After 6 years:

Rahul – 19 years old

Ishani – 25 years old

Vaibhav – 30 years old

Divya – 25 years old

Deepak – 19 years old

Divya – 19 years old

Author pov...

The sky was painted in soft shades of gold, and a gentle breeze moved around them. Ishani stood in front of him, just the way he loved calm, beautiful, and real.

Rahul's heart raced. This time, he didn't want to stay silent.

He took a small step forward, his voice filled with emotions he had held back for so long.

"Ishani... I love you."

For a moment, the world went still.

Ishani looked at him, surprised, then slowly smiled the kind of smile that reached her eyes. She moved closer and softly replied,

"I love you too, Rahul."

Those words felt like magic.

Rahul's face lit up with pure happiness.

Without thinking twice, he lifted Ishani into his arms, laughing like a child who had finally found everything he ever wanted.

Ishani gasped, then laughed too, holding onto him tightly.

Rahul stood close to Ishani, close enough to feel her presence without even touching her.

She looked up at him, pretending to be serious, but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rahul smiled, that quiet smile that always made her heart skip.

"Nothing," he said, leaning a little closer. "I just like looking at you."

Ishani rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're impossible," she teased, but her lips curved into a shy smile.

Before she could step back, Rahul gently held her hand and pulled her closer.

For a second, time slowed down. The world faded, leaving only the two of them.

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips gentle, warm, and full of love.

Ishani froze for a heartbeat... then smiled against his lips.

"Rahul," she whispered, pretending to scold him, "you didn't even ask."

He chuckled softly. "Do I need permission to kiss my future wife?"

She laughed, lightly hitting his chest. "Future wife? You're dreaming"

"Maybe," he said, leaning in again, brushing his forehead against hers, "but it's a beautiful dream."

She kissed him back this time quick, shy, and sweet then pulled away, cheeks glowing.

"Happy now?" she asked.

Rahul nodded, eyes full of happiness. "More than happy."

They walked side by side, hands brushing, teasing each other with silly comments, shared laughter, and stolen glances.

Every moment felt warm, safe, and full of promise like a love story that had only just begun.

Wedding...

They were standing under a beautifully decorated mandap, dressed as bride and groom, surrounded by lights, flowers, and blessings.

Their hands were joined, hearts beating as one, promises unspoken yet deeply understood.

After the wedding, they spent peaceful, romantic moments together walking hand in hand, teasing each other with soft smiles, sharing gentle kisses, and finding comfort in each other's presence.

Every moment was filled with warmth, love, and quiet joy.

Rahul looked at Ishani and smiled, his heart full.

Happiness.

And her.

Suddenly, a splash of cold water hit his face.

Rahul jerked awake, gasping. Half-asleep and confused, his first thought was, Where did this tsunami come from? He wiped his eyes and looked around.

Standing right in front of him was

Deepak, wearing a wide grin.

"Happy Holi, Rahul!" Deepak said cheerfully.

Rahul glanced down at himself.

The bed was completely soaked.

His clothes were drenched, and water was dripping everywhere.

Reality hit him all at once.

Anger flared in his eyes.

"Idiot!" Rahul snapped. "It's not Holi today. It's still days away!"

Deepak only grinned wider, clearly enjoying this.

"Well," he said teasingly, "you were talking way too much in your dream 'I love Ishani... I love you, Ishani' again and again. So I thought,Why not add a little water to your dream?"

Rahul froze.

Embarrassment washed over him, hotter than the anger, as the echoes of his beautiful dream shattered into laughter and teasing.

Deepak chuckled, while Rahul sat there, soaked, red-faced, and silently wishing that some dreams were meant to stay uninterrupted.

Deepak burst into laughter and pointed at the pillow.

"Spare that pillow, brother," he said between laughs. "It's not Ishani didi. It's just a poor pillow."

Rahul froze, embarrassed.

