"I got to attend the party for the evening."

Swara hissed with lingers of hesitation etched to her drowned tone, phone pressed to her ear as she ascended the stairs in weighty steps. Silence swayed for a beat of the moment.

"We'll make it up in the next. You should go."

Despite all the thrill drained from earlier, the voice at the other end of the call seemed to cheer her up and it only disheartened Swara. Never had she seen Sanskaar so elated as that until they planned earlier for their first date, officially.

"Should I elope? No, let me deny coming."

Apart from displeased glares nor spill of few words she'd receive for opposing to come, Swara knew it was an easy way to tackle the occasion off. She paused, all set with the plan and turned to go way back down.

"Hold on!"

He directed a command to stop just as if he saw or knew how she almost had her feet set upon the stair all the way downstairs to cancel the plan.

"You'll be going." 

Swara wanted to argue, protest against him and win the dispute like any other day. It felt so wrong; to go for a party when they had a plan made for themselves to be happy.

"But-"

"It's decided."

The power in his tone and the click of his tongue as he stated only made her imagine him shake his head in disbelief. Conflict of whether to smile or to frown left Swara stranded.

"Fine! Let me go."

Of cause, her dearest boyfriend had the guts to cut off the call for it was considered that they derived a conclusion and nothing could be changed. Fine! If that's what he wanted then she'd go, uninterested.

Back to her room, Swara was greeted with a sight of a clean wardrobe, Outfits once neatly arranged in the closet now dumped in piles on the mattress and a human giant in suit hunched to the dresser to get the hands of her accessories.

"You better get my room cleaned tonight for the mess you have created." For the reply, all that Swara received was her jewellery chime when Jay shoved off another piece back to the box displeased.

"Come here." Jay's eyes flickered to Swara for a second and back to the box with a smile he dared not to reflect. That ruby red gown designed with a minute floral jacquard managed to settle well on her complexion, "Why do you look pretty on every dress?"

"Is that a compliment I hear from you?" She verbalised in a dramatic manner as she took her seat before him and looked up with a cheeky smile, "Tongue slip it was." Jay corrected and made her look straight.

Jay ended up doing her hair because he knew the obsession Swara always carried for dutch buns. Sure, his best friend looks pretty on everything but for the night, untied hair would compliment her attire more.

The mirror before them paved an easy way for Swara to watch Jay gently untangle her locks and comb to straighten them with a calm expression. It struck her then, she still had not confessed to him about Sanskaar and herself together.

"So what is it?" Even with a few flickers of vision to Swara, Jay could tell she had something to tell for the way her hazels stare at him with a want and how her lips struggle with an urge to convey.

It didn't surprise Swara, somewhere she knew Jay already got the idea but it was the guilt that engulfed her. It's been almost a week and ultimately she found no time to have the needed conversation she waited to share.

"I-- Sanskaar and I are into each other." She caught up his eye in the mirror and when Jay hardly got any momentary of surprise or shock surface over his face, it confused her, "You already knew?"

"Either one of you were dumb to realise nor not wanting to accept. To your question, It's difficult to unsee that sweetheart." Her grumpy face only made Jay chuckle softly. Now that his small doubt turned out to be a reality he couldn't keep the grin away.

"It should have been our first date but look with whom I'm stuck with- a duffer." Swara chided with a scowl, her fingers meantime struggled to hook up the pendant chain. At ease, Jay overtook the chain to clip the chain together.

"Mutual feelings, madam!" On that take he straightened his composure with a smirk as he royally ignored the glares directed enough to mark burns on him and left the room.

For a last glance, Swara did take a moment to check out herself- Lips touched up with strawberry balm, a thin stroke of khol highlighted those amber hazels, thick gold hoops on her ears to match the loop pendant adorned between her collarbones.

Jay's selection of that party wear did go well on her and not to forget the spectacular job he did with her hair, Ah! Maybe she should appoint him as her personal stylist. Swara giggled and just then all her attention drove to her wrist.

The layered bracelet filled with tiny stars, moons and suns shone in rainbow hues by the light and reflected on the table. It brought an instant smile to Swara that her mind had gone back to melt all over again in his fragments.

"Come down before I knock you down Swara!" Jay's voice got her startled as it got her out of the musings she almost drowned. In a rush downstairs, Swara got everything required and with an extra load to hue to colour her cheeks.

~

She should have eloped,

Yes! Instead of being seated to observe elders engaged in conversation and youngsters clamped on the dance floor, she should have been stubborn enough to convince Sanskaar and skip the party. Swara hissed at the mistake made and gulped her beverage.

