One morning when Ansh came out of his apartment, Roli was at her door. "Oh, Great!," She said seeing Ansh, "Can you drop me at school? I am getting really late."

"What about Rithvik?"

"He is still sleeping."

"Then I should wake him up. He will be late."

"Before that could you please drop me at school? I will get in trouble if I go late, and I got late in the first place while trying to wake Rith up." She looked straight at Ansh. "Please, can't you?"

Ansh melted at once. He nodded.

On the way, on his bike, I was very, very conscious of her closeness. It was for the first time that Roli was on his bike, It was for the first time that any girl was on his bike. At a point the bike took a sharp curve and Roli out her arms around Ansh, From that point onwards, it was more difficult for him to concentrate on driving.

Roli did not think much of it though. When she was left in front of the school gate, she just hopped off saying, "Thanks, Ansh...." And joined her friends who were walking into the gate.

"Who was that?" One of the girls asked.

"That? Ansh. My brother's friend. Why?"

"The one who tutor you? He is cute." She commented.

"Her brother is cuter though." Another one of her friends said.

"Ew...." Roli said. "You will hate him if you see him at home. And Ansh too. I have seen him in home clothes. Is he good looking?"

"I think he is cute." Her friend said again.

"Really?" Roli turned around to the point where Ansh dropped her. He was gone now. She scrunched her face. She has never thought of him that way. But she has actually ever thought of Ansh as a brother either. Rithvik has lately insisted that Roli address Ansh as 'bhaiyya'. Roli's response was always the same –"I don't even call 'you' as bhaiyya, then why should I call Ansh that?"

Rithvik arrived in the middle of thee class, interrupting the professor in the middle. Ansh who was taking notes looked up at him,

"Rithvik Ahuja, you should learn to come to class on time." The professor told him. "You cannot sit in my class... Get out."

"Okay, Sir..." Rithvik gave a look of anger towards Ansh and walked out. He was bored and hungry, When he woke up he realised it was too late for class and he left home without having any breakfast.

So he walked to the canteen and ordered a cup of masala chai and vada pav.

He was at a table eating when Dhun walked in. He brightened up at the prospect of not being alone. "Dhun, bro.... here...." He waved at her. She noticed him and came to sit by him.

"I got late." She yawned, and saw the tea on the table, took the cup in her hand and took a sip.

"I just drank a sip from that cup though," Rithvik said. Dhun blushed, embarrassed and put the cup back. "Sorry. I did not realise..."

"It's okay. What is the big deal? I will order one more for you... Bhaiyya. One more masala chai."

But Dhun did not touch the cup in front of her.

"Don't be weird, dude. You can drink from it. We have drunk from one same cup as kids, you know..."

But Dhun just tucked her short hair to the back of her ears and avoided his gaze. "No. I am okay..."

"But you already drank from the cup. So, you can drink the rest too. Or else I have to drink it and we will be sharing saliva." He teased her. But she just avoided his eyes.

"Come on, I am joking... And what I the big deal? People can drink from the same cup. The sky won't fall on that. Come on... go on.... Or you drink from the new one they are bringing us." They were already bringing their order. "And I will drink from this one." He took the old cup in his hand. "But why are you being so weird on this. Chill... It's okay, yaar."

Dhun tried to relax and drank tea from the new cup they bought.

They two were in a heated argument about something when the canteen began to fill up, for the recess time. And Ansh dropped down on a chair beside Rithvik.

"Hey, why did you not wake me up in the morning?" Rithvik complained.

"Sorry. Roli asked for a lift. So, I dropped her to school."

Rithvik became attentive at once. "You dropped Roli. To her school. On your bike?"

"Yes. Why?"

Through Dhun could not detect anything, there was an uneasy air between the boys. Rithvik was not so comfortable with his gut feeling. It was not like he did not trust Ansh. But in any case, he did not want his best friend and his sister to be involved with each other. The idea did not really fit into his head. He felt it would be awfully weird if that happens.

Just then the union members, Varun, Maneesh, Sooraj, Vidya and Sahil came around. "Hi, Rithvik. Ansh. And Dhun, was it?" Maneesh greeted them. "So, tomorrow is our Varun's birthday," He put his hand around Varun "So we are partying tomorrow night at Sahil's house. You guys come, okay. Dhun as well."

"If we party what about the festival arrangements," Rithvik asked.

"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. We all will be there anyway." Maneesh said, and Rithvik nodded. "So, everybody be there okay..."

They talked for a few more minutes and went off to invite others. Rithvik lightly hit Dhun's legs and while she was distracted, he stole some French fries off her plate. She realised what happened and slapped Rithvik's arm. He laughed. Then Dhun remembered something. "Oh...right, Ansh... One of my friends asked for your number. She seems to like you. Maybe you know her. It's Diya from my class."

Rithvik 'ooed', but Ansh began to look uneasy. "So can I give her your number?" Dhun added.

"Give..." Rithvik insisted.

"No, don't....." Ansh said.