Deepak continued, clearly enjoying himself, "Every night, that pillow turns into Ishani didi just for you. Don't hurt its feelings like this after all, it sacrifices itself for you every single night."

Rahul stared at the pillow, mortified, while Deepak laughed uncontrollably.

Deepak picked up the pillow gently and patted it.

"Poor thing," Deepak sighed. "It carries all your 'I love you, Ishani' emotions. Don't hurt its feelings like this."

Rahul snatched the pillow back, glaring at him.

"Shut up," he muttered, his face completely flushed.

Deepak burst out laughing again.

"Bro, if Ishani didi ever finds out about this pillow, she'll be jealous. You're already practicing married life in your sleep!"

Rahul threw the pillow at him.

"Get out before I actually drown you in water," he warned.

Deepak laughs and says,

"Come down, brother. I came here to wake you up. Aunty has called you so many times, but you were lost here in dreams about Ishani didi."

Just then, Devnath's voice comes from downstairs.

Rahul and Deepak both get scared.

Rahul immediately gets up and rushes to the bathroom to take a bath.

Divya walked into the room and asked Deepak, in a low voice, whether Rahul was still asleep.

Deepak, wanting to tease Rahul, deliberately spoke loudly, "Arre didi, he was completely lost in dreams about some girl, thinking only about her."

His voice echoed all the way to the bathroom.

Rahul heard every word. Annoyed, he grabbed a bucket of water and stepped out, ready to teach Deepak a lesson.

But Deepak noticed in time that the water was about to be thrown at him.

He quickly jumped aside and the entire bucket of water came crashing down on Divya instead.

Divya stood there, water still dripping from her clothes, anger burning in her eyes.

Without saying another word, she turned sharply and marched toward the bathroom.

A moment later, she came back gripping a bucket filled with water, her jaw clenched with determination.

"Ab rukho tum dono," she muttered, storming toward Rahul.

The sound of the bucket being dragged was enough.

Rahul and Deepak exchanged one terrified glance and in the very next second, both of them bolted.

Laughing and shouting, they ran straight out of the room, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Divya rushed after them, lifting the bucket, but it was too late.

The room was already empty. She stopped at the doorway, breathing hard, then let out an exasperated sigh.

"You both are impossible!" she shouted after them, even as a reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" she shouted.

They ran through the hallway, laughing and yelling, slipping and almost crashing into furniture.

Divya followed relentlessly, water sloshing dangerously close to the edge of the bucket.

Seeing all three of them, Devnath says, "What is all this noise the three of you are making?"

Divya complains, "Papa, look at this. Rahul splashed water on me, and it all happened because of Deepak. Both of them soaked me completely. I had just taken a bath."

Rani says, "So what now, will you pour water on them too? Whatever happened has already happened let it go."

But Divya says, "No, I will pour water on both of them."

Deepak replies, "But didi, what is my fault?"

And Divya says, "It's all your fault."

"Just one splash!" she warned. "That's all I need"

They reached the living room.

Divya raised the bucket high, ready to finally take her revenge.

At the very last second, Rahul suddenly pulled Deepak aside and jumped away.

The bucket tilted.

The water came crashing down

right onto Vaibhav, who had just stepped inside the house.

SPLASH.

Time froze.

Vaibhav stood there, completely drenched, water dripping from his hair, his shirt clinging to him, his expression blank with shock.

Silence.

Divya's mouth fell open. "Oh no..."

Rahul's soul nearly left his body.

Deepak whispered, "Wrong target. Very wrong target."

Vaibhav slowly blinked, water still dripping onto the floor.

"So," he said calmly, "this is how you welcome guests?"

Rani looks at Vaibhav and, getting angry, says to Divya, "Divya, what kind of childish behavior is this? Look at poor Vaibhav he's completely drenched."

Divya immediately panicked. "Vaibhav, I swear I was aiming for THEM."

Rahul raised his hands. "For once, this is not my fault."

