════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Sona had no clue how had she ended up here.

She looked into the mirror and pouted at her reflection. She didn't feel confident at all. Not even a tiny bit. Her gaze landed on Tarni who was busy admiring herself with a big smile on her face.

"Dude, so sad that Vikrant isn't here to see you," Sona exaggerated her words.

"No worries, I am going to click lots of pictures!"

Both the best friends were dressed up in tradition Kashmiri outfits. The red jacket was a little loose on her body. Her head was covered in a cloth and she wore a silver head piece with big dangling earrings hooked around her ears. There was also a necklace and Sona had reluctantly worn it, wondering if it would even suit her.

But as she looked at her reflection again she couldn't help but think that the necklace was bringing the whole look together.

"Why did you not bring him anyway?" she asked as they made their way outside to get their pictures clicked by a cameraman. Many tourists rented outfits and clicked pictures, it was the most vivid souvenir you could carry back home. Though this was all Tarni's idea but Sona knew why she wanted to do this. It was not just for her Instagram but she wanted to spend time with her too and do something fun.

"Because Abhay is here," she whispered, trying to run her hand through her hair only to realise that they were obscured behind the veil she had pulled over her head. She bit her lip. "It's okay, na? I though we could have some quality time together."

Quality time? Sona wanted to open Tarni's head and see what was wrong with her. She knew she disliked Abhay but then why?

"Tarni," her voice was filled with distaste.

"Sorry, Sona!" she immediately clapped her hands together. "But he insisted!"

"What?" she scoffed, not believing her words.

"Really, really," she shook her hands, "He said he will spend the day with us."

Sona pressed her lips into a thin line. Us? Not only Tarni but also her?

"Sona. . . . "Tarni whined, "I know because of that day. . . . but do you have to hate him?"

Those words broke her off her trace. "I don't hate him."

"You clearly dislike him."

"I don't." I am in love with him.

"Come on," her best friend rolled her eyes and she held her wrist and brought her outside. The crowd was still packed and the mountains looked as white as ever. "Just shut the fuck up and pull your big girl panties on for one day."

Sona glared in return but deep inside she was more anxious than ever. Oh how stupid she had being yesterday, to say stupid things without even thinking. How could she stay mad at him for long? But how could she act like nothing happened? How was she suppose to act in the first place?

While the cameraman clicked their pictures she saw him.

He was standing there the whole time!

Of course, the buzzling crowd had hid him very well from her eyes but now that she saw him she couldn't look away. His dark eyes, his dark hair, his leather jacket. . . .everything about him was so endearing that it was unfair.

He seemed to be looking elsewhere, his hair in the wind as he crossed his arms. His gaze was long and distant like he was caught up in his own thoughts. Sona's lips parted slowly, looking at him itself gave her an idea for a new poem.

"Wow!"

Sona dragged herself back to reality. Tarni was holding a developed photo and she shoved it right in her face. It was Sona herself, gazing at Abhay. Her eyebrows jumped up, did she really look like that when she was looking at him?

"It's so beautiful!" Tarni said. "Let's click some on the phone, too!"

"Um," the bewildered Sona looked at her picture again as Tarni skipped past her. She thanked the cameraman and followed her best friend.

"Bhai, do I look nice?" she asked her brother, twirling in her dress. "I want to buy it! Bhai, buy this for me?"

Abhay's lips twitched, "And where will you wear it? To the grocery store?"

Sona coughed to stiffen her laughter but that was enough for Abhay to notice her. Of course he was noticing her after yesterday. She averted her brown eyes away from him, she didn't want to make a fool out of herself again.

"Sona," he acknowledged her with a raised eyebrow. "Hi."

Sona chocked on her spit as she spluttered. "H-Hi."

"Are you okay?" Tarni made a face. "Geez, did you not drink enough water? I told you two glasses in the morning, three in the afternoon and four at night."

"Thanks, Doctor," Sona hissed at her as she tried to pull herself together. "But even if I follow your instructions my skin is not clear enough."

