Sorry for the delayed chapter 😭🙆‍♀️

The reason because of this chapter is very late is written by the end of this.🐈

Let's not waste your time 🥰

So,

Happy reading 🥰💃💋💋

(Starting of this chapter can give boring Vibesss to some people as it is written about self love and self worth and i poured my gyaan on the topic "you are beautiful just the way you are" but as the chapter continues it gets more and more interesting so stay tuned till the end)

___________________________________________________

(A/n :-Thode se cutuu se comments kar dena please din bn jaata hai mera😭😭)

The evening was calm, a soft breeze rustling the curtains as Samiksha sat on her balcony, gazing at the horizon with a serene smile. There was no particular reason for her happiness-perhaps there was, but it wasn't something grand or dramatic. She had simply started loving herself.

And for the first time, it felt enough.

She no longer sought validation from the world. It didn't matter if people liked her or not. She liked herself. The flaws she once agonized over were now endearing to her. She no longer wanted to fix herself for others because she wasn't broken in the first place.

A thought crossed her mind. Why does appearance matter so much to people?

Wasn't it funny how everyone claimed they got ready for themselves, yet the moment they were alone, they stopped caring about how they looked? We dress up, we groom ourselves-but for whom? The world? Because, honestly, if it were truly for ourselves, we wouldn't hesitate to embrace our raw, unfiltered versions.

As she sat there, lost in her musings, she couldn't ignore the presence of a certain someone in her thoughts.

Abeer.

Lately, he had become her safe place. The kind of person she never knew she needed. Her human journal.

There was a time when she used to sit on the floor and scribble furiously in her notebook, pouring out her frustrations in ink. But now? She had Abeer. She dumped everything onto him-her thoughts, her lame jokes, her unnecessary overthinking sessions, her existential crises.

And he listened.

Attentively. Calmly. Patiently.

Somehow, amidst their growing friendship, she had unraveled a side of him that was so pookie and cute that it was impossible to resist smiling around him. He wasn't just the confident, charming Abeer she had always known; he was also someone who cracked the lamest jokes, made ridiculous observations, and-surprisingly-was an absolute nerd when it came to books and music.

They had started texting every day, calling each other randomly just to talk about anything and everything. Plot theories, underrated songs, the absolute crime of turning books into bad movies-it was an ongoing discussion.

It felt too good to be true.

But it was true.

A sudden ping from her phone shattered her trance. She blinked and looked down at the screen.

Notification from 'chu- oops neendpagluss🙆‍♀️'

Aarohi had texted in their chaotic group chat, which consisted of:

✅Aarohi (obviously),

✅Vidyut (Aarohi's menace of a boyfriend),

✅Abeer (the reason for Samiksha's random butterflies),

✅Avya (the designated chaos queen),

✅Ekansh (a corporate slave in disguise),

✅Samiksha, and

✅Vaani (Samiksha's cousin who somehow always got dragged into their mess).

Aarohi: Guys, let's go somewhere together!

Vidyut: What about you and me going to heaven, together?

Aarohi: 🤢🤢

Abeer: Vidyut, bohot din se maar nahi padi lagta hai. 🙃

Avya: Hainaa? Main bhi yahi bolne wali thi. Aaj hi mummy ko bolke isko dinner mein 3-4 belan khilwaungi. 💃🤚

Vidyut: 😭😭🙏

Ekansh: @Avya, tumhari bachkani harkatein hogayi ho toh meri P.A. ko Malhotras ki file dedo. 🤡

Avya: Kya bola? Firse bolna @Ekansh. 👨‍💻

Ekansh: Kuch nahi. Bas Vidyut ko keh raha tha that he should listen to his sister. 🥰

Samiksha: @Ekansh bhaiya 🥰 Awww 'darta jahan humse hum tose darte'.

Aarohi: Same.

Aarohi: Par kahin golgappe khaane chalte hain na? 😋😋

Abeer: Haan aur teri boards pani puri wale bhaiya dene jaayenge? 🤡🙂

Aarohi: Hatt! Aap toh chup hi raho. Jab dekho mummy bane hue hote ho! 😒😤

Samiksha: Iss Saturday chhutti hai, aur I guess office mein bhi koi kaam (date) nahi hogi toh kahin chalte hain. I suggest-what about a vacation?

