Alia arrived at Sofitel early morning 9:30, which apparently isn't early morning but for her it was, she has been awake since morning and was kind of exhausted now. She went to the receptionist and showed them her ID.

"5th floor, 2nd room on the left.", She explained to her and alia mumbled a thankyou before walking away, with her luggage, she had two bags and considering her sleepy state it was difficult for her to carry, there were not a lot of staffs available on the ground floor, she walked to the elevator and pressed the button keeping a hand on her face, caressing her forehead. She didn't even realise when the elevator opened.

"Excuse me?", A male voice brought her out of her sleepy state and she looked up with surprised expressions, immediately recognising who that person was.

"Sorry, it's just, i...i... Umm nevermind.", She said and moved aside to let her go, she wasn't the one to feel shy or awkward but considering the fact that she was really sleepy and as she assumed looked like shit, she didn't want to face him.

"Do you need help with that?", He asked her pointing to her luggage.

"No.. no... I'll manage.", She said, managing to put a smile on her face.

"Wait, it's no big problem, let me help you.", He insisted and stepped back in the elevator, taking a hold of her suitcase in one hand and other bag in another

"It's fine, you don't have to...", She was saying but that person cut her off mid sentence.

"Relax. It's not something really great that I'm doing, itna to as a human I'm obliged to do for another human.", He said genuinely with a smile, and she gave him back another genuine smile.

"By the way, I'm Shreyas.", He said, introducing himself to the beautiful stranger on the lift.

"Alia. And ya, I know who you are. I'm from India.", She said and Shreyas's smile grew wider.

"Oh that's great.", He said, and the elevator door opened. He carried her stuff to her room.

"Thanks Shreyas.", Alia turned to him with a sweet smile.

"Anytime. You'll be staying here only?", Shreyas asked her.

"For now. Yes. I'll see you again hopefully.", She said.

"Yes. Hopefully.", Shreyas said.

"Bye. Have a good day. And thankyou again.", Alia said and shreyas waved at her before leaving and alia closed the door, flopping down on the bed.

Time skip:
Rishab's POV:

Me, prithvi and Shreyas were playing COD in the lobby of the hotel, since only a few people were there apart from us and we kind of had the whole Sofitel to themselves.

"Shrey tu itna kharab kabse khelne laga.", I said, a little surprised as we is a pro COD player.

"I'm saving my energy for the field.", Shreyas said and earned awful glances from both Prithvi and me.

But suddenly my eyes fell on a girl, who I thought looked very familiar. I woke up from my seat and started walking towards her.

"Kya hua? Bhabhi aayi hai kya?", Prithvi asked.

"Nahi nahi.", I said and kept walking without realising that both idiots have followed me.

"Alia?", I said walking up to that girl, she turned to face me.

"Hello Jiju!", She said with a huge smile on her face and I just stood there shocked.

"Tum? Yahan?", I asked her and she laughed seeing my reaction.

"Aapko Mahira ne kuch nahi bataya?", She asked me and I just shook my head.
"Bhul gayi hogi shayad. Maine use kal raat me hi bataya. Actually office ke kaam se aayi hoon yahan.", She said and I nodded.

"Oh great. Achha laga tumhe itne dinon baad milkar.", I said and she smiled.

"Tum dono jante ho ek dusre ko?", Shreyas who was standing there all the while asked.

"Han she is Mahira's cousin.", I introduced them to each other.

"Actually he met me earlier this morning when I was half asleep, and helped me with my luggage.", Alia explained.

"Oh okay okay. Good job shreyas iyer.", I said and he smiled. Is that a smile or a blush?

"Yeah. Thankyou so much again.", Alia said to him.

"Nevermind.", Shrey shook his head.

"Oh waise I was just leaving to meet Mahira, she texted me earlier saying she shifted to Th8 Palm, you guys wanna come?.", Alia said and excused herself.

"Depends on if you want us to join.", I said, don't wanna interrupt their girls time.

"Oh no, we are just going to Old Dubai for shopping, infact a lot of people are going not just me and mahira.", She said.

"Chalna hai?", I turned to prithvi and shreyas, and both of them nodded as if they were waiting for me to ask them.

"See, I've booked a cab already. Must be coming.", Alia said and we all walked out of Sofitel.

Alia sat in the passenger seat and we three huddled inside on the back seat.
"Waise alia how long will you be staying?", I asked her.

"I don't know jiju, kaam to ek week ka hai, uske baad I'm extending my stay to explore Dubai.", She said.

"Hmm, Mahira bhi hai, she can show you around.", I said, obviously Mahira ranted to me about dubai, before she came here.

