Chapter 27 : Boating and Hiking.
After having breakfast they all leave to see the rest of the tourist destinations.. They were walking by a lake when they saw a few people boating.. K: Hey look.. they're boating..
Al: Wow.. I've never been on a boat before..
S: Yeah.. It'll be fun lets go..
Ay: But our bus would be here anytime.. we gotta go for hiking..
K: Just for a little bit..
S: Yeah lets go...
Ry: Yeah let's go. Please....
Ay: Ryan you too..
R: What..? Even I like boating..
Ay: Alright fine lets go..
Ayaan and Ryan go to talk to the vendor as the girls were jumping in happiness.. Sofia walked closer staring at the lake as Nick walked upto her..
N: Hey..
S: Yeah...
N: So.. How are you feeling..??
S: Good.. Why are you asking..??
N: Just wanted to know if you like our new surroundings..??
S: Yeah it's.. It's beautiful..
N: Yeah... I.. I wanted to ask you...
S: What..??
N: If you'd.. You know.. Like to.... Go boa-
Ay: Sofia...
Ayaan screamed sitting in the boat.. Sofia turned to him and asked what as he signed her to come.. She glanced past him and saw Ryan and Kiara already seated in the boat ahead of him.. Ay: C'mon hurry up..
S:Alright I'm Coming...
She screamed from her place signing him to wait.. She turned back to Nick..
S: Can we continue this later.. I have to go boating and He's waiting.. And We'll also kinda miss our bus.. And you know how cranky Ayaan can get..
N:Y..Yeah.. Of.. Of course..
She jogs towards Ayaan and gets in the boat as he holds out his hand seeing that the boat was shaking due to the movement... Sofia grabbed his hand and seated down as she laughed at something he said.. Nick stared at them from his place as he saw them boat away.. He stood rooted in his place when he heard a voice behind him.. He turned to see Aliza standing there..
Al: Why are you standing here.. Don't you wanna go boating..
N: I... Aa..
Al: C'mon let's go..
She says dragging him to a boat.. They go around boating for a while as the boats clash with each other.. They all laugh and start running around hitting each others boat like in the electrical cars.. After a while of pushing around and some splashing of water by the girls they finally get down..
Ay: Alright.. Now done with the boating.. Can we go..??
K: Yes.!!!
They all walk ahead as they reach a bus that would take them to the nearest hiking trail.. There were a few more people with them on the bus.. The bus stops as they all get down.. They all saw a shop with special hiking gears and clothes as they all were advised to change their shoes and check their clothes before going and could buy anything they needed.. The boys already wore shoes so they didn't change except some of the girls who wore sandals or heels.. After they were ready they all left together looking around and admiring the nature..
The whole day went by the same walking, talking and admiring.. Ryan and Kiara got a lot of opportunities for clicking pictures.. The girls were walking together talking about something as Ayaan was walking ahead lost in his own thoughts.. Nick and Ryan were talking just behind him.. After a while Ryan's eyes fell on Ayaan as he saw him lost and walking in front of them all.. He excused himself and walked upto Ayaan putting his arms around his shoulder..
R: Hey bro... Why you walkin' alone..??
A: Nothing.. I was just.... Thinking..
R: About what..??
A: Something..!!
R: You don't wanna share..??
A: Nothing special.. Really...
R: Is that soo...
They walk silently for a while as Ayaan gets lost in his thoughts again.. After a while Ryan speaks again..
R: So you wanna talk about it...
Ay: I told you it's nothing...
R: I wasn't talking about this.. I meant what is going on between you two..
A: Between.... Who two..??
R: You and... Sofia...
A: There is nothing between us..
R: Oh C'mon.. You can't lie to me.. You know that...
A: I don't know what you're talking about....
R: of course you do.. Look I'm not having this conversation along with Nick because I know.. You two had some argument and things haven't been the same since.. But it's the same between us.. And.. You don't need to hide it from me..
A: I'm not hiding anything..
R: Don't you care about her..??
A: of course I do.. She's my best friend.. Even if we used to argue all the time.. We still had... Something..
