You okay? Amrit ne kuch bola?" Sidharth had asked.

"Mhm." Shehnaaz didn't intend on telling him about the dinner but she couldn't hold back herself either.

"Kuch nahi boli, we had a casual dinner. Even though I wanted to clear things out, she said she didn't want to. Out of courtesy aayi, aisa kyu kar rahi hai wo? Baat karke hum sab kuch sort out bhi toh kar sakte hai na? She clearly didn't want to stay in touch with me." She ended up telling him about it.

"She doesn't deserve you! Bola tha maine, tu hi peeche peeche jati hai uske. Tujhe padi hai uski, kabhi usne pucha hai tere bare me? Usne samne se efforts dikhaye?" Sidharth asked her instead of consoling her.

"Bolna kya chahta hai tu? Puchna chhod du usko? Behen hai wo meri, chhoti hai." She retorted. She defined her worth by the opinions of others. She wasn't looking for approval on the things that she did, she was looking for validation of her very existence. This happened because of the messages she was given since she lost her parents and moved in with her close relatives.

"Ha sahi hai phir. Wo chhoti hai toh sab maaf hai usko. Jane de na phir." He shrugged.

"Taunt maar raha hai ha?" She asked, getting mad at him.

"Nahi, tu jo bol rahi hai wohi mai bhi bol raha hu. Jab tujhe lagta hai ki Amrit chhoti hai, toh tujhe bura nahi lagna chahiye na?" He asked her, wondering how she could not get one simple thing.

"Baat ye nahi hai Sidharth. Rehne de." She replied, putting an end to this conversation and returning towards his car because she didn't have any answer to come up with.

"Kaha ja rahi hai?" He followed her, thinking he shouldn't have said all those things about her sister, this issue was apparently sensitive for her.

"Ghar jana hai mujhe." She mumbled.

"Abhi toh aaye hai. Please, rukte hai na thodi der." He requested softly.

"Nahi meko nahi rukna." She clearly stated.

"Are you mad at me? Maine wahi bola jo mujhe laga. I'm sorry if I overstepped." He said, making her look at him. Realizing he had pushed the wrong buttons to make her understand. Her equation with her sister, her family and that matter was not something he could resolve for her, only she could do it.

"Sorry kyu bol raha hai? Tune kuch galat thodi bola." She sighed, looking away.

"Mai upset isliye hu kyuki mai iss bare me kuch kar nahi sakti." She admitted, defeated and tired.

It was her family so he didn't have an exact perspective on how things existed among them, he knew as much as he was told by her. He didn't understand the behaviour of her family members so he thought the best he could do was to advise her, guide her from his perspective and be there for her while she was having a tough time with it. As a friend he couldn't solve her family issues, she had to do it herself but he could be a support to her during this phase.

He hugged her, letting her know things would get better with time and to cheer her up, he came up with a plan. "Chal thik hai ghar chalte hai. Movie dekhegi sath me?" He suggested.

"Mann nahi hai yaar." She replied, upset.

"Aise rondu muh bana ke kab tak rakhegi? Please, chalna movie dekhenge. Mere home theater me, aisa lagega jaise PVR me aayi hai." He kept requesting.

"Lekin movie meri pasand ki hogi!" She immediately stated her condition, agreeing to the plan.

"Bollywood chhod ke kuch bhi laga lena." He stated his condition as well.

"Arey! Ye kya baat hui? Sidharth mai bollywood dekhti hu, tu janta hai!" She whined, stomping her foot. Couldn't he give in for once?!

"Fine!" He rolled his eyes at her, opening the door for her.

"Yaay! Aur na, samose lete hue chalte hai! Poori theater wali feeling aayegi!" She suggested, looking forward to it.

"Maine PVR bola tha. Ghar pe salted popcorn hai, bana lenge." He replied, totally in denial.

"Yaaaar! Phir meko nahi jana. Tu meri ek baat nahi maan sakta!" She whined, removing her seatbelt as if she was about to get out of his car.

"Tu utregi car se toh mai pakka pani me fek aunga tujhe." He warned her.

"Ye kya baat hui? Mai dukhi hu na, meri sari baat maan ni chahiye ya mujhe dhamki deni chahiye?" She retorted, feigning hurt.

"Nautanki, seatbelt laga wapas. Lelena samose!" He shook head, unable to deny the love she had for oily and unhealthy street foods.

Once home with samosas, a couple of packets of chips and biscuits and some Pepsi, Sidharth was checking on the home theater speakers connected to the television whereas Shehnaaz was taking out their snacks into bowls.

"Popcorn kaha hai?" She asked then.

"Right side wale cabinet me." He replied, wondering if there would be room left for popcorn after all those snacks she bought on their way.

"Nahi hai!" She shouted from the kitchen to let him know.