Deepak nodded seriously. "I can confirm. We were innocent runners."

Vaibhav looked at all three of them, then down at his soaked clothes. He sighed deeply.

Vaibhav looks at Divya and, to save her, says, "Oh aunty, I hadn't taken a bath yet. It's okay I had to bathe anyway."

Rani says, "I'm sorry, beta, this silly girl."

Vaibhav smiles and replies, "It's okay, aunty."

Vaibhav spoke, brushing water off his sleeves with a tired sigh.

"I actually came here to say something," he said calmly, looking at Rahul.

"Rahul, when you go to college today, take Ishani with you on your bike."

Rahul froze.

Before he could react, Vaibhav continued, his voice a little serious now.

"I'll take Mom to the hospital. Her blood pressure is high, and with diabetes, I don't want to take any risk."

The moment the words sank in, Rahul's face lit up. His heart leaped with happiness.

Ishani... with me... on my bike.

He was just about to speak-

"AREY, Vaibhav bhaiya!" Deepak interrupted loudly.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"I'm not wet anymore," Deepak said proudly, straightening his shirt. "I'll drop Ishani didi . By the time Rahul gets ready, I'll be back. Then both of us will go to college together."

He smirked and glanced at Rahul, clearly enjoying himself.

Rahul's smile vanished.

His jaw tightened. Anger flared instantly.

"No," Rahul said sharply.

Deepak blinked. "What?"

Rahul stepped forward, eyes fixed on him.

"Vaibhav bhaiya asked me to take Ishani," he said firmly. "So I'll take her. I don't need your help."

Deepak raised an eyebrow, pretending to be innocent. "Relax, bro-"

"I said no," Rahul cut in, his voice calm but dangerous. "You're not needed."

Deepak smirked again, clearly enjoying Rahul's jealousy.

"Wow," he muttered, "someone's getting possessive already."

Rahul shot him a glare that could burn holes.

This wasn't just about college anymore.

This was about Ishani.

And Rahul had no intention of backing down.

Vaibhav looked at both of them and shook his head lightly.

"Fine," he said. "Whoever takes her, just takes her. And drive carefully."

His tone turned serious for a moment.

"She's your responsibility. Both of you."

Rahul nodded immediately.

"Okay, bhaiya," he said without hesitation.

Vaibhav turned to leave. As he walked past Divya, he paused for a second and looked into her eyes.

Divya met his gaze and gave him a small, apologetic smile a silent sorry for all the chaos.

Vaibhav sighed, shaking his head, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He muttered to himself, "this girl is going to drive me crazy one day."

Divya heard him and laughed softly.

Rahul had just started walking toward his room when Deepak's voice stopped him again.

"Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?" Deepak asked casually, though the mischief in his eyes gave him away.

Rahul turned back, slightly irritated. "To get ready. Why?"

Deepak stepped forward and held out his hand."Give me the bike keys. I'll drop Ishani didi."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" he said flatly.

Deepak smirked. "Why? You're acting like she's your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Rahul replied instantly, a little too quickly.

His voice softened as he added, "She's just... a friend."

Deepak raised an eyebrow. "A friend?" he repeated slowly. "Then why do you look so tense?"

Rahul's ears turned red. "Stop overthinking."

Deepak chuckled. "Relax. I'm just saying I can drop her. You can take your time getting ready."

Rahul straightened, his expression turning serious.

"No," he said firmly. "Vaibhav bhaiya asked me to take her. So I'll do it."

Deepak studied him for a second, then smiled knowingly.

"Alright," he said. "Didn't know a friend mattered this much."

Rahul shot him a warning look.

"Don't start."

Deepak laughed softly and stepped aside."Go get ready. Don't keep your friend waiting."

Rahul walked away, trying to ignore the heat rising to his face.

She wasn't his girlfriend.

She wasn't even aware of his feelings.

And yet, just the thought of riding to college with her made his heart race.

