The soft voice of feet dipping into the moist sand of the beach and clinking of silvers reached his ears. He instantly recognized the aura that surrounded him with her presence.
"Neend nahi aa rahi?" He asked, his eyes still looking straight. He received no answer, and a moment later, he felt her presence beside her. She didn't say anything for a while.
"Kya dekh rahe ho?" She asked, trying to search for the point he might be staring at, but found just darkness.
"Limits." He replied. "Apni limits dhoond raha hu."
She cringed at his words. The cold waves touched her feet and she shivered.
"Ab bhi gussa ho?" She managed to speak.
"At you, no." He said, and heard her sigh. "Kismat se?" He asked rhetorically, followed by a low chuckle. "Bahot!"
Both of them remained silent for a while. Strangely, the silence was comfortable. Moments passed away as both of them were lost in their own world, and still connected. Unknown to the other, both of them were thinking about the other and the way things were unfolding.
Kiya never thought her world will change so drastically. One day, she was nothing. Just a little sister of a pop star. And the very next, she turned into something she had never dared to dream about. She did not know what to feel. Be happy to have finally gotten rid of the life she dreaded? Or to be furious at destiny for pushing her into something that was going beyond nightmare? No, why would she call it a nightmare? For the first time in her life, she had someone to look up to. Someone to trust. Someone to be friends. Maybe the way she got everything is not worth appreciation, but she definitely appreciates destiny's plan of her gifts. But what next? They were halfway to where they were going, and they had no idea where their destiny lied. She shivered at the thought and her arms unconsciously wrapped themselves around herself.
"Tumhe nahi khelni thi Monopoly?" She turned to him. "Apne friends ke saath?"
KD turned to look at the beach house that stood brilliantly lit up behind them. He couldn't hear voices but saw the fluttering shadows of his friends through a window. Friends. He smiled at the thought. If a even a month ago someone had told him he was going to be friends with those seven psychic, he would have doubled over laughing. But today, he had realized special each of them were to him. Each of them, and specially the one standing beside him. He turned to face her and found her looking at him, still shivering. But he wasn't about to turn into her Bollywood fantasy. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought about the day week before. The memory was as fresh as a beautiful morning.
"Kya?" She frowned. He shook his head. "Mere face pe kuch hain kya?" He shook his head again, smiling a little more, rather then answering her question. "Tch! Whatever! Mein jaa rahi hu!"
"Chicklet!" He called after her. How blessed she felt to have finally heard that again! How she missed it. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself before turning around. As soon as she turned around, her eyes met his in the dark. She felt his breath caress her skin as he leaned onto her. Her eyes dropped. She tried to control the unstable breath. "You look," His voice made her look up. This time, she didn't see the darkness that was usually focused on his dark, now brought a shine in them that she couldn't understand. He leaned even more, forcing her eyes to shut on its own. His lips were next to her ears as they said their words. "Fugly!"
Her eyes snapped open. Maybe it was her delusional mind that had just imagined the moment. But her head turned sharply when she heard the tune she often heard from his harmonica. He was walking back into the house, his hands holding onto the harmonica. Her blood boiled at the sight of him walking away after that, moment.
"How dare you do that!" She was by his side by the time he reached the door.
"Do what?" He asked, innocence and confusion, accompanied by some mischief masking his features.
"You!" She shouted at him! "Tumne wahan joh kiya!"
"Kiya? Meine kya kiya Chicklet?"
"Tum, Tumne..." He words trailed off, and she fumbled. "Mujhe.."
"Maine? Tumhe? Kya?" He asked again. "Dekho, mujhe neend aa rahi hain. So Good Night!" He moved towards the door again.
"Tumne mujhe ugly kahan!" He heard her say. He swung his head towards her, the way he often does.
"No Chicklet! What are you talking about?"
"Tumne wahan lar abhi mujhe,"
"Fugly kahan!" He cut her off.
"Fugly?" She asked rhetorically and maybe, angrily.
"You know," He moved closer. "Fantastically, ugly?"
For the first time in her life, Kiya did not know whether to laugh or be angry. A sudden memory of the incident made her want to smile. But she did not, instead she glared at him. He wasn't glaring back, he was just staring at her, smugly. There look-look was cut off when suddenly someone opened the door.
"Panchi?" They both said at once, looking at the worried girl in front of them. Something was wrong.
"Mein tumhe hi dundhne aa rahi thi!" She directed her question towards KD. He looked at her, questioning. "Woh..."
She was cut off by a loud voice of laughing, KD pushed pass Panchi and ran inside, closely followed by the girls. And there in front of him, he saw the trouble makers sprawled out. Piddi was saying something to Ranveer, as they scrolled through their phone, and after a moment, both burst out laughing. Samar was sitting on the table, imitating his father's words.
"Hum Maharaj hain!" He slurred. "Hum," He pointed at his head, "Kisise nahi" He looked around. "Darte!"
And the last one, their teacher was laid on top of a couch, half asleep.
KD shook his head in disbelief. "Juhi kahan hain?" He asked.
"Woh kab ki so gayi!" Panchi replied, panic in her voice as she ran towards where Ranveer was about to fall off his chair.
KD rubbed the his temple. They are so in trouble.
Tomorrow is a big day,
And the Scions were, drunk!
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