A/N - Remember that Dareya scene from CID episode where Daya asks Shreya whether she is being pressurised to get married to Siddharth? Well, what if that night had gone differently and Daya had confessed his feelings to Shreya? Read on and do comment ;)

What Do We Have In Common?

The calm, peaceful sea stretched out as far as her eyes could see. Waves washed the shore in a slow restful rhythm. It was quiet except for a few loud cheeps of the seagulls floating and landing smoothly over the sea, gentle hiss of the waves as they lapped in and out and breeze blowing slowly. The moon was shining brightly overhead.

Shreya was carrying her shoes in her hand as she walked , her bare feet leaving footprints in the damp sand. The cotton top flowed around her and the wind blew through her hair making her shiver slightly.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know why she was on the beach. She just needed to get away. She just wanted solace.

However, inspite of the tranquility provided by sea, she could not put her mind at rest. She knew something was wrong but she also knew that she had no choice left. Or did she have a choice?

A rustling noise in the dark, broke her thoughts. Shreya whipped around, her heart pounding loudly. The beach was completely deserted. She was sure she had heard a faint rustling noise. She stood there for an entire minute, carefully scrutinising her surroundings.

She began to walk once again after having convinced herself that she probably had imagined the noise.

After taking ten - twenty steps further, she heard it again. Yes, this time she was sure that she witnessed some movement behind her.

"Who is it?" she called stopping once again.

And then she saw it - merely a few feet behind her, near the trees, a silouhette. It was coming closer and closer. Shreya cursed herself inwardly for not having brought a gun.

As the man moved out from the shadows, she saw a familiar face.

"Daya sir?" she called out in disbelief.

Daya came into view looking equally stunned to find Shreya there. "Shreya? What are you doing here?" he asked.

Shreya stared at him for an entire minute before saying, "Um... hello sir."

"What are you doing here? It's after half past eleven." He looked around them. "You are not alone out here, are you?"

"Actually I am. I came all by myself" said Shreya.

"What? Why?" asked Daya. He looked angry.

"Well... um... Insomnia" Shreya said in an unconvincing voice.

"Insomnia, really? You've got to be kidding me" said Daya.

"Were you following me since a couple of minutes? I thought I heard someone but I didn't see..." said Shreya casting a wary eye over her shoulder.

"I wasn't following you. I came here a moment ago. From there" he said pointing at the white picket fence over the trees which Shreya had failed to notice earlier. "I didn't realise you were here till you called out"

"Oh, maybe I imagined the noise then. But I am sure I heard something" said Shreya.

Daya looked around them but nobody was in sight. He came closer. She saw him reach for her arm but he stopped short before catching hold of it.

"Nobody is here except us" he said. "So are you going to tell me the real reason you are here?"

Shreya looked at him, startled.

What are you? A mind reader?, she thought.

"I just wanted to be alone for sometime. I wanted sometime to think over... over... stuff" she said.

It was a lovey night. The moon cast a silvery light on their faces. Waves rose and fell, crashing with force on the rocks.

"I see" said Daya.

"What about you?" asked Shreya.

"Insomnia" said Daya promptly.

"Really?" said Shreya with a grin.

"Alright, I came here to be alone as well. That's one more thing we have in common" said Daya.

"What's else do we have in common?" asked Shreya as they began to walk along the seashore.

"Firstly we both are CID officers, we both are temperamental, we both come to the beach we want to be alone and..." his voice trailed off.

"And?" Shreya prompted.

Daya looked at her for a minute and then said, "Um... I think that's it."

Shreya tried to read his face. What was he holding back?

"Do you want to go back to the hotel? It's almost midnight" said Daya, changing the topic.

"Let's walk" said Shreya.

They walked side by side in silence for sometime, each lost in own thoughts.

"You got your bathing suit?" he asked.

"What?" said Shreya.

"We could have gone swimming" said Daya.

"What? No, I - I don't have-"

"Relax, I was just joking" said Daya raising his hands. "You looked too stressed so I just sort of joked around. I am sorry" he said with a note of sincereity in his voice.

"No, It's fine" said Shreya awkwardly. Her face suddenly felt hot all over despite the chilly breeze. Her thoughts were running amok. She cast a sideways glance at the sea. A sudden visual flashed in her mind's eye. There were shouts, yells and peals of laughter. Her and him...

It was insane. The entire situation was totally insane. She was not supposed to feel that way at all.

She looked at Daya who was looking back at her, hands in his pockets and a smile half hidden by shadows.

For some strange reason, Shreya thought he knew what she had been thinking about a moment ago. How are you doing that? How can you look right through me?

She saw him pick up a seashell from the sand. He looked at it for a minute and threw it into the sea. "Guess I am too much of an intruder" he said softly.

"What are-"

"The stars are really pretty tonight, huh?" he said.

"Yeah very pretty" said Shreya looking overhead and smiling a little.

