Today's Chapter vote goal- 350 votes

We were clicking a few pictures of the sky and sunset, thoroughly enjoying the moment, when I received a call from Vedika di.

"Evyaan, where is Samayara? We tried calling her, but she didn't pick up our call. Is she okay?" Vedika di asked worriedly. Crap, how could we forget about the time and calls? I cursed under my breath as I told di that she's with me right now and she can just call on my phone.

"I'm sorry, di, Maa, and Papa. My battery died, so I left my phone in the room and came here to take a breather," she explained upon receiving the video call. I stood behind the screen, thinking I shouldn't interrupt their family time. They chatted for a while, sounding like the shiny families they show in movies. Well, they do exist in real life too, but only for some certain people though. 

They wrapped up their chats when I heard a feminine voice calling me with affection. 

"Evyaan beta, how are you? Are you okay?" her mother asked with concern. "I'm more than perfect, aunty, now that you've asked," I tried to conceal my smile as much as possible, but Samayara still noticed it and looked at me strangely. 

"Thank god, beta. Thank you for managing everything so bravely. We are very proud of you," her dad added, and for once, I felt appreciated. I tried to reply without becoming too overwhelmed and ended the call with a light heart. Samayara also seemed happier after talking with her parents.

"Is it possible that you might like my mother?" Samayara asked cautiously.

"What? No, I... I just appreciated the way she was so affectionate," I replied, half laughing.

"Thank god. I really thought it was weird because you were literally glowing while replying," she stated worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry it came out like that," I said as our laughs calmed down. The time elapsed, and the sun went down, and the moon came up shining brightly in the dark sky. 

We spent 6 hours together just talking about life, completely forgetting or maybe pretending to forget the incident in the morning, but it was still dancing in the back of my head.

"See, the moon looks beautiful today," I said, and she seemed a little taken aback by my words but scoffed it off soon after.

"Yeah, it's pretty. You should say the moon looks pretty, that sounds better, in my opinion," she said, taking my phone to click pictures.

"Oh, okay." I wanted to ask her why, but it might disturb her from her clicking spree. She was focused on the moon, and my eyes were focused on how beautiful she looked under the moonlight. I couldn't find the difference which was prettier her or this moment? maybe this moment with her.

"So, what are they doing?" Evaana asked concernedly on the call.

"She's looking at the moon, and he's looking at his moon, "I replied and  Evaana sighed, ending the call, while the mountain girl chuckled.

They both went missing without informing any of us and now everyone was searching for them while they were having their quality time here. And this mountain girl spotted me and tagged along like a cat.

"What do you mean? Is he into Myra?" she asked, as I was planning how to scare them.

"We don't know that yet," I lied. I don't think it's my place to confirm this.

"You want to scare them?" I asked, well aware she'd join me.

"How?" she asked, getting pumped up.

"Sure, then follow me."

I hid behind the bushes and shook them loudly, as the mountain girl pretended she actually saw a wild animal and ran towards them. 

"Guys, guys, there's a wolf in the garden, run!" she said, perfectly acting breathless. Samayara and Evyaan looked scared for a moment and sprinted away holding hands without giving it a second thought. 

The sight of them running looked quite hilarious when the mountain girl followed them halfway and then came back to join me. We walked behind them taking our time and holding our laughter.

"Got you both for the second time," the mountain girl declared, giving me a high five . We celebrated our victory with more handshakes and fist bumps as Evyaan and Samayara watched us, huffing and catching their breath. Soon, the waiter arrived with water bottles and tissues, which I assumed they had ordered, or perhaps he had read the situation.

"Sir, as I've mentioned, our establishment cannot tolerate the presence of wild animals." the waiter stated handling the bottles. He addressed the mountain girl with a polite nod, and she returned the gesture with a smile.

"You both are so delightfully foolish, it's cute!" the mountain girl chimed in, her laughter infectious as she playfully nudged me. Though I failed to see the humour in our antics initially, her laughter proved irresistible, eventually coaxing me to join in.

"We should kill him, the next chance we'll get," Evyaan said wiping his face. 

