Surbhi, Parth, Ayush, and I submitted our Math assignments and rushed toward the indoor basketball court. We heard our lecturer yelling our names and mentioning something along the lines of wrong submission, but we didn't turn back and reached our destination after having a racing competition in the crowded corridors.

Parth yelled in joy when he reached first, followed by Ayush, me and my bestie. Surbhi sulked as she had to give us a treat according to our bet - I had already given mine for their help in making my first date with Ved memorable.

"Guys, come fast!" Rashi yelled from the auditorium and pointed at the seats my girl gang had reserved for us.

We took our spots, and Surbhi slumped down like a sack of potatoes. She placed her head on Divya's shoulder and told us to wake her up when the match started. It was still time for both teams to appear, so we started discussing random topics, mainly our upcoming exams and preparations.

Our conversation got interrupted when Coach blew his white and announced the arrival of our college and rival team. A huge smile cracked up on my face when I spotted Ved leading his team and shaking hands with the other captain.

After the major introductions were made, the match started, and it was really exhilarating. I had seen Ved and Nikhil play before, but they had improved a lot. When the players were sliding across the floor like ninjas, the basketball getting passed around like a blurred orange spot, my eyes were glued to Ved - and the captain logo on his shirt.

I glanced beside me and observed Parth, the soccer team's captain. He looked at me and asked me why I was staring at him like a serial killer. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

"I also want to be a captain," I said.

He smirked. "You can, but you will have to put in a lot of hard work and determination."

I nodded enthusiastically, and Ayush told me that if I really wanted to do it and believed in myself then it was possible for me to make my wish come true. Rashi and Tanya also encouraged me, and after getting positive affirmations from my friends, I decided to give it a shot.

I didn't know if I would be able to achieve it since there were a lot of awesome and experienced players in my volleyball team, but there was no loss in trying. Moreover, it would help me to improve my skills and focus too.

"The match started?" Surbhi asked and rubbed her eyes. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Divya shook her head at her. "You forgot how you almost punched me for waking you up last week?"

Surbhi smiled sheepishly and scratched her head. We told her that she could complete her sleep, but she refused and started cheering for our team loudly along with other students. We joined the troop, and soon, the whole auditorium was ringing with our voices.

We stopped only when the half break was announced, earning glares from the authorities and students of the other college. While we were goofing around, my eyes landed on Ved, who was resting with his team. I noticed him checking his ring continuously, while Nikhil nudged him about it.

Natural Heater glanced in my direction and sent a wink. I waved my hand at him, and he kissed the ring on his finger - I knew I was going to die of happiness. My friends began teasing me, and I buried my face in my palms when they started talking about them becoming uncles and aunts.

Fortunately, the break got over, and my gang decided to spare me. The match was turning interesting by each passing second, and our team was doing really well, but there had to be someone to ruin the happy moment.

"Smoking hot, guys!" Farha yelled, gaining everyone's attention.

"She is back," Tanya mocked.

"Someone shut her up." Surbhi clenched her fists. "She is ruining the whole mood."

"Let it be," Parth said.

We decided to ignore Farha and her group; they were shouting lewd comments continuously, but as the match was coming to an end, the authorities ignored them. I didn't like the way they turned a blind eye on their actions - I could feel other students being not okay with whatever Farha was saying.

"Sandhya, stop glaring at her." Parth turned my head to the front.

I heeded to his advice when Farha didn't open her mouth for quite a good time, but when she did it again, I snapped.

"It is getting hot here. Take off your shirt, Ved!" she shouted and shot a flying kiss in his direction.

"Shut the fuck up, you bitch!" I boomed.

Farha looked over at me, her eyes widening in shock. My friends tried to hold me back, except Surbhi who was telling me to beat the shit out of Farha. Her friends distanced themselves from her, and I told her that if she tried to harass my boyfriend again or any of the guys present, she would be sorry that she ever came in contact with me.

She tried to mask her fear and thought that I was joking, but I shot her a warning glare, and it was enough for her to tremble and run out of the auditorium. I huffed and yelled at the authorities to do a better job next time.

"Relax, Miss Rai," Dean Sir said.

"Promise me you won't let it slide again," I demanded.

Dean Sir nodded and glanced at his son. Mayank was smirking proudly and promised on his father's behalf that no kind of abuse or harassment would be tolerated. Ved motioned for me to calm down and mouthed that he was okay, but I was not convinced.

Somehow, I managed to stop my mind from plotting murder plans and enjoyed the rest of the game. As expected, my home team won and got qualified for the next round. Soon, the auditorium got empty, and I left with my friends, while Ved and his team went to freshen up.

Others left for their respective classes, and as I had a club meeting after half an hour, I trudged in the hallway, trying to concentrate on the present. Suddenly, an arm snaked around my neck and pulled me into the warm embrace of Bird's Nest.

"You stink." I scrunched up my nose. "And you are sweating too."

Ved refused to let go off me and flicked me on the chin. "Why did you blow off on Farha?"

"What she said was not appropriate."

"How so?" Ved quirked an eyebrow.

"You got verbally abused, Princess. Didn't you realise it? She told you to strip in front of everyone, and no one said anything. Just reverse the roles, and you can already imagine what the reaction would have been."

"Thank you for guarding my honor, O' great Sandhya Rai."

He bowed down, and I smacked him behind the head.

