The sound of laughter filled Shehnaaz's bedroom as she, Avni, and Shreya sprawled across her bed, surrounded by travel brochures and a half-eaten pizza. They were planning their upcoming school trip to Manali, and the excitement was infectious. Shehnaaz's parents had gone out for the evening, so the girls had the house all to themselves, which only added to the fun.

"Yaar, imagine ..... snowfall, hot chocolate, and cozy cabins!" Shreya exclaimed, clutching a travel magazine to her chest "It'll be like those filmy vacation scenes"

Avni grinned, glancing over at Shehnaaz "Jese yeh jawani hai deewani, bass, ab hum wahan pe pohonchne ka wait nahi kar sakte!"

Shehnaaz laughed, her eyes twinkling "sach main aur meri to life ki first trip hai I'm too much excited"

Just as she said that, the doorbell rang. Shehnaaz frowned, glancing at her friends in confusion "Mummy Papa to kal aane wale hai is time kon hoga?"

"Shayad pizza waale bhaiya aaye honge Diwali ki extra tip lene" Shreya joked, making them all giggle.

Shehnaaz got up and opened the door, only to find Sidharth, Neil, and Kushal standing on her doorstep, looking far too casual for it to be a coincidence.

"Arey, tum log yahan?" Shehnaaz raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she blocked the doorway.

Sidharth smirked, flashing his usual cocky grin "Oh, bas yuhi" he push her inside and enter "Waise, suna hai ki tum log Manali ke trip ki planning kar rahe ho"

Neil added with a mischievous smile "Socha hum bhi apne expert tips de dete hain… you know, for better plans"

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a reluctant smile. "Expert tips, huh? Jhoot mat bol, Avni se milne aaya hai na tu?" She said in teasing tone.

Neil put on an innocent face, hands raised "Abey nahi nahi, hum toh bas dosti nibhaane aaye hain!"

Avni entered there and laughed, shaking her head "Dosti nibhaane ka bahana le kar tum log humara girls’ night out invade karne aaye ho".

But even as she said it, her gaze flickered over to Neil, a shy smile tugging at her lips. Neil noticed and gave her a soft, almost teasing look in return. There was an unspoken tension between them, the kind that had been building for months but remained unconfessed.

Sidharth, noticing this, nudged Neil with his elbow "Kya baat hai, Neil? Lagta hai tujhe kisi ka special attention chahiye" he teased, making Neil blush slightly.

"Shut up, kutte" Neil muttered, trying to hide his smile as Avni looked away, cheeks tinged pink.

Shreya, meanwhile, playfully rolled her eyes at Kushal, who immediately reached for her hand, a mischievous grin on his face "Kya, tumhe hamari company pasand nahi hai, Miss Shreya?"

Shreya smirked "Haan haan, bohot pasand hai. Bas thoda tumhe tameez seekhne ki zaroorat hai, Mr. Kushal"

Shehnaaz sighed dramatically, giving Sidharth a mock glare "Aur tu? Tu kyun aaya hai? Tujhe toh pata hai yeh sirf ladkiyon ka night out tha"

Sidharth raised his hands, looking perfectly innocent "Arre, main toh bas teri security ke liye aaya hoon"

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes but couldn not help the small smile that appeared "Haan haan, tu toh mera ‘bodyguard’ hai na"

With that, Sidharth winked, leaning closer with a smirk "Bodyguard toh hoon hi, aur tera best friend bhi"

Something in his tone made Shehnaaz's heart skip a beat, but she quickly brushed it off. To her, Sidharth was her best friend, her rock, someone she could always rely on. Any hint of feelings from him just felt like a silly thought she refused to entertain.

"Theek hai" she finally relented, sighing dramatically "Since you all here, come in. But kisi ne humari trip plans me koi problem ki toh nikaal ke bahar kar dungi" she warn them and they nodded like obedient kids.

The group cheered as they moved into the room, and soon, the night turned into an impromptu gathering filled with laughter, playful teasing, and a little planning for their trip. As they talked, Avni and Neil ended up sitting closer, laughing at each other’s jokes and exchanging glances, though neither of them dared to voice the growing feelings between them.

Meanwhile, Sidharth found himself watching Shehnaaz more closely than usual. There was a certain light in her eyes when she talked about the trip, an excitement that made him want to see her happy. He found himself catching glimpses of her smile, her laughter, and realized that somewhere along the way, his feelings had shifted. But he knew better than to admit it. Not yet.
.........................

The school trip to Manali had finally begun, and after hours on the bus, the group arrived in the snow-covered town, surrounded by towering mountains and pine trees dusted with white.

Excitement buzzed through the air as everyone unloaded their bags, already chatting about the activities ahead.

As soon as they settled into their rooms, Shehnaaz ran over to Sidharth, her eyes wide with excitement "Sid, look at the snow! It's like we are in some magical winter wonderland!"

Sidharth chuckled, watching her with amusement. "You are acting like you have never seen snow before, Shehnaaz"

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes, playfully punching his arm "Are , snow toh dekha hai, lekin aise yahan mountains ke beech mein snow dekhna… woh alag hota hai, okay?" She pout looking at him.

With everyone finally settled, the teachers announced the first activity: a trek up to a scenic viewpoint, followed by a snowball fight at the top. The students quickly bundled up, ready for the adventure.

