With a large grin playing on my lips, I swung around. Suspecting every angle and sighing in annoyance. The dress wasn't fitting me well! I wasn't fond of dressing up. I never took extra afford to look stunning. Yet I never appreciated looking like a zombie and every eye landing on me, their mocking eyes insulting me.

I huffed! I was correct. No dress could fit me. Why was I so slim? Yelling in frustration, I glared at my figure in the mirror. It was a dress, reaching below my knee. The cloth was sleeveless, neck seemed deep. But it was getting loose near my breast. Whose cloth was it? Maybe one of his friends... I shook my head, he had numerous amount of friends as well as girlfriends. And why was it bothering me? It wasn't like I didn't know it before I decided to get connected with him.

"Ru!" a yell came from downstairs. Wait! What? "We are ending up late! Come on!" It was Samaira. I shook my head, sparing a last glance before leaving the room.

Shit! I regraded the minute I stepped out of the room. The darkness surrounding me wasn't pleasing! It could flash all the dangerous movies or shows seen back in the mind. Ruhi! Calm down! I kept murmuring to myself but it didn't feel any better. I needed to distract my mind. I took small steps forward. Slowly the conversation happening downstairs fell on my ears.

"Why?" I heard an annoying voice.

"Isn't it obvious?" I heard an Ehaan's frustrated voice. "None want's me in the team." His voice was plain.

"Miss Veronica isn't hosting the tournament, you shouldn't be bothered..." Anuj was trying to convince him, urge him for the match. Wasn't he planning to play? I thought he wasn't provided with the opportunity but seemed like, he was rejecting it. This attitude wasn't going to help him in any manner. I shook my head, wanting to listen more. Slowly descending the stairs.

"Bro, it could end up into an opportunity to get back into the team." Varun provided me with further information. "Coach will be present. he will get to know what's your importance to the team. Moreover! Rudr won't be present to complicate the situation. He won't be able to manipulate people against you." I frowned, what did he mean? Did Rudr have any hands in knocking Ehaan out of the football team? Maybe as he was chosen the next captain.

"Rudr isn't going to play?" Ehaan asked, suddenly getting curious. His action shouted that it was unlikely of Rudr to skip the match.

"Yes! He is busy," Anuj rolled his eyes. "So, I am chosen as captain." Ehaan provided a slight nod, his brows frowned. He was lost in thoughts suddenly he spoke with a moment of silence.

"What about Aarav? Isn't he coming?" He interrogated, Anuj shrugged his shoulder. His eyes wandered around and later spread into a sad smile.

"You know... He isn't in a condition." Ehaan nodded in understanding. "Zara's aloofness isn't fitting well with him." He voiced and I was astonished by the new piece of information. I had a doubt about Zara cutting off from her friend but getting confirmed made me sad. I stared at the boys keenly, they were hurt within though opted not to showcase it openly. What could be the cause of the trouble? Was it the video?

"Ruhi!" I heard a sign as I found Samaira standing on the stairs, hugging me from behind. "Man! What kind of horror mansion is this?" She was shivering while her eyes were staring up in a nervous stare. "Man! For once I felt I was living one of the horror movies..." I couldn't help from the giggle escaping from my throat.

"How dare you walked upstairs?" A loud growl echoed around the living room. The shiver ran down my spine, Samaira hiding more behind me. The cold arms nuzzled into me more. She was shaken by the previous scenario but Ehaan's loud growl made it worse.

"Ehaan... she didn't know..." Varun was trying to defend Samaira but his eyes were trained on us. Or maybe trained on Samaira who was hiding behind me. Ehaan took a determined step towards us, Varun was attempting to halt him on the way. "Ehaan, try to listen. She is unknown to the fact that you don't like anyone walking upstairs..." Varun was pleading with him, panic taking control over him. He was afraid of all the things he could punish Samaira with. I knew he could be so cruel-hearted at times!

"So?" His eyes for a second darting from us to Varun. "You should have known it better!" His face grew stern, not an emotion passing his spirit. He seemed cold. Not the Ehaan I was aware of. My breath hitched as his cold stare still stared at the person hiding behind me.

"Ehaan, it isn't..." Anuj was going to voice out but Ehaan interrupted him in mid.

"Anuj! Speak only if you think it would calm me. I can't deal with further triggers," with those words he paced towards me. Ending up, standing just next to me. His eyes not for once sparing me a glance as if I was invisible. Glancing behind my shoulder, his orbs darkening in the dim light surrounding us. "How did you fucking dare..." I heard a growl escaping from his chest. A sob escaped from the person behind me. Definitely, Ehaan was scaring her beyond imaginable.