"Sure, I'll definitely help." samayara said huffing again.

"What have you done to my Myra, she's talking exactly like you, Myra what happened?" I asked advancing towards her but Evyaan grabbed me by my collar from behind. 

"Hawww, see Myra, he's being posse-" I began to complain when Evyaan abruptly covered my mouth.

"You, fuvker, let go of me," I muffled out, but they must've heard only muffled sounds.

"It looks like this kiddo is into some weird stuff, look at him enjoying," remarked the mountain girl, and Evyaan immediately released his grip on me. "For God's sake, don't say that," Evyaan retorted, his disgust palpable.

"Why? Do you not like me? What's wrong with me?" I asked, feeling offended by his disgust. "Kiaan, stop it. You're making it worse. Weren't your ladies luck enough that now you're trying to hit on me too?" he said, his embarrassment evident. 

I savoured every bit of it, and the mountain girl seemed to enjoy it too. Only Samayara bore a look of sympathy, or perhaps jealousy, I chose not to read too much into her expression.

"Okay, now onto business. We're supposed to gather by the campfire after dinner for games," I  said as we made our way towards the dining hall.

"I'm on my day off with Samayara, so can we skip?" Evyaan inquired.

"No, I would like to join. Why skip such a golden opportunity? I'll definitely join, Kiaan," Samayara asserted firmly.

"Oh, then I'll join too. Actually, I was just tired, but-" Evyaan began to explain.

"It's alright, you don't have to explain; we know," I interjected, sensing the tension in the air beginning to build. Would they take the hint? Yes or no? However, if I continued down this path, I might end up with a punch to the face. 

"He doesn't want to be the vice prime minister for a day, he wants to rest," I lied, noticing Evyaan's impending burst of anger.

"Oh, you're in the student council? Gosh, you're handsome, smart, and responsible. What a package," the mountain girl swooned over Evyaan, who simply smiled in response. Something twisted in my mind as I watched her smile at him like that.

Our eyes locked as I glared at her. "And what about you, kiddo? Are you in the student council too?" she asked, her voice slightly wavering. I wondered if it was intimidated by my gaze or merely a coincidence.

"No, I'm not. I don't like taking on responsibilities. I'm just a regular student," I replied, breaking the eye contact.

"Understandable," she muttered.

"But don't underestimate him," Samayara chimed in. "The last time in high school when we held elections, he just participated for fun. He ended up being selected as the president of the student council. To this day, he's the most voted student of our branch, who also resigned within a week."

"It wasn't my fault. Pratyusha and Eve provoked me, saying I wouldn't receive over 10 votes. And they found it hilarious when people voted for me. I clearly stated I wouldn't make a change in the discipline or anything," I explained, reminiscing about those days.

"Yeah, but some people found it hot. Almost every girl voted for him so they could see him on stage every day. Our school almost eliminated student voting after that," Samayara added, introducing a new fact.

"But I didn't want the responsibility, so I messed up our principal's speech before the chief guest, and they forced me to resign," I explained, recounting everything, leaving the mountain girl gasping at the revelation.

"Wow, that's so evil. I wish I was there to witness it," she said enthusiastically.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want that. Pratyusha had to clear it up for him and be the president for the rest of the year. She really saved the image of our batch," Evyaan remarked as we reached the dining hall. It wasn't as crowded as the afternoon, so we all grabbed our plates, and so did the mountain girl.

"Are you allowed?" I asked, already chugging down the banana milk.

"I don't know. Am I allowed, Mr. Vice Pime minister ?" she inquired, directing her question to Evyaan, who simply nodded in response.

"Yes, why wouldn't you?" he asked, his tone tinged with confusion.

"Because she's not a student here," I clarified.

"Oh, right. But I don't see how grabbing food with us would be a problem. Besides, your family owns the hotel. You should join us, Aadhisha," Evyaan made the decision, offering her a plate.

"He's only saying that because he's afraid you might break into his room while he's showering, considering you can have access to the keys," I remarked sarcastically. Evyaan playfully swatted my chest before moving forward to grab more food.

