Siddhesh's POV:

'Siddhu...this one... Sidddhuuuuuuuu' I hear Shalini's voice and I turn my head to look at Shalini who is asking me to choose between two sarees...an orange one and a blue one...I was not able to understand why have I been zoning out since the moment Ragini had pecked my cheeks.

It's not like it's the first time. We have been childhood buddies but the intensity and emotion that she pecked me some hours back was something that had blown my mind. She had left quietly from my room post that and I was left with shivering hands, eyes as big as saucers in which Sushma aunty served me coffee regularly and my body went numb. Since then I have no idea what I have been doing. I can only be thankful to Mukund Bhavaji that he chose to drive.

Ragini had accompanied us for shopping but not once did I have the guts to turn my head and look at the back seat. It's like I froze on the passenger seat beside Mukund Bhavaji. Shalini kept blabbering something but I was blank.

'Sidddhuuuuu....' I heard Shalini again...

'Ummm Blue Blue...Who wears orange...so gaudy...you don't want to look like a orange pregnant candy...do you?' I said without even looking at the saree properly.
While I heard a voice ...
'Shalini how is this lehenga'
And I turned around and my sight just froze at what I saw...

And I gulped.
It's like all the oxygen around me was sucked by someone and I couldn't breathe
..

Ragini stood there in a orange lehenga choli and I could only STARE!!!

It was a simple orange lehenga...with minimal work...but it looked breathtakingly beautiful on her such that first time in my life I was doubting my own intensions.

It had a heart shaped neckline, a decent gap showing her midriff suddenly made me uncomfortable. I had to just avert my gaze to stop any unholy thoughts flowing in my head.

But then next minute she came hopping like a rabbit and stood in front of us and asked...
'How is this orange lehenga...I sooo love it's smooth shade...it's so warm...' she says twirling with it like a little girl.

I try!!! But can't keep my eyes away from her. When did she turn into such a colorful butterfly...such a butterfly who was enough to twist knots in my stomach making me feel my own butterfly park!!!

Just then she asks me ..
'Siddhu how do I look in this orange lehenga?' and I lift my eyes to take a look again at the epitome of beauty standing infront of me...

'Heavenly' slips out of my mouth unknowingly...

While Shalini scowls saying...
'Ohhhh Mr Double Standards Pai...few minutes ago you warned me of looking like a orange candy when I wanted to buy this orange saree now she looks heavenly is it???' Shalini nudges my shoulder making me go all pink and Ragini blushes hard and leaves from there...

Shalini comes close to my ear and whispers...

'If she looks that beautiful... how about telling her??? Or you want me to tell dad about it and you know lock you up officially' and my eyes grow wider...

'Shalini .. please.. she will turn 18 in 2 months... she's a teen... please stop' I say turning around while Shalini chuckles saying ..

'Well I didn't speak of marriage and anyways your Ragini is very ambitious...she wants to do her MBA and start her own publication house just like you...you are her inspiration in every way ...I'm just saying of having the talks' she smiles

'Shalini please...there is nothing like that...it's just that I haven't seen Ragini for so long ..I couldn't digest how she grew up suddenly in just a matter of 2.5 years ..it's too much for me to digest... believe me Shalini... she's Ragini ..I....I... can't think of her like that' I confess honestly to Shalini while I hear a thud sound from behind. And I turn around to see Ragini had banged the changing cabin's door too hard.

Fuck!!! She heard me talk!!!
I saw her walking too quickly towards the billing counter while Shalini had also finished picking her saree. Her smiling and happy face had turned into something too serious. I could say she was upset. But then Ragini is too stubborn. She would never speak up.

I saw her giving her dad's card while at the billing counter.

'Ragini stop...Umm... please take this...' I tell the person at the billing counter while she adamantly pushes my hand back saying...

'No...' and passes me a deadly glare.
'Please swipe from this' she says to the person at the billing counter and I wonder why suddenly she was behaving so odd.

'Ragini...it's my gift for you' I say and she firmly says...

'Its Fine Siddhesh...I have already received my gift and it was awesome' and I see her eyes filled with a pool of tears and it had so many accusations in it.

The item is billed and she walks away. I walk behind her and hold her hand...
'Ragini...stop...why are you'

'Making a scene??? Right??? Yeah right...I don't want to make any scene...'

