RIHAN'S POV
"Hey, what if Kavya is also coming with her?" Sidharth asked as I turned to him in the living room, waiting for Aaha to arrive.
"She won't," I replied, assuring him. But then I gave him a sudden realizing glare because I'm not sure if I can say she's not coming with her. I didn't tell her.
In a rush, I grabbed his phone from the table and sat down, dialing Aaha's number. Sidharth came near me and took a seat.
"She isn't picking up the call," I replied, disappointed that she didn't answer.
"Try calling Kavya," he suggested.
"But-" I was about to speak, but he interrupted me, saying, "Just dial it," and snatched the phone before I could even process what he was saying.
"Put the call on speaker," I said, and he dialed her number.
"Hello," she said as she picked up the call.
"Umm, Kavya, it's me, Rihan," I said, leaning towards the phone.
"Ha, bolo," she replied.
"Umm, can you tell me where Aaha is? She isn't picking up my call," I asked, feeling hesitant.
"She must be on her bike. You ask her to come over urgently. What's the matter?" she asked, and we both sighed in relief, knowing she isn't coming.
"Aaha didn't tell you?" I asked her back, just in case to support the lie if Aaha had said anything.
"Yeah, she said you guys burned the food," she said.
"Haaana, dekho Sidharth ne khana jala diya," I said, while Sidharth cursed me. I could understand his lipsync. Hehe, another hesitant smile came off my face.
"Haa, okay, mai na, baad mein call karti hu, mumma ka call aa raha hai," she said.
"Haa haa, bilkul," I replied as I cut the call.
"Saale, tujhe yeh kyu bolna tha ki maine khana jalaya hai?" Sidharth asked as I put the phone on the table, while he got closer to me, frustrated.
"Easy, Sidharth. We're doing this for you, isn't it?" I asked, and his facial expression softened.
"Okay, mai ja raha hu, Aaha aur mere liye coffee banane. She must be triggered about it," I said as I stood up and a smile came across my face, knowing how well we know each other. I went straight to the kitchen.
"Move aside!" I heard her voice as I was already there, holding the mugs all ready. And there she was, rocking her purple night suit, looking absolutely stunning as always. I approached her with a smile. She asked if I was okay, her voice trailing off. I assured her that I was alright. Soon after, we settled on the couch, sipping our coffee and sharing everything. I suggested she change into my clothes, which caught her by surprise. But time was running out, so I smiled as she entered the room. I couldn't help but notice Sidharth's gaze, and my smile faded as I saw him with a questioning look.
"You didn't even let me touch your clothes," he said, as I averted my eyes, walking towards the drawer.
"Toh best friend haina meri," I said with a playful grin, grabbing the car keys from the drawer and sliding them into my pocket. I could feel Sidharth's gaze lingering on me, but I chose to ignore it for now.
"Tu kuch bhi bol, you love her man," he says while taking his seat on the couch. "Shut up, go prepare your so-called dialogues," I say and walk out of the room, entering the yard and glancing at my room's window. I smile like an idiot. In the meantime, while she's getting ready, I take out the car from the parking and come inside to change my footwear. I remove the crocs and put on my shoes. As I'm tying my shoelace, I see her feet with my shoes in front of my eyes. I look up at her and ask if she's ready, my voice trailing off. That's when my eyes sparkle. She's wearing my clothes, with her hair on the left side. I love her hair like this.
I look down to tie my shoelace, trying to hide the upside-down smile on my lips.
"Well, it looks even better on you!" I say, still looking down, trying not to show the happiness in my tone. Deep down, I always wanted her to wear my clothes once.
And then when I stood up, not smiling anymore, looking at her face, our eyes locked. She looked up to catch my eyes, and okay, this is too cute!
She holds my hand and says, "Come on," while she drags me out of the living room.
"Der ho jayegi baba," she says, and that's when I lose my shit. I melt very hard. Why does she called me. "baba" Okay, why is she acting like me? I couldn't help but smile so hard when I blush, turning my gaze down.
While she was still dragging me out, we paused when we reached the car outside the gate.
"Baith aur chala gaadi," she orders, while I still couldn't get out of it, all flushed.
And I couldn't help but not face her. I walked away, going towards the other side of the car before she could see me.
And we both take our seats, getting our seat belts on, and I start the car.
While we're on the way, she initiated the radio, where they were serenading us with the melodious tune of 'kaise ab kahein'.
While immersing myself in the heartfelt lyrics, I couldn't resist stealing glances at her. As she harmonized with the song, her fingers gracefully danced through her hair, her gaze fixed on the world outside the mirror. With her legs gently tucked into each other, she exuded a captivating aura. And oh, her voice, it was nothing short of extraordinary.