"Good idea. Maybe I will, but with you instead. I need to threaten you more," the mountain girl joked, transferring the sweet bowl from my plate to hers.

"Darling, I know you're dying to see my body, but you don't have to go through all this trouble. Just say the word, and I'll get rid of my shirt right here," I teased, smirking as her eyes widened at my words and most probably audacity.

"Is this your usual method for charming girls?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Why is it working on you? Don't let my looks distract you from the fact that you hate me," I retorted, taking the soup bowl from her plate and walking away.

"You're irresistible," I heard her say as I moved out of earshot.

"Damn right I am," I replied turning back, accidentally bumping into a muscular figure. "Watch where you're going," the voice scolded, and I realized it was Aakash Rathore.

"I will from now on," I replied, checking if I had spilt anything on him.

"Can't you apologize? Why did my sister save you again?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dude, you should thank me. She won't do it again. She's learned her lesson. I'm her first and last," I explained, and after a moment of confusion, he seemed to understand.

"Quite manipulative, aren't you?" he remarked, echoing the mountain girl's earlier sentiment, as I moved away.

"Damn right I am," I replied, grinning as he shook his head. We finished our dinner, and Evaana sought permission from the faculty for the mountain girl to join us. I suspected they couldn't refuse, especially with Aakash's presence and his introduction of her as his sister.

"Let's go, I have so many interesting games planned for us!" Pratyusha announced.

"I think me and Samrudh will skip, we would like to rest," Aakib said.

"If you both skip together, there will be rumours again. You know there are already bets on who's the top," Pratyusha teased Aakib.

"Forget Samrudh, let's leave together. I do better with rumours, you know," I said, clinging to Aakib to annoy him as he kept texting someone. I snooped into his phone, only to find it was Samrudh.

"Leave him, guys. He's too committed to his wife. I don't like people like this," I said, pushing him, but he didn't even budge. Iron hulk indeed. I cursed under my breath, trying to push him again.

"Don't be so committed that you forget others exist," I said, disturbing him again.

"What, you don't like committed people?" Samayara asked, judging me hard.

"Yes, I like keeping things casual," I answered, and she looked disappointed before her lover boy intruded.

"Well, can't relate. I can't wait to pull a 'wait, let me ask my girlfriend' or 'my girlfriend said no, guys.' You all will be disappointed, but love comes first," Evyaan said, his eyes never leaving Samayra's reflection.

This lover boy. I mentally shook my head at his actions. What will he do when they'll actually be in a relationship if he's already so whipped?

"You're such a red flag, Kiaan. It's so annoying yet attractive," Samayra's friend said, back hugging her. Samayara's face briefly flashed with discomfort, yet she maintained a polite smile.

"Oh, well, red is my favourite colour, so—" I retorted dryly, but she continued to smile brightly as if we were old friends. Pratyusha smirked at my predicament, teasing me through subtle signs. I gestured to her, indicating that she should intervene and chase the girl away, and she nodded in understanding.

"Well, are you guys gonna join us or not?" Pratyusha said, pulling Samayara towards her and ignoring the other girl. 

The girl seemed imbalanced and glared at Pratyusha, ready to do or say something, but the mountain girl blocked her vision by stepping in between and glaring back at her. 

Like a tigress eyeing her prey, she exuded an aura that seemed to fill the entire room. Despite her diminutive stature, she commanded attention effortlessly. I might never say it out loud, but she's phenomenal. I proudly watched as the other girl's confidence shattered in the face of the mountain girl's presence.

The other girl backed away abruptly and exchanged a few words with Samayara before swiftly disappearing.

We arrived at the campfire base, which had been beautifully set up. "So, is Samrudh joining us or not?" Evyaan inquired of Aakib, who confirmed that he would be joining us shortly.

As we settled down near the captivating campfire with its breathtaking side view, later our busy council members joined us, bringing along some snacks.

"So, what are we playing? Spin the bottle? Truth or dare?" the mountain girl asked with evident excitement.