R: Exactly.. Something.. Something else.. Some spark.. And its still there...
A: What do you mean..??
R: Look I've had this conversation with Kiara countless times.. The point is that everyone beside you two have noticed it.. You guys always had this bond between you two that none of us had.. And right now when she's going through all this.. She needs that.. That bond.. You.. Now it's your choice.. if you wanna accept it.. Give her the love she deserves.. or just.. bury it deep inside.. hide from it.. neglect it... Your wish.. But before tou choose.. Just think about her once.. There is nobody who can get throught her walls like you.. I'm sure there are things that she says to you.. that she doesn't tell us.. me or Kiara.. That's because.. The bond.. I'm talking about.. she knows it's there.. And even if she manages to hide it from all of us.. She can't hide it from you.. And you know that too.. Soooo.. Its your choice.. But.. if you wanna talk.. you know I'm here.. And yeah.. I know even at this moment.. you're just thinking about her.. because you're worried about something or the other..
Ryan stares at Ayaan waiting for his response as he looks away and exhales out..
A: Ok fine.. I am thinking about her.. Cause I'm worried.. I see her everday.. and how much she has changed.. A few months ago.. we couldn't go a single day without arguing endlessly... but now.. She hardly speaks.. Before.. She used to be the heart of the event.. No matter where we go.. what we do.. But now she rarely smiles.. I don't know how.. But I miss those things.. Us arguing.. fighting endlessly.. her laugh. her smiles... everything..
R: Yeah.. She has fully changed after that...
A: Exactly.. and I just want her to be.. how she used to be.. and I don't know how that'll happen..
R: I do..
He says as Ayaan looks at him questioningly..
A: How.??
R: I just told you like.. an hour long speech about that..
A: What.?
R: YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO THAT.. You can bring the old sofi out of her.. Break the walls she has made.. You should talk to her..
A: I already did..
R: Then try harder.. Look all I want you to do is.. put your hand on your heart.. and do as it says.. It won't lead you wrong.. Think about it...
He says as he gave a pat on his shoulder and walked back towards Nick.. as they all were walking again.. Ayaans mind was stuck on what Ryan just said.. He was deep in thoughts as all the past memories played in his mind.. He remembered all those moment when they laughed.. Fought together.. And also the moments they were there for each other.. shared their pain and hurt.. He always had a special place for Sofia in his heart and he realised it more and more with each passing day... Her laugh her arguments and their pointless quarrels all played in his mind bringing a smile on his face.. And the moment he realised that her happines was the key for his happiness.. and there wasn't one without the other.. His resume of bringing her back grew strong as did his faith in this unnamed feelings...
Later Sofia came by seeing him walk alone..
S: Hey...
She looked at him still lost in his thoughts.. She spoke again a bit louder while shaking her hand in front of his face.. He came back to his senses looking around as he saw her..
S: Are you ok..
A: Ya.. I am.. fine..
S: Then why are you so lost.. What were you thinking about..?
A: You.
S: Huh.?
A: Y.. You know.. Just stuff..
S: Oh..
A: What about you..?
S: What about me..?
A: Are you ok..?
S: Ofcourse I am.. Why does everybody keep asking me that..??
A: You like this place..
S: Yeah.. It's.. beautiful..
A: Then you should thank me..
S: Why would I thank you..
A: You didn't wanna come here... I convinced you.. so.. The credit goes to me..
S: You always need the credit for everything.. Don't you..
A: I deserve it..
S: Yeah right..
She says as they both chuckle glancing at each other..
It was finally Night time and everybody had returned tired and crashed into their beds.. But Ayaan layed awake in his bed.. Ryan's words troubled him.. He knew this would come up but soo soon was what confused him.. It had been just a while when he had accepted that he had some feelings for Sofia and now he realises that everyone knew it except himself.. He walks out the balcony as the green plains stretched far in front of him.. The soft wind blew past giving him slight shivers and goosebumps.. He breathed deeply the scented air around him as his eyes fell on the balcony beside his.. That was the girls room as a smile stretched on his face..