She says trying to stop her tears that kept flowing nonstop from her eyes... now every other person in the mall passing by kept looking at us...

'Im...I'm sorry...sorry I'm causing this embarrassment...you go...I'm silly' saying she tries to walk away

Her tears bleed my heart...I can't take it!.
I hold her wrist and stop her...
'Ragini... please...why are you crying'

And she looks at me again...
'Exactly...why am I crying...this is so stupid...all so...so stupid...I ...
I
I....
I am stupid...
No...I'm a fool...
....I....must not cry...I ....I...don't know why I cried...why I waited...why I assumed...why I ... felt....
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. for you'

she broke the bomb and I gasped. My grip on her wrist loosened.

First time ever I didn't have an answer. I stood there trying to absorb the fact that she had started feeling for me...I don't know how intense or how prominent it was but it left me breathless...

'Ragini...I ...I...dont'

'Its ok Siddhesh please don't blow me off... please....I.....I.... can't take it...let this remain unsaid........I....I am sorry' she says wiping her tears which were flowing uncontrollably...just then she froze and I turned around to see a horror struck Shalini and Mukund Bhavaji.

She just ran from there probably being too embarassed and Mukund Bhavaji just patted on Shalini's shoulder. Shalini nodded a little and went behind Ragini while Mukund Bhavaji circled his arm around my shoulder and said...

'Can we have a walk Siddhu?' and I nod.

***

'So you know now...han?' Mukund Bhavaji asks with a smile and I look at him in horror...

'You knew...this is bad...I....I...will leave to London today itself...I can't screw her future...I'm not the right one for her...plus she's too young?' I ask swallowing through my dry throat.

He chuckles saying...'Relax....first stop panicking...Everyone knows Siddhu...me...Shalini...Sushma Amma...even Sumanth Mamu...no one is blind here...but we have just avoided all this because she is a 17 year old.

And you know how fragile and flipping emotions at this age could be...

By the way she realised it last year when you didn't wish her on her birthday...her 16th birthday... she cried, spent in her bedroom... didn't eat... didn't party... didn't even cut cake...' and my eyes fill up ...

'No Siddhu please' Mukund Bhavaji wipes my tears and says ...

'Im not saying this to drag you into this or suddenly commit yourself into it because we all feel this is Ragini's passing crush...we...we could be wrong too...but you know Ragini has always been a over expressive child... she hates someone she hates them with an intensity to kill them and if she loves someone she could even die for them...she is always too involved...' and I run my fingers in my hair and wipe the sweat off my face...'

Mukund Bhavaji continues....

'You both are too young...you are what 23 and she is not even 17...she will turn 18 in probably 7 weeks from now...you both are practically kids and Shalini does not want what happened with her to happen with Ragini...she was engaged to me at 18...and she only got to do her graduation because I insisted upon it...you know how orthodox Sumanth Mamu is ... the reason why I and Shalini will be the happiest if you both end up together..but that does not mean just because Ragini has this passing crush upon you ..you need to nod a yes to her emotions...No!!! No one expects that from you...if it's a no from your end Ragini will eventually learn it!!! '

And I nod while he smiles and holds my hand in his ...

'Look Siddhu..I don't know if you will ever have those emotions for her...but Ragini is too young...a fragile heart...I'm just asking you to remain her friend... don't push her away because she has these emotions for you...yes saying her a no what you did was perfectly the right thing to do .. I respect you for not playing around with her because it's always easy to manipulate 17-18 year old ones as all this is too easy and new ... exciting for them... I'm proud of you...you are a gentleman but....

Please remain her friend. Stand by her.... Take care of her. Don't hate her Siddhu... she's a kid... she's like my sister too...you know at this age rejection if not handled well can result in self doubt' Mukund Bhavaji says holding both my hands in his and I smile through my tears saying...

'And I understand this the best...I know this is a passing phase for Ragini... probably because I'm the only guy she has been with... studying in a girl's school...studying in a all girls pre-university college...she hasn't come across other men...I'm sure the minute she realises there are better looking men, stylish, modern...well dressed and better looking I'm sure she'll get over me realising I was just a teen crush' I say and Mukund Bhavaji looks sharp into my eyes and smiles...

'Or maybe you realise Ragini was never into looks...she always adored the soul and not the outer personality...it's a tug of emotions...let's see which one wins!!!' he says leaving me in splits!!!