The bus stopped at a dhaba.

Agastya knew that he'd to rush to his sister.

"What's it now?" Aaradhya asked, as she looked at her brother.

"Aaru, can you show her Instagram ID on your phone" he grinned, when Aaradhya rolls her eyes.

"What will I get in return?" She asked.

"I would give my kidney dude, just let me watch her account once" he whispered in her ears, when Aaradhya gave her phone.

Agastya smiled, as he got her phone but the smile on his face wasn't wrong— it was her spam account, filled with pictures... more specifically, photos of her with someone.

There was a highlight, 'me=him'. His chest tightened, as he opened it.

The first thing that appeared was, a guy holding her hand, while she was all red. Agastya bits his lips, as he looked at the picture...

The next was a video of them in a movie hall, where she was with a few of her friends and him. The same guy from the last picture, she was holding his hand.

The third video was of her running behind him, and recording it.

The fourth one was a picture of that guy playing a game.

With a small caption: Always busy 😤🙄

Caption: crazyyyyy but mineeeeee 🦢🤍

Agastya's throat almost went dry, as he unfollowed Zara from both Shreya and Aaradhya's account.

"Why'd you do that?" Aaradhya asked.

"Wait! Aren't you already dating and she posted all that on her account?" Shreya asked, when Agastya sarcastically smiled at her, not answering her questions.

"What happened guys?" Zara asked, who just came from the washroom.

"You're committed to Agastya?" Shreya asked, when Zara raised her furrows.

Agastya— already overwhelmed with whatever he just saw was too confused to say a word, when he saw her eyes widened.

Not with that sift look. That "oh it's not that".

She looked furious— enough to hit a person. Completely flabbergasted with the wild guess of her friends.

"Guys, can we just stop considering as dating rumours? I mean they're better things like that" zara said, the pitch of her voice increasing with every word she spoke— which felt like she's trying to suppress but she can't.

She looked at Agastya. "Won't you say anything, Agastya? You don't stop talking usually" Zara said, giving a glare to him. Agastya gulped down all the fear he had in a minute, when he saw her face.

"No guys. Focus on your matters" Agastya said.

"By the way how did you guys got this stupid idea?" Anirudh meddled, while Agastya stood silent.

"He made us unfollow her account, as if it has his pictures" Aaradhya said, when Zara's
eyes widened in realisation.

She, out of nowhere, made this account to post her picture with her boyfriend. That was the reason she never let Sid know about this account of hers.

But for some reason, anger busted in her, why was he watching her account?

She excused herself, when Agastya followed her.

"Zara..." Agastya walked behind, while Zara didn't bothered to look back. She walked— her steps quick and furious.

Agastya kept on following— calmer. He was already anxious for her anger, which was fueled by a few words. He strongly wanted to control his urge of uttering anything that would hurt her, but something in him couldn't stop, when he end up saying the worst... "it isn't that big Zara, stop making it" he said, when her steps halted.

She snapped at him, as she turned looking in his eyes. "What did you just say?" She asked, her voice dangerously calm.

His words felt as if they're caged in his mouth, it wasn't a good idea to talk.

They were in the bus when he said the words. Zara walked near him, while Agastya gulped and started walking in the another direction.

Her eyes didn't showed anger anymore. It was just numbness— her eyes showed nothingness.

"This is it now?" Zara asked, her voice neutral. Agastya stayed quiet, when Zara's voice grew louder.

"Tell?"

She said, turning away when a voice came.

"Z..a..ra.." Agastya said, when she didn't even turned back to see him. "Please don't do this to me, please turn back" he said— as his voice trembled. Something inside him felt like breaking...

"I don't want to, Agastya... not when you don't feel like my feelings are valid" Zara said, when Agastya bits his lips.

"It isn't like that Zara, but hear me out... once... please give me a chance" he asked, as if he was begging for a chance.

"Hmm!" Zara hums, as she crisscrossed her arms.

"Zara... please don't do this to me" Agastya said, his eyes lowered, as he was trying to stop back his tears.

"Why?" Zara asked, as if she didn't knew what was on his mind. "You please don't this to me, Agastya, I beg you" she said, her eyes struck on him.

