I stared down at my trembling hands, clutching the vape, my heart pounding against my chest. A wave of anxiety made my feet feel cold, and every muscle in my body tensed up.

In slow motion, I turned, and there he was—a man dressed in a black overcoat, white button-ups, and black formal pants from today morning. His eyes bore into mine, sending shivers down my spine.

My hands instinctively went behind my back, attempting to 'hide' the vape. Our eyes locked as guilt surged through me.

"Advik," my breath hitched.

He inched closer, and I couldn't meet his eyes, drowning in a sudden wave of guilt from that little fib I just spun about being in the hostel. The air felt thick, and my stomach somersaulted as he closed the distance.

He stood in front of me, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze.

"Look at me," he demanded, his voice calm yet cold. "Adv—"

"I won't repeat myself."

I slowly raised my head to lock eyes with him, and this weird chill crawled down my spine. Nervously, I swallowed, and my throat suddenly parched.

His grip on my forearm tightened, and I flinched as he swiped the vape from my hand, tossing it into the nearest trash can before pulling me out into the parking lot.

His fingers circled my wrist, not exactly gentle, but not exactly crushing either. Just enough to know he was pissed, big time. His face said it all.

"Hey, Advik!" Someone called out, and he halted, turning to face the guy. He was on his bike, helmet on, and his ride was this cool blue, while his helmet screamed white.

"Valley race tonight?" The blue bike guy said, and Advik looked at me before answering him back "Not today!" 

"Oh, come on, man! Today is the last day." The guy near him in a red shirt insisted, earning a glare from Advik.

"Nope. You guys carry on," he casually said, letting go of my hand and strolling away. I tagged along like a lost puppy, our footsteps echoing to an unknown destination.

He was a few steps ahead, his hands tucked into the pockets of his overcoat. My fingers clutched my handbag, and I took a deep breath, mustering up my courage.

"A...Advik?"

Silence.

"Advik."

Silence.

"Advik," I called again, but got no response. Pacing up, I walked past him and turned to face him. His expression, though, remained as cold as ever.

"I don't talk to liars," he declared. A blank expression on his face, striding past me. His words hit me like a punch, leaving a sharp pang in my heart. A liar?

Quickly, I turned to catch up with him. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, pressing my lips together. He halted, turning around, and I couldn't meet his eyes, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

"Sorry for what?" he snapped, his words cutting through the air. "Tell me. Sorry for what? For lying? For partying in an adult club or for vaping? Sorry for what, Anika?"

I pressed my lips as tears welled up in my eyes. I lied because I didn't want you to worry.

I'm not anyone's responsibility. I can take care of myself, and I wasn't vaping.

"Answer?" he chuckled. "You got nothing, huh?"

My vision blurred with tears, hating the way he was talking to me. I wanted to respond, but my mouth felt parched, like words couldn't make it past the lump in my throat.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, my fists clenched, and a stupid tear just betrayed me and rolled down my cheek. I bit hard on my teeth, trying to choke back more tears, but, like, who am I kidding? 

I hate this. I hate crying in front of anyone. I'm not weak, but emotions can be jerks. 

Out of nowhere, his right-hand cups my face, and I can't help but flinch at the icy touch. His thumb moves gently, wiping away the tears. I look at him with those glossy eyes, and, whoa, Advik's face softens. The cold of his touch clashes with the warmth in his eyes, creating this weird mix of emotions. 

"I wasn't vaping," I mumble, setting the record straight through the sniffles and all.

"Yeah, I know, but even you had doubts, didn't you?" He tilted his head, trying to catch my eyes. I pursed my lips, feeling a bit embarrassed that he saw through my uncertainty. 

"What if Aditya found out?" His tone softened, almost like that of an older brother giving advice. I shook my head, silently acknowledging his point.

"He said that I was missing out on the fun. Honestly, I kinda wanted to go, but I ended up turning him down. I get it, not the smartest move."

Then he hits me with, "And what were you doing at those adult clubs, huh?" I spill the whole story, every gritty detail.

"Anika, you're still too young for this stuff." He messes up my hair, and I raise an eyebrow, wiping away the extra tears from my face.

"I am seventeen now! I will turn eighteen next year, so I am not young." Yes, I turned seventeen last month, and I never told my classmates about it either. Though I expected my brother to wish me well, he didn't, and I let it slip since he was busy with his work. But that doesn't change the fact that I cried that day because of how lonely I felt on my own birthday.

Advik chuckled at my response. Do you think I am joking?

"Eighteen or not, you are still not allowed to do that kind of stuff." He shook his head, and I sighed again at him.

Who's going to tell him that I know way more kinds of stuff than him other than drinking and vaping?

"That means you went to a club at your birthday party too?" He highlighted our conversation, and I smiled awkwardly at him, my eyes slightly wide.

oh. shit.

Do I have to lie again?

You better not!

ok.

"Well," I said, shaking my head

"I never told my friends about my birthday. So there was no party," he paused and looked at me.

"wait! I didn't lie." I shook my palms in front of him before he got angry again.

I just wanted to talk with you. Hell no, I am not admitting that.

