════ ⋆★⋆ ════

oh what you wonder,

i would love to know.

oh what you see,

i would love to know.

only if your thoughts,

were as transparent as water,

and your actions,

as repetitive as the time.

but all you do,

is jump some hours,

all you do is,

keep the water dirty.

why, why, oh, why?

i would love to know.

Care to tell me how much time did it take for you to write this one?

Vedikaaaaaa

Stop harassing me

But, love

I really want to know about the guy you are in love with

It's a secret

Sonaaaaaa stfu

what secret

i don't even know if Sona is your real name

That is a big secret okay

Why don't you tell me about himmmmm???

I already told you

It's complicated because he's my best friend's brother

Geez

you are not gonna spill the tea ever??

Nope nope and nope

Well, will you ever tell him?

Same answer as above

Geez

If someone loved me like you do to him

I would put a ring on his finger right away

Sona sighed, a small smile on her lips as her fingers strung another reply to the text she had just received. But what was she even suppose to say? That she felt flattered? That it made her feel giddy? Special? Or extremely sad because she didn't even have the courage to tell it to Abhay and hear something along the line of what Vedika was saying?

After they had weirdly bounded over Tarni falling down face first on the cold snow, it was all back to absolutely nothing. They hadn't talked the whole of yesterday at all, but what was she expecting? After sharing a laugh, they should share more everyday?

But that was exactly what she was expecting.

That, they could maybe. . . . be friends.

For now, she thought and immediately slapped herself for thinking that.

"Are you okay, Sona?" Tarni raised her eyebrow at her as she looked up from her phone. "Do you have a secret boyfriend that you aren't telling me about?!" she instantly stood up in her 'Tarni-stance'.

"What—"

"OMG! SONA!" she cut her off immediately, crawling down the bed with wide eyes. She sat down on the floor next to her. "We promised we would tell each other everything! Don't tell me some guy manipulated you to keep your relationship secret because you didn't want your parents to find out? Sona, that's the first red flag—"

"NO!" Sona sprung up, the thick woollen blanket falling off her shoulders. She jumped back into it, the cold was unbearable even if it was for a second. "I don't have a boyfriend! I am not dating anyone!"

"Then. . . .?" Tarni's eyes widened dramatically and she whispered slowly. "Are you pregnant?"

"Tarni! What the fuck!" her face turned red as she pushed her close face away with her palm, the cold was already making her shake and this Tarni had her own tactics to make her shake in fury. "How the hell will I get pregnant?!"

Tarni snickered under her breathe. "Well, you see. You get pregnant when a penis—"

"Shut up!" Sona smacked her with the closeted thing that was near her, that so happened to be her book.

"Ouch," her short haired girl whined, clutching her head. "Fuck! Sona! Why are you getting so violent over trivial matters?"

"Is getting pregnant a trivial matter?!"

"Well, you obviously aren't," she pouted, still rubbing her head. "Anyways, then what? Do you like someone?"

Sona's rage was instantly switched off, she blinked her eyes abnormally fast as her heart caught up in her throat. "No."

"No?" Tarni raised an eyebrow. "Stop lying."

"I am not lying," she lied.

"It's so obvious you are lying. Go look in the mirror to see how uncomfortable you look."

Sona's eye widened. Was she so transparent?

"Sona. . . ." Tarni cooed as if she was talking to a baby. "It's okay to like someone romantically or sexually. It just shows you aren't asexual or aromatic. You are completely straight as a pole. So tell me is it a girl or a boy?"

"Tarni!" Sona appalled, "I am not talking about boys with you!"

"So, it's a girl," her best friend amused with her finger on a chin. "Don't tell me, it's me!" she exclaimed in slight horror.

"Oh my god, just shut it!" this girl was irritating her to no end, she bashed her with her book again.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," she put her hands up to shield herself. "Okay! Okay! I won't tell anyone you like Aksith!"

Sona stopped mid-way from hitting her. What was wrong with her best friend? As far as she remembered she was never dropped as a baby or split her head open but Sona still wanted to open and see if her brain was placed correctly.

"Damn, what's wrong with liking someone, Sona?" she grumbled. "It's completely normal. I won't tell anyone or tease you about it. I see how you are with him always when I am not around."

Sona opened and closed her mouth, she really wanted to yell at her that it was her brother she liked.

"By the way," she stood up, rubbing her butt as she did. Rummaging through her bag she passed something to her. "See, bhai brought this for us. I really liked the pearl necklace so you keep this."

A butterfly clip was thrust into her hand. Sona's heart stopped as she clutched the similar necklace she wore.

Both of them were given to her by Abhay.

🦋🦋🦋

"Is this even allowed?" Tarni whispered to Aksith with a big smile on her face.

"Shh," he put a finger to his lips. "As long as Rimple ma'am doesn't catches us."

"Who all are going to be there?" she jumped on her toes, her eyes practically sparkling.

"Just a few people" he shrugged, walking forwards as the two friends followed him.

"I don't want—"

Sona was immediately cut off when Aksith shushed her, his finger on her lips. "Shh, Sona. Don't be a killjoy. This is once in your life time offer. The seniors invited us."

"You mean, invited you," she mumbled.

"Bhai didn't invite me," Tarni grumbled under her breathe. "Will there be alcohol?"

He nodded slowly.

"That's why he didn't invite you," Sona said to Tarni.

"I will have to hide from him then!" she shook her hands, "If he finds me, he will send me off."

"That's hypocritical of him," Aksith snorted. "He can be there but not you?"

"Shh!" both the girls said at once.