"It's something new. It's called Dare Jenga. If someone is scared to pull out a block. The person on their right then has to ask them a question. Just a heads-up, it can get pretty nasty, so steer clear if you're sensitive," Pratyusha explained, while Evaana and Aakib arranged the oversized Jenga tower. 

It was almost as tall as the mountain girl herself. Evaana misplaced a block, and it was about to fall on her. I quickly shouted to alert them, prompting Aakib to rush to her defence. However, Samrudh already pulled her, causing both of them to nearly lose their footing, but they managed to balance themselves. The Jenga tower, meanwhile, came crashing down with a loud thud.

Samrudh insisted on taking Evaana's place, and she reluctantly agreed, perhaps feeling a tad embarrassed. She moved to sit next to me, still clutching her wrist and taking deep breaths. "Are you hurt? Let me see," I offered, gently taking her hand only to see his finger imprints from grabbing with excessive pressure.

I asked her if it hurt, but she denied it, although her flushed face told a different story. "Are you sure you're okay?" I pressed, concerned, and she nodded in response.

"Ignore this idiot. You just had a moment, almost like a Bollywood moment. Who is that guy, your friend? Maybe a senior?" the mountain girl asked Evaana.

"What moment? She almost got hurt. Don't romanticize an accident, you idiot girl," I interjected, rolling my eyes at her. She responded with an irritated expression.

"Seniors aren't allowed, and in student council positions, she has the higher position. She is the president," I clarified further.

"Oh, both the twins are truly incredible, and tall. Then who is he? Just a friend? Best friend? Classmate?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"He's my academic rival," Evaana replied softly, almost in a whisper. I noticed she might've got scared without the Bollywood inputs of this mountain girl, but then again Evaana isn't the type to get scared by death, let alone a small incident.

"Bro, academic rivals turning into lovers. Uff, that sounds so hot! I wish I had an academic rival," the mountain girl exclaimed, clasping her hands in excitement. I couldn't help but smile at her endearing gesture. When she's not busy arguing with me, she can be quite adorable.

"For that to happen, you'll need to become an academic achiever first, sillyhead,"Aakash marked his presence giggling at her. "Don't ruin my mood, bhai. Just go away," she retorted, advancing towards him and pushing him to leave.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Just make sure to come back with Dad and don't cause any more trouble," he jested, pinching her nose affectionately.

"Ugh, just go away already!" she exclaimed, swatting his hand away and returning to sit next to Evaana.

We settled around the campfire, preparing for the game. "So, which side will start?" Samrudh inquired.

"I don't mind being first," I volunteered, taking my place at the corner alongside Samrudh.

"Sure, go ahead," Samrudh offered, extending his hand. I carefully pulled out a block, revealing a dare written on it. "Show your sexiest crawl," I read aloud, and everyone shook their heads in amusement.

"Starting with a banger, aren't we?" I remarked with a smile, ready to demonstrate. However, in my excitement, I momentarily forgot about my broken and untreated ankle. As I attempted to perform the crawl, Aakib quickly came over to help me.

"Not us forgetting there's an injured person. Better luck next time, kiddo," Pratyusha teased, adopting the mountain girl's tone.

"Such a bummer. It would've been a privilege to see this bratty boy on his knees," the mountain girl lamented, clearly disappointed.

"Well, the night is still young. I could get a better dare. Also, I'll make sure you'll never witness me on my knees now that you've shown interest," I teased, taking a seat next to Evaana.

"Regret saving him for the 69th time today," she quipped, and Evaana couldn't contain her laughter.

"make a heart and take a selfie with a stranger," Pratyusha read her dare aloud. "Whoever came up with these is a menace to society," she remarked, setting the block down.

"You're the one who prepared it," Evyaan teased, handing her phone and accompanying her as she searched for a stranger. Fortunately, a manager passed by and agreed to help her. "Hurry up next," she urged, taking Samrudh's seat as he attempted his dare.

"What is your major turn-on and weird kink?" Samrudh read dryly. "Gosh! This is so fun, you all are lit," the mountain girl exclaimed with hearty eyes on Samrudh.