"I indirectly asked about this party, you know?" I smiled awkwardly. "I didn't know that they would change the plan." I cleared my throat, trying to come up with something new.

"You could've just told me directly," he said. "I know you would say no, and I wanted to meet my friends for the last time," I responded quietly.

"They are not your friends, kid," he said, and I gave him a puzzled look. This time, it was not the 'kid' word that bugged me but the remark he had made for my friends.

What does he mean by 'not friends'?

"Your friends would never encourage you to do something bad, Anika. And if they are doing it, they are not your friends," he said, and I looked down.

"They're the only ones I have; it's better to have something than nothing," I told him, mustering a smile. Sure, he had a point, but I also craved the company of chill kids. I wanted to be part of the scene, have some fun—you know, the usual teenage stuff. Is that really too much to ask for?

"Sometimes having nothing is better than having something." He paused. "You won't meet them or go out with them ever again," he said, and I bobbed my head as 'yes' in agreement. Realistically, it wasn't even possible.

"But Veer's cool! He didn't push me to vape and even signalled to Raghav not to," I defended my friend. The way Veer shot me that glare when I was all tangled up in my thoughts spoke volumes. He's the real deal, my true buddy. Nah, there's no way I'd let our friendship slip away.

"Veer?" I caught his eye, and he seemed puzzled. "Abhinav Singhania, the guy you got suspended." I chuckled. Did he seriously think Abhinav was some sort of bully to me?

After Abhinav's suspension was over, Veer actually said, 'Next time I spot him near you, I'm implementing the two-hand distance rule.' Like, seriously? The guy is something else.

Advik nodded. "But next time, if I ever catch you again doing stunts like these," he bent to match my eye level. "I will tell your brother!" He playfully flicked my forehead, and ouch, that stung!

And my eyes widened. "You won't tell my brother????" I asked.

"I will tell your brother if you do this again," he corrected and I shook my head in amusement

"I mean, about today?"

"Do you want me to tell him...alright?" He whipped out his phone, and in a spontaneous move, I leapt onto him, swiping the phone from his grasp. "Noonnonononono! please!"

"Give me back my phone," he demanded, and I quickened my pace, leaving him behind, "Nope."

"Anika, not my phone?" He quickened his pace, attempting to catch up, and I kicked it up a notch, breaking into a jog while lifting his phone in the air.

"I won't tell him, I swear." He voiced following me, but I just giggled, running faster than him. Suddenly, I felt a tug from behind that brought me to a halt.

"Aye! Leave me," I protested, but he tugged the cap of my oversized hoodie, putting the brakes on my escape.

"Not before you give back my phone," he demanded, and my eyes fell on the ice cream vendor at the corner of the road. I smiled. "ice cream?"

We walked towards the ice cream vendor, and Advik pointed at his phone. I shook my head, giving him a 'You made me cry and treated me to ice cream' look.

"Chocolate," Advik said to the uncle before taking out his wallet and handing me the ice cream cone.

His phone buzzed, and I gave it back. "Hello," he said on the speaker while I was busy licking my ice cream.

"Me? I'm on an ice cream date," he declared, shooting me a wink that nearly made me choke on my ice cream.

"Let's go," he said, thrusting his phone into his pocket and wrapping his right hand around my shoulder, taking me by surprise. I felt my stomach knot up as the warmth of his touch rushed through every part of me, and I clutched my ice cream cone. My poor ice cream.

I sniffed and licked my ice cream while I tried not to lose my sanity. Why did he say that he was on an ice cream date? And suddenly something else flickered in my mind. Phone? date?

my phone?

I stared at Advik with wide eyes, putting a sudden brake on our walk. "Can I borrow your phone?"

"Huh?" He shot me a puzzled look. "I think I left mine somewhere," I explained, and he handed over his phone. I dialled my number, and the contact named 'Ani sis' popped up at the top.

A sudden wave of unexpected sadness swept over me. I looked back at him, and he raised an eyebrow.

Wait, didn't he mention he was on an ice cream date just a while ago? Was that some kind of joke?

I sniffed and called on my phone.

no response.

I dialled again

"The number you're trying to call is not responding; you can wait or try again later."

Nervousness washed over me. Bro, Dad will kill me. Pick up!

one last chance! I dialled again, and this time the call was picked up.

"Hello, it's my phone. Can I know where it is?" I said quickly, relief washing over my face, "Anika, it's Veer. You left it while we were taking selfies." Veer spoke from the other side, and I mentally slapped myself for my negligence.

"Can I have it?" I looked at Advik, who was standing in front of me with his hand folded over his chest. "Um, no, you give it tomorrow, please?"

"Street 20, Public Library, 10 a.m. Is that fine with you?" Veer asked, and I nodded, "Yes, yes. That's fine, thank you, Veer!" I said that and hung up the call.

"Where's your patakha?"

"At home?" he furrowed his eyebrows. "We were having a graduation party, so I left it at home. I didn't know I'd find you there, though." He shrugged and looked at him.

and then it hit me. Bhai missed his graduation party because of that darn internship. If he were here in Pune, I'd probably be facing him instead of dealing with Advik. The thought of him catching me up with the vape itself made me shiver.

