Something I wished for || Wattys 2019 ||Wattys 2020

Chapter-3 Rudra

"I'm so sorry. I don't know it just slipped out of my grip."  she mumbled

"It's ok I understand." 
I replied because I know what going on in her head.

Just then her expression soured, eyes now cold and distant, no other emotion but anger and ready to ask all those questions but mouth kept sealed.

Coming out of her reverie, she too picked up a stick, I hardly think anything was left.

She was looking cute holding a half broken stick in her hand, we kept the small stack on the ground near the bonfire and she was right behind me, with a still downcast gaze. It took all my courage to hold myself back from pulling her closer.

We almost bumped, she pulled a step back within instant not wanting to touch me and I tucked my hands inside my pocket, unable to hold back the urge to pull her closer.

Urvi and Ruhani noticed everything but didnt utter a single word, Manzar smiled weakly at them before keeping that small-half-broken-stick to the stack.

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We were eating our dinner, sitting across the bonfire all in a circle with the cold breeze of Kasol surrounding us.

Manzar was sitting beside her best friend and was busy talking about something, she was smiling – a fake smile and I know Urvi was well aware of that.

I know she has grown a thick brick wall around her, trying to be tough and rough still she can't hide the girl soft as cotton, tender as a feather inside her.

The girl I have fallen in love with. She is trying to be tough, hard in front of me, the façade she is pulling is not working here on me and she knows that, which is making her more frustrated. More nervous.

Urvi's eyes time to time were resting on us, I and Vansh, well, no one know better, it was all planned, planned to break their engagement news here to us, these two are in love from past two years and now getting married soon.

"Um... Vansh eat more than drinking your soft drink," Urvi eyed him, catching everyones attention,  "And eat slowly."

"Ooooh"
came from everywhere, that cooing sound made me laugh on my seatmate.

Realizing what she just said out loud, she gulped and drank her own water, hiding her now burning cheeks.

The trip had a motive, a goal set to break their engagement news, but the thing hidden from others and known to a few was to help me get her back. Rather not talk about the mastermind though.

Just then once again my eyes rested on my love and I saw her real smile, but it was hidden behind those fake curtains she was wearing, and I'm determined to pull them off and bring that Manzar back to me.

"Bhai, after this let us do something entertaining"

After keeping my plate on the ground to a side, I asked him, "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking how about a story, A horror story?"

Few whined and a few nodded in agreement.

So as decided, we ended up listening two horror stories (Fake! For sure) both from one person, and that was Vansh, itself.

The whole time his fiancé was clutched to him, both wrapped in a single blanket just like other couples, like my sister and her husband, leaving me and Manzar alone. We were the only singles here with them – the nerve-wracking it was.