"Who said its for clear skin, it's clearly for your---"

"Tarni," Abhay cut her off, he motioned them to stand together as he held up his phone.

Tarni made all kind of poses as he clicked their pictures while Sona smiled awkwardly at the camera. Now that time has passed she noticed how heavy the jewellery was even if it was made of cheap metal.

"That's enough, na?" she shook Tarni off who has her arms around her shoulder.

She pouted. "But I wanted to click more."

"Okay, you click how many ever," Sona rolled her eyes. "I am giving this back to them," she pointed at her rented clothes and jewellery. When she walked her way she did her best not to look at Abhay but darn it, her eyes weren't in her control. But when she realised he was looking back at her she jumped out of her skin and speedily walked away.

When she came back in her large coat and boots she was astonished to find Aksith. He was chatting merrily with Tarni as if he couldn't feel Abhay's wrath shining on him. Sona cringed, biting her lip as she looked at the scene. Maybe she could walk away.

"Oh! Sona!"

Sona facepalmed as she made her way towards them.

"We were going to see the mules, do you want to come too?" he asked, looking overly cheery.

She tried her best to smile and even subtly signal him to go away, her distressed eyes caught hold of Abhay who was standing tall, looming over Aksith; who somehow managed to ignore it. Sona sighed internally, was Aksith being oblivious or was he just acting plain stupid?

"Abhay bhaiya, I saw many seniors there too. Do you want to come with us?" Aksith politely turned to the elder boy.

Abhay raised his eyebrows as if saying, do I need an invitation for that?

"Oh I would love too!" Tarni spoke, as if she didn't know what was going to happen. "Is Vikrant---"

She gasped and cut herself off, slapping her mouth as her eyes flew towards Abhay. She looked so comical trying to hold her tongue even after knowing it was slippier than a fish. On top of that she was still adorned in her Kashmiri attire. "I-I'll go change!" she ran off, without looking at Abhay and leaving Sona all alone between the disaster she had created.

"I'll help her!" Sona turned but even before she could take a step forward her wrist was grasped. Aksith shot her a questioning look.

"What's wrong?"

What's wrong? What's wrong? How could he act cool in front of Abhay? Even though she might be exaggerating a little, shouldn't he be cautious and scared of him. Weren't all boys? And he even had the audacity to flirt with Tarni in front of him!

"Can you click a picture of us?" Abhay spoke so suddenly that it scared Sona, she thought he was still going to continue his glaring game for sometime. But when he pulled her towards him, his hand on her shoulder so casually like they were friends she froze. He acted like everything was okay between them, like nothing ever happened yesterday or the day before; when she blurted out nonsensical words to him. He was acting like everything was okay between, like he hadn't blatantly ignore her for the past 5 years.

Sona didn't like that.

In fact she felt hurt.

Did he think he could ignore her whenever and then pretend nothing ever happened.

Aksith clicked their picture but Sona wasn't paying attention, she moved away from his like his warm touch had scorched her. Her lips were pursed and she looked down, ignoring him. Maybe I should just ignore him, so he knows how I felt? But haven't I been trying to avoid him? Will he even care?

"Let's go, Aksith."

🦋🦋🦋

Aksith kept staring at her when they walked.

"What?" Sona finally barked. Abhay and Tarni were walking in front of them, they stopped every 5 minutes because Tarni wanted to click a picture in front of a bench, in front of a fountain, in front of a shop, in front of a dustbin in shape of a rabbit.

"Did Abhay say something?"

"Why would you think that?" her hands were buried deep in her pocket, snow crunching beneath her feet.

"You look. . . . sad."

"What?" she whipped her face. They had stopped again, Tarni was clicking a picture in front of a fancy streetlight. Abhay had more patience than Sona and Aksith combined. "I look nothing but furious!"

"You are furious?" his amber eyes gleamed, "Well, you are doing a bad job at it."

