However, Abhi was disturbed at the scene that unfolded in front of him. He was quite attracted to Ananya and for that reason he didn't like the bond that Ananya shared with Veer as by now he had understood that for both of them no one was as important as each other. A feeling of jealousy erupted inside him and when he could no longer control himself he asked Veer: "Umm...Veer tumhe problem nehi ho rahi? I mean tum kha rahe ho aur Anu tumhare kandhe pe sar rakkhe so rahi hain."

Veer smiled and glanced sideways at her, sleeping peacefully like an innocent kid on his shoulder and then turned to Abhi: "Nah! Anything for my angel. Aur waise bhi ab toh aadat si ho chuki hain. Jab bhi Pari thak jaati hain toh humesha yahi karti hain."

Abhi nodded with a forced smile plastered on his face.

Rahul chuckled: "yu hi saare log inko bf gf nehi samajhte hain."

Veer: "Shut up yaar Rahul."

They chuckled and again resumed their course of gossips. Soon Veer was finished with his food. And after resting for a few while he decided to go to the basketball court for practise as their last class had been cancelled.

Veer turned his head sideways and smiled and then he patted Ananya's head: "oye sleepy head! Chalo get up from your little nap. Gotta go for practice."

Ananya who was always a light sleeper got up immediately and smiled at him while he too smiled back. She sat back properly again and patted her hair to assure herself that they were in place. One by one all the eight youngsters got up and chatting and laughing they made their way out of the canteen and headed for the basketball court.

*******************************************************************

(basketball court)

All eight of them gathered on the court.

Rahul: "toh Captain sahab team divide karenge ya sab saath mein hi khelenge?"

Veer smiled: "nope rahul ji. Saath mein khelne se practise thik se nehi hoga. Isliye do teams mein divide hokar khelenge."

Abhi: "four people in each team , right?"

Veer smirked: "Wrong."

Abhi (confused): "Wrong?"

Veer: "Yup. All six of you will be in one team and two of us in the other. That's more than enough for us."

Abhi: "And who will be your partner?"

Veer smirked and without saying anything he just stretched his hand and opened his fist. A hand was swiftly placed on his palm and he drew the person closer. It was none else than Ananya. Both smiled looking at Abhi while the others groaned.

Rahul: "Not again!"

Soham: "Mar gaye."

Riya: "Harne ke liye taiyar ho jao."

Abhi was confused: "Par guys try karne se pehle hi tum log haar kyun maan rahe ho? Aur waise bhi sirf yeh dono hain opponent team mein aur hum cheh [6] hain. So they should be worried na? Why we?"

Soniya: "Wo isliye keh rahe ho tum kyunki tumne in dono ko pehle khelte hue nehi dekha hain par humne dekha hain. In dono toofano ko hum acchi tarah se jante hain. Yeh dono kaafi hain humein harane ke liye."

Abhi replied with a tinge of arrogance: "Dekh lenge."

Ananya smiled: "Dekh lena."

Veer: "Okay guys let the game begin."

With this everyone took their position. The ball was with Veer and he began dribbling the ball. As he moved towards the basket he came face to face with Rahul who tried to snatch the ball from him but Veer successfully dodged him but as he passed him he was confronted by Soham but Veer didn't stop but kept dribbling the ball and then all of a sudden stopped with the ball in his hands and then hold it high to throw to Ananya. As Soham also raised his hands to stop Veer from passing the ball to Ananya, Veer simply dropped the ball and again began to dribble it and alongwith that in a very swift movement he ducked underneath Soham's raised arms and passed him, grinning widely. All this happened in a matter of seconds, even before Soham could comprehend what happened Veer already scored a basket. Abhi was totally shocked at veer's skill in the game. Now it was turn for the opponent team to have the ball. Abhi was having the ball with him. He was dribbling the ball and was moving towards the basket. Veer looked at Ananya and gestured to her something with his eyes and she, always being able to understand his unspoken gesture, nodded. Abhi looked up only to look into a pair of beautiful, hazel green eyes and that was the biggest mistake he had done. As soon as he looked up at those eyes, he immersed into their oceanic depth and stood rooted there mesmerised. Ananya, on the other hand, was concentrating fully on the ball when she noticed that Abhi's dribbling slowed down and she easily took over the ball and then went away dribbling the ball. Abhi came out of his trances as soon as Arnav called him followed by loud cheers and laughters. After regaining his senses, he looked around and then to the goal post.