I wanted to yell at Ehaan, grab Samaira in my arms. Shove some senses in his brain. It wasn't like she had committed any crime. She might have come in my search. If he cared so much for his privacy? Why did he bring me to his mansion? And now showering his anger on my best friend. But something inside me conveyed to not lash out. To calm down! I kept staring at his brown orbs, the one had only blankness. Though I was staring his eyes hadn't moved from Samaira.

My hands reached out for him, touching his broad chest. Caressing the soft fabric, it had brushed in the same manner when he had grabbed me tight as he pulled me into a kiss. My eyes moved from my hand on his chest to the brown orbs that could hold me captive for hours. His orbs staring into mine. Those fierce stares stunned me. I wanted to back off, his brown orbs warning me. I denied, shaking my head. "No..." His eyes darken, his orbs glaring at me as he clenched his jaw.

"Don't get in between..." He was going to utter, my eyes pleading with him. He groaned, closing his eyes in defeat. "Fuck!" Giving an exasperated, loud groan. I got taken aback, sliding my hands from his chest. He jerked open his eyes, searching for something in my orbs. "Tell her never to repeat this mistake." His eyes not brushing off from mine, the blankness covering his orbs before he walked out of the living room. Leaving us startled, what just happened?

Anuj was the first to recover from the shock that we were gifted with. "I can't believe my eyes!" He exclaimed, baffled to the core. "He walked off! Just like that!" He paused for a second. "Never had he forgiven anyone before..." 

"Oh my! Thank God," without wasting a second Varun rushed towards Samaira pulling her into a hug. I kept staring in the direction, Ehaan left. Leaving a hole inside my heart as if I could sense his fear, pain, helplessness behind those furious stare, roaring voices.

___

The entire journey towards the stadium was filled with silence. None initiating the conversation. I kept sparing a glance at each. Samaira had lost the usual glow, the overenthusiastic spirit. She was so excited about the match a few minutes back. I had never seen her so excited about a football match. Heck! She never watched it before Varun joined our school team.

Her feeling for Varun had forced her to go out of her way at the various events in her life. And I was glad that though late but Varun acknowledged her affords to be with him. I moved my eyes away from those who were sitting on the backside of the jeep along with me.

"So?" Anuj initiated a conversation.

There was no response from Ehaan, Anuj shake his head in displeasure. "Ehaan! You're going to play along with us, right?" He urged him, "we don't have Aarav or Rudr..." He muttered under his breath.

"I don't want to be a replacement of anyone, that title suits Rudr, not me." Came his most awaited reply, I shook my head. Why does he have to act so arrogant? I wasn't aware of how his friend dealt with him. He at times could be so annoying! None voiced out anything after it.

As the jeep was parked in the venue where the match was going to happen. It wasn't in our school stadium, maybe because our school wasn't hosting it. It was rather an unofficial match taking place between two rival schools. The playground seemed filled with students.

"Seems like the crowd is excited!" Samaira voiced out as we got down the jeep. I nodded in agreement. She still wasn't in the mood.

"Samy, I... I wasn't able to help you earlier." I apologised to her, "I know you might have climbed the stairs for me... I am..." The guilt was ridding me up. I felt bad as she was treated so harshly and me being allowed to move freely wasn't making me feel any better.

"It wasn't your fault," she blinked at me, assuring me she was fine. "I was taken aback by his loud behaviour. I hadn't anticipated anything like such..." she shook her head, pressing a smile. "I don't have any issue with him either maybe that place is sacred to him. Maybe those place hold some memories that he fears losing... we are so hidden from his life. And like you say, who are we to judge?" I couldn't hide my smile. She was behaving so mature. I was proud of my friend.

"Exactly!" Pulling her into a hug. "Thanks for understanding him..." I blurted out without giving it a thought. It meant a world to me that Samaira was trying to get along with Varun's friends, especially Ehaan. Though initially, her hate towards Ehaan was a result of his harsh behaviour towards me latterly it had changed and Samaira was unknown to the blossoming bond between us.

She pulled herself from the hug, staring at me suspiciously. "What is it, Ru?" She interrogated, "is there something... I need to know?" She questioned further, her intense gaze not allowing me to breathe. I wasn't prepared to answer her. I wasn't aware of how to answer her. What was I hiding from her? What was between Ehaan and me? What would I label it as?

