After the teacher’s announcement about the bonfire, the group drifted into the market, the chilly evening air carrying the scent of roasted peanuts and fresh bread from roadside stalls.
Aarav walked a few paces behind the others, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. Ever since he’d decided he would confess his feelings to Ishika tonight, he’d felt an awkward heat in his face whenever their eyes met. He kept telling himself to act normal, but somehow even the way she laughed at a passing street performer made his heart pound faster.
“Hey! Let’s have ice cream,” Khushi suddenly said, pointing at a bright little parlour with frosted glass windows.
“You’ll catch a cold if you eat ice cream. It’s already freezing here,” Vivan replied, arching a brow.
“I also want to have ice cream,” Shreya said, pulling her best sad face.
Vivan smirked. “Well… it’s not that bad. Eating ice cream in cold weather feels… different.”
“Seriously!?” Khushi, Ishika, and Aarav said at the same time, making the others laugh.
They ended up going in anyway, the warm, sweet scent of waffle cones wrapping around them. They ordered different flavours, teasing each other over who chose the “boring” ones, and stepped back out into the chilly street, their breath mingling with the steam from the parlour’s open door.
Afterwards, they wandered through tiny shops, picking up souvenirs — beaded bracelets, hand-painted mugs, a carved wooden keychain that Shreya insisted looked like Vivan. At a roadside stall, they tried their luck at a ring-toss game, each turn ending with exaggerated groans or triumphant cheers.
By the time the sun dipped low, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, they were still laughing about how Aarav had accidentally tossed a ring onto a bystander’s shoe.
“We should go back, it’s almost time,” Khushi reminded them.
“Yeah, right,” Shreya agreed, hugging her shopping bag.
When they returned to the open field where their class had decided to gather, the preparations for the bonfire were nearly complete — a neat stack of logs ready to burn, a ring of stones circling it, and benches set up for everyone to sit. The faint smell of smoke already hung in the air.
They found a spot together, settling in as the orange glow of the flames began to dance against the night sky.
“Who wants coffee?” Vivan asked, standing up.
“I would like to have,” Shreya said at once.
“Anyone else?” he asked, glancing around.
“Me too,” Khushi added.
Vivan headed off toward the refreshment table while the others stayed, chatting under the warmth of the fire. The crackling of the logs, the soft murmur of voices, and the occasional burst of laughter wrapped the moment in a kind of cosy magic.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and before they realised it, the night had deepened into quiet, star-speckled midnight.
It was the last day of the trip. Tomorrow, they would all be on the bus heading home — and Aarav still hadn’t confessed to Ishika. The thought had been chasing him all day like a shadow he couldn’t shake. Even while laughing with the group, his mind kept wandering back to the same question: When will I tell her? How?
The crackling bonfire in front of them seemed to mock him with its easy warmth. Aarav sat there, staring into the flames, his fingers restless against the hem of his jacket.
Vivan, who had been watching him for a while, leaned closer. “Are you going to tell her or not?” he asked in a low voice, his tone more curious than accusing.
Aarav’s head jerked up. “I’m… getting nervous,” he admitted, his voice almost drowned out by the chatter around them.
“Don’t worry,” Vivan said with calm certainty, placing a firm hand on Aarav’s shoulder. “She’ll definitely accept.”
Aarav gave a doubtful half-smile. “How do you know?”
“I just know it,” Vivan replied with the confidence of someone who had already decided the ending of the story. “You just go tell her.”
“But how? I can’t tell her in front of everyone,” Aarav said, glancing toward Ishika, who was sitting with Shreya and Khushi, laughing about something completely unrelated. The sight made his stomach twist — in both a good and bad way.
Vivan tilted his head in thought. “Hmm… right. We need a way to get you two alone without making it too obvious.”
The fire popped loudly, sending a small burst of sparks into the night air. Vivan’s eyes lit up suddenly, a slow grin spreading across his face. “I have an idea.”
Aarav straightened. “What?”
Instead of answering him, Vivan stood and beckoned Shreya and Khushi over with a subtle wave of his hand. The two girls exchanged puzzled looks but joined them anyway.
“Alright, here’s the plan…” Vivan began, lowering his voice so only they could hear. He spoke quickly, his words weaving a small, clever setup — something about drawing Ishika’s attention away from the group for a few minutes without arousing suspicion.
By the time he finished, both girls were smiling knowingly.
“Yeah, okay, got it,” Shreya said with an approving nod.
Khushi grinned at Aarav. “This might actually work.”
“Alright, let’s get to the plan,” Vivan said, his voice brimming with quiet excitement.
“All the best, Aarav!” Shreya and Khushi said together, their teasing tone making his ears warm.
“Yeah… thanks,” Aarav replied, exhaling slowly. The nervous energy inside him shifted into something sharper — anticipation.
As the three of them slipped back into the group like nothing had happened, Aarav could feel it — the night was slowly aligning itself toward something important.
Tonight could be the night.
The bonfire had been nothing short of magical for Ishika. It was her first time experiencing something like this — sitting under a starlit sky, surrounded by warmth and laughter, with music drifting between bursts of chatter. She’d laughed more that evening than she could remember in a long time, the flames painting everyone’s faces in a warm orange glow.
But somewhere in the middle of a conversation with one of her classmates, she noticed something strange. The group felt… smaller. A few familiar voices were missing.