"I love looking at the stars. I do it often" he said.

"I like looking at the stars too" said Shreya. "One more thing in common, huh?" she said and they both laughed.

"Come here" he said, reaching out his hand for her.

Shreya hesitated for a moment but then placed her hand into his outstretched one. It was warm and comforting.

He led her a few steps ahead and then said, "I suggest we lie down here. Have you ever watched the stars like this, lying down on the cool sand?"

"No" she said.

"Let's do it. It's fun." said Daya.

Shreya lay down, forgetting all the worries and endless thoughts which she had carried with her while coming. She looked heavenward, her toes playing in the sand. The moon was surrounded by twinkling stars. It was a wonderful sight.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Daya as he stretched out beside her.

"Yes" said Shreya and quickly cast a sideways glance at him. She could see a small smile playing on his lips. She had a sudden impulse to touch his cheek and to feel the scrape of fine stubble beneath her palm.

She quickly turned her attention to the stars overhead before he caught he staring.

"When I was a kid, me and my friend at the orphanage would often sneak up to the terrace and watch stars like this. We would often fall asleep on the terrace and then we would get scolded a lot. We used to look up for all those weird shapes in the sky by connecting the dots. It was lame but I still do it sometimes.

Shreya giggled.

"Where is your friend now? Are you still in touch?" she asked. She had never heard him talk about his life at the orphanage ever.

"Nah, a family from US adopted him when we were kids. And then I never saw him again. I don't even know what he looks like now. It happens every time with me, all those people who are close to me just sort of drift away and then I am all alone once again. I guess I am not interesting enough for someone to want me." he said.

Shreya looked at him sharply. "It's not like that! Don't you say stuff like that!" she said shrilly.

"Hey, it's alright. I was just jok-"

"I don't like it. Making a joke about things like that!" she said angrily.

He looked at her and she stared back with fierce determination. His eyes softened after a moment and she looked away mumbling a apology for yelling at him.

Silence settled around them once again.

Daya squeezed his eyes shut. He was inexplicably close to tears. But he knew better than to cry. Tears had never helped him before and they were not going to help him now. A battle was raging inside him. He knew she loved him. But why? She was not supposed to love him when she had agreed to pledge her life to someone else. It hurt. It hurt so much.

"I am going to miss this" Shreya said breaking his trail of thoughts.

"What?"

"I am going to miss every bit of it. My work, my friends, my country-"

Daya rolled onto his stomach. "Don't go then" he said. He didn't know what made him say it. He regretted saying it almost immediately when he saw Shreya's expressions.

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Why are you going away if it is so hard for you to leave all this behind?" he said. There, he said it again. He couldn't stop himself.

"Change is inevitable. I will get used to it maybe" said Shreya.

"And will you be happy?" he asked.

She suddenly became aware as to how close he was. She felt his fingertips gently brush the inside of her palm.

"I have to go" she said, sitting up. She got to her feet and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Daya called after.

She began to sprint without giving a backward glance at him.

"Shreya, stop! Wait a minute" Daya voice rang out sharp and clear in the stillness of the night.

Minutes later he caught up with her. He caught her wrist to make her stop.

"Don't" she said wringing her hand away from his grasp.

"I am sorry." Daya apologized. "You need to talk to me. You can't run away like this"

"I am not running away! And I don't want to talk anything about it" she said stubbornly. "Let's just go back before anyone realises that we are gone. It's past midnight".

He caught her arm, "Tell me the truth, please"

He thought for a moment that she was about to back away but she didn't move. She stood there as if she had been paralysed.

"I should have told you earlier. I know. I tried to talk to you a lot of times but I just couldn't say it. I don't like it when you are with him. You and Siddharth, it bothers me. A lot." he said. "Look, I respect your choice. If you are happy with him, then I am happy. I will respect whatever decision you take but I feel you are under some obligation. You are pressurised and confused and you are not doing it whole-heartedly. You-" Daya sighed looking at Shreya who had not said a single word.

He began to back off. She was free to go if she wanted to. He was not going to force her to do anything. He had done what he had to. Now it was totally upto her.

A few minutes passed and then he felt her hand on his bicep.

"I don't want to go, I don't want to leave you" she admitted in a whisper which was lost in the sound of sea waves but not before Daya heard it.

His heart soared. Something was finally happening right in a long, long time.

"I don't want you to go either." he said taking a step into her personal space.

She moved her hand over his shoulder. He tangled his hand into her hair and leaned in so that their noses were almost touching.

Shreya put her hand onto his chest to stop him, "Daya..."

"You know another thing, which we have common?"

"I think I do" she said, her eyes dancing with happiness. "We love each other"

Daya smiled. It was the same smile which made her heart melt everytime.

Daya covered her hand with his. He gave it a gentle squeeze and leaned into her, this time making sure that their lips touched.

END