something just like this

13

As the sun left the horizon of earth that evening leaving behind a spectrum of colors which merged to welcome the starry night sky, Amit and Vidushi had stayed back near the lake. Vidushi sat with her legs crossed near the moonlit waters. Others were breathless after playing cricket and had left a few minutes ago. Amit and Vidushi had decided to stay back for a while and told them they would join them later on.

As the soft wind blowing spun its magic around vidushi's hair, she looked even more mesmerizing managing them. The silver glow of the moonlight adorned her hair. There was a breathless hush in the air as silence prevailed in the moonlit waters. The silence was broken, when vidushi heard a rustle in the bushes behind her. She turned her face and found Amit standing with his hands at the back. He held out his hand to help her stand. "Where have you..." vidushi began but soon he covered her mouth with his hand."Shhh..." he shushed her but she continued to object.

"But..."

"Shut up vidushi". This time she obeyed him and looked at him with her big brown eyes. Those eyes which sparkled with enthusiasm and their happiness meant the world to him.

"Now close your eyes". She was reluctant at first but then when he continued to stare at her she couldn't help but give in.

"Okay! Don't open them just yet", he said placing a tiara woven with ferns and jasmine over her head. After a while when he was done, she opened her eyes. She didn't say anything at first and just looked at the beautiful present which now graced her hands.

"Jasmine", she whispered. Her voice so soft as if it had flown away with the wind.

"The first time I saw you... you were a jasmine".

"You didn't have to do this you know?" she replied with a warm smile on her face. "It's so pretty".

"I am glad you liked it flower".

A few seconds later they sat on the grass, opposite to each other with their knees folded. A lot of things were going through Amit's mind. She and vidushi weren't actually a couple but somehow it had been the best relationship he had ever been in. He had thought about vidushi in a lot of ways. His best friend, someone he could always rely on, someone whom he could open up to, but never in this way. What if, she didn't feel the same way? If he started having feelings for her, it could ruin their friendship and he might lose her forever.

"What do you fear the most", vidushi suddenly asked him. He realized he had been silent ever since he gifted those flowers to her.

"Losing you", he replied without thinking. Although it was indeed true, he still had no idea why had he said that aloud. That wasn't something you say out loud, that's something you never say out loud. What the heck was he thinking? He tried to back trace his words but the sudden rustling in the grass behind her made him stop dead in his voice.

After looking closely he found a chameleon perking a few inches behind vidushi. Vidushi like all others who belong to the species named girls was deathly afraid of reptiles.

"Uh! Vidushi, there's a chameleon sitting right next to you, so don't freak out".

"You are kidding again, aren't you? Just like you were a while ago." she said turning her hand around and running her hand around the grass. Soon enough her hand touched the rough skin of the chameleon and a loud shout escaped her lips. Chameleon used to freak her out real bad. She jumped on to Amit's lap and hug onto him tightly.

"Amit please make it go away", she spoke in a hushed, scared tone. Amit just laughed harder in response. Then he whispered into her ear, "what if I don't make it go away?".

"I am not getting off of you "she replied now practically shouting.

I wish you would never, he thought to himself. Then after terrorizing her for a while, he pretended to throw a stone in the animal's direction. The chameleon had already run away but he was enjoying this moment with her.

"It's okay! You can let go off me now", he said taping on her shoulder. She had buried her head in the crook of his neck and had clung to him. She first looked around making sure then slid off him with a sense of urgency, suddenly aware of how close they had been. She settled down again, staring at the grass.

"You scared the poor thing, he almost died", Amit said laughing as the silence got too awkward for them.

"I scared him? He scared me so bad."

"Losing you as my friend, that's what scares me", he said lying down on the grass and then patting the spot beside him, gesturing for her to lie down.

"Don't worry banana boy, you will never lose me", she replied lying down next to him. "If I went away, who else would annoy you to death?"

"Yeah! You have a full time job doing that", he said looking at her. They both slept next to each other looking at the moon hidden beneath black clouds. It was a magical night as the moonlight brightened up the sky on a cloudy night.

"We can never be apart Amit and no matter where we will be we will always share the same moon", a smile tugged at her lips as these words escaped her mouth. None of them spoke anything as they searched the sky for constellations.

"So we achieved our goal huh?"Vidushi asked him in a hushed tone. She was scared of what came next.

"Yeah! They have started liking each other", he replied in a cheerful tone. He was really happy but soon the excitement which had filled his voice left just as soon as it had come. They had completed their goal, the reason they were together was achieved but it meant it was time for them to part ways. Why was he sad? He shouldn't be. He got what he wanted why wasn't then he really happy. Vidushi was never his girl to begin with, he had known this all along but then why was he feeling this way.

"So we can go back to being normal now", vidushi asked in a hushed tone. So this was the day wasn't it? The day she had to wake up from this beautiful dream. She was sad, but she tried her best to hide it. She had to. What if she tells Amit how much she really wants to be his girl and he refuses. It could be the end of their friendship. She would rather not reveal her heart and be his friend forever, then to let him know and risk losing him forever.

"yeah i guess we can".That was the last thing that they spoke to each other that day.

Amit fought hard for sleep but it seemed it had gone away with vidushi. So in the end he plugged in his headphones and fall asleep listening to a song -change my mind- on loop.

The end of the night
We should say goodbye
But we carry on
While everyone's gone

Never felt like this before
Are we friends or are we more
As I'm walking towards the door
I'm not sure

But baby if you say you want me to stay
I'll change my mind
'Cause I don't wanna know I'm walking away
If you'll be mine
Won't go, won't go
So baby if you say you want me to stay
Stay for the night
I'll change my mind