FOUR WEEKS AFTER RITHVIK'S DEATH

Dhun walked up to the door of Ansh's house and rang the doorbell. Ansh's mom opened the door. "Aunty, is Ansh in?"

She was welcomed into the house and led to Ansh's room. Dhun walked in. Ansh offered her the chair. " Sit." Dhun sat down. Ansh sat down on his bed. Dhun looked at the table in the room. There was a small box of the things from the memorial space of college in the box. "Ah... I got to keep a few from the memorial space."

There was an awkward silence. "The atrium looks really empty now, right? Now that his things are cleared out." Dhun was still being silent. "You can take a few from the box if you want to. Is that why you come?"

"No," she said.

"Hm..then why?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"It could sound strange. But I want to know." Ansh nodded. He was willing to tell her anything.

While Dhun walked out of the house, Ansh saw her off. Roli came out of the elevator just then. She saw them. She ignored Ansh and just looked at Dhun. "How come you are here?" She asked Dhun.

"I had to talk something with Ansh."

Roli nodded and turned to open the door of her house, totally ignoring Ansh. Ansh was looking at her with pain. Dhun looked between them. Roli walk into her house and shut the door. Dhun turned to Ansh, "So I guess, things did not go well with you guys."

"Isn't that the obvious result?" Ansh asked, "With Rith gone like that...I don't think we will ever talk." Dhun nodded. She walked away.

Dhun sat on the bed with the time turner in her hand. One last attempt – she thought. If this did not work, she will give up.

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3 DAYS BEFORE THE COLLEGE FESTIVAL

Rithvik was sitting bored, with his head settled on the table. There was a teacup on the table. He looked around for someone to talk to. Dhun walked into the canteen just then. He sat up excited, "Dhun...Bro..." Dhun turned to him. She went to sit near him and dropped her bag on the chair near her. "You were late as well?"

"Yeah" And she looked at the coffee cup on the table and picks it up and drinks from it.

"Hey, that's mine."

"Don't be so cheap, dude. Friends can share. You can buy another one, right?"

"But I just drank from the same cup though."

She looked at him but then continued to finish the coffee from the cup and set it down. "Buy another one." Rithvik frowned.

Later Rithvik and Dhun were talking while eating some snacks, and drinking another two cups of tea. "No, I don't think we should make an outdoor cotton candy stall," Dhun said.

"Why? That will be so damn cool."

"If it rains, it will be ruined. Do you know how heavy a cotton candy machine is? We can't carry it inside. It will be totally ruined in a rain."

"It won't rain. It doesn't rain in this season."

"Well, we don't know that for sure."

Rithvik noticed a handkerchief is tied around Dhun's wrist. "What happened to your hand?"

"Nothing," She looked at her hand. "Just style."

"Now I can't even say anything on that. You have the weirdest style in this college, Dhun."

"So?"

"Chill, bro. I was complimenting you. Having weird style is also a uniqueness." She just gave him a stare.

Just then Ansh come and sat down at the same table with them. Rithvik turned to Ansh. "Oye, why didn't you wake me when you left?"

Ansh was about to answer the question when Dhun points out that the union members are coming that way. "Maneesh is coming." They all looked around. The union members, Varun, Maneesh, Sooraj, Vidya and Sahil comes around. "Rithvik," Maneesh called him, "H, Ansh.... Dhun was it?"

"Yes. Hi, Maneesh."

"So tomorrow is our Varun's birthday. So we are partying tomorrow night at Sahil's house. You guys come, okay. Dhun as well."

"Okay," Dhun said.

"If we party what about the festival arrangements?"

"I told these guys that since it's festival there was no need of a party," Varun said.

"What yaar! It's our last year in college. If we don't party now, when will we? And... they can work on the festival while at the party. Anyway, we all will be there only."Maneesh said. Rith nodded. "so everybody be there on time, okay? Eh, Ansh, and Dhun everyone."

They moved on to invite other guys. Rithvik looked back at the guys and then at Ansh and Dhun. Rithvik casually hit Dhun's leg with his leg and stole some snacks off her plate with a naughty grin. Dhun just looked at Rithvik. He grinned and look back at Ansh. "So tell me, why didn't you wake me up in the morning? I got late because of you. Because of you, I got scolded by Sharma Sir."

"Hm, that actually..." Ansh was about to answer that again, but Dhun cut in again. "Ansh, so you will come for the party, right?"

Ansh was a bit taken aback at her sudden question "Eh...yeah. I guess..."

"I had been meaning to talk to you about something." Dhun said, "So if we have time we can talk at the party, I guess."

Ansh looked at her a bit confused. He and Dhun had never been that close. It was always Rithvik and Dhun who were close. "You can tell me now," Ansh said.

"Eh... actually, I was hoping we can talk alone. It's a bit...private." She looked at Rithvik as if being conscious of him. He was confused. "What is there to talk in private between you two?"

"There is."

"Why? Are you going to propose to him or something?" Rithvik joked.

"Yes," Dhun said without a change in her expression. Rithvik was startled. Ansh was puzzled as well. "What?" Rithvik asked.

"Yeah. I like Ansh." She looked back at Ansh. " I was going to tell you properly, but he ruined it already. SO I will say it. Ansh, I like you."