Avya: Waah meri behna, kabhi toh kuch acha bola! 🎀

Vidyut, Aarohi, and Abeer: 👍

Ekansh: Thik hai, but koi masti nahi.

Abeer: Lee 'koi masti nahi'-toh kya vacation par bhajan karenge? 🙂

Avya: Ignore him, Abeer. Hum ghiss kar masti karenge.

Ekansh: Jiii. 💗

Samiksha grinned at her phone, the warmth of their banter settling deep in her chest. A vacation with them?

Absolute madness.

But the best kind.

And as she leaned back on the balcony chair, staring at the city lights, she couldn't shake the feeling that this trip was about to change something.

Maybe it was just her overthinking again.

Or maybe, just maybe-

Something new was about to begin.

The next day at school was nothing short of chaos.

It was the birth anniversary of their school's patron saint, a big event in every Catholic school like Saint Pious, Saint Janson, Saint Xavier, or Saint Mary. And like every year, it meant decorations, long speeches, cultural performances, and students sneaking snacks into the most unexpected places to survive the event.

The school ground was transformed into a festival of sorts, with colorful banners swaying in the breeze and chairs arranged in neat rows under the blazing sun. But before the function, Samiksha and Aarohi were sitting in their classroom, indulging in their favorite pastime-gossiping.

Aarohi leaned closer, whispering, "I swear to God, did you see the way Roy sir was looking at Anita mam yesterday?"

Samiksha stifled a laugh, "Haan, as if she was the last slice of pizza on earth."

Aarohi gasped dramatically, "Exactly! And then she smiled at him, and he nearly dropped his coffee. Matlab, full-on Bollywood moment chal raha hai."

Samiksha smirked, "Poor guy is so obvious. Next thing we know, he'll be standing under her window, singing 'Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jana Sanam' with a guitar."

Aarohi cackled, "And Miss Anita will throw a chalk at his head instead of a flower."

Just then, a random student council member barged into their classroom, "Stop gossiping and go to the ground for the function!"

Without missing a beat, Aarohi showed him middle finger.

Samiksha gasped, "AAROHI!" before smacking her on the head, "We are already on the teacher's hit list. Stop giving them reasons to expel us!"

The council member huffed, "Disrespectful."

Samiksha forced a smile, "Sorry about her. She wasn't hugged enough as a child."

The council member gave them a deadpan look before stomping away. Aarohi simply shrugged, rubbing her head, "Was it necessary to smack me?"

Samiksha rolled her eyes, "Yes. Now let's go before they call our parents."

The entire school gathered in the ground, sitting in rows under the scorching sun. Aarohi and Samiksha settled in their usual spots, waiting for the event to start.

Aarohi leaned forward and began tracing random alphabets on Samiksha's back.

Samiksha grinned, "Hmm... 'L'?"

Aarohi shook her head.

"Oh, wait. 'P'?"

Aarohi sighed dramatically, "Wrong again, dumbass."

Samiksha pouted, "Yaar, do easy ones na!"

Aarohi smirked, tracing something else. Samiksha concentrated.

"LOVE?"

Aarohi smirked mischievously, "Good. Now, let's see if someone confesses it today."

Samiksha rolled her eyes, "You manifest the weirdest things."

Aarohi shrugged, "Just wait and watch."

The program began, following the same repetitive pattern as every year.

A speech so boring it could put a caffeinated squirrel to sleep.

A kathak performance (for the 100th time in school history).

A choir performance that was painfully out of tune.

Just as they were about to mentally escape into another world, something unexpected happened.

The crowd went silent.

Because stepping onto the stage, with an effortless confidence that made every girl swoon, was none other than Abeer.

Samiksha's brows furrowed in confusion. Wait. Abeer wasn't in any performance, was he?

Aarohi groaned, "Ugh, my brother and his dramatic surprises."