As the lyrics resonated with my soul, I stole a quick glance at the cars ahead, then turned my gaze out the window, concealing the smile that involuntarily formed on my lips. Where was this surge of emotions coming from?
'Isse jyada kaise kahu mai, haan intezar mujhko bhi hai,' she sang along, and I couldn't help but wonder if she truly meant it. 'Snap out of it, Rihaan!' I mentally scolded myself, blinking rapidly and readjusting myself in my seat. It's just a song, after all.
While we were shopping for the decorations, she mirrored my childlike enthusiasm, radiating a sense of safety and goofiness. As she grabbed the balloons, she leaped into the air to show me, while I stood there, unable to contain my smile. She saw right through me and curiously asked why I was grinning like that. My foolish mouth blurted out, 'Because of you,' and in that moment, my heart raced, drowning out the background noise. My gaze remained fixed on her, and she returned my smile, causing a wave of nostalgia to wash over me.
"Well, I am just that beautiful," she said dramatically, playfully walking away to the other side of the mart's shelf. Once again, I couldn't help but smile. Why was the day so perfect? I always cherish those moments when it's just the two of us.
As I followed her, turning the corner to the other side of the shelf, something caught my eye in the organizer. It was a peculiar toy with the words 'tap on it' written on it. Could it be a bomb? Who cares! I had to pop it right away. But when it started beeping loudly, fear gripped me, and I instinctively threw it up in the air. Miraculously, I managed to catch it and placed it back in the organizer. It stopped saying 'I love you.' When I glanced back at Aaha, she was leaning against the shelf, arms folded, looking at me. Our eyes met, and we couldn't help but burst into giggles while she shook her head.
"You were scared of this little shit?," she exclaimed, pointing to the very spot where I had returned the item "dumb," she muttered, shaking her head with a playful smile, and then turned away. Yeah, "your dumb," echoed in my mind as I foolishly trailed after her, wearing a constant smile on my face.
As we stowed away our belongings in the car trunk, I let out a sigh of exhaustion when I finally settled into my seat. "Thak gaya," I uttered, while she opened the door and took her place beside me.
"Itne jaldi? Abhi toh dinner baki hai," she remarked, her desire to have dinner at home compelling us to do the same. "Bahar se manga lenge, broo," I replied, tossing my head back nonchalantly.
"Nai, isse tera pet kharab ho jata hai," she responded, her voice filled with concern.
"You didn't have to mention that," I retorted, straightening my neck to give her a reproachful look. "Cause I care," she said, turning towards me. Her eyes gleamed, and our gazes locked. "Haa, sahi mai n," she uttered, her face contorting playfully. But my attention was captivated by her eyes, and then she blinked twice, her left eye bothering her. "Oww," she winced, pressing her eye gently.
"Kya hua?" I asked, leaning in closer to get a better look. Her eyes were bothering her, and I wanted to help.
"Kuch toh bhi ankho Mai gaya," she replied, her voice filled with concern.
"Dikha," I said, gently leaning in towards her, feeling her presence enveloping mine. Slowly, I opened her eye and blew a gentle stream of air into it. As her facial expression cooled down, I couldn't help but gaze into her eyes, lost in the moment.
"Ab theek hai?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine care, unable to tear my eyes away from her. She wobbled her head, and I settled back into my seat. Deep down, I wished I could stay that close to her forever, never wanting to blink and always wanting to cherish her presence.
As I continued driving, I couldn't help but steal glances at her. Deep down, I wished I could be that close to her, cherishing every moment, never wanting to look away. But for now, all I could do was focus on the road and the journey ahead.
"they do look beautiful together, don't they?" she asked, her gaze fixed on me.
"We've talked about this so many times," I replied, my eyes focused on the road ahead.
"Yeah," she said, her voice fading.
"You're happy for them, aren't you?" I asked, sensing a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I am," she replied, her gaze shifting towards the window.
"Aaha, come on, tell me what's wrong," I said, twirling the wheel.
"I'll end up being single forever," she replied, looking outside the window. I turned my gaze towards her, surprised by her sudden change in attitude. She had always seemed unbothered about being single, but now it seemed like something was bothering her. I couldn't resist adding a little spice to the conversation.
"What about me?" I asked, adjusting my seat with a mischievous grin. She gave me a disgusted look, clearly not amused by my antics.
"I mean, what do you think about us? Do we have a chance?" I asked, trying to sound sincere but also playfully flushed.
"Really? You're asking me?" she replied in an irritated voice. Oh, shoot! She was back to her usual self, not falling for my clingy talk. I should have known better than to push her buttons.
