guys at least vote and comment telling your views 😭 it feels really demotivating :(

***
Few Days later,

The rays of sun fell on her face, waking her up slowly, and then the alarm rang, waking her completely. It was the day, when they're going to a trip.

Her body shivered, as her head throbbed with pain as she cried herself to sleep last night.

She went to the lobby, when she saw her father sitting with Agastya's father.

"Good morning, uncle. Good morning, papa" Zara said, as she greeted them.

"What happened to your eyes beta? Why're they so swollen?" Agastya's father asked, as he throat burned.

"...Cold" she said, as she pulls the sleeves of her hoodie to cover her hand.

"Hmm, tbhi you can wear this hoodie in the summers of Mumbai," he said, when Zara nods and walks away.

As she turned behind, she saw Agastya standing in a pink T-shirt and white jeans.

[His outfit]

"Zara, get ready quickly, then we'll go to drop you to your school" her father said, as they'd to sit in the bus from school to go to Manali.
(Fictional school guys Manali leke jaa rha hai bacho ko)

Agastya just stood there as Zara passed, quiet.

For first few minutes, she was confused when she realised that they're with their parents.

Agastya's heart, on the other hand, melted as soon as he saw her— as if it just did a summersault. The single glance of her did something for him.

She looked at him, once. It was just a narrow glance, but his face heated with blush.

He immediately lowered his eyes, as she looked at him.

"Come'n Agastya Zara, we know that your classmates, at least acknowledge each other!" Zara's father said, when Agastya's father nodded at him.

"Uh.. good.. morning" Zara said, as she rubbed her hand against her sleeve.

"Goo.. good... morning" Agastya replied, his eyes lowered.

Zara tried looking in his eyes, when he ran to Sid's room. "Did he drink or something, that too this early in the morning?"

Siddharth was wearing his T-shirt when Agastya entered his room, unwarned. Sid, standing in the middle of his room, when he shouted looking at him.

"Aaaa, mummy!" Sid shouted, as he covered himself with a cloth over his chest. "Izzat lut lii!" He said, when Agastya sat on his bed.

"Sahi mei lut lu, usse pehle T-shirt dal le, saale" Agastya said, looking at him.

"Bhai, confirm it now only, are you even straight?" Siddharth asked, when Agastya just shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows" Agastya said,

"What the fuck"

"Even if I was gay, you aren't my type" Agastya said, looking at Siddharth who gave him a death stare.

"Huh, why?" Siddharth asked, completely offended.

"Why do you want to be my boyfriend?" Agastya teased.

"Why'd I want to? I just asked because you told that I'm not your type" Siddharth said, while Agastya gave him a side eye.

"Why do you want to be my type? Be your crush's type" Agastya said, as Siddharth chuckled at him.

"I don't have a crush, girls crush on me, I stay away from there" Siddharth said, when Agastya chuckled at his overconfident self.

"We'll ask this when you'll have a crush on someone" Agastya said, stretching his arms.

"You're talking as if you're having a crush on someone" Siddharth said, when Agastya shook his head.

"Few people just have enough mind to understand their emotions without coming into relationships" Agastya said, "you're such a narcissistic bastard"

"We're friends, so of course we both are same" Siddharth said, when Agastya rolled his eyes.

"Make sure that you don't end up saying this in front of my jealous wife" Agastya chuckled when Siddharth raised his furrows.

"Who?" He asked.

"Anirudh, he'll kill us both" Agastya laughed, when his phone rang.

"My wife is calling me" Agastya said, when Siddharth laughed at him.

"Hmm!?" Agastya hummed,

"Bro should I carry my laptop too? We'll watch something" Anirudh said, while Agastya— sure enough to know Anirudh's thinking stammered.

"Wha.. what are you thinking to watch"

"We're 17... grown ups... let's watch "that" no?" Anirudh smirked, as Agastya gulped.

"Together?" Agastya asked.

"It's not like we're doing it, let's watch it— me you and Siddharth."

"What will he think about us"

"What will he? Bro we three are guys" Anirudh said,

"Dekhte hai na, what will I think!" Siddharth said, a grin came on his face.