"You think I was joking when I said that I will protect you?" I asked.

Ved stared at me like he made a new invention. "I will give you a hug as a token of appreciation," he said and moved towards me.

I dodged him in time and told him to take a shower first. He shook his head and tried to hug me again, but I ran away, making him laugh like a maniac.

"Don't forget the time!" he yelled.

I stuck out my tongue at him and motioned for him to go. As expected, he stayed there till I vanished from his sight and reached my Hobbies club.

°∆~×~∆°

"Let me in, will ya?"

"Not until you give me something in return."

"What do you want?"

"Ten kisses," Ved said.

I narrowed my eyes at him and threatened that I would complain to his mom if he continued pestering me. He pouted and moved away from his room's door. I controlled my laughter when I saw him sit on his bed with a dejected look.

I averted my gaze as he glanced at me; I acted like I wasn't affected and started roaming in his room. I picked up a medal he won for a judo tournament three years ago. There were a lot of certificates and trophies related to sports, academics and other stuff, so I took my time and admired each one of them.

I heard Ved shift behind me, but I continued what I was doing and smiled as I saw one of his childhood pictures with his mom. I picked up the frame on his study table and ran my thumb over Ved's face; his mom was looking lovingly at her son, while he played in her lap.

I smiled as Ved wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the back of my head. He placed his chin on my left shoulder, and I patted his cheek. Both of us didn't say anything and kept admiring the photo.

After a few minutes, I kept the frame back in its place and turned around to face Ved. I cupped his cheeks and gave him a long kiss.

"I love you."

"Nine more left." He grinned. "I love you too."

I lightly pulled his hair, and he bit my arm. We began our duel and landed on the bed. He picked up a pillow and threw it in my direction; it hit me square in the face. I yelled a war cry and grabbed two pillows to attack him. He moved swiftly, and after grabbing one of my weapons, he smacked it behind my head.

He teased me that I would never be able to win in this game, but I prepared myself and pushed him back. I got on top of him and pulled his ears.

"That's cheating!" he complained.

"Everything is fair in love and war." I smirked.

He turned his eyes into slits and pushed me off of him. As if he got possessed by the ghost of an Army General, he took three pillows at a time, and before I could stand on my feet properly, he shot them at me, and I stumbled off the bed.

"Oh no!" he shouted.

After falling down, I decided to crawl under the bed for a counter attack, but Ved grabbed my ankle and pulled me out.

"Are you okay? I am sorry; I didn't want to hurt you," he panicked.

He started checking for wounds, but I was all okay. Even though I told him to stop, he didn't and thought that I was mad at him. I grabbed his arms and pulled him towards me; his body crashed into mine, and I wrapped my arms around him.

"I am fine." I kissed his neck.

He nodded, and when he detached himself from me, I burst out laughing at his reaction.

"You are looking so cute with that blush," I said.

He let me enjoy myself and picked me up after I granted his remaining nine kisses. He sat me on the bed and prepared for the second round of our date. He placed some soft blankets near the bed and made a small cushion house for us.

I helped him in setting up his laptop and snacks around us. When he was satisfied with the arrangement, he sat down, his back touching his bed, and I moved to sit between his legs. He enclosed me within his warm embrace and started the movie Ratatouille.

Fifteen minutes into our movie marathon, I realised that a major personality was missing.

"Where is Terry?" I asked, glancing around for the white terror.

"In his room," Ved said.

I glanced over my shoulder. "Why wasn't he there in Veer's birthday bash? Did you forget about him?"

"Absolutely not. He is our family member, but there were a lot of kids and people who might have gotten afraid of a mouse, so we decided to keep him upstairs only - after taking his permission, of course."

I nodded, and we continued watching the movie. In between, Ved answered my queries, but I noticed the tiredness in his voice. When I told him to take some rest, he refused, but eventually he fell asleep on my shoulder.

I paused the movie and laid him down. I placed a pillow under his head and covered him with a comforter. I would have carried him to the bed if it was possible, but I kept my enthusiasm under control and sat back in my spot.

I was about to push the start button when I saw a small head peek inside the room. I told Veer to come in, and he hopped towards me with Terry on his shoulders. I backed away instantly when the white devil squeaked at me and wagged its tail.

"Are you afraid of him?" Veer giggled.

"Yup."

"Don't worry. He is a good boy - he won't do anything."

Veer patted Terry's soft fur and asked me if he could watch the movies with me. He promised that he wouldn't disturb his elder brother, and his mouse buddy moved his whiskers in agreement. I gave them a thumbs up, and we browsed through the folder in Ved's laptop.

Once all three of us settled on our playlist, Veer sat on my lap, while Terry nestled on Veer's lap. In silence, we watched the remaining movie and started the new one, munching on snacks meanwhile.

"Enjoying by yourselves?" Ved asked as he got up and hugged me from behind.

"You can sleep more," I said.

"No, I just needed a power nap, I guess."

He ruffled his brother's hair and stroked Terry's tiny head. He got refreshed and joined us. Krittika Aunty smiled as she came to check on us and saw us sitting together like dominoes. I thought I heard the sound of a camera shutter before she exited the room.

"What's your plan for tomorrow?" Ved asked me.

"Nothing."

"Then be ready by 9 am. I will come to pick you up."

"What's the occasion?"

Instead of replying, he sent me a wink and smooched my cheek. "You will know soon."