Aksith said he was being invited to some 'secret party' that the seniors were having someplace away from the hotel. He was very social so of course the name of the place slipped past somebody's tongue and now here he was taking them there.

They sneaked out of the back door of the hotel, at night there wasn't so much of staff present. Then as they climbed over the garden fence, they were soon crossing the street and going inside the woods.

"What if they lied to you?" Sona whispered, she could hear the owl hooting and their breathing. Snow crunched under their feet as she clung onto Tarni.

"They didn't," he insisted.

"Do you think this place is safe?" Even Tarni was having second thoughts as they went inside the forest.

But he just kept shushing them, the girls were already in deep so they could only cling on each other and move forwards and soon enough their worries faded as fairy lights came into their view.

"Who has the time to do all this?" Sona whispered.

"People who want to lose their virginity beautifully," Tarni replied seriously.

Sona shot her a glare. "What will I do here anyways?"

"Relish the feeling of sneaking into a senior party," Aksith said with in a duh tone.

There were a bunch of people in the clearing, camp fire was lit in the middle as some people huddled around it. While others stood nearby, chattering and doing what not but what surprised Sona was there was car parked nearby with the back of the hood open as music blasted off it.

"How did they even get a car here?" Sona sounded a little scared.

"It's not just our college people," Aksith confessed with a sheepish smile. "Some other guys are here too, who were staying at the hotel."

The three people blended into the party just fine. The music playing was low and up-beat, several cups filled were alcohol were being passed and all Sona did was search the crowd for someone.

"Dance?" Aksith's voice disrupted her thoughts, he was holding his hand out for Tarni when she accepted it he winked at Sona who's smile widened. Well, someone was getting some, she threw him a thumbs up.

All she had to do was search for Abhay and stay away from him.

"Sona?"

She jumped, turning around swiftly to see none other than Abhay.

Uhuh.

"Y-You?"

He looked a little perplexed, his eyes were slightly red and he smelled so much of alcohol. "How did you come here?"

Sona wanted to run away, she took a deep breath trying to find possible openings to start the conversations so they didn't end disastrously. She opened and closed her mouth multiple times, the whole time he stood and looked at her with his dark gaze.

"So—"

"You took the clip," he cupped her face. Sona's heart stopped beating for her second as he moved his face closer to hers. "I knew Tarni will give it to you and take the necklace," he snorted.

"W-Why?" she stuttered badly.

"You are just like a butterfly, Sona," he smiled at her, his eyes were not completely clear.

Sona's eyes moved towards his lips, they were close. If she tip toed she would easily reach them, she licked her lower lip meeting his gaze again. Will he remember if she kissed him? She gulped, his lips looked very invited even though he didn't smell like the cologne he usually did, the alcohol on him didn't repulse her.

She tip toed, looking into his eyes again. Just a little—

"Sona!" Aksith barged in between them. "Come dance!"

"I should have known," Abhay snorted, he wasn't that anger when he was drunk at all. That was something new she learned about him. "Tarni is also here then?"

"Hi bhai," she waved meekly.

"No drinking," he pointed his finger at her with narrowed eyes, then it shifted to Sona. "You too, kiddo."

Sona who was nodding frantically stopped, her eyes widened. Kiddo? Who was the kiddo?! Who was he calling kiddo after she almost kissed him?

"Bhai is nicer when he is drunk," Tarni whispered with a giggle.

"Well, I can drink then," Aksith shrugged, not minding at being ignored by Abhay. Though he did point his two fingers towards his own eyes and then at him in the clear gesture that he would be watching.

"What alcohol is it anyway?" Tarni yanked her neck to the side to get the hair out of her face. Both of them had done quiet a dancing because they were sweating.

"I don't know, I think it's beer," Aksith sniffed the cup. Sona wrenched it out of his grip.

"No drinking," she set it aside on a log.

"Are you worried about me?" his amber eyes twinkled in the dark.

"Of course," she rolled her eyes. "Tarni and I are not going to drag you back to the hotel."

"Yes, we will just leave you on the forest floor."

"That's nice friendship," Aksith touched his chest as if their words had physically hurt him. Now did Sona realise that both Tarni and Aksith were holding hands.

"Tarni do you still like Vikrant?" Sona thought, her asking that question will help Aksith.

"Yeah!" her reply was instant and filled with surprise. "Why do you ask? Did you see him with someone?"

Sona shook her head and didn't reply just pressing her lips together. She looked at Aksith he didn't look happy, he let go of their intertwined hands and took Sona's hand in his instead. "Dance?"

"She can't dance!" Tarni butted in.

"It's okay," he sounded a lot harsher, he pulled Sona away from Tarni.

The music was fast and upbeat, many people were dancing by the fire, some away as they did some obscure moves.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Why did you ask her about Vikrant?" he didn't look happy, his mouth was in a thin line as his eyes narrowed.

"Sorry," Sona mumbled.

The music was going faster and faster but they moved so slow, like they were in another world. His hands were on her waist and hers on his shoulder.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Dancing."

She looked around, everyone was with the world around them, dancing to the pop music as the dim lights glowed in the dark night. Sona looked up, there were no stars tonight, and she smiled with unsaid emotion. It felt like they were in another world all together even as they danced between everyone else. She smiled at Aksith, and he smiled back. He had that effect on people, didn't he?

"Sona?" he shouted close to her ear because the music had gone louder.

"Hmm?"

"Your outfit doesn't really match the aesthetic does it?"

"Shut up!" she slapped his chest.

What do you think of Aksith?

Also we hit 1K yeahahahahahha!!!