His mind went back to the memories of the day as he remembered her looking soo captivating in the beuty of Nature.. All he could think of these days was her.. Either he was very worried about her or just daydreaming about her.. Sometimes he just wanted to run to her.. While other times he just admired from afar.. Thinking about his complicated feelings made him laugh as he took out his phone.. The urge to see her grew every moment.. As he couldn't just barge into the girls room like he would have at home he just filled his heart with a few picture.. Which were ofcourse not just a few.. But a few hundred.. After all they had actually spent years with eachother.. He browsed through their pictures.. Many were of them together.. Some of her singles that he had took not so gently without her consent.. Many made him laugh loking at the stupid things they did..
He browsed through the childhood folder as a few of her crying pictures came up.. He laughed seeing her red nose and rosy cheeks.. Her large black eyes were lined with tears as he sat beside her being the reason to make her cry.. He laughed remembering their rivalry throughout the years making it even harder for him to believe that he actually fell for her.. But then again don't opposites attract and they always had the hate chemistry between them maybe it did turn into attraction after a while..
He laughed glancing at the picture again as he planned how to tease her with this.. As of now he hadn't had enough of this picture so he set it on his home screen wallpaper.. He layed back on the bed putting his phone near his heart closing his eyes.. As the face in the phone reflected in his eyes..
Next morning sofia woke up as her phone started ringing.. Kiara hit her asking to pick it up.. She groaned taking the phone glancing at the name with one eye open.. She saw Ayaan's name and answered the call in a sleepy voice..
S: Yeah...
A: You're still sleeping..??
S: No I'm dancing...
A: Then come out let's dance together..
S: What..??
A: I'm waiting outside come fast..
S: Seriously it's..... 4 in the morning..
A: I know I have a watch too..
S: Then look at it and go back to sleep..
A: I'm not here to sleep..
S: What do you want..???
A: I already told you come out I'm waiting..
S: You're serious..??
A: 100%
S: Argh.. Alright..
She said groaning as she stood up from her place.. She glanced out of the balcony and saw it was still dark.. She huffed angrily while gathering her hair and went out.. She left the room and saw Ayaan standing in front of the room.. He smiled looking at her as she raised her eyebrow at him.. He kept staring as she made a weird face waving her hand in front him making he blink as he started smiling again..
S: What are you starting at..??
A: You..
S: What.??
A: You're looking really pretty...
S: You're kidding right.. I like just woke up..
A: I know..
S: I'm sure you didn't call me here in the middle of the night to tell me that..
A: It's not the middle of the night.. It's almost morning..
S: Yeah what ever...
A: C'mon..
S: Where..??
A: Out..
S: Now.. Why..??
A: You're asking too many questions let's go..
S: But why.. I haven't even changed.. Atleast let me grab a shawl..
A: I knew you wouldn't so I already grabbed one for you..
He passes the shawl in his hand as she puts it around her shoulder following Ayaan who didn't even bother to wait for her and was already rushing forward.. She rushed behind him as he grabbed her hand and
dragged her with himself..
In a few minutes they reached the hill top as he sat on the rocks asking her to sit as well.. Due to the low population there weren't many people around.. Ayaan was smiling ahead as Sofia gave him a puzzled
glance..
S: Why are we here again..??
A: Can't you see the colour change.. We're here to see the sun rise..
S: The sun rise...
A: Yeah..
He said happily as she smiled seeing his face.. She looked around and actually saw the colour change.. The cool mourning breeze was adding to the cold as she wrapped her shawl around shivering a little.. Her whole attention finally went to the scene in front of her.. She could see a small lake at a distance and the whole place was surrounded with bushes, tree and flowers of all colours.. She again looked at the sky that had become a mixed shade of purple orange and red as the light started to peek through the cold clouds and give them a little warmth.. While observing all this she was oblivious to the pair of eyes tha
followed her every movement.. He stared at her as they both admired the beauty in front if their eyes...
*The End*
-Zareen.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