"What the hell guys, disgusting!" Agastya said, embarrassed.

"Ab yaar yahi to age hai, ab nahi to kb?" Anirudh said, as Siddharth made the phone on speaker.

"Vahi yaar, aur konsa bacha plan karne ko keh rahe hai, don't worry I won't force you to have a kid and make me chachu so quick" Siddharth winked, when Anirudh burst in laughter.

"Kya hua" Siddharth asked, when Anirudh kept on laughing.

"Hmm, kuch nahi," Anirudh laughed, when Agastya cuts the call.

"Inside joke" Agastya said.

"Aren't we close enough for me to know" Siddharth asked,

"I mean we're but some other day" Agastya said, fixing his hair as he looked in the mirror.

"Sid, ready?" Zara asked, as she banged on the door.

"You can be a bit gentler with the door, who bangs it so loud, you idiot" Sid shouted at her, as he opened the door.

"Don't shout at her, at least dude" Agastya said, as he went to the door.

His mouth parted, as he saw her. She was wearing blue baggy jeans with a beige oversized top that covered her arms. Her hairs were opened, as she wore a watch on her right arm.

"You look so bad in this" Siddharth commented, only to get a smack from his twin.

"I'll beat you so damn hard" zara said, as she hit him. Siddharth, no less started hitting Zara.

"Guys, don't fight, we've to leave also!" Agastya said, interrupting the fight.

"I'm ready! Agastya, will you help me? Papa is asking us to keep the bags in the car," Zara asked. Agastya, flustered, nodded at her.

"Yeah," he said, taking Siddharth's bag. Zara pulled the bag until the door, and Agastya held it.

"What? Andar to baat bhi nahi kar rahe the tum?" Zara asked, as she tried to hide her smile.

"Someone wants to talk, no?" Agastya teased her, when she rolls her eyes.

"I think so you no longer want to?" Zara said, raising her furrows.

"Bolne lagii!" Agastya exclaimed, as they entered the lift.

"Haan, tumhara asar, ab pura din bakte rehte hona weird lagta hai jab tum chup hote ho". Zara said, while Agastya rubbed the back of his neck.

"Umm... it's not like that"
He said— completely unaware of the talking side of hers.

As they reached down, Agastya asks Zara to move out of the lift, as he walked along with her.

"Our first trip together, I'm so excited Sahiba" Agastya smiled... when Zara looked at him.

"Your girlfriend would be really jealous from me" Zara said, when Agastya looked at her in confusion.

"You shouldn't call me sahiba, all this right goes to your girlfriend" Zara said, when Agastya just smirked at him.

"Girlfriend?" He asked.

"Yeah, someday you'll have one, and how can you call me with this title in front of her? This would be wrong for her"

"If calling you sahiba will wrong another girl," Agastya replied, taking a deep breath, "then I won't date any girl"

Zara let a humourless chuckle out, "we'll see" she said rolling her eyes.

"Why do you even call me that word" she asked.

"Every time I look at you, that word just suits the moment" he said, biting his lips.

"I don't care anyways, call me anything you want" zara said, as she opened the car.

"Won't you care if I get a girlfriend," Agastya asked, when Zara shook her head.

"Why would I? Your life, your rules" she said, as she kept the bags in the car.

"You'll be jealous no?"

"You're such a narcissist!" Zara said,

"Yeah, i love myself" Agastya said, "now tell me you'll be jealous"

"Why're you so self-obsessed?"

"And why're you changing the topic again and again, you like me or what?" He asked, when Zara hits him on his shoulder.

"Shut up, I just see you as my friend, so please don't try all this on me" Zara said, as awkwardness crept on her.

Agastya blinked at her, taken aback for a moment—not because she said she saw him as a friend, but because she looked genuinely flustered.
Her fingers kept tugging at the sleeve of her hoodie, and she avoided his eyes like he'd said something outrageous.

"Okay, okay," he raised his hands in surrender, a small smile on his lips. "Friend hi sahi."

Zara exhaled, relieved.

"But you didn't answer," he added casually.
She froze.

"Answer what?" she asked, frowning.

"Whether you'll be jealous or not."

[ZARA'S POV]

I was completely confused at his sudden question. Jealous?

