~6~

March, 2015

I immediately tried to step out as the lift doors opened, desperate to save myself from more embarrassment, but Darsh caught my arm. Without a word, he tugged me along and led me to the terrace. The moment we were alone, I found myself pinned against the all-too-familiar wall once again.

"I thought we agreed never to like each other again?" he asked, his voice calm but his eyes stormy, reminding me of the heated conversation we had two weeks ago.

I sighed, too drained to fight. "It's your fault for choosing a college so far away from me. Baby, I can't even survive two weeks without you, and now you're leaving for God knows how long," I said, my frustration spilling over.

His intense gaze softened for a moment before he leaned in and captured my lips. The world around us disappeared as the space between us seemed to explode. My heart raced, each beat thundering in my chest, as his hands found their way under my shirt, his touch igniting a fire across my bare skin. I could never get enough of him.

I didn't know if it had been a minute or an hour when I finally pulled away, my lungs screaming for air. He, however, didn't stop. His lips traveled down my jaw to my neck, leaving a trail of warmth that made my toes curl.

"You better not ignore me like that again," I panted, breathless as he left small, hickeys on my skin. My words made him pause. His eyes locked onto mine, a mixture of disbelief and tenderness flashing across his face.

"Really? Am I the one who suggested a break when we have less than three months left together?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration and hurt.

I looked away, guilt clawing at me. I didn't want to fight. This wasn't anyone's fault. My eyes began to sting, and tears blurred my vision. Seeing my distress, his expression softened, and he cupped my cheeks with both hands.

"I'm sorry, alright? I know you were scared about our relationship, but you ignored me and left me a stupid message to just stay friends. Do you know how much that hurt? I wanted to drag you out of your room and talk some sense into you, but you acted like nothing happened. So, I played along," he said, his words cutting through my walls of self-pity.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, leaning into his touch. "I didn't realize how much I hurt you. I only thought about myself." I hugged him tightly, needing to feel his warmth. "But we can't change the fact that you're moving away. So let's not waste the time we have left. Let's spend every second together."

Nobody knew about our relationship except Priti, who'd caught us making out in Darsh's room once. I chuckled softly, breaking the tension. "I almost forgot—how dare you call me and Abhi lovebirds?" I said, lightly punching his chest.

He grinned, catching my arm and looping it around his neck. Pulling me closer by the waist, he teased, "It looked like you two were having a moment."

"Were you jealous?" I asked a mischievous glint in my eyes.

He raised a brow. "So what if I was?"

His confession caught me off guard, and I laughed before explaining, "I lost the bracelet you gave me on our first date. He found it for me. That's all."

His smirk returned, and we spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's arms, apologizing and making up in ways words couldn't convey. Eventually, we were forced back to reality when our mothers called us nonstop.

"Ava, Darsh! Get in here; let's have lunch," Tara Aunty called from my apartment.

"Ma, we just had brunch," Darsh groaned as we headed into my flat.

"Hey, we have to ask them about the farmhouse," I reminded him.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it," he assured me with a wink.

***

"WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?!" Virin burst into my room, fuming. "I thought this was our escape from our parents, and now they're coming too? What the hell, Ava?!"

"You know how close our moms are, especially mine and Abhi's. They've been best friends since they were kids," I started to explain.

He cut me off, still fuming. "So what if they're friends? This was supposed to be our week."

"Listen, Virin! They were planning something too, and when they heard about our plan, they decided to turn it into a family get-together, just like old times," I tried to reason.

Meanwhile, Darsh was busy informing Abhi about the changes, and our moms were on a conference call with Abhi, Priti, and the twins' moms.

"No one was prepared for this, but it's not that bad. Don't throw a tantrum, little girl," Kyra quipped, drawing Virin's fiery glare toward her instead.

"Could you please cover those hickeys properly?" Priti whispered, smirking as she caught sight of my struggle to hide them.

Instantly, I pulled my hair over my neck, blushing furiously. "I thought you were on a break," she teased, her grin widening.

"Well, you see, I can't resist your cousin for long," I said with a wink, matching her smirk.

                                                                                    ~~***~~