"She has been to all the major attractions jiju, if I'll call her wo mujhe udhar lekar jayegi where she hasn't been to. Aur mujhe kuch major attractions bhi dekhne hai. To I can't call her for every place. Old dubai jane ke liye wo bohot mushkil se maani you know. Use shopping ke liye global village jaana tha.", Alia told me, typical Mahira.

"To you can also go alone, like she did.", I said.

"Yes but she enjoys travelling alone, me on the other hand, I want someone with me to keep my company, and also to click pictures of me, unlike her I don't carry my tripod everywhere.", She said making the three of us laugh.

"No worries, you'll make a lot of friends amongst us. Koi na koi happily volunteer karega tumhe join karne ke liye.", Prithvi said.

"Main bhi wohi hope kar rahi hoon.", She said turning back to look at us three with a smile.

After a 20 minute ride we reached to a harbour kinda place.

"We'll be taking a boat to old dubai.", Alia said as she noticed our surprised expressions.

"And let me guess, this was your sister's plan.", I said and Alia chuckled, I take that as a yes.

She called mahira and they spoke some gibberish which I didn't quite hear. Alia directed us to the group, where everyone else was.

"Hello rishab.", Mahira came to me as soon as she saw me and engulfed me in a tight hug, I hugged her back too.

"Good morning", i said with a huge smile on my face.

"It's close to afternoon now.", She said with a chuckle and backed off, deepak, jaya, Rutu and Sam were there too. It's gonna be a fun day.

"Guys meet my sister, her name is Alia.", Mahira introuduced alia to the group and they all greeted her with a smile.

"Rishab pata hai isne pehli baar kuch achha kiya hai.", Deepak said to me.

"Kya?", Mahira asked him with raised eyebrows.

"Ye saari planning.", Deepak said and she just rolled her eyes at him.

Mahira's POV:

Our boat arrived and we all sat down in it, to cross the small river to go to Old Dubai. The sun was shining bright and knowing that it would I had told everyone to apply sunscreen. But rishab, since I didn't knew he was coming, hadn't applied and he was hiding his face under his palms.

"Rish. Ye lo", I turned to him and took off my scarf for him to cover his face with it.

"Nahi it's okay!", He said not looking up

"Arey baba, main sunscreen me naha kar aayi hoon.", I had to say that, which was true otherwise rishab wouldn't take it.

"Tumne mujhe pehle kyu nahi bataya itti garmi hogi?", He asked me.

"Sorry rishu. Mujhe nahi pata tha tum aa rahe ho.", I said. Only after they were in the cab, alia texted me.

"Waise mahira, tumne abhi tak mujhe apni love story nahi sunayi.", Rutu said.

"Don't worry, main sunaunga.", Rishab said and I nodded.

"Abhi ja rahe ho na ghumne, suna dena.", Shreyas said

"Shreyas why are you so unbelievably quiet?", Sam asked him.

"Yes exactly that's what even I wanted to ask.", I agreed with him.

"Because I have nothing to say.", He said very nicely, but he never has anything to say and yet speaks rubbish. A good kind of rubbish though, not deepak kind of rubbish.

"Guys just keep one thing in mind, that I only have three hours, because then I have to come back, take my stuff, and head to Sheikh Zayed Stadium for today's match.", I told them otherwise knowing a few people can shop for days at stretch.

"But how am I gonna shop in just three hours mahira?", Alia said to me.

"That's for you to figure out.", I said to her.

We reached our destination, and headed to the old dubai market, it had a lot of alleys and we all scattered to different alleys to look for things we came here for. I was looking for some unique spices to take to India as last time I was here I purchased so many of them, used them for cooking and they turned out to be delicious.

As I was walking through an alley I suddenly felt someone wrap and arm around my shoulder.

"God. You scared me.", I said turning to that person, it was Shreyas.

"Sorry mahira. Sunna tujhse bohot zyada important baat karni hai.", He said with very serious expressions, that's the most serious I've seen him being in months.

"Haan bol na.", I said turning to him with all attention, sensing something really important.

"Maine teri itni help ki hai na?", He asked me with innocent expressions.

"Rishab ki. But it lead to the same thing so yes. Kya hua?", I asked him.

"Ek chhota, nahi nahi thora bada favour mangra hoon main.", He said. Ofc I won't deny him.

"Han shrey batao to.", I said to him and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Actually, wo..umm....is your sister single?", He asked me and I burst out laughing.

"Ye puchna tha?", I asked him in between waves of laughter and he just nodded with an innocent smile.

"Yes she is single.", I said.

"Mere koi chances lagte hai tujhe?", He asked me.

"You've just met her shreyas.", I said.