Why'd I be jealous picturing him with a girl? It's not like I like him or something. It's just... I just can't understand.

My stomach churned, as I looked at him. I didn't understand why he always lowers his eyes whenever I look at him?

Such a weirdo.

"Bolo bolo, you were so affected when I didn't talked to you, won't you be jealous" he asked, as a boyish mischievous smile came on his face.

"No" I told him, while my stomach twisted into weird notes. My heart beat felt like my heart will blast with how quick it was, but I ignored it. "Why would I be jealous?"

His face, which was energetic now fell. "Yeah, why would you care" he said, when I saw smile disappearing from his face. "Let me help you"

He just kept the bags in the car, when I sat on the back seat, as Siddharth came.... Aaradhya would directly come from her home.

I was sitting in the middle, uncomfortable when Sid pushed me inside.

Sid was playing game, while Agastya looked out of the window. Why do he act like this? I wonder if he'd feelings for me?

When papa played the song, "ajeeb dastan hai yeh" in the car...

The tunes were still playing when papa said, "gaane the to pehle ke time ke hote the, aaj kal to kya hi banate hai"

Agastya sat silent, as if he was deeply offended with my words. He didn't even talked the whole way, but was just sitting silent.

What's wrong with him today?
Is he really drunk or what?

[POV ENDS]
****

"Zaraa!" Agastya said, as she was about to sit in the bus.She turned around only to look him grinning at her. "I brought these earphones for you; you won't have to hear the unwanted DJ of bus and can sleep peacefully" he said, but she still didn't understand why his gaze was down and secondly why was he talking selectively.

Zara sat on the second last seat- along with Shreya and Aaradhya.

He was sitting right in front of her seat, Zara just pulled the voice cancelling earplugs that Agastya gave her, as she closed her eyes.

"She's already sleepy" Aaradhya commented, as she pulls a sheet on her face as she removed . "Zara, you want to sleep in our lap?" Aaradhya asked, when she simply shook her head thinking she'll be a burden and both of them won't be able to enjoy.

"Bro why're you sleeping? Let's enjoy no!" Shreya said, as she opened her tab.

"Ameer log, tab leke aaye hai" Zara commented, when Shreya winked at her. "Now I'm sleeping guys, or else I'll die with a headache" Zara said, when Aaradhya grinned at her.

"Were you talking to your 'him' last night that you didn't sleep whole night?" Aaradhya teased her friend, when she rolls her eyes.

The silence was quite worrisome for Agastya, while Anirudh was all ready to make fun of his.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai, thik hai?" Zara said,

"Kaise nahi hai yaar? Look at yourself you're so cute" Aaradhya said, as she squeezed her cheeks.

"Because I don't want to date bro... like I don't think men are good enough mere samne koi ladka aa jata hai na to mereko usko chappal marne ka man karta hai," Zara said, frustration laced in her voice. "I just see everyone with the gaze of brother dude, I can't imagine myself in a relationship"

"But come'n Zara, this is the age dude, everyone has something going on, talking stage?" Shreya said.

Zara looked at her friends all confused. Why're they even thinking that she'd be in a relationship?

"Sab ka nahi chal raha hota hai, Shreya, stop comparing with you— you're lucky" Aaradhya said, looking in the front.

"I'm lucky, that a handsome backbencher hunk is mad behind me, I mean I'm that pretty to be loved by him— he's my only luck" Shreya said, flipping her hairs, unknowing that boys were just listening to them.

A grin appeared on Anirudh's face, when Agastya nudged his elbow. "Ehehehe"

Zara controlled her urge to speak, as she knew it very well that whenever she's opened her mouth to speak, she's usually referred crazy to say that thing.

"It's so tiring to have a guy anyways" Zara said, "babysit those mf's"

"Yeah, you're right in this," Aaradhya said. "I'll do arranged marriage" Aaradhya continued when Zara shook her head.

"I won't marry dude, what if my husband starts beating me?" Zara asked, "or what if he cheats on me?"

"Why're you so negative?" Shreya asked.

"WHAT IF HE?" Zara said, when Aaradhya nods.

