◾️The guiding moon◾️
      

       The bonfire was lighted and everyone settled down around it. Anika sat between shivaay and gauri, mallika next to gauri , shruthi next to mallika, Om beside shivaay, rudra beside om, arnav beside rudra and mohit opposite Anika.

  " Guys what took you two so long to come?! "  mallika asked.

" Yeah, mohit came like 15-20 minutes before you guys!! "  om commented.

"  Actually, we were coming back..."

"  Mallika you ask such dumb questions!! They must have taken time to find wood and stuff. "
Gauri replies shrugging her shoulder.
      
    Anika smiled, this was like a mini victory for her as gauri took her side. This means she didn't loose Ri yet. She was now determined to pave her way back to Ri. To the old them.

" By the way Anika did you loose something? "Gauri looked towards Anika staring at her.

" No ri, I didn't loose anything? Why?"

" Nothing will tell you when you find it "

" Girls, in which code language are you talking?  Lost ? found? We don't understand anything "  Arnav surrendered his hands.

" I know,  even Om's shayari is easy to understand than this "  rudra did his logic sign.
" This is our sis code language!! You guys will never understand."  gauri flipped her hair with attitude.

" I know babe " Anika and gauri looked at each other before giving each other a high five.

" Shayari se yaad aaya,  Om ek shayari Ho jaye " mohit said patting om's back.

" Yeah right, go on Om " shivaay cheered. Rest of them also cheered by screaming woo-hoo and yayy. 

" OK OK listen,

Maza aata hai kisi ko satane mein

Ruthe naa koi toh maza kya manane mein

Ek dosto se hi toh khushi hai

Warna rakha kya hai iss zindagi aur zamane mein  "

" Waah, Waah, Waah, Waah  " everyone clapped and cheered.

" Guys, why don't we play some games, make this night more interesting !! What's say?! "  shruthi asked.

" Yeah sure, let's play !!!!! Guys LETS PLAY "  rudra flirtily winked at shruthi before shouting to bring everyone out of their conversations.

" Rudra we are not deaf!! " om glared at rudra for screaming in his ears.

"  And we don't intend to become as well " shivaay joined.

" He was just gaining our attention guys, No need to pounce on him " Anika defended rudra.

" Yeah I know, so what to play?! " gauri asked.

   Rudra suggested truth or dare which was immediately rejected. That was so old school.  Om suggested to play antakshari which was accepted by everyone. Afterall who didn't like singing, even if it was in a croaky voice.

     Arnav suggested to play his guitar while the rest sang to make it more lively. Om started singing as he was the one who suggested this.

" Dekha hazaro dafa aapko phir bekarari kaisi hai,
Sambhale sambhalta nahi yeh dil kuch Baath aap mein aisi hai "
  
Om stared at gauri lovingly before going to her and asking her hand for a dance. Others cheered for this romantic couple who never had enough of each other. They danced while singing to each other. The rest clapped and cheered once they were done.

" Damn, nazar naa lag jaaye "
  Mallika took their nazar off acting melodramatic.

" Thank God you both remembered we were here... " Anika started saying.

" Otherwise we thought you both would start making out in front of us by the end of the dance " shivaay completed making everyone laugh theirs heads off and omri blush.

       But Anika was totally zoned out. How did this man understand what she wanted to say?  Was she so predictable?  Or he had cameras fitted inside her head?.

" Anika, where are you lost? It's your turn!." shivaay nudged Anika bringing her out of her zone.

" How come my turn so soon?! " Anika wondered loudly.

" Anika, all the others before you already sang only we both are left!!  Where were you?  Wonderland? "

" No, just zoned out for a bit!!  "

" What are you guys whispering?!  Anika sing naa "  gauri interrupted their small whisper session.

" No guys, I have a bad voice!!  " Anika hid her face with her hands.

" As if we sung like arijit Singh dii ?!!  Sing naa "  rudra encouraged her.

" OK fine if you guys insist!!

Ore, Mann woh tu toh bawara hai,
Tu hi Jane tu kya sochta hai baware,
Kyun dikhaaye sapne tu sote jaagte,
Jo barse sapne boond boond
Naino ko moond moond
Kaise mein chalu
Dekh naa saku
Aanjane raaste
De malang Tera iktara iktara "

     Anika sang closing her eyes. She re-winded her life, thinking about her every decision, her family, her friends and some newly made relations. Gauri and mallika joined her singing along with her. The boys were clapping while arnav was playing the guitar. Everyone clapped and cheered after she ended.

" That wasn't too bad Anika!! You were good !! But you could have done better " shivaay said looking at Anika with a smile.

" Well,  let's see how you sing then!!  Baate toh bohot badi badi karte ho, In actual I hope you don't do your tai tai phis " Anika said in a challenging tone.
" Anika, you challenged the wrong guy,  Shivaay has an age old connection with music. He used to...." om was saying when shivaay stopped him.

" Actions are bigger than words Om, I will directly show her, arnav can you pass me the guitar "

   Shivaay took the guitar and adjusted it to play.

"  You were the shadow to my light
did you feel us ?,
Another star. You fade away,
Afraid our aim is out of sights,
Wanna see us alight,
Where are you now?,
Was it all in my fantasy?!,
Where are you now?,
Were you only imaginary.
Where are you now?
Another dream,
The monsters running
WILD inside me,
I'm faded,
So lost,
I'm FADED "

Shivaay started with a sweet normal tone but then he started singing in a deep voice remembering his past. Eagle Shivaay. The rockstar who won hearts with his music.  His friends, his band The White eagles. He remembered all their fun moments and banters on stage. He then also remembered the rough and ugly fight they had, when they parted ways. 