"I know but tumne kaha tha na ki mujhe koi pasand aaye to you'll help me.", He said with puppy dog eyes.

"Yes I will. But first, I'll recommend you to talk and spend some time with her. It doesn't work one way only. And you're just saying because she looks pretty, get to know her, see if you like her personality or not, then we'll see what happens.", I told him what I genuinely felt without sugarcoating anything.

"You're right.", Shreyas agreed with me.

"And iske liye abhi main teri help kar sakti hoon. Knowing my sister iski shopping kabhi khatam nahi hogi jaldi, to we'll all leave aur tum ruk jana. Fir later on come back with her. How is my idea?", I said and his eyes brightened.

"I love it. You're the best mahira.", He said and engulfed me in a bone crushing hug which made me laugh.

"I said I'll help you.", I said and he looked at me with a wide smile.

"Here you are!", Rishab's voice made us both look at him, he gave us a weird look.

"What are you two doing?", He said, walking towards us with a weird face

"Wo..umm..", shrey was hesitating a bit.

"Bro sis talks.", I said.

"Yes.", Shreyas agreed.

"Waise bye guys, I won't third wheel.", Shreyas said and jumped away from us, leaving a laughing me behind with rishab, who was making strange faces.

"Kya bol raha tha wo?", Rishab asked me.

"Nothing so serious baba.", I assured him taking a hold of his hands.

"Okay, so my bestfriend and my girlfriend are plotting against me now.", Rishab said with a frown.

"Pagal. We aren't plotting against you, it's something else, you'll know don't worry.", I said wrapping my arms around his neck and giving a kiss on his cheek. Itna easy hai ise manana

"Okay, waise I got something for you. For us, to be precise.", Said rishab holding a carry bag infront of me.

"Oh what is it?", I said, I love surprises.

"Khud hi dekh lo.", He said and gave the bag to me, i opened it, it was a glass bottle with
Rishab 🤍 Mahira written on it.

Just replace the goels with their names😂❤️

"Wow. This is so cute.", I said, admiring the piece of art infront of me

"Whenever we'll have a house together, hum wahan rakhenge ise. Till then, you keep it with you.", He said very cutely.

"Hmm nice idea. So heartfelt it is rishu. Mujhe aise hi gifts pasand hai.", I said looking up at him and he kissed my forehead.

"Waise what were you shopping?", He asked me.

"Oh just some spices that I don't get in India.", I told him.

"Matlab I'll get even more delicious food back in India now.", He said making me laugh.

"Hopefully.", I said.

And just like that we didn't even realise when three hours ended and it was time for me to go back to our hotel. As planned.

"Par I have more to shop bro.", Alia whined when I said we are leaving

"You can stay back if you want.", I said.

"Akele?", She said.

"Actually mujhe bhi jacket leni hai, to I'll also wait.", Shreyas said and I winked at him.

"Han thik hai fir he is here, baki hum sab chalte hai.", I said.

"Theek hai jao.", Alia said and we went to our boat which was supposed to take us back.

"Mahira?", Deepak asked me.

"Yes."

"Mat jao naa, we'll watch the match together.", Deepak said makinh everyone laugh.

"In that way he won't have anyone to make fun of.", Rutu said.

"Yeah!", Deepak agreed.

"Shut up and say you enjoy my company deepak. But anyways, I'll have to go. Maybe some day I'll stay back, but not today.", I explained him.

"Aise bhi ise man hai jaane ka.", Rishab said.

"Yes obviously, Vee bhai ki team k match hai main jaungi na. Also I wanna meet ABD properly, last time nahi mil paayi thi.", I explained them.

"Against KKR, right?", Sam asked.

"Yes.",

"We'll watch it from hotel, it's gonna be fun.", He said.

"Well enjoy, I'll come back late.", I said, we reached back to Dubai.

"Listen, wapas aake dinner zarur karna.", Rishab said to me before sitting in the car

"Nahi karegi to main mahi bhai ko bata dunga.", Rutu said.

"Rutu, tumne bhi deepak ki team join kar li."

"To thik to keh raha hai, main bhi wahi karunga ab.", Rishab said.

"Main kha lungi baba, don't worry.", I said to rishab before saying goodbye and heading back to our hotel, still have a lot of work to do.

Good evening everyone, so umm I know this was very boring, forgive me please. This was just kind of a filler chapter since I had to make the necessary inclusion, so you all must have understood why I made Alia come here, so tell me now, who should I cast as Alia since now y'all know the motive of her inclusion at this point, so drop your valuable opinions and let me know who you would like to see as Alia. XOXO.

Drop your reviews ❤️.