"Shut up!" she lowered her voice. "You know you what you are doing? Asking for the truck to drive you over? From where are you getting the courage to talk so confidently in front of Abhay? Acting all macho? Wow, I didn't know you had it in you! Do you know you are asking for death? It's not like he will beat you up or anything but his warning should be scary enough!"

"What?"

"Come on!" she whispered yelled, "Since school days no guy tried to come near Tarni! Though she did have a secret boyfriend but when Abhay found you , you don't know furious he was! Tarni is also mad! She was dating a guy from his class. Of course he was so angry. He strictly warned us not to date!"

"Us?" he said. "He warned you and Tarni? Does that mean he keeps check of guys around you too?"

Sona didn't know why but she blushed. "I wouldn't know."

"So you and Tarni can't date?" he said. "Awe man!" he stretched his arms over his head.

Sona rolled her eyes, wondering if that was the only thing he understood from all her lecture.

"But on the bright side!" they had started moving again and Aksith walked closer to her, whispering in her ear. "He will be gone next year."

🦋🦋🦋

When they reached to look at the mules, of course Tarni said she wanted a picture with it. It was a mixture between a donkey and a horse but to Sona it still looked more like a donkey. There were a handful of people here, gazing at the animals behind the fence.

Sona sighed as she leaned on it, taking a deep icy breathe that led her to sneeze. She felt her lungs slightly aching and she took a shot of her inhaler. She was proud to say she wasn't going up the number of puffs she was prescribed to take.

She felt Abhay looking at her.

"It's my first," she sniffed, feeling the need to let him know.

They were standing alone because Tarni had somehow convinced him to let her go to the group of friends that were not far away. Aksith also slipped after her, his friends were waiting for him.

"Hmm," he only hummed, still looking at her.

Sona felt flustered. A week before she would have never thought she was be standing somewhere alone with her crush. The only time she ever saw Abhay was in college or at Tarni's home and now here she was standing next to him. What was happening?

She tried not looking at his face. It was hypnotising and forget about her lungs it was not good for her heart either.

"Do you not want to click pictures?"

Sona finally turned to look at him. Was he asking her something another than her asthma?

"No," she peeled her eyes away from his handsome face.

"Why not?" he said, "Don't you like clicking pictures?"

"Um. . . " well she didn't dislike it either. But what was he up to? She couldn't help but frown.

"Come."

"What?" her heart was beating so fast as he moved closer to her, she could see the brown in his dark eyes as the evening sun hit his face making his skin glow ethereally.

The next thing she knew he jumped off the fence and was on the other side.

"What are you doing?"

He looked so roguish in his leather jacket, his hands slipped inside his pocket but then he smiled at her and her heart almost burst. She didn't even know how and why she climbed the fence over too. She swore she was hypnotised the whole time.

"Here."

Son shrieked when she left the ground leaving her feet. His hands on her waist burned like fire as she felt his skin, even though layers of clothes separated their body. He hoisted her on the mule carefully. What was he doing? She clutched the handle tightly, her breathing growing shallow.

"Sona, are you okay?" his whole demeanour changed from the previous rebellious one to the now worried one.

"Yeah," she snapped her eyes towards his face. It was still too close.

The mule she was sitting on was quiet, it didn't go wild or make a sound. Sona patted her chest, feeling relived that she was not going to die because of animal stampede. Now one reason of dying here was certainly crossed off, more 99 reasons were still left.

"Say cheese."

A click was heard.

"I want to, too! What the fuck!"

Sona heard Tarni's torment shouts from over the fence. She tried jumping over but fell face first into the cold snow.

Both Sona and Abhay bursted into fits of laughter. Even the mule whined.

What do you think? How do you think things are progressing between Sona and Abhay? Why the change of behaviour?

Well, is Abhay a nice brother?

Do you think Aksith is too overconfident?

And our lovely Tarni? Isn't she crazy as ever but that's why we love her, don't we?

Ans of course, Sona. She is changing so much! She thinks about her feelings too and doesn't let Abhay trample over her! Even though she does it in a fit of moment she speaks her heart.