    He abruptly stopped playing and got up, choked with emotions.
" Excuse me guys, I need a moment "
And left leaving the guitar on the small bench.

    Everyone was too shocked to react. Om quickly ran behind him. They were enjoying him singing in a nice melancholic atmosphere, until he stopped. That's when they saw him closely and realized that he was clogged with emotions.

" What happened to him guys?! " mohit asked coming out of the shock.

   Rudra started telling everyone about  shivaay.

" Shivaay bhaiya was different before. He was an uber cool person in college and he had his own band with his friends.  But then due to business and family pressure he left music and parted ways with his band. He probably got all nostalgic now."

" What happened ?! "

Gauri asked om who had returned.
" No use of me going behind him Ri, he never opens up about this matter to anyone, not even us "

After a small pause he said " Anika why don't you try?! "

" Try what?! "

" Try to make him open up!!  We have tried, you haven't yet so there are chances he might talk to you !! Just try" om said trying to send Anika.
" No way!!  Won't that be like invading his personal space? "

" Just try Anika for us!! " omru pleaded " 

" OK " Anika gave up on seeing their pleading faces.

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      Anika walked up to shivaay who was sitting on a rock near the lake. This was going to be so awkward. Should she console him or try to divert his attention. Anika firmly believed that every person had the right of privacy. And she didn't wanted to break into his privacy.

     Anika went and sat beside him. Shivaay quickly soaked up his eyes and sniffed, erasing all proofs of his tears.
" You played the guitar very well. How many more hidden talents you have ha? " Anika said in a cheerful teasing tone.

" Hurting my loved ones. Anika please go, I want some time to myself "

" Jhoot, No one 'loves'  to stay alone. People want to be left alone because they don't want that side of them to be witnessed by anyone. In your case you don't want anyone to see your tears, isn't it? "

" No nothing like that. "

" Common shivaay. Listen, I am not asking you to share what's bothering you. I am just asking to sit with you here. I will be silent, promise!!"

" Hmm,  if you insist "

      Both of them say beside each other in utter silence staring at the moonlit sky stealing glances at each other.
       Anika glanced at shivaay and shivaay looked at her the same time. Anika gestured him to say with a small smile while shivaay glared at her putting his fingers on his lips indicating her to shush.

" Are,  I didn't even say anything!! "

" Oh please, your whole face had SPEAK written on it "

" Then speak naa " Anika made a innocent face crossing her fingers for it to work.

Shivaay sighed giving up on this woman.  She was not the one to leave easily. He looked at the myriad of stars above before reminiscing old times.

     " I started playing the guitar when I was 16. It was my birthday present from dadu . He was a great music fan. I fell in love with this art because of him. Then during college I met Daksh, Nishan, Vikram and my best friend Akash. We instantly hit off and started the first ever band of our college The White Eagles "

" Weird name that!! Sounds more like the name of a sanctuary " Anika chuckled.

" Well, not my fault!!  Dodo suggested the name "

" Dodo? Another free animal from a sanctuary!! "  Anika giggled trying to contain her explosive laughs.

" Hey, don't say anything about do..Daksh "  shivaay said trying to hide his face under a stern face.

" OK my fault!  Continue! "

" That's better. So I was saying that we were the best of friends.  A group everyone wished to be in. We did everything together.  Parties concerts what not!!!   Even after dadu's death when I was not doing anything.   No concerts, no music, nothing. They supported me.  Anika they were always with me. They were my pillars. I failed in being the same to them "

      Anika immediately kept her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it trying to console him.

    " It's OK, shivaay.  I am sure they still love you and understand you."

" No they won't, I broke their hearts. They might even forgive me for that but I broke our band. I was the reason The White Eagles parted ways. "

" Why did you parted ways?! "

" Business pressure, Family pressure etc. Oberoi industries and my family needed me that time.  Oberoi industries were going through a loss and it needed my time and attention which I was not able to give due to the increasing concerts of our band. So I decide to leave. We guys then had a really ugly fight one day and that was the last I saw of them."  shivaay facepalmed, sobbing gently, trying to cool the raging emotions in him.

      Anika caught his hands and gently rubbed on them.
" It's OK, you are a human. A normal person who has a list of responsibilities. You did what you thought was right. There is no point in  constantly punishing yourself for it is it?! " 

" Yep, thanks for listening " shivaay said.

      Anika tried making him understand. She tried doing the best she could to help him. Probably not the best way to help. But this was the only way she could.

    Shivaay knelt down and layed down on the grass gesturing Anika to join him. Anika went and layed beside him. They both started at the open sky  in silence. 

" The stars look really beautiful but the moon always steals my attention first . It's like the moon is the guide and the stars it's disciple." Anika said pointing towards the sky.

" Thanks for being my guiding moon "
Shivaay whispered staring at her with a small curve to his lips.

" Mention not " Anika winked at him. They both smiled and resumed staring at the sky.

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Hey guys finally got some time off!!  Hope you guys love the chapter!! 
Vote, comment and share if liked.💕💕💕

Also I might not be able to update regularly due to boards so sorry in advance guys.
But do expect surprises from me!!! 🙈💁💁😬

Yours truly,
Kamakshi.