why? Maybe his grip is too strong, or maybe she is not tugging her hand with enough force.

"Ugh! Maine kaha haath chodo mera, Sam!"

Samrat chuckles lightly. He can't help but think his dear friend looks adorable even when mad at him. "Tum gussa kyun ho rahi ho, han? Kyu? Isliye ki ab aur chhupa nahi pa rahi apna raaz?"

"Shut up, Samrat!" Tanvi glares more fiercely than before and tugs on her hand. Samrat holds on to her even harder.

"We're going to talk! Just sit! Ziddi na bano!"

"Leave me!"

Farhan and Ramu kaka watch the back and forth between Samrat and Tanvi with slight worry in their eyes. Tanvi is the first one to pause in her tracks, noticing their stare from a distance. Samrat does next.

Ramu Kaka hurries into the kitchen. "Main radio sun raha hoon, baba. Tum log baat kar lo!"

Farhan too walks towards the exit. "Main bhi bahar wait karta hoon. I mean, building ke bahar!"

"Farhan, ruk!" Samrat says without looking at his friend, his eyes still on Tanvi. "Tu mera yaar hai. Main tujhse kuch nahi chupata. Tu ismein shuru se involved tha. I don't mind if you stay."

Tanvi huffs and looks at Farhan. "Haan, Farhan! Tum ruko. Main bhi toh tumse kuch nahi chupaati!"

"Sirf mujhse chupaati ho, hai na!" Samrat scoffs with those words. Tanvi glares at him again. "Tumse toh ab mujhe baat bhi nahi karni, Sam!"

Farhan sighs, watching them get in a standoff. He never thought that his two best friends would face off each other like this. Unable to find the right words to speak, he watches as his two friends go head to head. Kyun aise takraa rahe ye log? Are you guys not friends? And don't you guys love each other? I mean, yes, only Tanvi accepts she loves you, Sam. But you too, Sam, you care about her too deeply, it almost feels like love at the times.

Farhan shakes off his thoughts, unsure if they are accurate. Samrat is so unreadable; Farhan can't tell what is going on in his head. He can only watch, glad that his friends trust him and want him to be there to witness their important talk. He puts a finger to his lips and moves to the corner of a wall, giving enough privacy to his two closest friends to talk their hearts out.

Tanvi's shoulders slump as she abandons trying to escape. Samrat detects the shift in her demeanour. He releases her hand, watches her plops into her chair with a sigh. "Chalo, kar lete hai baat, Sam!"

He kneels before her again, watching her agonised face. The trousers of his uniforms are going to be muddied this way, but this is how he can look into her eyes. He stops himself before taking her hand in his. "Are you okay, Tanz?"

"Mudde par aao, Samrat!"

"Mudda?" Samrat chuckles in disbelief. A moment passes in silence.

"Okay. Honestly, Tanvi. You don't know a thing about me. Tumhe nahi pata main kaun tha, kaisa tha, kin logon ke sath tha! Main kaha paida hua tha! Maine kya kiya tha! You know nothing... Tum sirf ab mujhe dekh kar soch rahi ho... that you love me."

Tanvi scoffs, finally meeting his eyes, but her expression is full of sorrow. "Tumhe lagta hai, I fell for your appearances?"

She sounds so wounded. Samrat quickly amends his statements. "Nahi! Woh baat nahi hai! I won't brush away your feelings as something silly as attraction... But I'm telling you there are lots of things you don't know about me."

"Insignificant details! Hai na, Samrat?"

Samrat sighs and runs a hand through his hair, slowly rising to his feet and sitting opposite her. "No, I don't think so. How do I explain? Just... Don't love me, Tanz... I'm not the right one for you. I can never be..."

Tanvi smiles sadly, suppressing the urge to cry. "You think I know nothing about you, but I do, Samrat! Main samajhti hoon! Tumne abhi jo bhi kaha, I already knew you'd say that if I confessed to you! Tumhe kya lagta hai? Maine yeh baat tumse kyun chupaayi? I know you'd never accept! Wow... I knew... Yet it hurts... This conversation just breaks my heart, ugh..."

"I'm sorry, Tanvi..."

"Don't be. It's all my fault... I ruined our friendship... Anyway! Were air force officers, Sam! Waise bhi mujhe sirf apne kaam se matlab rakhna tha! Pyar vyar se door rehna tha!"

Samrat watches as the look in Tanvi's eyes changes. The sorrow from before is gone. "Let's forget this ever happened! Let's be professionals, Samrat!"

"Professional?" Samrat laughs though it hurts him. His best friend's pain is his pain, right? his heart is also in pieces now; it's hard to explain. He's holding himself together because he's a solidier and all that training with the mulk. "Tanvi, hum dost hai, and you said you love me toh..."

He trails off not knowing what he's supposed to say. It would be cruel to ask her to be just friends. Why did this happen?

"It's precisely why I'm asking you to be my colleague. Samrat Singh Shekhawat, let's be two professionals working together. Kaam se aage, personal baatei karne ki zarurat nahi hai, okay?"

Samrat looks at Tanvi in disbelief. Barring his superior officers, no one has ever addressed him with his full name. He can't stop Tanvi as she rises from her seat and leaves. He doesn't chase after her. She's decided their fate, just like that? Earlier she called him selfish? Who's the selfish one? It hurts him that his friendship with Tanvi is ending on this note, but what can he do? Bear the pain? Yes. Also try to change her mind? Yes... he just has to show he's not the guy she thought he is. Maybe after that they can be friends? Maybe not... this is the end for them.

He curls his fist, stopping himself from banging it on the table. This sucks! All of it does!

***

🌀TBC 🌀

📚WC: 1235🌈📚

💭📚👄Up next: Samrat and Farhan talk about the former's feelings and... soon Samrat is not the same guy he used to be around Tanvi. Wonder what's in store? What of the new aircraft project? Will Samrat overcome his self-hatred; will he and Tanvi can ever find happiness together?