something just like this

11

After a huge tussle with the tents , they were finally able to fix up all the tents. It was quite tedious but they managed it. They all crashed down for some breath.
Aarya thought this Trip was going to be fun but so far it had been a lot of work.

"So we got the tents arranged and now we just need to collect wood for campfire", vidushi said checking up on everything. She was the kind of person who was always organized and had everything planned out.
"So who's going?",she asked scanning her options. Ved and sunaina had already left a while ago to take a walk through the forest.
She was considering who should go when Amit suddenly got up and went over to her.
"Hey vidushi, I got to show you something".
"But I have got to get the wood arranged for our campfire".
"Oh! Come on. Dev and aarya will do it", he said pulling vidushi's hand.
"But".
"Shut up, flower".
And just like that they were gone , so it was just dev and aarya left.
"I guess it's just us two left, come on", Aarya said getting up.
Dev had no choice but to follow her. He could not let her walk all alone in there, besides it would be hard finding wood. Everything must be wet because of the rain last night.
He jogged up behind her to catch up.

"So you are always this rude with everyone, or you just hate me?", Aarya asked him as they roamed around a forest.
"I don't hate you I just find you irritating and I don't talk to a lot of people", he replied after giving it a thought.
" I am a bit perky, I can't stop talking",she said admitting.

"I could tell that by the way you completely space invaded me on the first day we met".
"Why do I even pay you so much attention",she said twirling on her right foot and walking backwards so now that they faced each other.

"I don't know, if I knew I'd stop", he replied nonchalantly. He was looking straight at her when he noticed a stone in their path.
"Aarya watch out...",he shouted but it was already too late. She tripped right into it and twisted her ankle.
She felt intense pain running through her ankle as blood oozed out from a cut.

Aarya sat their looking at her wound as dev rushed up to her side. He held her ankle, as he examined it while she just looked at him unabashed.
"Are you out of your mind", he asked her in a Stern voice.
"It's not much ",she replied.
She tried getting up but the pain was unbearable.

"Look at yourself, you can't even stand and you got yourself cut. How more of a klutz can you be?", He said scolding her but concern clearly showing in his voice. He took out his handkerchief and started tying it around her wound.

"I don't need your help".
"Can you shut up for once in your life. The rain is going to start soon and our camp is like a twenty minutes walk from here", he said finishing tying the handkerchief around her wound.

He was being his usual jerky and asshole self but somehow it didn't sound so rude to her this time.
When he was finished , Aarya tried getting up. with some difficulty she was able to but she wasn't sure if she could walk that much, she didn't say anything though.

Dev held out his hand for her to lean on as they started walking.
Usually a beautiful forest would be enough to get her mind off anything but not today. Why did dev sound so hurt when the person who felt the pain was her. He never showed the slightest of interest in her. He thought she was irritating but then why was he so concerned whatever the hell happened to her.
"Why were you so concerned about me back there", Aarya finally asked not being able to take it anymore."you don't consider me a friend. If anything you hate me, then why did it kill you when it hurt me?".

"I don't care about you, if that's what you are thinking. I just didn't wanted to ruin our camping trip",he replied not looking at her.
Right! Who was he kidding. He might have played cool in front of her at that moment but it really panicked him. As if someone important to him got hurt. Aarya isn't important to her, is she? She's a total brat and so perky but then why did he care so much about her. Why did he thought about her all the damn time.

Both of them just stopped looking at each other. Trying to figure each other out. No one moved as the blowing of the wind was the only sound heard. Soon it started to rain And the spell which held them together broke. They decided to take a shelter under a tree.
They both settled down beside each other as their knees touched and water dripped from their hair.

Aarya and dev sat their silently listening to the rain drops hitting the earth. Aarya thought about saying something but decided against it. She didn't wanted him to start again. So they just sat their without speaking anything as silence prevailed.
"I am sorry", dev said after a while.
Aarya looked up at him. "I have been a jerk and I am sorry about that".
She just nodded. This has gotten her by surprise. Was Mr saddypants actually apologizing to her?

"It's okay dev",she finally replied. Not Knowing what else to say.

"It's so beautiful", she said after looking at the forest that laid in front of them as rain poured down hard.
"It's covered with mud all over it , with a depressing atmosphere", he replied not agreeing with her.

"When you look at it that way. Yeah! But everything is beautiful in this world. It's just a matter of perception. You think it's not. I think it is but you are forgetting we are looking at the same thing just with different angles".

Dev turned his face towards her. Looking at her. The way water dripped from her hair onto her cheeks . Her eyes so eager and sparkling , always noticing what's beautiful rather than what's not.
"Annie?"
Aarya so startled by that name, turned her face towards him. Their nose almost touching but not quite yet. She could feel his deep breaths on her flushed face.

"You are Annie , aren't you? The girl who's been talking to captnjacksparrow ", he said looking her in the eyes completely unabashed of her rising heartbeat.
She just nodded at first."Jack", she then whispered it so soft, it was almost impossible to hear.
"How could you tell?".

"Annie, she always sees beauty in everything. She's willing to overlook all the flaws and just embrace a person's goodness and encourage them. And this would be the first time I guess we ever talked and I could tell I was talking to that beautiful girl".

None of them spoke anything for a moment as they both sat motionless. They weren't talking but the silence became their messenger for those unspoken words. It seemed all so magical as they shared this exquisite feeling which didn't required any words for them to be expressed.

Soon the rain stopped and Dev got up from his spot.
"I think we should get going", he said while helping Aarya to stand.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Aarya limping on her foot ,while dev holding her hand for her to lean on. The pain was killing her but she couldn't act that weak in front of him, could she? Earlier she didn't give a shit about what he thought of her but All of a sudden it was
important what he thought of her.

"I think things are going to be different between us from now on", she said after a while.
Dev looked at her. His eyes lingering on her face. Then he placed his one hand around her waist and swept her off of her feet.
"They sure are", he replied.

As the sun bade farewell to earth, leaving a sky full of vibrant colours. It was only the beginning of a new friendship which blossoms into the greatest version of itself.