But the crowd? They were buzzing with excitement.

Because, let's be honest, Abeer was everyone's crush.

Abeer adjusted the mic, his fingers lightly drumming against his guitar. The entire school was watching him, waiting for him to speak. But he wasn't concerned about them. His eyes searched for only one person-Samiksha.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled slightly and began.

"You know, sometimes in life, you want something so relentlessly, so desperately, that it feels like the universe is just playing games with you."

A few students chuckled, while others leaned in, intrigued.

"You convince yourself that if you try hard enough, if you put in enough effort, maybe-just maybe-you'll get it. But then..." he sighed, shaking his head, "reality hits. You start believing that maybe some things just aren't meant for you. That no matter how much you want something, fate isn't on your side."

Aarohi raised an eyebrow at Samiksha, nudging her slightly. Samiksha, however, was frozen in place, her heart hammering against her chest.

Abeer's voice softened, but his words carried weight.

"So, you give up. You stop hoping. You stop wishing. You tell yourself that it's okay, that you never really needed it anyway."

The crowd was eerily silent now, hanging onto his every word.

"But that's the thing about fate-it never follows your rules."

His grip tightened around the mic as he took a step forward.

"Just when you've accepted that something isn't yours, fate steps in and proves you wrong. It gives you what you wanted-not when you wanted it, not how you imagined it, but when you least expect it. Almost as if it was always meant to be yours. Almost as if the universe was waiting for the right moment to hand it to you."

A few murmurs spread through the crowd, some people exchanging glances. But Abeer didn't break eye contact with Samiksha.

His next words were softer, almost as if they weren't meant for the audience but for her.

"And when that happens, you realize... maybe fate was never against you. Maybe it was just making sure you were ready for it."

The weight of his words pressed into Samiksha's chest.

Before anyone could process it, Abeer exhaled and strummed his guitar.

And then, he sang-

"Haathon ki lakeeron ko ghuma diya, milna nahi tha milwa diya..."

His voice carried across the crowd, smooth and full of unspoken emotions.

And as his eyes stayed locked on hers, Samiksha realized-this wasn't just about fate.

This was about them.

The school celebration had finally ended, and the students were trickling out of their classrooms, exhausted but relieved. The ground that had been filled with cheers, performances, and speeches was now nearly empty, only a few stragglers lingering around, chatting or waiting for their friends.

Samiksha stood near her desk, methodically packing her bag with an unhurried grace that was truly testing Aarohi's patience.

Aarohi groaned dramatically, slinging her own bag onto her shoulder. "Sam, I swear, if you move any slower, we'll become fossils before we reach home."

Samiksha rolled her eyes, securing her water bottle in place. "Relax, Aarohi. The world isn't ending."

"Maybe not, but my patience definitely is!" Aarohi exclaimed, dramatically clutching her chest.

Ignoring her, Samiksha zipped up her bag and adjusted the straps. Just as she was about to sling it over her shoulder, something caught her eye-a small folded note tucked between her books.

Frowning slightly, she picked it up. The edges were slightly crumpled as if someone had hastily placed it there. Before she could unfold it, a sudden smack landed on her head.

"Ouch!" She glared at Aarohi, rubbing the spot where she had been hit.

"We are getting late, and you're standing there like a detective solving a case," Aarohi huffed. "Read your love letter later, Ms. Sharma. Let's go!"

Samiksha huffed but didn't argue. Instead, she clenched the note in her hand and walked out of the classroom with Aarohi.

As they made their way down the corridor, Aarohi was already in full-on vacation mode, enthusiastically babbling about their upcoming trip.

"Listen, Sam, we need a proper plan. I refuse to waste this vacation doing boring things. We should make a list-like a bucket list for the trip!"

Samiksha hummed absentmindedly, still thinking about the note in her hand. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she unfolded it.

Inside, written in neat, familiar handwriting, was a single sentence:

"I don't know about your favorite song, but I want to know about it."

She didn't have to guess who had written it. It was Abeer.

A sudden warmth bloomed in her chest, a smile creeping onto her lips before she could stop it.