"Okay, what about friends with benefits?" I asked, giving her a sly smirk, hoping to lighten the mood. I felt her gaze turn towards me, her expression filled with curiosity and a hint of annoyance.
"Friends with benefits?" She questioned, her voice laced with that irritating and mysterious undertone.
"Yeah, I mean, we'll be lifelong buddies but..." I paused, glancing at her, wondering if she had something up her sleeve because she could literally throw anything at me.
"But?" She probed.
"I mean, we'll be friends all day long, and physically involved at night?" I finally said, waiting for her to strike, but surprisingly, she didn't hit me for a good 5 seconds. I glanced at her, and that's when she delivered a powerful punch to my face. I had to slow down and pull over to the side of the road.
"I hope tu kabhi bakwaas marna band karega," she said, driving the car while I held an ice pack against my swollen cheek. The pain was bearable, but it still stung.
"Mai gaadi chala sakta tha," I tried to say, my voice trembling and stuttering.
"Yeah, right. Sir ko bolna bhi nhi aarha hai and car chalani hai," she replied in sarcasticly and frustration, and I couldn't help but look outside quietly, feeling like a helpless child.
"Guys, I've..." Sidharth's voice trailed off as he smirked at me, opening the door and stepping aside so we could enter and put all the things we brought onto the table.
As we placed the items on the table, I turned to glance at Sidharth, who was already biting his lips, trying to hold back his laughter. I gave him the most expressionless look, and then he looked at Aaha, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Hahah, who did this?" he asked, clutching his stomach.
"I did," Aaha said, coming closer to me, placing her hand on my shoulder, and guiding me to sit on the couch. She then placed the ice bag on my cheek.
"But why?" he asked, standing in front of us, now in my line of sight.
"He asked me for that 'friends with benefits' shit," she said, but I quickly cut her off, saying, "I was just joking."
"Oww," I blurted out as she pushed the ice bag onto my face.
"Shut your mouth for good," she said, grabbing my hand and placing it on the ice bag, making me hold it for the rest of the time.
"Are you done?" she asks, leaning in and exerting some strength as she bends to hold the ice bag.
"Yeah," he says.
"Okay that's good, so let's decorate now," she says, while putting her hair up in a bun and securing it on top of her head. And there I was, just sitting there, feeling like they're the parents and I'm their child.
"Ho gaya hoga theek, chal kaam karna hai bohot," she says, placing her hands on her waist, while her shirt gets a bit loose. Yeah, I've got eyes.
"Wait, did you call Mahi and Karan?" I asked, my hands busy sticking the balloons to the wall.
"Ohh shoot!" Sidharth exclaimed, hastily placing the glue gun on the table and grabbing his phone as he rushed out.
Mahi Verma, our other friend who's more like a homie, is goofy and the sweetest when it comes to Kavya and Aaha. She and Karan are dating, the first beautiful couple in our circle. She's pretty, but not as much as her," I glanced at her, who was diligently sticking the balloons on the wall. Her hair kept getting in her way, coming loose from her tie every three minutes. She hadn't brought anything to tie her hair, but I remembered I had something. I climbed down from the ladder.
"Where are you going?" she asked, and once again, her smooth, shiny hair came undone.
"I'll be back in a minute," I replied and hurried towards my room, rummaging through my drawer until I found her hair tie in another drawer on the table.
I dashed down the stairs and saw her struggling with her hair. "Aaha, here," I said, opening my palm.
"You had it?" she asked, taking it in her hand.
"Your silly things are still scattered all over this house," I teased, stepping back onto the ladder.
"They're not silly things, they're everyday essentials, silly," she retorted, securing her hair with the hair tie.
"Haan, kyu ni," I replied, just as we saw Sidharth coming inside.
"Did you tell them?" Aaha asked.
"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," he said, looking at Aaha. Wait, what?
"Heyy, it was me," I interjected, catching their attention.
"It was who?" he asked, acting clueless. "Oh, alright, I forgot to fill some balloons with air," he said, pretending not to know what I meant. Is my reputation at stake or what?!
I glanced at Aaha, and she looked back at me, raising her shoulder and forming a firm line with her lips. We're all in on it, huh?!
We all sighed as we finished everything, including dinner. Laughing, cherishing moments, and reminiscing about old things. Everything feels easy when you're with your own people, isn't it!?
Sitting on the couch, looking at the decorations, Aaha beside me and Sidharth standing behindus and the couch.
"Everything is done," Aaha says, pulling her legs near her chest.
"Does it hurt?" I asked, leaning closer and squeezing her leg.
"Oww, what are you doing, silly?" she says, slapping my hand. I let go of her leg. So they're aching. I pulled her legs towards myself, placing them in my lap, and started gently massaging them.