"Tone it down, your creepiness is showing," I said, feeling annoyed by her reaction.She just rolled her eyes before returning to the same.

"Well, intelligence turns me on real quick as I like to push buttons and reciprocate it, and I might have a praise kink," he said casually, as if it were a regular conversation, before returning to his seat.

"You made it sound boring," Pratyusha commented, and he simply apologized as Evaana stood up to do her part.

"I hope you pull the nastiest one," Pratyusha said, and everyone giggled except Evyaan and even Samayara. I think she's traumatized by this. I made a mental note to ask Evaana to check up on her and see if she was uncomfortable.

"If you had to give someone a BJ in this group, who would it be?" she blurted out, her nasty dare daring everyone's soul out of their body.

"What the hell is this? This is literally nasty, Pratyusha," Evyaan expressed his annoyance.

"Well, this was meant for boys. Now it's her fault for pulling out that block," Pratyusha retorted.

"Yeah, this is nasty. How can I pick someone to give a BJ, in our friends group? Or maybe can I?" Evaana responded with astonishment.

"Never mind, change it, Eve," Pratyusha said, sensing burning glares from the masculine creatures present. I always expected Samayara to be the naive one, but not this much. She drew all the attention towards her when she asked this.

"What's a BJ though?"

I always knew joining them would be a bad idea, that's why I came up with the excuse of needing to take a rest. I knew if Pratyusha and Evaana were arranging it, it would be nasty. And to add to my horror...

"What does BJ mean though?" Samayara asked again.

I jerked my head towards her in the hope she was joking, but she wasn't. She was genuinely confused. Our eyes met, and she nudged her head, asking me. I shouldn't reply, and I couldn't. Explaining what BJ meant, especially to the girl I liked, wasn't on my summer camp to-do list. I picked myself up immediately and sat next to Aakib, who looked as shocked as me.

"I knew this was terrible, that's why I tried my best to skip," he said, running his hand over his face.

"Yeah, same. Now who's going to explain?" I said, almost whining with embarrassment.

"BJ is oral pleasure, Samayara," Samrudh made it sound like a science lecture.

"Like what?" she asked, equally confused with this technical term.

"It means giving head, Samayara," Evaana said, cranking her eyes, followed by Samrudh, Kiaan, and Pratyusha.

She still looked confused but didn't ask again. Aadhisha read her expression and explained, "Samayara, you might have heard this somewhere, giving head, you know."

Confusion still hadn't left her face. Aadhisha sighed, smiling widely, and asked her, 

"samayara mai tumhe head du?"

"Samayara, can I give you head?"

She asked as everyone looked shocked and amused.

"Nahi, mere pass already hai"

"No, I already have it," Samayara retorted with annoyance in her tone. Goddamn it! She misunderstood it as brain.

The grumbles of our animalistic laughs could be heard from a mile away as everyone lost their composure, laughing. Aadhisha slipped down from her seat onto the floor laughing. Evaana almost knocked off the Jenga tower and came back hugging both Pratyusha and Aakib in their seats, her cheeks resting on Pratyusha's head. Kiaan threw his head back, laughing loudly, and Samrudh stood up, his back shaking from laughter.

"Guys, let's include her in every game," Evaana said, her voice almost cracking and dissolving in the loud atmosphere.

"I just saw a group of guys judging us hard, they might think we've lost it," Aakib said, covering his face.

"They're... they're not wrong," Kiaan added, unable to form a sentence without laughing.

"We have lost it," I said, my voice coming out sloppier than I expected. Everyone flashing their biggest smiles, forgetting about where and who they are, just living and enjoying the moment.

This moment looked like it would make it to our core memory.

"Samayara, I love you, and I love this," Aadhisha said, wiping her tears away, advancing towards Samayara.

"Giving head is," she said, and the rest of the sentence dissolved in the air as she whispered in her ear. Samayara covered her gasp with both hands, shook, and embarrassment visible in her eyes.

"What? I'm so sorry, y'all," she said, scoffing again as the second wave of laughter took over us, spilling all of us all over the place.