"What am I doing?" Agastya asked, when Zara took a step further.

"You like me. You've feelings for me, right?" She asked, as if it was the most obvious thing.

He nodded, when she rolled her eyes, keeping a hand on her head. "Why?" She asked, her voice almost like she just whispered.

"Because it's always been you Zara. I... I never imagined relationships, I never pictured anything... it's always been you in the image that's why" he said.

"Why me Agastya?" She whispered. Her eyes didn't showed any emotion. She was just staring at him, as if her entire life was dependent on his answer. "I'm not even perfect"

"For me... Zara" Agastya took a long breath, as he looked up for the first time in all the time. "You're the definition of perfection" his words determined, while her eyes were now glassy, as if it'll break into tears in a moment.

"These lines are too overrated and cheesy now" she said, "I've no strength to get into these things again Agastya, you aren't even my type."

She said, when Agastya parted his mouth, to say something when Zara continued. "I am already dead from inside, I don't want to kill the inner person inside you too, so please don't..." she walked away, not even turning back, when Agastya just looked at her.

He walked slowly, hoping that she'd turn, at least once.

His breath hitched, as he looked at her going. Anirudh rushed to the bus with some packed food when Agastya raised his furrows.

"Yaar ab raat mei bhi to bhukh lag sakti hai na" he grinned, when Agastya snatched the food from him.

"Mujhe abhi bhi lag rahi hai, itne se kya banega? Jyada lana tha na gadhe" Agastya said, when Anirudh smacked him.

(I'm still hungry.. you'd have bought more food)

"Bhukkad kahi ka, vaise Zara kya keh rhi thi tujhe" Anirudh asked, when Agastya just glared at him.

"Aa gaya na line pe? But I don't feel like sharing yaar" Agastya said, with a long mouth.

"It's okay... I'll give you space..." Anirudh said, when Agastya smiled at him. "For 20 seconds, which are done"

"Gay" Agastya said,

"Look who's speaking— now tell me whatever happened" Anirudh asked, crisscrossing his chest.

"She...." Agastya said, remembering the whole time.. 'I've no stren to be involved in all this again, Agastya' revolved in his head, while he completely ignored the second line, that 'you aren't even my type'

"Oh my god, she just told me that she's single" Agastya grinned, way too wide.

Anirudh froze, then his entire face lit up like someone switched on floodlights.

"BROOOOOOO—" he whisper-yelled, shaking Agastya's shoulders like a maniac. "BROOOO SHE'S SINGLE?? SHE'S ACTUALLY SINGLE???"

Agastya nodded, smug. "Haan bro."

"YAYYYYYYYYYY!" Anirudh literally started doing a mini victory dance in the aisle of the bus. "FINALLY MERA BHAI KE CHANCES AAGAYE!!"

Agastya blinked. "Chances? Bhai, I already have feelings—"

"EXACTLY!! YOU LIKE HER, SHE'S SINGLE!! AND BRO SHE LIKES YOU OR ELSE WHY WOULD SHE CLEAR THIS IF YOU WERE A MERE PERSON TO HER" Anirudh squeezed in joy, happy for Agastya.

Agastya pondered for a few minutes and then laughed in agreement. "Yeahh!" He said, completely forgetting the fact that he was just rejected.

"What were her real words by the way?" Anirudh asked, when Agastya made him sit.

"Let it be bro, she's single, but not ready"

"Hmm, give time to her" Anirudh nods.

**

Zara came back to the bus, when she saw him talking with Anirudh.

"Zara, you want some snacks?" Agastya asked innocently, Zara looked at him in confusion.

"Wha.. what?" Zara asked, she asked, as he suddenly offered the chips to her directly.
She expected anger, feeling of hurt, or something but not this.

"Nuh- uh, I'm okay" she said flatly as she sat on her seat.

"Did something happened?" Aaradhya asked, when Zara shook her head.

"We're not dating guys" Zara cleared herself, when her friends nodded at her.

"Hmm, okay" the girls said, when they played Annebelle.

"Bro, it's a classic. Play pope's exorcist, it was coming in my recommendation" Aaradhya said, as she changed the movie.

