Ansh was having a nice dream. He was just about to kiss her, and someone pounced on him on the bed and shook him awake. "Get up, get up..." Rithvik said.

"What the hell, Rith." He groaned.

"First day of college. Get up...."

Ansh lazily sat up and looked at the clock. "What is the time?"

"Time enough to get up..." Rithvik sat on the bed.

"I was having a good dream." Ansh complained, "now that is ruined."

"A wet dream? Ohhh......" He teased him. ''Who was the girl? Do I know her?" Rithvik did not notice a guilty expression on Ansh's face in his excitement.

"Why do you smell so strong?" Ansh flinched.

"Deo."

"Did you pour a whole bottle?" Ansh got up from the bed, scrubbing his eyes. He was also a bit excited about the first day of college, but not as much as Rithvik was.

Rithvik had grown up to be a naughty handsome playful guy that every girl took a second look at. And Ansh preferred to study quietly, be the nerdy, but mildly good-looking guy that girls have a secret crush on.

Ansh and Rithvik came out of Ansh's apartment and Roli walked out of hers, dressed in school uniform and carrying her school bag. She looked at the boys, especially her brother.

"Isn't he so over the top, Ansh? Loser. He got up at 4 to get ready," Roli said. Ansh laughed.

"You just mind your own business. And one minute..." Rithvik snapped at his sister and he looked at her skirt. "Your skirt is too short. How did that happen? Did you roll it up?"

"No."

"Liar."

He caught hold of his sister's uniform skirt and pulled on it.

"Rithvik leave..." Roli looked at Ansh embarrassed.

"Bring it down. Now..."

Roli pushed Rithvik away. "Who the hell are you to tell me? And I am not a kid now. I am 16. Everyone in my class wears skirts this length." Rithvik scowled. "And it's okay for you to stare at other girls' legs, and bad if your sister wears the same length?"

"Exactly my point. Guys will stare at your legs."

"Well, I can't cover myself top-to-toe according to the level of all the creeps around. Some people think women should not even show their face and cover it. Shall I use a burkha from now on?" She flung her bag over her shoulder in total awesome confidence swag. "I will wear what I want to wear. And next time when you stare at some girl's leg, remember that they too must be someone's little sister or daughter. Goodbye, I am getting late for class."

She walked away. Rithwik looked helpless and annoyed.

"Ah...just at least a few centimetres down. And what 'she is not a kid'? She is a kid."

Ansh put his hand around Rithvik.

"Well, you can't stop her from growing up." Rithvik stared at Ansh with a bit annoyed a bit suspicious expression. "And it's not that bad. Everyone wears skirts that length nowadays. It's no big deal. And not that much short. And we should be more worried about ragging than your sister's skirt."

"Ha... The person capable of ragging this Rithvik Ahuja has not been born yet."

But it was not long before that Rithvik was dancing on the command of his seniors. He took it in good spirits of course. And later in the day, they sat for their first mechanical Engineering class.

On the lunch break when they were taking a rest is when they saw her. Ansh was busy on his mobile looking at something. But then he got a message; from Roli.

Roli: Rith said you guys did not get ragged. Is that true?

Ansh chuckled and sent a video of Rithvik dancing for the seniors and replied, 'he danced like a drunkard'.

Roli sent him the laughing emoji back. Without realizing he was smiling at the phone. Rithvik who was checking out girls turned to him, "Look at that one. She is hot, right?" And he noticed the smile on Ansh. Rithwik peaked into Ansh's phone and saw that he is texting Roli. Noticing that Rithvik is looking, Ansh hid his phone at once, "What?" he asked.

"Nothing." Rithvik shrugged, trusting his friendship.

He looked around the canteen and noticed that one girl had stopped in her tracks and was looking at him. Straight at him. In fact, staring at him. She was wearing denim shorts, a t-shirt and a check shirt over it. She had shoulder-length, wavy hair, with red highlight on a side and there were all kinds of colourful wrist band on her hand

Rithvik recognised her at once. "Dhun...?" He jumped up.

"Rithvik??" Dhun came to him, too surprised. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah. Woah, this is weird. You look the same, but different."

"Yeah," She said. They had a casual hug.

"Who?" Ansh asked.

"Ah... Ansh, this is Dhun. She used to live in the apartment you live in now. Used to be my best friend."

"Hi," Dhun and Ansh greeted each other.

They were soon catching up. Dhun had moved back to the city with her father and her brother. Her brother was no longer a kid, so he need not have the care that his grandparents were giving him. So her father moved back to his old job, and the family moved back to Mumbai.

"I never thought you will opt for engineering though." She told Rithvik.

"Oye. I was brilliant in my studies always. And why are you in computer science engineering? You should have gone for arts."

"I know. But papa wanted me to take this. There is no money in arts."

"True. By the way, come home once. Mom and Roli will be happy to meet you."

