OH OVERWHELMING LOVE!

✨CHAPTER 40✨

Moon or the stars?
- Your smile!

Shubhita was walking down the school corridor, her mind already on the next lecture she was about to deliver to Class X, when her phone buzzed. She fished it out of her purse, expecting it to be a message from another teacher. Instead, she saw Vatsal's name.

Submit your leave application to the principal till Wednesday. Don't complain later that I didn’t remind you.

She stopped in her tracks, nearly colliding with a student. Before she could type a response, another message appeared.

Is staying back for extra classes that important? Even today?

She shook her head as she read the messages again. What was he being so excited? Her mind wandered to the conversation she had with him in the morning.

"But... but what about work, Vatsal? The expenses? You said—"

He stepped closer, cutting off her protests with a gentle look. "I worked some extra hours, wrapped up the urgent projects. And..." he hesitated, then continued with a sheepish smile, "I had some savings. Besides, sometimes you need to take a break to work better, right?"

The day passed in a blur of anticipation. When she finally reached home, she found Vatsal already there, loading their suitcases into Ojas' car. Leher was sitting in the backseat, her face glowing with excitement.

"Finally, it’s happening!" Leher called out, waving enthusiastically. "We're going!"

Ojas leaned out of the driver's seat with a grin. "Better hurry up and change, Shubhita. We've got a long drive ahead!"

Twenty minutes later, they were on the highway, the city lights fading behind them. Ojas was behind the wheel, with Vatsal riding shotgun, while Shubhita and Leher occupied the backseat. The car stereo played old Hindi songs, their melodies mixing with the cool evening breeze flowing through the windows.

"So," Leher nudged Shubhita playfully, "surprised?"

Shubhita couldn't stop smiling. "I can't believe you guys planned all this in such a jiffy."

"Oh, you should have seen your dear hubby coordinating with Ojas," Leher giggled. "Never seen him so secretive before."

From the front seat, Vatsal groaned. "Can we not?"

"No, no, please continue," Ojas chimed in, grinning. "Tell her about how he kept on checking the weather forecast and the clock every 15 minutes until she wasn’t back."

The teasing continued as they drove through the night.

Every few hours, Vatsal and Ojas would switch places, their easy friendship evident in their comfortable banter.

Ojas plugged in his carefully curated playlist, and the first notes of "Pehla Nasha" from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar  movie filled the car. His fingers immediately started drumming on the steering wheel, while Leher's face lit up with recognition.

"Oh my god, turn it up!" she exclaimed. "This was our college favorite!"

Shubhita caught Vatsal smiling in the passenger seat, probably remembering those same days where this song had played. The three of the friends’ eyes met briefly, holding a moment of shared memory.

"Speaking of favorites," Ojas grinned, "remember how you guys were obsessed with 'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi' back then.”

"As if you were not?" Vatsal groaned, but his eyes were twinkling.

The playlist moved to "Tere Bina" from Guru, and Leher started singing along, her voice surprisingly good. She nudged Shubhita. "Come on, Mrs Kashyap! Show us what you've got!"