"What she's thinking is valid, but we can tease guys online? Maza aayega, this is the app" Shreya said,

"Yeah, give it to me, let's do this!" Zara said, grabbing the tab from Shreya's hand.

"Zara, I can see how much you resist and stay quiet" Aaradhya commented, when Zara flatly smiles.

"It takes me time to get comfortable with people, once I'm comfortable, then others feel uncomfortable" Zara said.

"Your boyfriend would be the luckiest one, I wish I was a man, Zara" Aaradhya said, when Zara looked confused.

"I mean you're so cute, look at your dressing sense, I mean everything makes you—"

Aaradhya hadn't even finished her sentence when Zara felt her stomach drop.

Cute?
Her?

Her throat tightened. For a second, she wondered if Aaradhya was joking. People never said that to her. Growing up, the only adjectives thrown at her were weird, ugly, dark, too fat— depending on who was in the mood to insult her that day. Her own mother never validated her with those words, even though she tried to change her certainly, her own cousin sister used to taunt her and ignore her, on how she looked.

She blinked twice, almost scared to react.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," Zara said, waving her hand dismissively.
Obviously they were joking. People always joked like that. No one ever said it seriously.

Shreya frowned.
"Funny? What part of that was funny?"

"Acha, stop joking, both of you," Zara said again, this time looking genuinely confused. "I'm not cute. Please."

Aaradhya exchanged a look with Shreya— the what is she even saying? look.

"Zara, we're literally not joking," Shreya said, shrugging as she opened a packet of chips. "Like... why would we lie about something so stupid?"

"Ha, if anything, she's praising you way too much," Aaradhya added casually while scrolling through photos. "You're adorable. Cute face, cute clothes, cute height... everything is cute."

***

Zara finally settled, pulling the sheet over her face and pretending to sleep—mostly to hide how awkward she felt after all that "cute" talk.

Shreya stretched her legs and leaned to the side, scrolling on her tab and that's when she noticed it. Agastya was looking at her sleeping figure,

"Uhm, uhm" Shreya coughs, enough to grab his attention, when he looked away awkwardly.

"Ladka haath se nikalta jaa raha hai" Aaradhya said, passing the packet of chips to Shreya, when Anirudh laughed at him. Siddharth was all busy playing a game.

"Ye dono bhai bhen apne aap mei hi lage rehte hai" Anirudh taunted, as he pulled of Siddharth's earphones. "Kiski yaado mei khoi hui hai, kammo"

Anirudh joked, when Siddharth just rolled his eyes.

"Tera aur Zara ka eye roll tak same hai" Agastya said— as he noticed the smallest action of his.

"Haan to behen hai vo meri, similarities to hongi hi na?" Siddharth told,

"Then how're you so ugly?" Aaradhya commented, when Siddharth stood on his seat.

"I'm not talking to you, okay? And I don't need to know if I'm beautiful or not, you take care of yourself ganji chudail" Siddharth said, when Aaradhya started looking at the tab.

He felt a pillow on his face, when he looked his sister in shock. "Chup chap betha nahi jaata terese?"

It was his sister.

"Tu to so rahi thi na?"

"Uth gyi hu, mundi aage kr le befaltu mei meri friends ki bezatti mar kar diyo" Zara warned, "or else... I'll reveal that one secret of yours"

"Kabhri lal chaurasiya" Siddharth rolled his eyes, as he sat.

"Vamika di ko call karu?" Zara asked, as she managed to stand up and smack his head.

"Kyuu?" Siddharth cried, as he stomped his feet childishly.

"Bachon vali harkate band krde" Aaradhya muttered under her breath.

"Nahi karunga" Siddharth said, when the girls laughed at Aaradhya.

"Zara, don't you have your personal account on insta?" Shreya asked, when Zara hesitantly looked at them.

"I do..." she replied, "but I don't use it" she said— completely embarrassed.

"Why? Come'n bro everyone use it" Aaradhya said, when she shook her head.

"I don't mind giving it, but I really don't use my phone" she said, as she opened her phone.

"Achaa, just give us" Aaradhya said,

******

How was the chapter?
I hope it wasn't boring 😭☝🏻

Target- 10 votes