Veer and Ananya hugged each other in joy and were laughing. Veer lifted her up by holding her securely around her waist and twirled her while she giggled and then he put her safely down. They hi fived each other and turned towards the others and toghether they showed them thumbs down. Rahul who was smiling and shaking his head as he was quite used to this scenario walked up to Abhi and stood by his side.

Rahul: "Ab samajh aa raha hain humne kya aur kyun kaha tha? Waise tum toh itna accha khel rahe the toh achanak se kya hua? Ekdum se ruk gaye."

Abhi: "Uh'wo'kuch nehi. Bas yuhi dhyan hat gaya tha."

Rahul patted Abhi's shoulder and was about to get back to the game when veer came forward.

Veer: "Okay buddies. Aaj ke liye itna kaafi tha. Baaki practise hum kal karenge."

Just at the moment, his phone rang and he excused himself and went away to receive the call afrter mouthing "mom" to the questioning look given by Ananya.

Ananya was walking towards Riya while wiping off sweat from her face with her towel when she slipped over a plastic packet of potato chips which was dropped on the ground by someone. She was about to hit the ground and with the fear of getting hurt she closed her eyes but moments flew by and instead of feeling the hard ground she was expecting she felt two arms holding her from the waist. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Abhinv standing there with a lost look in his eyes. Ananya felt uncomfortable as he was not budging from the position.

It was the precise moment when Veer returned to the court after his conversation with her mom. There was a small smile lingering in his lips as he recalled his mom's caring and protective nature but as soon as he entered the court his smile faded as he saw Ananya in Abhinav's arms and a frown took place on his handsome features. Ananya, on the other hand, tried to get up and it was with the movement that Abhi came back to his senses and quickly he helped her to stand up properly.

Abhi: "Sorry'wo.."

Ananya: "its okay and thanx."

Saying this she turned back to Riya and started to chat with her while Abhi walked back to Arnav.

Veer, who was rooted on the spot, once again felt the same anger and restlessness to course through him, though he still doesn't know the reason.

Veer (in his mind): "Aakhir yeh mujhe ho kya raha hain? Kyun mujhe itna gussa aa gaya Pari ko Abhi ke saath dekhke? Kyun mujuhe bardasht nehi hota unka saath?"

His chain of thoughts was interrupted by Ananya's giggle who was chatting and giggling with Riya. She looked so innocent, so beautiful. He smiled at her cuteness. He began walking towards them when suddenly he bumped into someone. Veer looked up to see a beautiful girl standing there, massaging her fore arm.

Veer: "Sorry. Didn't see you. Galti se ho gaya."

The girl smiled: "That's fine. Jaan bujhkar aise karne wale larko mein se tum lagte bhi nehi ho."

Veer smiled back: "Really? toh main exactly kin larko mein se lagata hu?"

The girl: "Caring, respectful, adorable."

Veer: "Wow thank you."

The girl: "my pleasure. Hi I'm Madhura. Everyone calls me Madhu."

Veer: "Hey madhu! I'm '."

But he was cut in by a sharp female voice:

"Veer Singhania."

He turned back to see Ananya standing there. Veer smiled at her and she walked upto him and stood by his side, scrutinising Madhura carefully from top to bottom.

Veer: "Madhu this is Pari. I mean Ananya. And Pari this is'"

Ananya replied tartly: "madhu I know. Don't you have to go home? We are getting late."

Saying this she intertwined her hand with veer's hand and pulled a surprised Veer alongwith her. She only came to halt after they had reached the car and only then did she leave his arm.

Veer: "Woah! Now what was that? Why you dragged me like that?"

Ananya (looking anywhere but his eyes): " We were getting late. That's why?"

Veer: "pari you could have said that to me ."