Ten minutes it had been and to no far ends Jay seemed to be visible among the crowd as far as she looked for. He shoved almost every dress possible to get hands on a single dress, disordered her entire ornament box and now got the guts to abandon her as well.

Swara sprung on her feet, the glass slammed to the table irritated for numerous reasons. Enough of all the wait! She'd better walk off nor take in breaths from outside instead of being seated only to sulk alone.

Right on the moment, Jay appeared with a dazzling smile and all she could think of was thrash and knock him off in a way he wouldn't muster guts to smile as that again.

"Dance?" A hand extended to his dearest best friend, all Jay desired was her to accept the offer. But the blaring gaze from her side assured him otherwise. Pretty please Shona!- he chanted again under his breath.

She couldn't point out the cause for that desperation he held, for his legs scrambled over the floor- an unconscious habit Jay had. Giving a thought, Swara did rest her hands in his still pondering upon him.

In the crazy crowd on the dance floor, Jay's hand was her only guide to squirm forward in the direction he made for her. And they got separated in a wink of a moment when someone bumped into their hands.

It startled Swara for she could no more find him around until a hand, again held hers in a firm grip but it dazed her more. That hand-- it wasn't Jay's and she was sure, yet it felt oddly very familiar.

Was it Sanskaar? - Her first thought was that but she hissed at herself for that instant fantasy, still the doubt lingered all long. That hand, the vague glimpse of the figure-- it can't be Jay and Swara was sure of that, It felt more like him, Sanskaar.

The guiding hand no longer held hers in a delicate grip and instead tugged her closer to the arms, much satisfied with playing hide and seek with her. An alert arm wrapped around to keep her away from the general crowd.

A pause from the music swirls, from the random chatter for everything vanished as she melted in the arms of his voluntarily with ponder if it was another sweet trick her mind pulled out. Nevertheless, Swara knew she would gladly give in even if it was an illusion.

Unaware of herself, she let his fingers find a way to hold hers in a natural gesture as if they were meant to be held together. Those pretty hazels flattered in realisation of how his hand brushed along her waist.  It felt too realistic to be a mere dream.

He twirled her effortlessly, a little laughter promised to escape for the way her hazels dilated as he proceeded the happenings to be a reality. He pulled her back to his arms, her back to his chest and her arms clapsed in his, "It isn't a dream, princess."

Swara's lashes drooped down for the way his warm voice poured against her ears. It isn't a dream- she answered back to the question she pondered for so long and turned to face him.

She tip-toed to reach his ear and mutter and on seeing her efforts, Sanskaar dipped his head lower to make it easier, "How did you get in?" The curiosity in the tone, stars in her eyes and colours over her- Swara did like the surprise, it confirmed him.

"That defeats the point of my sudden appearance to stun you." Sanskaar rather chose to reject her question and answer in a twisted way to keep up her smile, "A conversation for another day, maybe." Knowing his ploy, yet Swara gladly accepted.

The amount of struggles to get in the party was indeed a difficult task and it was all worth it; for she could make it all vanish into a pixie dust and pull strings from his heart in a way all his ache would rest down, rather bring out his own colours he never knew of himself.

"So tell me, Do I sneak in your thoughts every time just the way you do in mine?" A breathy whisper he made and her cheeks already flushed at their proximity.

"Who are you and what have you done to my naive boyfriend?" Yet, Swara regained her stance in a blink and provided a question rather than a reply he waited for.

"Renewed for her." Sanskaar let his fingers brush along her laced sleeved arm up to her wrist and twirled her- once, twice and thrice and took her back in his arms in a smooth move, "Now my answer?"

Her hand that rested on his shoulder blade travelled along his throat and settled on those crisp white collars. Swara pulled him to her, their breath collided and noses almost touched, "Well! Suit yourself."

And she pulled away. This girl-- would be the death of him, Sanskaar mused as he sighed. The way her hazels gleam with mischief and challenge, he knew it wasn't an easy task.

It turned out to be a little surprise for Swara herself. Oh! She never knew of this very layer of her own- playing and teasing even at such intimate times. But she did enjoy that shade of hers being out.

Each time Swara sneaked out of his hold, Sanskaar managed to have the upper hand in their dance. Though it's a dance; they treated it like a trick and tease play all along.

The song echoed the climax beats and Swara seemed to not spill the beans. His bad. Sanskaar had lost the hope of getting the answer to that curious question he raised.

He withdrew his hold on hers but Swara grasped him back to her. Their eyes met; full of emotions and colours of the club made it look too magical for them,

"You sneak into me, my thoughts like how light manages to slip even into tiny cracks."

Swara confessed with sincerity still bewitched by the moment, by him, "Like how colours spill on the half finished portrait and yet makes an alluring masterpiece."