"Thank youu," she says in a relaxed tone, melting into the couch.
Then suddenly, we heard the doorbell ring. All heads turned towards the door.
"I'll go check," Sidharth said and walked towards the door.
"Good evening," we heard Karan's voice, and we shared a glance with each other.
"Karan?" Aaha muttered.
Karan winget, our buddy, yeah he's some kind of troublesome but always there whenever someone is us need, although A irritating to he roasts me with shaking his hand with Sidharth's, but also always gets me sidharth tried to roast me alone.
"Here, take this. We brought some sweets," Maahi said. And we turned our gaze towards the door.
"Guys," his voice trailed off, "what the-" he paused, his eyes widening as he took in the scene.
"Well, don't overthink it. He's just massaging my legs," Aaha says confidently.
"You guys could've just asked us to come early," Maahi says, looking at us, probably seeing through how tired we are.
"It's alright, we did everything," I said, pressing her legs again.
"Yeah, umm Sidharth, don't you wanna get ready? It's already hitting 7 in the evening," Aaha said, pulling her legs closer. I gave her a questioning look, but she showed me her palm and turned it into a thumbs-up. Alright, understood.
"Yeah, I better run," Sidharth said, while running towards our room.
"So, he's finally asking her to be his girlfriend tonight," Karan said, taking the seat beside Aaha.
"Yeah, he is," Aaha replied, and Maahi sat beside him. Yeah, a lovey-dovey couple.
Then we all heard the door crack open. Aaha told us that she already told her to get over here. We were all waiting for her to come, and here she is, in a lovely pink-colored mini dress. And us, we all were ready in good outfits except Aaha.
The ambiance was filled with the delightful fragrance of roses and vibrant balloons dancing in the air. Soft melodies played in the background, setting the perfect mood for Sidharth's heartfelt proposal. With anticipation and nerves, Sidharth took a deep breath and gracefully knelt down on one knee. In his trembling hands, he presented a stunning bouquet of crimson roses, symbolizing his deep love and admiration for Kavya. Overflowing with joy, Kavya's eyes welled up with tears as she enthusiastically nodded, uttering a resounding "Yes!" Their embrace was filled with pure bliss, surrounded by the enchanting beauty of the room.
Everyone in the room started shouting and celebrating with a big "Yes!" while Aaha was still feeling a bit reluctant. She always gets irritated, you know? And to top it off, she's still wearing my clothes instead of a nice outfit. But I leaned over gently and placed my arm on her shoulder.
"It's alright, kabhi kabhi achaa na dikhna bhi achhi baat hai," I whispered in her ear, gently tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Shut up, I'm just tired," she replied, not even glancing at me. Oh well, no biggie.
Then Maahi suggested, "Everyone, let's click some photos here!" She threw Aaha up in the air and motioned her hand to curl.
"Yeah, sure," Aaha said, and I followed her as we all gathered for some group photos. We set the camera on timer and struck different poses.
And then, Maahi said, "Let's dance!" She looked at all of us with excitement.
"Yeah, why not? It's our day!" Sidharth said, holding kavya hand, haa chora hi kaha hai.
As the music played and we all started grooving, I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement when I saw Aaha coming towards me. She's always been my favorite dance partner, and seeing her smile and sing along to "Apna bana le Piya, apna bana le Piya dill ke nagar mai sheher tu bana le piya" taking her steps all at me ,made my heart skip a beat. And couldn't help but smile and blush so hard that My face turned red as I couldn't contain my happiness.
We moved together on the dance, her both hands on my shoulder and my hand on her waist. We twirled and danced, our bodies swaying to the rhythm of the song. It felt like we were in our own little world, lost in the music and the moment.
Then, we switched partners, and I found myself dancing with Mahi. I smiled at her, holding her hand and placing my other hand on her waist. But my eyes couldn't help but glance back at Aaha, who was now dancing with Karan. They were having a great time, their steps filled with joy and laughter.
I strained to hear what Mahi was saying as i catch her saying something, but the music was too loud.
"Eh?" I leaned in closer, trying to catch her words.
"When are you going to ask her?" she said loudly, but only I could hear her.
"Ask who?" I leaned near her ear, seeking clarification.
"Never mind, you'll figure it out," she whispered, leaving me slightly confused. But before I could ask her again, it was time to swap partners. I twirled Maahi and ended up dancing with Kavya, grooving to the music. When I glanced back, I saw Aaha with Sidharth, her face beaming with happiness.
And as I danced with Kavya, I could sense that she wanted to say something, but she smiled and shook her head, indicating that it wasn't the right time. I'll have to ask her later because the music was too loud to hear her anyway.
POV ENDS.