They were now approaching the school gates, where Vidyut and Abeer were standing, waiting for them.

Aarohi nudged Vidyut with her elbow, whispering something to him. Whatever he said made her blush slightly, and Vidyut smirked in response.

Meanwhile, Abeer's eyes met Samiksha's.

A silent question passed between them, but neither spoke. Instead, Samiksha started humming-a random tune, a song she loved.

Abeer's expression didn't change, but his eyes twinkled with understanding. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, mentally noting her favorite song.

"Waah, waah," Vidyut suddenly spoke up, smirking. "Samiksha ji has started singing in broad daylight. Is this a new habit?"

Samiksha rolled her eyes, but Abeer chuckled.

"Let her sing," Abeer said, amusement in his voice. "It's better than hearing you make bad jokes, Vidyut."

"Excuse me?" Vidyut gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "My jokes are elite. They are comedic masterpieces. People should pay to hear them."

Aarohi snorted. "Yeah, they should pay you-to stop talking."

Vidyut groaned. "I don't know why I keep you people around. I deserve better friends."

Abeer smirked. "Good luck finding those."

Samiksha chuckled at their banter, feeling a strange sense of comfort in this moment-these people, this laughter, this unspoken thing between her and Abeer.

But then-

A voice called out from a little distance away.

"Abeer!"

They all turned, and Samiksha's eyes instinctively followed Abeer as he stepped away.

A girl from his class.

She was standing there, her long hair cascading over her shoulders as she smiled at him. Abeer walked over to her, and they began talking. A moment later, he laughed at something she said.

Something inside Samiksha shifted.

Something burned.

She knew, logically, there was nothing between Abeer and Aadhya. He had never given any indication of liking her, nor had Aadhya shown any particular interest in him.

But that didn't matter.

Because at that moment, watching him talk to someone else, laugh with someone else, she felt it. Something burning inside her. A feeling which was very weird as knots tied in her stomach.

Jealousy.

And Abeer noticed.

He wasn't oblivious. He saw the way her fingers clenched slightly, the way her lips pressed together, the way she averted her gaze as if she wasn't watching-when she absolutely was.

And being the man that he was, he did something about it.

Finishing his conversation with Aadhya quickly, he turned back towards Samiksha and walked straight to her.

Then, without hesitation, he stood next to her, closer than necessary.

Samiksha glanced at him in surprise.

He leaned in slightly, voice low but teasing. "You okay?"

She swallowed, trying to act casual. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Abeer smirked, clearly not buying it. "No reason. You just looked a little... distracted."

Samiksha glared at him. "I'm not."

Abeer tilted his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Mmm-hmm. Not jealous or anything?"

Her heart stuttered.

She turned her face away, huffing. "Of course not."

Abeer grinned, clearly satisfied with her reaction.

But instead of pushing further, he simply reached out and gently patted her head.

"Good," he said, a little softer now. "Because you have no reason to be."

And just like that, Samiksha's heart forgot how to function.

____________

Ekansh's office was filled with a heavy tension, the kind that made everyone stand on edge, afraid to even breathe too loudly.

His voice boomed across the room, sharp and laced with anger.

"How the hell did this happen?" His piercing gaze moved between the three employees standing before him, their heads lowered in sheer terror. "A basic financial report-just a simple goddamn report-and you couldn't even get that right?"

One of them, a middle-aged man, tried to explain, his voice shaky. "Sir, there was a miscalculation in-"

"Miscalculation?" Ekansh cut him off, his tone ice-cold. "We are running a multimillion-dollar firm, not a college project! A single miscalculation can lead to financial losses worth crores!"

The employees stiffened.

"I don't pay you to make amateur mistakes," he continued, his voice dangerously calm now, which was even scarier. "Fix it. Right now. If I see another blunder like this, you won't have to worry about coming to work again because you simply won't have a job left. Get out!"

The employees hurriedly nodded, mumbling apologies before practically rushing out of the cabin, their hands trembling.