“Where did everyone go?” she murmured under her breath, scanning the crowd.
That’s when she spotted Khushi and Shreya standing a little distance away, waving at her with eager smiles as if they’d been waiting.
She made her way over. “What are you two doing here?” she asked curiously.
“Actually, we found a really good spot nearby,” Shreya said, her eyes glinting with excitement.
“Yeah, and the view from there is really beautiful,” Khushi added, exchanging a quick glance with Shreya.
“Oh? Is it?” Ishika’s interest piqued immediately.
“Yeah, so we thought we’d all go together,” Shreya suggested.
Ishika smiled. “Oh, okay. Let’s go.”
They set off along a narrow dirt path that cut through the edge of the forest. Dry leaves crunched under their shoes, and the cool air was filled with the faint scent of pine. The distant crackle and laughter of the bonfire slowly faded until it was just the wind, whispering through the trees.
After a few minutes, the trees thinned out, and the path opened onto a breathtaking sight — the edge of the mountain. Below, the entire city lay spread out like a glittering sea of lights, each twinkle reflected faintly in the thin layer of mist that hung over the valley. The November wind here was crisper, carrying a refreshing chill that made Ishika pull her scarf a little tighter.
“It’s… really beautiful,” she breathed, stepping forward to take it all in.
Two familiar figures stood near the edge — Aarav and Vivan — their silhouettes outlined against the glow of the city below.
“Hey, Aarav,” Vivan called out suddenly, his tone casual but carrying a note of mischief Ishika didn’t notice.
Aarav turned slightly. “Yeah?”
Vivan walked over, leaning close to whisper something in Aarav’s ear. Ishika couldn’t hear what was said, but she noticed Aarav’s shoulders tense ever so slightly. A small, almost secretive smile crossed Vivan’s face before he straightened up.
Without offering any explanation, Vivan turned toward Shreya. “Shall we?”
Shreya nodded, and the two of them began walking back the way they’d come.
“Where did they go?” Ishika asked, a little puzzled.
“Vivan said he wants to spend some time alone with Shreya,” Aarav replied casually, his eyes still on the horizon.
“Oh!” Ishika blinked. Well… that makes sense if they’re dating. The thought felt completely normal, and she didn’t question it further.
They stood there for a while, the silence between them filled with the distant hum of the city below and the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. Ishika could feel the cold on her cheeks, but it was the kind of cold that felt clean and alive, not uncomfortable.
The quiet was broken by the sudden ring of Khushi’s phone. She answered quickly.
“Hello? …Yes, ma’am? …Okay, okay, I’m coming.”
She slipped the phone into her pocket and looked at Ishika.
“What happened?” Ishika asked.
“Teacher said she wants to talk to me about something important,” Khushi explained.
“Is everything alright?”
“Oh yeah, nothing to worry about,” she said with a reassuring smile.
Before Ishika could respond, Khushi was already walking down the path toward the bonfire, leaving just her and Aarav standing there at the cliff’s edge.
Ishika turned toward the glittering city view, letting the cold wind brush against her skin. The sprawling lights below seemed to twinkle like scattered stars, and for a moment, she simply breathed it all in.
“So? How was your trip?” Aarav’s voice broke the silence, calm yet warm.
“Wonderful,” she replied without hesitation. “It was the best trip of my life.”
“Glad to hear it,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
They spoke for a while, exchanging light words, until Ishika’s gaze drifted to his face. He was still looking at the view, unaware of her quiet observation. For the first time, she noticed every detail so clearly — the way his hair shifted with the wind, the soft glow of the city lights reflected in his eyes, making them shimmer like molten gold.
She didn’t know how long she had been staring until his voice pulled her back.
“Ishika?”
She blinked, as if snapping out of a dream, and found him looking at her.
“Ye… yes?” she stammered.
“What happened?” he asked, his brow slightly furrowed in curiosity.
“N… nothing,” she murmured, quickly lowering her gaze to hide the heat rising to her cheeks.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, the wind carrying the faint sound of laughter from somewhere far below. Then, Aarav spoke again, his tone quieter, almost as if he were testing the weight of his next words.
“So… is everything alright at your home?” Aarav asked, his tone casual but carrying a trace of genuine concern.
“Yeah,” Ishika replied softly.
“Okay,” he murmured, nodding faintly. A brief silence followed before she spoke again.
“By the way… you know everything about me now, right?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said with a small smile.
“But you never told me anything about yourself.”
“Huh? There’s nothing special,” he replied, eyes dropping to the ground as if the stones beneath his feet had suddenly become fascinating.
“And what if I tell you that I still want to know?” she said, her voice steady yet gentle.
He looked at her in surprise, but almost instantly, his expression shifted — the brightness in his face dimmed, replaced by something heavier… something like pain.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” she added quickly.
“No, no… it’s not like that,” he assured her, his voice low.
“Sure?”
“Yeah. Tell me, what do you want to know?” he asked, turning slightly toward her.
“Hmm… you never told me about your home.”
“I live with my grandma,” he said.
“And your parents?”
His gaze drifted away from her, returning to the shimmering city below. The wind tugged at his hair, but his stillness carried a weight that made Ishika’s heart tighten.
“I… lost them when I was four,” he said quietly.
A sharp ache pricked her chest. Before she could think, before she could second-guess the impulse, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
