One for all, all for one

The plane finally touched down on the sunkissed runway of the Maldives, and as Rohit peered out of the window, he felt a mixture of excitement and relief. He was more than ready for the break, but the thought of spending quality time with Ritika, albeit in the presence of his clueless friends, added a secret thrill to it all. The fact that only Virat and Anushka knew about their relationship added to the fun. He smirked to himself, thinking about how long they'd be able to keep it hidden, especially from someone like Yuzi, who had a knack for sniffing out secrets.

As they disembarked from the plane, the entire group was buzzing with excitement. The airport was small, and as they moved toward the exit, the cool island breeze hit them.

"Brooo! yeh toh full cinematic hai! Lag raha hai jaise kisi movie ke set pe aaya hu!" Rishabh exclaimed, lifting his arms up and inhaling the salty sea breeze.

"Oho kya pose hai bollywood ke hero!" Jassi teased, giving Rishabh a playful shove.

Virat grinned, adjusting his sunglasses as Rohit walked beside him. "Bas ab yeh na ho, ki tujhe dekhke koi bollywood ki apsara tere piche lattoo ho jaye" He winked at Rohit, who was trying to suppress a laugh.

Ritika and Anushka were walking ahead, and every now and then, Ritika would turn back to flash a secret smile at Rohit. He responded with a subtle wink, and their unspoken connection sent butterflies fluttering in both of their stomachs.

Yuzi, always the one to capture moments for Instagram, was already snapping pictures. "Chalo, chalo guys, let's take a quick selfie before we head to the cottages. Maldives mein aaye hai, yeh sab document karna zaroori hai!"

Virat and Rohit rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Yuzi, yeh insta reel mein ghus mat ja abhi. Thoda break le usse ! " Virat teased.

"Haa aur uss phone ko bhi break de ! " Rohit added, grinning. " Kahin bhi jaata hai, camera chalu kar deta hai ! "

Yuzi just shrugged with a grin, "Public demand hai, kya karein?"

Rohit smiled and nodded and looked towards Ritika, he couldn't keep his eyes off her for too long. Even in her casual travel outfit, she looked effortlessly beautiful. The way her hair fell over her shoulders, the sunlight catching in her eyes, made his heart skip a beat.

By the time they arrived at the overwater cottages, the group was buzzing with excitement. The cottages were everything they had hoped for and more..spacious, luxurious, and sitting right over the sparkling blue water.

As they divided into two groups, Rohit and Virat, along with Ritika and Anushka, were assigned to one cottage, while the rest of the group, Rishabh, Yuzi, KL Rahul, and Jassi, were in the second.

"Perfect! We get the better view!" Anushka said as she dropped her bag onto the deck, the sound of the gentle waves lapping underneath the cottage adding to the serene ambiance.

Virat and Rohit, however, were less enthusiastic. The plan had sounded great in theory, but now that they were here, reality hit hard, Rohit couldn't share a room with Ritika, and Virat couldn't be with Anushka. Both boys slouched onto the lounge chairs, throwing dramatic looks at each other.

"Kya yaar, kaisa setting hai!" Rohit groaned, rubbing his face. "Socha tha Ritika ke saath time spend karne ka full mauka milega. Par ab yeh sab kya hai yaar ?"

Virat shook his head. "I swear Ro ! Mujhe bhi laga tha ki Anushka ke sath rahunga bina kisise kuch chupaye..But unn dono ki baat bhi sahi hi hai..abhi ladko ko nai bataya hai humne kuch..aur agar galti se bhi ye baat kahi samne aayi toh tujhe toh pata hai media ka..Aag ki tarah phail jaega..and unn dono pe kuch ulta sidha toh hum sunke nahi le sakte na Ro ? " He glanced over at Anushka and Ritika, who were already making themselves comfortable in their shared room.