"This is what we call a fun night outdoors," Samrudh said, chugging down the water as we all cooled down now.

"Exactly, it's still so funny," Aakib said.

"Don't repeat it when we're swallowing," Evaana said, ignoring my glare. "Water," she said, and Pratyusha spilled it all over, choking and laughing. Kiaan immediately patted her back.

"I swear I was about to die laughing," Pratyusha said, making us all chuckle now.

"Guys, stop it, my stomach and jaw hurt so bad I don't even want to open my mouth," Aadhisha added, panting.

"That's exactly what she said," Evaana commented, making all of them slap her and laugh again.

"Guys, if this continues, I'm afraid we might have to stop the game," I announced seriously massaging my jaw to ease the pain caused by laughing so loudly.

"Yeah, let's get back to the game, and I'm sorry, y'all," Samayara said, half embarrassed, half laughing.

"Why would you say sorry for making a moment, Myra? I love you so much for this," Aadhisha said, wrapping her arms around her shoulder, and pulling her closer.

"Yeah, you made us laugh like this, little sunshine," Pratyusha said, cupping her cheeks, and making her wince in fun.

I stood there observing them, maybe wishing I could cup her cheeks like that too someday but shook of the thought when our eyes met. 'get a grip Evyaan'

We returned to our seats, half-insane, and played the game again.

"Alright, it's my turn, everyone!" Aadhisha exclaimed, smoothly pulling out the wooden block like a pro, impressing everyone with her skills.

"Post a story asking if anyone's up for sex," she read aloud, her face paling. "What? This is brutal," she remarked.

"Yeah, so am I," Evaana chimed in, peering over Aadhisha's shoulder to ensure she posts it publicly. "I'm going to get more than 1000 replies; my male mutuals are horny as hell," she stated, sighing. "Tell them it's a dare if they DM you," I suggested, and she nodded in agreement.

"Next up is Samayara," Aadhisha declared, reclaiming her initial seat as Kiaan urged Samayara to show something, but she resisted, leading to another round of bickering.

Samayara contemplated whether to do the dare or ask her friend on her right. "Myra, you only live once. Go for it!" Isha encouraged her amidst their bickering, followed by Kiaan's reassurance, "If it's too much, we can negotiate. We don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said, finally taking the phone from Aadhisha.

Samayara silently made her way to the Jenga tower and swiftly pulled out a block.

"Ask someone to open 5 buttons of their shirt," she read aloud, shocked and concerned. "Okay, very suitable and doable," Aadhisha said, reaching towards her. "You can just ask anyone, if you want, I can help you!" Isha offered passionately. "Please do," Samayara replied softly.

Ask anyone? Are they going to find people outside our group? My thoughts pressured my brain. Wait, yes, that's how it's supposed to be.

They asked a few guys, who rejected, not because I was glaring, but maybe because they weren't interested. I watched them ask some more guys, Samayara looking embarrassed and Aadhisha only asking guys with a build. I saw them pointing towards someone and moving towards him. 

There stood Rohan Hiranwar if I clearly remember, someone who won't hesitate to do it and even ask for her number in return, he's a popular playboy known for his loose-lipped tendencies. 

Samayara, not him, anyone but not him. I can't let them ask him. He's a trouble. I cursed under my breath before leaving my seat. I know the rat pack is going to tease me about it, but I was planning to tell them soon anyway.

I quickened my pace just as they were about to reach him, almost intervening when Rohan came within earshot. 

"So, when are you going to ask me?"

🔮

So this is the first 4.5k words chapter. the upcoming chapter will be the same. and please don't feel robbed of the updates. The promised updates will be posted without even a single chapter loss. I'm doing way better now and will post as soon as I finish editing the chapters.

Also thank you so much for all the recovery wishes. I'm happy and healthy now. I hope y'all will like the chapter. Please don't forget to vote and comment.

SKYLINE SERENADES Copyright ©2023 by ERIAWELSHORCHIDS. Plagiarism is illegal. Any copying or publishing without permission is prohibited. The book is based on the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual people or events is coincidental.