•

•

•

The Maldives here I come...my ass.

I wasn't even at the front door when I was swaddled into a hug by a heavily crying Diya, her mascara was all runny and messed up, tears drenching her eyelashes and cheeks, she was dressed in a black suit, her hairs perfectly drawn into a ponytail, it was absolute that she back rounded her way to my home from work.

Mom and papa gazed at her with tenderness while I reflexively rolled my eyes into her hair, trying to loosen her chokehold around my neck, I knew this was all a sham cause ladies and gentlemen meet my best friend Diya the drama queen.... she can win the Oscars of she wants. No Joke. I dragged her inside with me, away from my parents where she could easily gain some allies, made her sit on the couch while I went to bring her water.

Diya is a real-life example of 'habits born with us and dies with us, and she knew how to use it in her favour, she was a cunning woman, in a good way. At least she was to me, Good. when I returned her tears were already replaced by a prominent frown on her face, she continued glaring at me, I sighed and gave her the glass of water. Not very gently taking it from me she gulped it all down in one go.

"Slow down Diya," I said worried, she would choke on it if she won't slow down.

Abruptly she placed the glass on the coffee table and turned to me"Don't you tell me to slow the f*ck down! How could you?! I thought we were besties! I don't care I can sit in the cockpit but I am coming with you." she snapped, panting heavily to calm down her breathing, she is getting worked up for no reason at all and somehow it was amusing to me, I was so used to her calm and collected nature that I almost forgot that this was also one aspect of her personality, the panicked one.

I cleared my throat to hide my smile and explained softly."You know the reason Diya why I'm not taking you." My hands resting on hers, let me tell you Diya can be very silly and very persuasive at times. It took me a whole month to make her understand that I was going to Maldives without her, for the first five days she thought I was joking. Her voice brought me out of my memory lane.

"Please Shana, I will be good, I will not create problems for you and Aunt. Pretty please. just me. Take me with you" she pleaded like a five-year-old begs for a bar of chocolate, giving me the best puppy eyes she could muster but this time it will not work for her to have her way.

My face remained neutral, void of any uncertainty, I don't even remember how many times we had this conversation till now, but it certainly ends in the same aftermath every time, me saying no and her getting upset. Don't get me wrong I love her and all but she can be annoying sometimes. I know this is a little weird for her since we have gone on every trip together from kindergarten but this trip was really special for mom, it was all about her.

But for this dumb b*tch whom I call my best friend, I will do this one more time.

"Diya you know that I have never planned a trip without you if circumstances were different" I assured her tenderly, her eyes were getting wet again and I didn't want a second breakdown in a single day.

"But I too want to spend time with Aunt Cassie, you know how much I love her." her lower lip quivered as she poured her heart out to me, I felt terrible when was struggling to hold back her tears. Diya was seven when her mother died in a car accident since she had always seen mom as her mother figure.. the cancer news has a huge impact on her as well. I can understand her feelings about wanting to spend time with mom and I will fulfil her wish just after this trip but for now, I need her to chill out.

I squeezed her shoulders and made her look into my eyes, slowly rationalizing the situation a little better for her to understand "Please Diya try to understand, this trip has always been mom's dream where she can spend time with her babygirl... she even left papa and Noah out of the trip.. leaving you does not mean that you are any less important for her and I promise we trio will spend time together once we come back from this trip" I explained, slowly wiping away her tears.

She has always been like the little sister that I never had. Always being silly and immature but standing behind me and supporting me whenever I needed her. How can I be annoyed at her for more than 20 seconds? I wrapped her in a bear hug, hugging her not so small body closer to mine, we stayed like that for some time and when we pulled back she had already stopped crying, a smile reached my lips automatically.

"No more crying," I stated, delicately caressing her shoulder.

"Okay," she replied with a small smile of her own, her voice was a little nozzle due to crying, "You promise me that we three will spend the time together once you return from your trip," her eyes held a glimmer of hope in them. And I was no one to snatch that away from her.

"promise," I promised genuinely.

At one moment we were emotional and at another, her entire temperament reversed and she became angry. now I'm confused, is she on her period? Or is she bipolar? Nah she isn't, I know her from childhood, maybe the drama queen side was back. I was just thinking about what I did wrong when she yelled at me and I flinched, already knowing I'm so dead.

"B*tch you didn't even tell me that you are leaving today!? I saw uncle settling suitcases in Uber when I arrived! You're so dead Shana!! I suggest you better run for your life!" she shrieked and I didn't need to be told twice to break into a sprint to the front door, running for my life from my bestie.

"But in my defence, I thought you would show up at the airport with flight tickets!! and throw a fit to take you with us which you anyways did!" I exclaimed back at her, continuing running in circles around the couch.

After sometimes, we both halted, she was behind the couch with her hands on her knees and breathing heavily "Okay! I'm done—now please give me a break—I will forgive you b*tch—but only—on one condition—if you send— me pics of hot guys—on the beach." she squeaked, her voice breaking in between in attempt of taking air, she lifted her head to raise her eyebrows at me suggestively and squatted back to taking some air into her respiratory system.

"Okay, deal b*tch." As much as it sounds stupid, this is the only way I can evade her fits so I agreed immediately. After we sobered up, she enveloped me into another goodbye hug, we do it all the f*cking time. And unfortunately, Noah came downstairs at the exact time, He had a weird expression plastered on his face.

"When I came earlier you two were hugging and now you two are doing it again or were you hugging all this time? I mean it's weird but I think it suits you two weirdos," he smirked, leisurely passing a hand through his morning hair.

"Shut up Noah," Diya hissed at him, making me laugh when Noah's face turned into a grimace, he whispered a whatever before marching out of there.

Finally, anyhow I managed to come out of my home, there was only an hour left before the flight takes off, mom was impatiently waiting in the Uber, occasionally glancing at me and papa was getting annoyed but his gaze softened after noticing me, he came to me and caressed my head while whispering gently, "Take care of your mother and yourself betá(

He enveloped me in a hug, wrapping me in his big arms.

"Don't worry Papa! I will take care of ourselves and you two take care of yourselves. Alright?"

He nodded his head, seeming uncertain all of a sudden, it was comical considering how much of a beast I am. Smiling one last time I hastily got into the Uber with mom, Diya and Noah were standing beside papa and havocally waving us farewell, waving them back with the same energy we finally left from home, heading airport.

It was similar formalities and protocols in the airport, we went through all the procedures before we got into the queue for the flight.

It was a nine hour-long flight from Delhi to Maldives, when we finally got settled in our aforementioned seats I exhaled in relief, not long after our flight took off, mom was preparing for a nap already and I decided to complete some work instead of resting.

Now things were going my way...or so I thought.

Now... The Maldives here I come...

•

•

•

❤❤❤