"Do you want me to drop you?" Advik asked, and I looked at him,

"How are you going to drop me?" I inquired, handling his phone back.

"By walking?" he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and starting to walk. I glanced at my wristwatch, and my eyes again went to Mars.

09:12 p.m.

Where's he going to drop me off now? on the streets?

I looked at his walking figure in front of me, and just as I was about to call out, he spun around, giving me the nod to tag along.

We were just a few paces apart, and his eyes met mine. His hair was all over the place, falling gracefully over his eyelids. His face glowed in the warm glow of the streetlight, and for a moment, I had this weird urge to run my fingers through that messy hair of his.

Whoa, Anika, what the heck?

Panicking, I broke the eye contact, clearing my throat.

Smooth, Anika. Don't make it too obvious. Just. Don't. Tujhe Sidharth Malhotra ki kasam.
(I swear you to Sidharth Malhotra.)

Par uski to shadi ho gyi Kiara see?
(But he is married to Kiara. ain't he?)

To mai kya kru? Nachu?
(So what should I do? Should I dance?)

Wo to tune nacha hi liya tha paglo jaisa jab uski shadi ki photos dekhi thi. Dil tuts ho gye thee.
(You did dance like a crazy woman when you saw his wedding photos. I was heartbroken, though.)

I wipe out my fake, imaginary tears, remembering how hurt I was when my first celebrity crush got married.

But this is not the concern right now. The main concern is: Where am I going to spend this night?

The guard wouldn't allow me in the hostel.

After fighting my demons for two seconds, I came to the conclusion that I had to ask for help, from Adverb again, of course.

I again let my gaze fall on him, only to find him staring at me with some weird looks. I could tell what was going on in his mind, but I was sure enough that he was just so done with me at this point.

He is weird.

Okay, change in plan. I don't want his help. I would simply beg the guard now.

"Are you done self-talking?" I jumped at his sudden voice.

"Umm... yeah." I started walking. "I'm done." I sealed my lips into thin lines, and he chuckled.

"Do you know there are so many hotels and resorts nearby..." I trailed off, clearing my throat to buy myself some time. Advik turned to me, looking utterly puzzled. "And?"

"And I wonder how it feels..." I cleared my throat again, avoiding his eyes. "You know, I wanted to visit the resort when I was a kid." He paused and bent down a bit to catch my gaze. "You're still a kid."

"And there's something else you're hiding from me, aren't you?" He stared at me, raising an eyebrow, and I gulped nervously. Well, this isn't going as planned.

I sigh in defeat. "The guard wouldn't let me enter the hostel."

"Why?"

"Because..." I lift my hand, displaying my wristwatch. "It's past 8." I pointed. "And I am doomed."

"Minor curfew rules?" He blinked twice and I nodded in response, "That's not a problem. Do you have your ID card right now?"

I furrowed my brows, pretending to check my bag, fully aware that I didn't have it. Gotta play the innocent card, you know?

After a few seconds of digging in my bag, I raised my head to his face, passing him an awkward, defeated smile. Advik slapped his hand on his head.

Well, sorry. But if you hadn't caught me at the club, I could've reached the hostel on time. But, hey, I was kinda glad it was him who caught me anyway.

"So?" I innocently smile at him, blinking several times.

He looked at me observing my face and this time I didn't break eye contact. He was looking at me as if he was trying to study me but I was pretty sure that there was something else going in his mind.

"Nah..." He sighs heavily, breaking the eye contact, scratching his nape before turning around.

"Adverb..." I called and he hummed in response, "I will just book a hotel for a night, it's not a big deal. And, I will pay you back tomorrow. Pinky Promise!" I reassured him, feeling a twinge of guilt for dumping this on him, especially when he should be out there enjoying his graduation party with friends, not dealing with my mess.

"It's not about money, Anika...I just can't book a hotel for one night and leave you alone there." He shook his head,

"Why? What's wrong with that?"I asked, my curiosity bubbling up, but he stayed silent. 

"You won't get it, will you? The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows like in the movies," he said, and his words left me speechless. He says philosophical things a lot but sometimes it just doesn't make sense at all, to me specifically.

After an uncomfortable silence that felt like an eternity, I thought, maybe he's got trust issues with me and hotels or whatever, thanks to my reputation as a 'liar' or a 'troublemaker.' Or perhaps, he is too worried about his responsibility. Who knows? It's like, I can practically taste the suspicion hanging in the air.

"I have another option, gimme your phone?" I showed him my palm, after deciding not to bother him likewise, and yet without a question he took out his phone placing it on my palm.

I smiled, "I will just ask Abhinav for help—" and before I could continue my mastermind plan he snatched his phone, keeping it back in his pocket.

"I don't trust you with that guy."

"You don't trust me with hotels, you don't trust me with my friends, you don't trust me with Abhinav..." I put both of my hands on my waist,

"Do you even trust me?" I squeeze my eyes making them small so they can look like I'm glaring at him.

"No." He replied, passing me a tight smile.

"Aapne mere dil ko thes pouchaai hai!" I kept my hand on my heart, closing my eyes.
(you hurt my heart)

"Your heart is supposed to be on the left side of your ribcage, "

Oh.