Rahul got ready faster than usual, his hands moving with nervous energy.

He checked the time twice, took a deep breath, and then headed out.

Rahul comes downstairs and tells Deepak, "Come along in the auto."

Deepak agrees, "Okay."

Rahul takes out some money to give him, but Deepak protests, "I have money."

Ignoring him, Rahul quietly slips the money into Deepak's pocket. Deepak feels uneasy accepting it, but he knows Rahul won't listen, so he says nothing.

Rahul then heads out of the house.

Watching him go, Rani calls out, "Rahul, have some breakfast, beta!"

"I'm not eating now, Mummy, I'm running late," Rahul replies, and quickly leaves.

Rani continues shouting after him as he walks away.

Soon, he stood outside Ishani's house.

As soon as he stepped inside the gate,

Malini noticed him and smiled warmly.

"Oh, Rahul beta, you're here already," she said.

Rahul straightened a little and smiled back politely.

"Yes, aunty," he replied.

Malini turned toward the house and called out loudly,

"Ishani! Ishani!"

From inside, Ishani's voice echoed back, calm and familiar,

"I'm coming, maa."

Rahul stood there, waiting, his heart beating a little faster than normal.

He didn't know why, but every small moment every sound, every second felt important.

And somewhere inside, he hoped this ride to college would be special, even if it was just another ordinary morning.

Rahul stood patiently, leaning slightly on his bike, waiting.

Malini noticed him and asked gently, "Rahul beta, have you had breakfast?"

Rahul nodded quickly, forcing a calm smile.

"Yes, aunty. I already ate."

The truth was... he hadn't. But if he told her now, she would probably fuss and bring him something to eat.

And right now, he didn't want breakfast he was too busy thinking about the ride, and about Ishani.

So he lied, quietly, without a second thought.

Just then, Ishani appeared at the doorway. She was wearing a maroon kurta-pyjama with a matching dupatta, looking effortlessly graceful in the morning sunlight.

When she saw Rahul, she smiled warmly, the kind of smile that made his chest tighten.

Rahul's blush deepened, but he tried to hide it behind his smile.

Rahul adjusted his helmet nervously, his hands gripping the bike handles a little tighter than usual.

The engine hummed softly beneath him.

"Ready?" she asked, climbing onto the bike behind him.

Rahul nodded, barely trusting his own voice. "Y-yeah..."

As she settled behind him, Ishani gently rested her hand on his shoulder not in a teasing way, but casual, natural, like it had always belonged there.

The touch was soft, but it made Rahul's heart skip a beat.

He felt the heat rush to his cheeks, and for a moment, his usual calm composure disappeared.

Then she leaned slightly closer to balance herself.

Rahul cleared his throat and started the bike, his hands careful on the handles.

The wind hit them, tugging at Ishani's dupatta, and she laughed softly at the breeze.

"You drive well," she said casually, "but careful near the turn ahead."

Rahul swallowed, his attention split between controlling the bike and trying not to let his thoughts drift.

Every word from her made his heart race.

He nodded quietly, muttering, "Uh-huh... okay."

Ishani leaned a little closer again, her hand still resting lightly on his shoulder. She spoke the whole ride, pointing out little things around the campus, commenting on new signs, laughing softly at something she saw, while Rahul simply followed, listening.

He didn't say much just smiled shyly, answered softly when necessary, and let himself enjoy the ride.

Her presence beside him, her hand on his shoulder, the sound of her voice it made even the short ride feel like something out of a dream.

By the time they reached the college gate, Rahul's heart was pounding, and his cheeks were still warm.

Ishani hopped down gracefully, adjusting her dupatta, and smiled at him.

"Thanks for the ride," she said. "See you inside?"

"Y-yeah," Rahul managed, nodding, his voice barely above a whisper.

He watched her walk ahead, feeling a strange mixture of happiness and nervousness.

She didn't know it, but every small gesture, every word, every laugh made him like her even more a quiet crush that he couldn't bring himself to confess, at least not yet.