On this Rithvik totally broke into laughter. "You think you can pull our legs like that? Kuch bhi han!" Ansh looked a bit relieved at Rithvik's laughter. "I am serious," Dhun said. Rithvik stopped his laughter and looked at her. He kept looking at her for a second waiting for her to say it's a joke. But she did not. So he realized she is serious. "You are actually serious?"

"Yeah."

Rithvik was stunned. "Since when?"

Dhun shrugged. She looked back at Ansh. Ansh was looking really uncomfortable now. And Rithvik was kind of puzzled. He was trying to process the idea.

"So...Ansh?"

Ansh looked at her. "Dhun, I am sorry. I am not interested in a relationship right now."

"I knew that he was going to say that." Rithvik was mildly worked up. "Ansh, what is your problem? You may not know, Dhun is one of the best humans I have ever met okay." Dhun was suddenly touched by the words and looked at Rithvik. "You won't get a better girl. She is even way too good for you." Dhun was looking at Rith touched by his words, but her expression changed as he continue "Yeah, I agree that she is a bit too much like a dude. And not like a girl. And have a weird style. And talk roughly and is violent. But...she is a nice person, yaar."

"I know." Ansh said, "Not the later part. I know she is a nice person. It's not that. Just..."

"Just shut up with your excuses and date someone already," Rithvik yelled at him.

"Why are you getting so irritated? It's my life."

"Do you have any manners?" Rithvik asked him, "You are rejecting her on her face like this and saying 'it's my life'. When she is sitting right here."

Ansh turned to Dhun. "I am sorry about that. And Dhun, I am really sorry. But I don't feel that way about you. In fact, I don't even know you that well."

"I understand that." Dhun said, "But...people don't always start with mutual feelings, right? One person has to express his or her feelings first."

"Correct," Rithvik added.

"And you can at least think about it." Dhun preposed.

"Right?" Rithvik said, backing her up.

Irritated, Dhun turned to Rithvik, "Rith, can you please excuse us." Rithvik was a bit taken aback. "How can we talk properly with you here?"

"Oh! Okay. Relax." He said. "I will go get something more eat and come back, okay? You guys talk." He turned to Ansh, "Would you have coffee?" Ansh nodded. Rithvik got up to go to the counter. Ansh looked frustrated. Rithvik took a look back at them while he walked off. Ansh turned to Dhun as soon as Rithvik was away from there. "Dhun, it's not because of you." He was polite, "I like someone else."

"I know." She said quietly. Ansh was a bit surprised. "I know who it is. But I also know that it is not a simple matter." Ansh looked at her a bit troubled. "If it was simple you would already be with her." Ansh doesn't reply. But his expression said she was getting to him. "I am not asking much from you. But you can really honestly give it a thought for a few days, right? Life does not really give you only one choice and option. And if it's me, won't it be better? I already know you have feelings for someone else. I can tolerate that. And if you are with me, you may eventually get over them. That's a possibility, right? If you move on from her, and like someone else, won't that make things a lot more simpler?"

Ansh was kind of confused but he thought about what she was saying. Dhun looked up and Rithvik was looking at them from the counter. "Look, I am not asking for much. But at least think about it. At least for a few days. Come on, Ansh I am at least that much of a friend to you. Even for politeness sake or to keep the manners to a friend, you can consider this for a few days. Till the festival's end. I need your reply only after the festival. I want you to give this a serious thought till then? Can you please do that?"

Ansh was in deep thoughts and, he finally sighed and nodded.

"Thank you..." Dhun said, relieved.

Rithvik came back to the table with a plate of samosa and a coffee cup. "So what was decided?"

"He is going to consider this," Dhun told him.

"Really? That's great." He flung a hand around Ansh. "Good decision, bro." Ansh looked unsure, but he was a bit reassured at Rith's happiness.

The boys were in Rithvik's bedroom. Rithvik was reading a book sitting on the bed, and Ansh was lying on the floor listening to music on his mobile, and flipping through his textbook. Rithvik looked up from the book to Ansh. The door opened suddenly and Roli put her head in. "I am making popcorn. Who wants?"

"I will just pass," Rithvik said.

"Ansh?"

"Hm...I am okay too."

"Okay." Roli said, "Bye then." She went away.

Ansh was still looking at the door where she left. Rithvik closed his book. " You are really going to consider Dhun, right?" Rithvik was cautious, "Did you mean it?"

Ansh looked back at him. "Yeah. I mean...she asked me to think about it at least for a few days. I felt that is the right thing to do considering she is your close friend and all."

"Why does it sound like you will just think about her and then reject her? Are you doing this just to be polite with her?"

Ansh seemed a bit uneasy. Rithvik closed his book and slid down to the floor to sit beside Ansh. "Look Ansh, I know that you have no interest in her right now. But if you ask me, Dhun is actually a really nice catch. She has a sincerity to her."

"Sincerity?"

"And honesty and honorability. That we don't get to see these days. Also Loyalty." He thought for a second, "And if we think about that, all those qualities are really important, right?"

Ansh nodded.

"I hope you will take the right decision, bro,"Rithvik added.