Nandini looked at the sky, filled with stars as she remembered her dad. She could feel a knot form in her chest then in her throat.  She shuddered, inhaling in a deep breath.

"Nandini you haven't slept yet." His voice made her turn and she faked a smile. "I wasn't feeling sleepy."

He walked to her side and looked at the night sky. "It's so beautiful." He said.

"More than beautiful." She added.

Cool breeze passed by touching her face. She placed her hands on the railing; with closed eyes she felt the wind and bit by bit peace engulfed her. He accidentally placed his hand over hers. She looked at him while he had been busy breathing in the fresh air. And this made her smile.

That moment she realized she didn't like him in fact she loved him.

"What?" He asked ever so innocently when he caught her staring at him. She shook her head in nothing as she abruptly turned her head to the other side. She was flushed with the realization.

Damn she loved him.

"Nandini what happened?" He asked, stepping a step closer to her and she instantly hugged him, hiding her face in his chest. She didn't want him to see her flushed face.

He was taken aback with the sudden hug and he wasn't sure if he should hold her or push her. With much courage he snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Her voice was low yet audible enough for him to hear.

Dirty thoughts started filling up in his mind and he immediately stepped away from her. "No. I mean why? I mean we should sleep separately." Within seconds his face was red and he said all those words in such a haste that it was hardly understandable.

She looked at him, trying to register his words and laughed. She stepped a step closer and coming on her tiptoes, pecked
his hot cheeks ever so softly. "I promise to just cuddle and sleep." She said, trying hard not to blush.

"Okay." He said after much hesitation. 

The next day
IN SPACE ACADEMY,

"Muku how did your blind date end up?" Nandini asked as she took out a pack of cigarette from her pocket.

"It was so boring. Like I am really bored with this guys who just want me to climb in their bed." She made a disgusted face as she took out a cigarette from the pack.

"Disgusting people. But I bet you taught them a lesson." Nandini said and lit her cigarette.

"Yup. How can I not?" She smirked.

"So what did you do with yesterday's guy? Locked him in the men's washroom for a whole night or got him beaten black and blue or-"

"Worst than that. He is in the police station right now." Mukti shrugged.

"That's brutal but he must have done something to piss you off." Nandini said as she took a long and slow draw of her cigarette.

"Yup he was a total pervert. Like can you believe it? He had been eyeing the legs of the skinny girls throughout the blind date and he even touched my precious butt. So I turned him up into a pervert. After all he is one." Mukti smirked.

"That's like my girl."

"I know-" Mukti stopped midways when she saw a boy playing basketball in the basketball court. "Hey girl I will catch up with you later. I guess I got my time pass partner for tonight." She winked before taking a step to leave but Nandini stopped her

"Hey try finding a permanent partner. Every guy isn't like him."

"Every guy is just the same." She let out a chuckle.

Before entering inside the basketball court, she observed his playing skills and she was quite impressed.

"Hey boy." Mukti walked inside the court but the boy paid no heed to her.

Hard to get hah. She smirked. "Hey boy I want to challenge you for a basketball match."

The boy stopped dribbling the ball and looked at her. "Hey girl first and foremost my name is Abhimanyu and secondly I don't play with anyone and everyone."

"Hey Abhi. Abhimanyu is a too long so let me call you Abhi. I am Mukti and I too don't challenge anyone and everyone." Mukti said as she reached him.

"You think you can win against me."

"We will see that after a match of basketball. What say?"

"So confident." Abhi smiled.

"If you lose I will do whatever you say and if I win you have to do whatever I say." She put forward the condition.

"Okay. Cool. Whoever scores 3 baskets first will win."

"Fine with me." She said as she opened her jacket and tossed it on one of the chair.

Dribbling the ball, Abhi looked at her."Get ready to lose."

"In your dreams boy." Mukti said as in a swift movement she managed to take the ball from Abhi and he was quite impressed.

"You got some skills." He said, looking in to her eyes as she dribbled the ball.

"Impressed?" She said.

"Not really." He said as he tried taking the ball but failed. In a swift moment she tackled him and she drove the ball to the basket and shot. The ball soared through air and dropped right into the basket.

"And that's a score." She winked and smiled  victoriously.

"Not bad. I really underestimated you."

"Your bad." She said as she dribbled the ball.

She had always been interested in basketball since she was a kid. In fact she had also been awarded as the most valuable player but yet she quit playing it a year ago.

This time he tackled her and took the ball. Dribbling it twice he jumped as he threw the ball towards the basket.

The ball hit the backboard and dropped into the basket. "And that's a score." He smiled victoriously. "We are equal now."

Basketball was his passion since his childhood. And in fact he was the captain of the college boys basketball team.

"And it's the third score." Abhi shouted, totally exhausted with all the running and jumping. He couldn't help but admit she was one hell of a strong component.

"You really are very good." She praised as she laid on the court, sweating profusely.

He also laid down on the court beside her, their shoulders almost touching and this made her heart shiver but she let that feeling slip away.

"So tell me what do you want me to do?" She asked after a few moments.

"Play one more match with me some other time."  He said as he turned sideways to look at her.

"Sure. I would love that." She turned her head sideways and he had already been looking at her. Their eyes locked for a while but she averted her gaze to the ceiling while his were fixed on hers.

"Why did you quit basketball?" He asked out of nowhere.

This question surprised her. How did he get to know about her being a basketball player? "Just. I got bored of it." She lied.

"This lie might work on others but not on me."

***

How was the chapter?
I just hope it was worth reading. I wrote in a rush. Really busy these days. Sorry.

Thank you for patiently waiting and thank you for all the support and love.