The college gates were bustling with students, but Rahul barely noticed.

His attention was on Ishani walking ahead, her steps confident, her laughter ringing softly as she talked to a friend.

Just then, a familiar honk broke his focus.

"Rahul!" Deepak shouted from an auto parked by the road, grinning from ear to ear. "Get in! Or are you too busy staring at Ishani didi again?"

Rahul froze.

His face immediately burned red.

He glanced at Deepak, who was now striding toward him with that smug, teasing look he always carried.

"I-uh... Deepak..." Rahul stammered, trying to keep his voice steady, but it came out awkwardly.

Deepak reached him, elbowing him gently. "Wow, bro. You look like you're gonna faint or something. Staring at her much?"

Rahul shot him a sharp look. "Shut up. Don't start."

Deepak laughed loudly, leaning closer, lowering his voice mockingly:

"Relax, Romeo. She's just walking to class. But honestly, the way you look at her man, it's obvious. Everyone can see it!"

Rahul groaned, trying to look casual, but the heat in his cheeks betrayed him. He wanted to melt into the ground.

Deepak clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Rahul. Let's go. Don't worry, I won't tell her... for now."

Rahul said "shut up"

Deepak laughed

Deeksha walked up to where Rahul and Deepak were standing, hearing their laughter from a distance.

"What are you two laughing at so much?" she asked, tilting her head, curious.

Deepak turned to her with a mischievous grin. "Oh no, Deeksha. You're not allowed to know yet. You're too... small for this conversation."

Deeksha blinked. "Too small? What do you mean?"

Deepak smirked. "Your height, obviously. You can't handle it."

Deeksha rolled her eyes but didn't miss a beat. "Well, at least I'm not laughing like a maniac over nothing,"

she shot back immediately, her voice sharp and confident.

Rahul, who had been quiet, couldn't help it he burst out laughing.

His shoulders shook as he tried to cover his mouth, the sound light and genuine.

"Maniac? Me? I'm entertaining!"Deepak scoffed.

"Entertaining?" Deeksha scoffed. "You call shouting random nonsense entertaining?"

Deepak grinned. "Exactly! I keep life interesting. Unlike some people here who just stare at walls."

Deeksha tilted her head, a sly smile forming. "Walls are safer than listening to you talk, trust me."

Deepak feigned shock, holding a hand to his chest. "Ouch! That hurt. I think you secretly like me."

"I like you?" Deeksha laughed, stepping closer. "You must be dreaming. The day I like you is the day Rahul suddenly starts singing in public."

Rahul coughed, embarrassed, glancing down at his shoes while both of them bickered like it was normal.

Deepak nudged her. "See? Even he thinks it's funny. Admit it, little one, you love the banter."

Deeksha smirked, leaning toward him. "Love the banter? No. I just love shutting your mouth every chance I get."

Deepak chuckled, throwing his hands up. "Fine, fine! You win this round. But don't get used to it!"

Deeksha grinned triumphantly. "Trust me, I never get used to losing."

Rahul let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. He didn't need to speak he knew their "fights" were exactly how their friendship worked. Rapid-fire, teasing, and impossible to predict, yet somehow perfect.

Deeksha stood in front of Rahul and Deepak, arms folded, her eyes scanning both of them.

"Okay," she said, voice sharp but calm, "so today we have a chemistry test. You two studied, right?"

Rahul and Deepak exchanged a brief glance. Deepak smirked faintly, and Rahul gave a small nod, trying to look serious.

"Yeah... of course," Rahul said softly.

"Absolutely," Deepak added, grinning just enough to seem believable.

Deeksha raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... okay then. I'm trusting you both."

She turned to leave, but just as her back was about to face them, Rahul and Deepak exchanged a subtle look.

A tiny flash of panic crossed both their faces eyes locking for just a second.....

Like and comment please 🙏❤️