Falling For You

~Chapter #22~

After a long day, the students and professors retire to their respective rooms. Ruhana is excited that the next day they are going to visit the Elephanta caves, as instructed by their professors. Ruhana and her friends are sharing one room.

Ruhana wakes up when sunrays kiss her face. She looks around and finds that her friends are still asleep. She checks her phone and as expected, there is a message from Vineet. She smiles reading the message that asks her to be ready and reach the hotel lobby by 9 am. She smiles at his message. She checks the time and it's 7:30 AM.

She moves out of the bed and stretches herself. The mere thought of strolling around with him makes her happy. She has come here with a goal to bring out the real him. She knows his grief but she loves to watch him smile and laugh. She smiles to herself and moves to get ready.

After 15 minutes, she comes out and finds her friends awake by then. She tells them that they have to reach the hotel lobby by 9 am. The girls hurry up to get ready, not forgetting to tease her. They are just on time. The professors are addressing the students that they will leave after breakfast. The girls are quite excited.

After breakfast, they move out of the hotel. They have buses booked to the Gateway of India, and from there, they will travel by boats to the Elephanta caves. Soon, the journey begins.

*****

Everyone seems happy. Some people are chatting, some are playing cards, some of them are singing. Amongst all this, Ruhana finds herself staring at Vineet. He seems busy in talking with his best friend. Ruhana comes out of her trance when her friend Priyanka chides her. She looks at her while Priyanka teases her.

"Now don't say that you were not looking at Vineet. I saw how you were looking at him without blinking your eyes!!" she says teasingly.

"Why don't you tell him your feelings?" Shubhi, another friend of Ruhana, asks her.

"Nope, I can't! And yeah I don't love him!" Ruhana replies without looking at her friends.

"Don't fool yourself!! You do love him." Shubhi says smacking the back of her head.

Ruhana shakes her head and glares at her friends. She is irritated with their talks. Okay! She has feelings for him, but she can't word her feelings to him. She wants him to realise the importance of love.

"You two don't have any other thing to talk about?" she asks eyeing both Shubhi and Priyanka.

"Do you have time to think about something else other than Vineet?" Priyanka and Shubhi look at her.

She playfully hits them on their hands. At the same time, it is announced that they have reached the Gateway of India. Everyone is excited and they hop out of the buses.

The professors announced that it will be a day tour and they'll travel to the island where Elephanta caves are situated. Everyone seems happy. Some boats are booked for the students and they rush towards the banks of the sea. Ruhana stands at the shore looking at the waves coming up and down. Her friends call for her but their calls seem unheard. She comes out of her trance when Vineet places his hand around her shoulder. She looks at him and he smiles sweetly at her.

"Are you gonna sit here only? Don't want to see the island?" he questions her, boring his eyes in hers.

She smiles and nods negatively. He takes her in one of the boats and they move towards the island. She glances at him. The calmness on his face is a treat to her. All that she feels missing is his smile. She longs to see him smiling but she always gets seriousness in return. He cares for her, yet he stays in a nutshell.

He smiles whenever they are together, but he doesn't laugh. He tries to be the person he was, but he is still lacking somewhere. And she wants him back to life, the way he was.

The way they were! In their childhood!

Ruhana wants Vineet to be happy.

Happy With her, Maybe!

To Be Continued.