"Let's watch Veronica na?" Zara suggested.

Shreya and Aaradhya nodded at the suggestion.

***

Aaradhya sat in the middle,  with tab in her lap. Zara kept her head on her shoulder.

"It's such a good movie" Aaradhya said, in the first 10 minutes of the movie.

"Hmm," Zara said.

On the next seat, both Anirudh and Siddharth were deep asleep while Agastya was having a hard time to sleep.

He kept looking out of the window.

She don't have to like me. He thought, as he turned to look at her. Zara was watching the movie with the girls when they'd an eye contact.

Zara, already in movie mode, thought it was ghost and was about to shout when Agastya sat on his seat and covers her mouth. "Shhh!" He indicated, when Zara's eyes narrowed with relief.

"Are you dumb, Agastya? Who scares like this?" Aaradhya asked, when he rolled his eyes.

"Both Siddharth and Anirudh are sleeping" Agastya whispered, enough to be heard by the girls.

"Yeah, so?" Zara asked, raising her furrows.

"You can paint them with makeup, no?" Agastya said, a grin came on his face.

"Yeahh! I'll paint this joker" Aaradhya exclaimed as she pointed at Siddharth, while Shreya took makeup bag and stood up. She made two ponytails out of Anirudh's hairs, while Aaradhya started using a dark red lipstick as blush. Also, making some red marks on his Siddharth's neck when he moved in sleep, but somehow didn't woke up.

"You can also do makeup on someone" Agastya told Zara, who just looked at him.

"Why'd I? And on whom?" Zara said, her voice curt as if she was angry on him.

"You can, on my face, you want me to come back?" Agastya asked, when Zara shook her head.

"No thanks" Zara said, when Agastya made a small face.

"I never made female friends, my male friends would never do it, and anyways, Shreya needs to sit and doll up Anirudh" he pointed as Zara sighed.

"Come, if you're dying for it" Zara said sharply, rolling her eyes.

Agastya didn't even hide his happiness as he sat as a five years old.

"If mam sees us, she's going to kill me, vaise bhi it is never allowed for girls and boys to sit together" Zara said, as she looked at his lightened up face.

"My papa is the founder of this school, so you don't have to worry, this thing won't go that deep" he said, as if he wasn't frightened to his core, knowing well he'd be beaten in front of everyone if they got caught.

She snorted at him— and immediately pulled her lips tightly as she was holding herself from speaking

"What do you want to look like? Bridal makeup? What?" She asked.

"Vo to tum karogi na yaar" he muttered under his breath when Zara raised her furrows.

(You'll do that)

"Huh?" Zara frowned, "did you say something?"

Agastya bits his lips, as he looked in another direction. "Did you heard something?" He asked.

Zara, who was already frustrated by him looking here or there and not speaking with her by looking in her eyes now asked. "What is your problem by the way?"

"What problem?" Agastya questions.

"Why don't you like in my eyes when I speak?" Zara asked.

"You don't feel it comfortable— I heard you said that once" Agastya said, when Zara remembered the exact moment.

"I said—" she said, remembering. "Just once"

"The thing that matters is that you said" he said, a smile came on his face, when she just froze.

"Tadna band karogi? Pata hai handsome hu, par abb to tum nazar laga rahi ho yaar" Agastya smirked, as he ruffled his hairs.

Zara blankly looked at him. "You know what you're?"

Zara said, when he tilted his face, giving her a smile, his dimples popping up, while his eyes looked at her. "What?"

"A narcissistic bastard, who'd leave"
She said, hiting on his shoulder.

"Get me ready, and click pictures from your phone, then I'll leave"

"Dream on" Zara said.

"Fine then, I'll wait for the day when you'll ask me, this offer will be there till the day I'm" Agastya said, when Zara rolled her eyes and put the AC sheet on herself.

"Good night" Agastya said, as he bending to her ear. "Sahiba" he whispered.

"I don't expect anything from you, but don't break our friendship because of these foolish feelings of mine" he whispered in her ears, "or else I'll truly be shattered"

And with that, he went on his seat. Zara froze, not knowing how to respond.

TBC <333