"Hai, tujhe dikh nahi raha hoga." He replied, going to the kitchen to help.

There was a packet of popcorn in there, she couldn't see it because she couldn't reach the cabinet. He stood behind her, right behind her and pulled out the packet as soon as he put his hand inside the shelf and tapped it over her head. However, the sudden proximity did things to them, he could sense her standing stiff and still while he was looking for the popcorn packet. Along with that, it was the moment he keenly observed how adorably short she was, she didn't even stand next to his shoulders.

"Ye kya hai?" He asked her, waving the packet in his hands.

"Upar tha, dikha nahi." She sheepishly smiled, grabbing the packet and slitting it open with a knife.

"Cooker bhi nikal de." She told him and he obliged, crouching down and taking out the pressure cooker from another cabinet.

"Hm, ja. Mai aati hu." She told him, not able to make out why he was staring at her like that.

"Aur sunn Dil chahta hai dekhenge." She walked into the room with that and he nodded, glad she didn't choose any cheesy romantic shit instead.

The movie was a groundbreaking film that realistically portrayed the life of upper-class youth and showed urban and modern society in the most precise way through the story of three close friends and their experiences. They were so real and easy to relate to, the proceedings were dramatic and realistic and the film was extremely interesting and entertaining throughout. The two laughed when the three friends pulled pranks and made fun of each other.

"Ye Sameer bada cute hai!" Shehnaaz laughed at a particular scene, holding a plate of samosa in her hand while she sat on the sofa with her legs crossed.

"Plate dhyan se pakad." Sidharth told her, worried she might drop the plate at the moment.

"Ha baba! Nahi girega plate! Samne dekh." She replied, holding his chin and turning it towards the screen.

In the film, there was a time when the friends fought among themselves and the film became all emotional. The two viewers went silent with that, they had tears in their eyes when a character, Tara, died. The movie had extraordinary music, brilliant cinematography, effective editing, fantastic locations and very impressive performances by the actors.

Shehnaaz was there, blinking her eyes to prevent the tears, she would at times get emotional while watching scenes like that and then she laid her head on his shoulder, affected by the fact that Tara and Sid didn't end up together but were happy that Sid was happy in the end.

"Badi sahi movie hai na!?" She said while she adjusted the sheet, she borrowed it when the room was quite cold, to cover her feet.

"Mhm." He nodded, looping an arm around her shoulders.

"Samose kaise lage?" She asked.

"Thande." He shrugged and she glared at him in return.

"Toh kisne bola itne der se khaane ko? AC ke neeche rakhne k baad!" She snapped at him and he chuckled, watching how easily anything could rile her up. And that face with the creased forehead and scrunched nose was something he could watch over and over again.

"Tu aise kyu dekh raha hai mujhe?" She asked, being straightforward.

"Kaise dekh raha hu?" He asked, amused.

"Jaise bhi dekh raha hai, meko ajeeb lagta hai." She replied, confused.

The way he was lately looking at her was kind of hinting something he had clearly denied about in the beginning itself. She had accepted his rejection with grace and humility and congratulated herself for being the awesome, fearless person she was for having taken the risk. Since they were going to remain friends, she made sure every time she ran into him again, she gave him a genuine, friendly smile and didn't change herself for him.

"Iska matlab tu mujhe dekh rahi thi, tabhi toh tujhe dikha ki mai tujhe dekh raha hu." He said and the two meaninglessly chuckled.

Unintentionally, his gaze landed upon her lips, her seemingly soft and plum lips once they sobered up and when he looked up into her eyes, he found her still looking at him. Just when he began to make an advancement towards her, she broke the silence.

"What were you trying to do?" As blunt as she was, she spoiled the moment. Because the last time they kissed, she felt sad afterwards. But she did not have any hard feelings towards him and she managed to stay friends with him, deciding that she would rather have him in her life as a simple friend than not to have them at all.

"I don't know, just felt like kissing you." He replied. The feeling wasn't new but it was good, it wasn't oblivious but it was still budding.

"And what would that make us then?" She asked, waiting for his confirmation because she was very excited about his idea.

Her question made him pause himself, the door he had voluntarily closed was about to open voluntarily again. He liked this closeness with her and wished for more. "We clearly won't be just friends and I won't hurt you this time." He replied, honestly that was the plan.

"I can settle with that." She commented, shrugging and leaning forward as he did the same. There, they sealed their deal with a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tada! Early update for the lovely people who've always rooted for me.. I love you guys!!

Here's the new chapter that marks that from here on.. Sidharth and Shehnaaz begin their new journey..

Any comments on how Sidharth tried his best to cheer her up and how smoothly he succeeded??

And how about Shehnaaz taking up the subtle hints and understanding why Shukla was the way he was.. she needed some assurance tho..