The air inside the cabin remained thick with intensity, an invisible storm still brewing around Ekansh. His jaw was clenched, his fingers tapping against the desk, trying to rein in his frustration.

And then-

Without a care in the world, Avya stormed in.

The door swung open with force, nearly making his assistant outside jump in fright.

"Ekansh!" she huffed dramatically, walking in as if she owned the place. "I need to talk to you!"

The entire office outside froze.

The employees who had just been yelled at ruthlessly exchanged terrified glances.

His assistant nearly fainted on the spot.

Nobody-absolutely nobody-dared to enter Ekansh's cabin without knocking, especially when he was in a bad mood.

Except, of course, for Avya.

Ekansh, who had been radiating pure fury just a second ago, turned his head towards her.

And just like that-his entire demeanor shifted.

His sharp, hard glare softened. The storm in his eyes settled into a calm ocean.

The way he had been gripping his pen like he was about to snap it in half? Gone.

Instead, he leaned back slightly, watching her with a mix of amusement and indulgence. "What is it, Avya?"

She marched up to his desk, placing her hands firmly on it, completely oblivious to the deadly aura that had filled this space moments ago.

"The vacation," she declared. "I have planned everything, and you have to listen!"

Ekansh just watched her, the corner of his lips twitching as if he wanted to smile.

Avya, completely unaware of her life-threatening boldness, pulled out her phone and began scrolling.

"So, listen." She lifted her gaze and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you even paying attention?"

And before anyone could process what was happening-

Ekansh reached forward, grabbed her wrist, and effortlessly pulled her onto his lap.

The sound of Avya's shocked gasp filled the space.

"Ekansh!" she exclaimed, looking scandalized.

"Hmm?" He hummed, his arms wrapping around her casually, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "You were saying something?"

Avya gawked at him for a second, then huffed, deciding to ignore the very inappropriate seating arrangement.

She cleared her throat and resumed her explanation, now gesturing with her hands like she was explaining something to a literal five-year-old.

"Okay, so I checked the best resorts, and I think we should go for this one because it has an amazing view. But also, this one has better service. But also, this one has a huge pool, so I am confused. So, listen carefully, okay?"

Ekansh, the same man who had ruthlessly destroyed his employees' confidence just ten minutes ago, sat there with a completely obedient expression.

His hands rested lazily around her waist, his eyes fixed on her as she spoke animatedly.

When she finally finished her very detailed explanation, she looked at him expectantly. "So? What do you think?"

Ekansh blinked once. Then twice.

And then, in the most calm, nonchalant voice ever, he said-

"Okay, ma'am."

Avya's eyes widened. "That's it?"

He smirked slightly. "Yes. Whatever you say, ma'am."

Avya groaned, smacking his chest lightly. "Ekansh, be serious!"

He caught her wrist mid-air, pulling her closer till their noses nearly brushed. "I am being serious. If you want it, we'll do it."

For a moment, Avya forgot how to breathe.

Outside the cabin, his assistant-and the entire office-stood in shock.

Because inside that room, the same man who had terrified the entire office was now sitting there, completely whipped, nodding along to his girl's vacation plans as if she was the CEO and he was the intern.

And they could do nothing but stare in disbelief.

___________________________________________

Okay mere pyaare दर्शकों how was the chapter?????

Something I should change???

Was it good enough to bless your mind?????

Now the next chapter is a bit of madness, chaos, alot of romance and a little surprise for you all 💋🎀🥰

⚠️Note:- first of all, I don't have any draft remaining to publish and I'm soo demotivated for writing the chapter 😭😭 because periods chal rahe haii and i was freaking sad after seeing no growth no recognition no comments. Bhaiii Sahab (दुखड़ा nahi rona chahti) but itni mehnat ke baad bhi no reach, no engagement, no love makes me think that problem is with me because the people who don't do hardwork at all are getting more reach than me and here I'm.

But I don't care i know that I have a single genuine reader who appreciates me, so I'll write the whole story for her 🥰💋

Lots of lovee💗💗

From and with ecstasy.

🐈🌷☁️

Alsooooooooo please checkout

Crimson Vows.