It overwhelmed her-- the fleeting emotions that kept her in toes with joy, his warmth against her fabric made her electrified and his words brought the bloom of hues on her cheeks she never knew of.

"Stop making poetry out of me." It was supposed to be his tease game; the dance-- but ah! the way she spun tables and captivated him instead startled him.

But he loved how it all turned out; surprise after another with an unexpected turn of events. At a glance, Sanskaar knew Swara could cherish the moment just as he would.

The last beats of the melody came to the que, "I'd be back." Was all Sanskaar said as he twirled her. Before she could enquire, Swara only happened to be back in Jay's arms.

Jay's push to go to the party; his disappearance; asking her hand for dance; Sanskaar's arrival--- It took a second or two for Swara to realise the swap between the boys.

Though dazed, the happy bloom of her smile did confirm Jay the success of the plan Sanskaar and he did in the shadows of dark,   "Come back to earth darling." He teased.

"Shut up." Swara snapped but couldn't resist to stop the curve of her lips. Adoration might be small to carry the heavy bundle of love she had for both her boys. They did it all; just to see her smile.

He paved a way for her to step out of the dance floor, "Your only action is to agree with whatever I'm about to say." Jay commanded and even before she could enquire, they already stood before Aditya.

It amused her even more when Jay made a surprising request to Aditya to leave with her for some random stroll, "Be back soon. I'd step out too in minutes anyways." Was his answer.

Things revolved in a swift span and even before Swara could register her surroundings, they headed out, "What's running in your dummy head Jay?" She inquired.

For all her innumerable curious questions after, Jay gave only one answer- Silence. She did seem like a little annoyed cat as he didn't budge her calls but Jay knew it would be all worth it. 

Cold breeze welcomed them the very moment they stepped out of the building. Ah! She should have got her glows - Swara mused as she rubbed her freezing hands together.

But all paused; the jitters and jingles were back to race her heart crazy. Sanskaar stood there, a soft grin replaced as their eyes sealed.

Just then, Swara observed Sanskaar in a proper light rather than those dim jazzy lights. Crisp white shirt beneath those thick black winter coat, paired with chic black trousers and sneakers.

This boy--- Swara visibly sighed. It made her wonder if he ever knew how much his mere presence affected her. To add more to her suffering, he had to come all dressed and make her heart pound and skip beats.

"Just tell me how long I was kept in the dark?" She exclaimed her musing aloud. Swara did manage to connect dots but their planning time didn't settle in any of those.

"Two hours back." Sanskaar glanced at her and back to Jay as they shared a meaningful smile. Long tale short, Jay contacted him after their call conversation and they made the set up.

"You've both got two hours. Suit yourselves but be there on time." Jay gave a general instruction. He could bear the little risk without any worry for he trusted Sanskaar and his perfect keep of time commitments.

"Thanks Jay." Sanskaar embraced Jay for an instant hug as he expressed his gratitude. If not for Jay, none of it would have happened and the night could have only ended in regrets about the lost date.

Swara had a good show watching both her best boys bond well. A sort of relief it was; to know Jay actually liked Sanskaar. His opinion mattered a lot to her.

"Mind you again, if you make this witch cry I am breaking your legs." Jay warned, "I guess it would turn out vice versa." Sanskaar teased and earned a nudge from Swara with that fake glare.

"It's going to be a long night for you." Swara pointed out to Jay. The mess he created of her wardrobe, her mind to actually surprise her-- Jay deserved a beating but also embraced.

"I'm letting your dear charmer steal some of my time and have you. Get lost now and have fun." Jay shrugged off and took his leave.

Sanskaar's complete attention laid on Swara. Shades of red; darker or brighter, did wonders to highlight her complexion. It reminded him of the day where he verbalised his feelings for her.

Cold; like frozen ice- Sanskaar thought as he initiated to hold her hand to which she gave in. It wasn't new, they had held hands together but at the moment it felt oddly new.

Warm; like the summer dawn- Swara smiled as his hand curled up her fingers in a gentle way. The warmth he provided seeped enough to colour her face in crimson.

She had no certain definition for 'Date' as others claim to have nor did she want to have one. Rather, Swara wanted to make their own meaning. Just for them to know and none.

"Shall we?" Sanskaar had no plans in particular, in fact he felt nervous on that pretext. But he did have a solid aim for the night- to enjoy to the fullest.

A/N: The rest of the date is up to your own imagination ;)

I've lost count of the month I ever posted in this book. So yes, back with a big bang! To everyone who spared time to read despite all odds, thanks in advance.

Love,
Diya♥️