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        "Like the rain, I've fallen for
                            YOU."
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A shrilling scream left Aleena's throat―echoing around the greenwood―as she felt a strong hand grabbing her own, pulling her body close. 

"Faris!" She bellowed when she came across the sapphire-eyed man who had an agonizing expression on his face. His chest heaved up and down and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"Aleena! Thank god I found you!" Faris squeezed her little hand that he had in his possession―making her already racing heart sprint faster.

"You scared me," she whimpered. 

Faris's forehead puckered, "you scared me! Do you know how worried I was? I was looking for you like a mad man."

His fretful rant made her jaw touch the ground, "you were worried... for me?"

"Who else?" His steely blue orbs probed her face. "Have you noticed the weather? It can rain any sec―" A pearly raindrop kissed his face making him stop and look up at the sky. 

Aleena followed his action and a raindrop trickled down her cheek, followed by another one and then another―turning into a light drizzle.

"We need to get out of here." Faris announced, receiving a nod of approval from the brunette girl. Holding her hand in a gentle grip, he moved forward, Aleena mimicking his action. 

The couple rushed, trying to find a way out of the extensive woodland but before they could continue their pursuit, the roaring of clouds became aggressive and the drizzle started transforming into perpetual downpour. 

Having no choice but to halt their movements, they looked around for a cover to save themselves from getting drenched. Finding nothing but a set of two huge straight branches of trees connected with enormous leaves―creating some sort of a shelter―they scurried towards it. 

The clouds grew darker and the thrashing of rain became rampant as minutes passed. Coldness pierced through Aleena's slightly damped clothes, making her shiver and fold her arms across her chest. 

"What are we going to do now?" She asked Faris who stood right beside her under the leafy-roof, watching the furious downpour. 

"Wait for the rain to stop," he sighed, looking at her. 

Aleena rubbed her palms together to warm them up when Faris spoke again, "by the way, that was so reckless of you, Aleena. How can you just wander off without letting your friends know?"  

"I don't know," Aleena pursed her lips into an innocent pout. "I was just walking, clicking pictures and I didn't realize when I got separated from them." 

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his eyes never leaving her face. 

"I'm glad I'm not alone here though," she added with a small smile. 

"I'm glad I found you," Faris told her in a soothing voice.

Suddenly, brilliant white veins of lightning sizzled against the dark grey clouds, followed by a loud boom of thunder, making a swift gasp escape Aleena's lips and chills run down her spine.

Her body spontaneously moved closer to the guy standing by her side and before she knew it, she had her head buried against his chest, her hands tightly clutching the navy blue fabric of his blazer, her body pressed to his.

Thump thump thump, was it her heartbeat ringing in her ears or his?

After few seconds, that felt like an eternity, she tilted her head upwards and her breath ceased somewhere in her throat.

A feeling of deja vu washed over her as she stared into the vast blue ocean of Faris's eyes.

This was the second time she was literally hugging him. Oh dear lord.

Aleena felt like she had lost control of her body because she couldn't let go of him. Couldn't stop holding onto him―not when his profound gaze  bore into her like a drill into a wall.

It was like he had arrested her being with those piercing blue eyes.

Her mouth parched and she swallowed her heart down before gathering all her strength to let go of him―to douse the fire that his close proximity had ignited in her body.

Clasping her jaw and tearing her gaze, she slowly retreated her hands and pulled back. "I-I am sorr―ah!"

Aleena winced when she felt a subtle tug at her hair. Her lips parted when she saw a stray lock of her hair stuck in the zipper of his jacket.

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she lifted her arm to set it free but was stopped by Faris's raised palm. "Let me do it."

He tucked out the strand gently, letting it glide over his fingers. "You have beautiful hair, Aleena."

Heat pooled in her cheeks―making it's way down to her chest, mingling with her fluttering heart.

There was no way she could look him up in the face so she glanced to the side, "that's a first. No one told me that before."

He chuckled, "not everyone has great eye for beauty."

That made Aleena's head turn to him. "Are you complementing yourself?" She raised a brow, gaining back her confidence a little.

"Both of us," Faris smirked, making her lips stretch into a small sweet smile.

"Uh, I wanted to say that you can hold onto me if you're scared of lightning but I don't want you to punch me so..." Faris bit his lower lip, his eyes gleaming with mirth.

Aleena snickered, looking down, "I won't punch you."

"Well then the offer is still open."

Aleena's eyes widened as she stared at him with feigned disbelief, "how shameless, Faris!"

Faris scoffed playfully, "please, I'm a gentleman."

"Yeah right," Aleena shot back.

But, she did hold onto the hem of his jacket's sleeve when the thunder struck again.

            •─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

After an hour of violent rainfall, it finally came to a halt.

Aleena and Faris left the shelter and made their way out of the forest, eventually meeting with Faris's cousin and Usman, who had started to look for them as soon as the rain had stopped. 

Walking back to where her friends awaited her, Aleena couldn't stop the fluttering of her heart. The rosiness smeared across her cheeks permanently as she walked a little far away from Faris. 

When they finally reached to the spot where her friends were worriedly waiting for her, she hurriedly ran to them. 

"Aleena! We were worried sick! Where did you go?" Saliha cried out, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"You okay, Aleena?!" Farwa yelped, anxiousness displayed on her face.

Aleena parted with Saliha and nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry guys, I just wandered off while taking pictures and well.. got lost in the jungle. I don't know what I'd have done if Faris hadn't found me."

Farwa's jaw touched the rugged ground, "he found you? Wow, Aleena. He really is your knight in shining armor."

"I swear, that guy is a superhero. Next election, I'm voting for him. Hashtag, Faris for PM," Saliha stated dramatically, making the trio burst into laughter.

             •─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

The clouds had disappeared from the sky and a blanket of darkness had been draped over, bringing on the night. The birds had returned to their homes and it was time for the stars to come out and decorate the inky sky.

The brilliant silvery glow of the moon cascaded over the valley.

It was the perfect night to visit the top point of the Hill Station from where you could vividly witness the majestic night sky.

Faris, along with his cousins and the other group of friends that was accompanying them had trekked their way to the peak―to see the starry sky.

And true to it's name, the dark canvas dotted with countless stars was a sight to behold. It put Van Gogh's Starry Night to shame.

Dazzling cluster of constellations smiled down at the people who stared  up awe-struck, feeling like if they held up their hands, they could pluck the shimmering spheres out of the sky.

Faris's cousins kept capturing the breathtaking view, and so did Aleena's friend but she just stood there―eyes glued to the sky, a beguiling smile on her lips.

And as pretty as the view above was, Faris couldn't take his eyes off of her.

He couldn't admire the wondrous night sky because the view in front of him was prettier.

The girl looking at the sky was prettier.

It was as if even the stars couldn't resist her charm and fell in her eyes, sparkling like thousands of fireflies.

In that moment, Faris's heart whispered something to him―something so lovely that he couldn't deny the truthfulness of it.

Something he wanted to shout out to the whole world.

Something he had started feeling for the girl with beautiful long brown hair.

Word count: 1447