The trek was tougher than it looked, with steep paths and icy patches, but Shehnaaz was determined. She took the lead, trudging up the path with her usual enthusiasm.

Sidharth, meanwhile, kept close to her, feeling the need to make sure she was okay, even though she'd probably mock him for it if he admitted it.

Shehnaaz was walking slowly as walk upwards it's getting difficult for them to walk.

"Tu theek hai Shehnaaz?" Sidharth asked her rubbing his hands than he keep it on her cheeks to provide her some warmth.

"Haan haan chal jaldi" she again start walking.

"Abey panda la bag de apna" he snatch her bag.

"Main kar lungi yaar" she pout and try to snatch her bag but he rise his hand up.

He chuckle "lekar dikha" he rise his hand more up.

She try to jump but her height making it difficult for her.

"Oye giraffe ke chacha bag de mera"  she said angrily.

He smirks "doraemon"

She kick his leg, he hissed in pain and throw her bag "ouch gadhi kahi ki"

She pick her bag and run showing her tongue.

"Sana ruk yaar" he run behide her.

"They look cute together right?" Shreya asked Kushal.

"Yeah just like us senorita" he said in flirting tone.

"Shut up" she pushed him in snow and walked straight.

"Areyyyyy jaaneman ruko to" he shout and make an angel in the snow with his hands and legs.

"Kya kar raha hai bhai?" Neil asked him.

"Pyaar me banda andha hota hai main thand me jam jaunga mujhe utha na" he give his hand to Neil.

"My hands are occupied" he show his hands, his one was holding stick and another was holding Avni's hand. "chal bye upar milte hai".

"Arey sun to bhai bhai na raha ek pyaar me pagal hai dusra deewana main kidhar jaau, saalo bro code tod rahe ho" he shout but they went far away from him. He huffed and somehow pulled himself up.

When they finally reached the top, the view was breathtaking. The snow-blanketed mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. Shehnaaz stood at the edge, her gaze fixed on the view, a look of awe on her face.

"Sidharth, ye kitna khubsurat hai" She said, her voice soft with wonder. "I never felt so… alive."

He watched her, a strange feeling settling in his chest. For a moment, he could not look away. The way she stood there, taking it all in, with pure joy, it hit him how much he wanted to be the one who made her feel that way.

"Yeah" he replied, his voice quiet. "It's beautiful" he said looking at her.

Just then, a snowball hit Shehnaaz on her back, snapping her out of her reverie. She spun around, her face breaking into a grin as she spotted Avni and Shreya laughing behind her.

"Oh, so it's war now?" she shouted, grabbing a handful of snow and launching it at them. Soon, everyone was caught up in a full-on snowball fight, laughter and shouts echoing through the mountains.

Sidharth stayed back at first, just watching Shehnaaz. She was in her element, laughing, running, tossing snowballs with her usual playful energy. He realized he never seen her quite like this before, so free and happy. And then it hit him he did not just enjoy being around her, he did not just care for her as a friend. He was… in LOVE with her.

It was a realization that took his breath away. He known her for so long, but somehow, it had never struck him like this before. Shehnaaz was not just his best friend, she was the person he wanted to be with, the person who made everything better just by being there.

Lost in thought, he did not notice when Shehnaaz suddenly appeared in front of him, a mischievous glint in her eye "Sid! Tu aise chup kyun hai? Snowball fight mein tera participation zaroori hai!"

Without waiting for a response, she flung a snowball straight at his face, hitting him squarely. Sidharth blinked, startled, and then laughed, wiping the snow from his face.

"Oh, ab tune mujhe officially challenge kar diya, Shehnaaz!" he declared, grabbing a handful of snow and launching it at her.

She shrieked, dodging the snowball and running off, her laughter ringing out as he chased her through the snow. They darted around the trees, slipping and sliding, laughing as they tried to outmaneuver each other. At one point, Sidharth managed to corner her, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Got you!" he said, reaching out to tickle her.

Shehnaaz laughed, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. "Fine, fine! I surrender!"

For a moment, they stood there, close enough to feel each other's breaths, their laughter fading as they locked eyes. The playful energy between them shifted, replaced by something softer, deeper. Sidharth felt his heart race, his gaze lingering on her flushed cheeks, her smiling eyes.

Shehnaaz looked up at him, a question in her gaze "Sidharth kya hua tu theek hai na? Aese kiu dekh raha hai"

He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Part of him wanted to tell her everything, to admit how he felt. But another part of him was terrified of what that might mean, of changing things between them.

"Bass tujhe dekh raha hu" he said finally, his voice barely a whisper. He realized what he said and change his statement "mera matlab dekh raha hu meri panda ko"

"Oh kutte!" She hit his arm and left from there. He chuckle.

The moment passed as quickly as it had come, with Shehnaaz laughing and running back to join the others. But as Sidharth watched her, he knew that things would never be the same. He'd fallen for her, and there was no going back.

As they all headed back down the mountain, Sidharth stayed close to Shehnaaz, his heart full of a new, tender ache. He did not know what the future held, but he knew one thing for certain, he wanted Shehnaaz by his side, now and always.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

That is it for today.

Hope you all like it. Don't you all like this story? Need some changes? Why so less votes?

Thanks for reading.