"No.... Give. This idiot has no interest in girls. I need to see him be with a girl once in my life."

Ansh sat forward and in a very sincere tone said, "Dhun, please don't. Please...."

Dhun blinked. "Okay..." she said. "I won't if you don't want me to. But she is a nice girl."

"It's not that. I am not interested in dating now."

"When are you ever." Rithvik ate some more of the French fries from Dhun's plate.

"Rithvik, you should not insist. It's his personal choice." She added. "He could have reasons."

"But he could at least try to meet the girl." Rithvik insisted. "I mean it is not like he is gay. No offence to gays. I respect them. But this one is not. He likes girls. He is not asexual either, I know that for a fact. Then why cannot he give Diya a chance? And it's Diya. She is cute. If she asked for my number, I would have already been dating her. And it's a nice chance and all, right? Come on, Ansh."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Rith, come on. I said I don't want to. I am not interested." Ansh was highly annoyed and angry now. Rithvik looked at him suspiciously and irritated. This was not helping him with the doubt in his mind.

"Hey, you guys don't argue because of this right now." Dhun interfered, "And Ansh doesn't have to meet her if he is not interested."

That night Ansh was in Rithvik's room. 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 looks up from the book to Ansh.

The door opens 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". She goes away. Ansh looked at the door where she left. Rithvik notice this and closed his book. He sat closer to Ansh. "Ansh..." Ansh looked back at him. "About you refusing to meet Diya... Is that because of Roli? "

"What?" Ansh was taken aback.

"I asked you if it is because of Roli."

Ansh went pale.

"Rith."

"No, right? I can trust you, right?"

"Rith, I..."

Rithvik could read Ansh's eyes. He closed his book and sat back. "Roli and you are impossible. So just forget about it." Ansh stood up to look at him. Rithvik continued as cold as ever, "And this is me being as polite to you as I can." Ansh kept looking at Rithvik with distress. "And you do meet Diya. Give her a chance. She is a nice girl. You guys will look good together. "

"Who are you to decide that?" Ansh asked. "And.... It's my feelings. I will decide who I should be with. And who I should not be with." Rithvik gave him ma stern look. But Ansh continued, "Have I ever told you that I want something with Roli? You are my best friend, if wanted to be something with her, won't I ask your permission first? Wouldn't I have told you about it?"

"So you do have feelings for Roli."

"I have. I have feelings for her. But...I will deal with it. I have been suppressing them for 6 years. And I can do that in future as well. I am trying to get rid of my feelings for her."

"Good then." Rithvik sat back.

Ansh was emotional now. "Though I am not succeeding in it." He looked at Rithvik with hope, "I don't know what to do, Rith."

"If you think I will pat your shoulder and console you over it, then you are wrong. That is bullshit."

"You are my best friend. If I can't discuss my problems with you, whom should I go to?" He gave a short sad laugh.

"You want to discuss this topic with me," Rithvik was sarcastic.

"Yes. I had been meaning to. I have been thinking for a while, to just talk it out with you. And since the conversation has already started, I want us to have a proper conversation. I don't really see a reason for me and Roli to be such an impossibility?"

"What?"

"She is your sister. Not my sister."

Rithvik jumped out of the bed. "You...."

"What? What wrong did I say? Do you even know how hard it is to suppress these kinds of feelings for someone? I am going mad for real." Ansh ran a hand over his hair in frustration. "I know you won't like it. I know it's...difficult for you. But Rith, I really like her, yaar? Trust me, I will never hurt her."

"I like her since always. I was 14 when I started getting nervous around her. When she looked at me with anger, my heart used to beat harder. I tried to feel different but it's not happening. " he continued in a pleading voice. "I dream of her at night."

Rithvik suddenly grabbed Ansh's collar. "She is my sister, you scoundrel..."

"I know..." Ansh whispered.

"She should be like your sister too. Also...She is a kid. She is still in school. I don't want her to be with any guy let alone you. It's disgusting that you feel this way about her."

"Rith you are misunderstanding my feelings. It's not like that."

"What it's not like that? Do you think I don't know what guys feel for girls? I saw the look that came on your face when she hugged you. I wanted to smash your face with my hands."

"Rith, you are overreacting. You are making it like I have lust for her."

"Oh, so you are not at all physically attracted to her and all this is some pure platonic stuff? Give that bullshit to someone else, Ansh. I know what a guy feels for a girl."

Ansh did not know what to say. Rithvik calm down a bit. He notices that Ansh is looking a bit crestfallen. "Ansh," he stepped closer and put a hand around Ansh's shoulder. "Man, I know you are a nice guy. But I don't want you to feel that way about my sister. She is my SISTER. Or more than that. Our parents have never been around much since we were kids and It was always me taking care of her. It was always just the two of us. And you are my best friend. So some other girl, Ansh. Please... some other girl."

Ansh wiped his tears. "Okay.... I was trying to get rid of my feelings for Roli anyway. But I cannot date another girl right now. I need time."

Rithvik nodded and hugged Ansh. "Thanks. Thanks, man..."