Ananya (sarcastically): "Oh yeah! But I guess someone was busy there in intro session. So I had to do what I had done. Now if you really don't miss it that much. So can we leave mr. Veer Singhania?"

Saying this she went to the other side of the car and got inside, without waiting for his reply.

Veer scratched his head in confusion: "Ab isko kya ho gaya? Gussa toh mujhe hona chahiye tha na. Urrgh I don't know."

He too got into the car and joomed away.

**************************************************************

( Veer's room)

It was the dead of midnight. Veer was lying in his king size bed. However he wasn't getting a wink of sleep. He kept on twisting and turning in his bed for quite sometime. Then he got just fed up and sat up on the bed. He was feeling unusually restless as the flashes of the day kept up coming back to him, especially the moments when he saw Ananya close to Abhinav. He still couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for his restlessness, his anger to see them toghether but he knew one thing for sure and it was that he didn't like it a bit to see Ananya and Abhi toghether thought he didn't know the reason. He decided to freshen up a bit and hence got out of his bed and went to the washroom. He sighed and turn the tap on and bent down to wash his face. After splashing water for 3-4 times on his face, he finally stood up bujt what he saw next left him stunned and shocked. Through the mirror in front of the wash basin he saw Ananya standing behind him and smiling. Veer turned around to see her standing in the same position.

Veer: "Pari tum itni raat ko yahan kya kar rahi ho? Soyi nehi?"

Ananya smiled: " Kaise so jao Prince jab tum jag rahe ho. Waise tum kyun jag rahe ho?"

Veer didn't had any proper answer to give and hence he fumbled with words: "Wo'nehi'main' Pari'"

Ananya smiled: "Wo tum kya? Accha ab haklana bandh karo. Mujhe pata hain ki tumhein neend kyun nehi aa rahi."

Veer (shocked): "tumhe pata hain? Kyun?"

Ananya: "Isliye kyunki tum bechain ho. Bechain ho mujhe aur Abhi ko saath dekhkar. Bechain hoi yeh sochkar ki kahi tum mujhe kho na do. Gussa aata hain na tumhein jab bhi dekhte ho hum dono ko saath mein. Bilkul accha nehi lagta na tumhein? Isliye tumne aaj subah waise react kiya tha hain na?"

Veer: "Haan. Lekin yeh mujhe kya ho raha hain Pari? Aisa kyun ho raha hain? Is naarazgi, is bechaini ko kya kehte hain?"

Ananya giggled: "Tum bilkul buddhu ho Veer. (she smacked her palm onto her forehead) Arey paagal ise jalan kehte hain. You are jealous."

Veer was even more shocked: "Jealous? Par kyun?"

Ananya smiled: "yeh toh tumhe hi samajhna hoga na Veer. Apne dil se poocho Veer ki kyun hain wo bechain? Kiska hain use intezar? Kyun jalta hain wo mujhe kisi aur ke saath dekhkar? Kyun darta hain wo mujhe khone se? Agar dil se poochoge toh tumhein jawab jaroor milega."

Saying this she stepped forward and on approaching Veer, she gently raised her hand and slid her palm down his face, as a shiver ran down his body, a strange and unknown sensation which was never there before. Veer closed his eyes feeling the warm, soothing sensation. After a moment when he opened his eyes, to his utter surprise there was noone in front of him. He looked here and there but there was noone at sight. He ran out of the washroom and entered his room but even there was noone. In such a short span of time noone could move out of the room and Veer knew that. It was then that he realized that he was imagining Ananya and as soon as he realized that he smacked his headwith his palm.

Veer: "Great! Bas isi ki kami thi ab toh main jagte hue sapne dekhne laga hu. Ab toh mujhe poora yakin ho gaya hain ki main ekdum se paagal ho gaya hu. I really need a psychiatrist. Lekin wo kya tha? Am I really jealous? If yes then why?"

Veer walked to the window and stood in front of it. He kept looking at the moon and asking the same question to himself but probabaly it was not the correct time for him to realize his feelings. He was left confused as the time to clear up his confusions had not arrived yet.