Days moved on. Which turned to months. Dhun and Rithvik saw each other at times in college and did talk to each other But since they were in different departments they could not hang out all the time. Also, it was a bit difficult to retrieve the childhood friendship now that they are adults and of a different gender. There was a bit of awkwardness.

So they maintained a cordial friendship. But always say hello and occasionally drink tea in the canteen together.

"Oye.... Turn down the volume." Roli stormed into Rithvik's room. Rithvik and Ansh were playing a video game on the computer. "I can't understand how engineering students do not have anything to study at all? But if you don't have anything to study, can you two please at least have the manners. A 12th stand student is living in this house. And I have a test tomorrow."

Rithvik ignored her. But Ansh at once stopped the game. "Sorry. I did not know." He told Roli. "We won't play."

"Thanks, Ansh." She folded her hands. "I am going mad anyway because I cannot understand one physics problem."

"Shall I help you with it?" Ansh asked, a bit too affectionately. Rithvik turned around in the rotating chair and looked at them.

"Can you? That would be great..." Roli beamed.

Rithvik smirked. "Okay... But out in the living room. Not in her room."

Ansh and Roli scowled at him. "What?" He asked. "I am just being protective."

"You are a dog," Roli said and went to collect her books.

So Ansh and Rolli sat in the living room, as Rithvik continued to play his video game on mute. Ansh was a bit too conscious of the space around him since Roli was near him. It was obvious that he had a crush on her. He does not understand when did these feelings start. Maybe it was from the start itself. Though it was not that natural for a fourteen-year-old to have a crush on a twelve-year-old. But he was drawn to Roli since that age itself.

He found her cute, smart, feisty and very charming. And she had grown up to be such a cute teenager. Ansh could not help take glances at her as he tutored her in Physics. The way her hair fell over her shoulders. The time she laughed when he tried to crack a joke. When their hands accidentally brushed.

All this while Ansh was trying to ignore these feelings of desire he had for her. But he constantly pushed them back. But by the time he left that night, he realised that he can no longer ignore them,

'But she is Rithvik's sister' He kept saying in his mind. 'She is still in school.'

'But two years age gap is not a big deal though...'

'But Rithvik will kill me'

'But I have never felt this way about anyone else.'

Like this, his mental battle continued. He could not confess his feelings to Roli ever because it will be totally awkward between them, he was sure she did not think of him that way. Also, he had his friendship with Rithvik to protect.

That is when one day when he was coming back from college, he saw Roli with a guy in the same school's uniform as hers. A good looking guy of her age. She was laughing about something and she waves bye as that guy leaves. Jealousy sprouted in Ansh's heart for the first time.

Roli noticed Ansh and waved at him. Ansh walked up to her. "Why are you alone? Where is my brother?"

"He has some union duties," Ansh said. Rithvik had joined the college union and was an active member. "And your bike?" Roli asked.

"I went with him today morning. So...." He shrugged. He hesitated, "Hm...who was that?"

"Who?"

"That guy you were with."

"Why? To tell my brother? Ansh don't tell me you are also keeping tabs on me?"

"No. Nothing like that. I just.... Nevermind."

He walked inside. Roli followed him into the apartment. "So...boyfriend?" Ansh asked her unable to help himself.

"What? No... why do guys' heads always go there? He is my best friend's boyfriend. He needed my help in planning a surprise party for her."

Ansh was ashamed of the immense amount of relief he felt.

One evening when Ansh and Rithvik came back home, Roli was waiting for them and she looked too happy. "Ansh...." She said, and came and hugged him. Ansh froze. He blushed and his heart started beating faster.

"Oye..." Rithvik called shocked and angry.

Roli let go of Ansh. "You won't believe it. I got 95 on the Physics exam. 95.... Can you imagine? All thanks to you."

"Really? that is great..." Ansh beamed at her, still out of breath.

Roli caught Ansh's hand. "Can you teach me again?" Ansh's heart was still beating really hard and he is still blushing. "Are you okay? You look wired. Do you have a fever?" She touched his forehead. Involuntarily Ansh stepped back. Rithvik was keenly watching him.

"I am fine. I just need to use the bathroom for a minute. I will just come..."

He turned around and walk to the bathroom.

Ansh closed the door of the bathroom and pressed his head against it. He was struggling with his feelings. His feelings for Roli and his guilt about having those feelings and his friendship and trust with Rithvik. He hit his head against the door. He was really frustrated. He wanted her. He wanted to hug her like that whenever he wanted, he wanted to hold her hand and kiss her. He wanted her as his girlfriend.

That evening when Ansh left Rithvik stepped out into the corridor with him. "Ansh, wait..." Rithvik was rarely serious, but he looked serious now. He stepped closer to Ansh. "It is not like what I think, is it?"

"What?" Ansh asked, scared.

Rithvik looked into his friends' eyes. He was sure that he would not betray him. "No. Nothing...." He said and patted Ansh's shoulder. He then walked back into the house.