"Nothing that you need to know at the moment." Anuj grabbed my arms in his. "I was correct! You're a dumb little creature," he shook his head, dragging me further away from Samaira.

"Hey! What the hell!" Yelled Samaira, grabbing another of my arm. I was swinging from one direction to the other due to the pull. "Don't steal my friend from me." Her eyes shooting daggers at him. Her insecurity and possessiveness echoed from her every move. "And I am not dumb but smarter than you could ever be." She pressed her lip tight, in annoyance.

"We know it well. Who is smart and who is not?" My ears were bursting from their loud shout. My limbs were on the verge of detaching from my body.

My eyes wandered around, people glancing at us in horror. As they could glimpse two kids arguing for their favourite candy. "Stop!" We heard an annoyed groan, causing both the mad kid to halt in their battle. "Anuj! Had you fucking lost your senses?" Ehaan was shooting daggers at Anuj, causing his grip to loosen from my arms. "You fucking stay away from that kid." He pointed at Samaira, shaking his head. I frowned I wasn't appreciating his behaviour towards my best friend.

He took step towards me, unknowingly Samaira pulled her hand away as well. His eyes planted on me before it darted to Samaira. Those piercing orbs made her gulp. It was going to further complicate their bond. "Stay away!" He muttered, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting there as he slightly push me forward.

"You are none to order her around!" I yelled at him, his furious orbs staring straight into mine. I looked away, exhilarating my pace to run away from him. He had been testing my patience from the morning, bothering me in every given situation. I wanted to calm my senses but his arrogant behaviour was complicating it further. I made my way among the crowd. Pushing and pulling somehow I could no longer sense his presence behind me. As no longer people around were staring at us in surprise. He could attract attention wherever he went!

As I stepped inside the passing guard, the stadium was filled with thousands of people. It didn't feel like the game was organised just for fun.  I had highly underestimated the craze people had for football or towards the two rivalry gang. It seemed much bigger than India v\s Pakistan craze.

Though I had entered the stadium in pure rage suddenly I became conscious of my surrounding. I felt lost in such a huge crowd. How was I going to connect with my friends? I didn't have a cell along with me as Ehaan had forgotten to grab it along with him while carrying me in his mansion. What the hell was I supposed to do? I held my head in frustration. There was no chance that I could find anyone's glimpse in the loaded stadium.

I scanned my eyes around, trying to find someone familiar but none could be seen. Man! Why don't I just grab a seat and enjoy the practice session going on? It wasn't like the match was going to start any sooner. But I was concerned for my overprotective friend. They had busted into my house on the previous day as I wasn't receiving any messages.

But someone suddenly pulled me my elbow, before I could yell. I was pushed into something hard, but why does it feel familiar. The smell engulfing me felt home. "I am fucking going to kill you..." He muttered into my ears, that deep voice enough to let a shiver run down my spine. "I was so worried when you simply got disappeared before my eyes. Stop pulling up stunts Ruhi..." he choked, my breath stopped. My eyes widen, I wasn't able to believe my ears. He had said my name! Ruhi... It seemed so alien from his those deep, gruff voice. He never liked my name, it triggered him. It wasn't less than a miracle that he was calling me by my name.

My heart was fluttering with some unknown feeling. It wasn't attraction something different, more strong, more dangerous. He was least bothered what his mere murmur had done to me. Further nuzzling into my neck, as his nose touched the bare skin. Some unknown feeling passed into my stomach. What was happening? Why was my body behaving so weird?

"Don't you fucking dare to disappear..." He was sounding afraid, his state was making me suspicious. He wasn't a guy so weak! His state before me was indicating there was something hidden. Something I had no clue of!

"I won't..." I whispered, hesitating to caress his back. Wanting to calm him down. "I am fine, stop stressing yourself," I muttered, slowly his grip from me loosen. He pulled himself from me, unknowingly I craved for the warmth he provided. His eyes not planning to glance at me.

He grabbed my hand pulling me in a direction. I could feel the silence around us, people attention fixed on us. As they had seen Ehaan Kashyap hugging me, damn! It's going to be the talk of the town! I wasn't planning another encounter with Mia. Oh! Mia! They both were in a relationship. Was I unintentionally breaking what they had built together? 

Wait! Ehaan had no feeling towards Mia? But was it the same for Mia? But I really felt they were in love. Why does his every move plant more questions in my brain? I wanted to pull my hand away from Ehaan's grip but on noticing me struggling, he tightened his grip around my wrist.