Ruhanna's POV

Heena suggested that we should try the out Chinese this time, and when Chinese is demanded, none other than the Chung Fa can win our taste buds. Since childhood, it has been my favourite Chinese restaurant in the city. I feel a Chinese city turning alive in that restaurant. The ambience was perfect to hang out with your family and friends, even with your lover.

Due to some emergency call, Heena had to stay back. However, she promised us to reach the venue as soon as possible. She said she would be right behind us but 20 minutes past and there was still no trace of her.

"I am feeling hungry. I am ordering." Hrishav grumbled opening the menu.

"Me too." Drishti joined in.

"Shut up." I snorted."Don't you people have the decency to wait atleast."

They closed the menu together and made a sick face looking at me. I dialed her number.

"10 minutes more, she is on her way." I said.

"Alright. I am going for starters till she arrives. Hope you don't have any problem with that now."

"Chicken babycorn soup for me." Drishti raised her hand.

"Me too buddy..." Hrishav passed her a hi five and looked at me. "What about you, behna (sister)?"

"Chicken mushroom soup with extra coriander."

A husky voice stated from behind me. Before I turned back to ask for an autograph of the person who remembered my taste for soup so perfectly, Drishti exclaimed excitedly,

"Siddhant!!!!"

And yes, it was him.

"Hey kiddo!!! Howdy?"

"Great! What about you?"

Their chattering started as usual while Hrishav arched a brow at me with that look 'is-this-the-same-siddhant?" while all I could do was just shrug.

"Hey meet my Hrishav mama. He knows how to make robots." Drishti said proudly introducing them. Lord! Her innocence breaks me!

Hrishav glanced at me and stood up from his seat like a gentleman. Smiling gently at him, he shook hands with Siddhant.

"Siddhant, good to see you again." Hrishav sighed with a relaxed smile. Nothing has changed. My goosebumps raised at the flashback when I introduced Siddhant to Hrishav for the first time. Enthralling heartbeat skipped a beat.

"Hrishav, please atleast meet him once. He is really a great guy!!" I cried out to him desperately."He is waiting outside. Please don't behave like a jerk."

"He is not a Hindu! Of all the boys on earth, you got a Muslim boy to fall in love, you crazy twerp!!" He hissed at me.

"He is a human, for God's sake!! Stop behaving like a stereotype."

His eyes burned in fire as he glared at me but then I made a puppy dog face silently begging for him to meet Siddhant.

"Please." I blinked twice and finally he nodded.

"If I don't like him, I would be supporting neither of you." He strictly warned pointing his finger at me.

I kept twisting my fingers the moment they shook hands. It was'nt easy for a normal guy to impress my brother. He was always in search of soul food and quality in people. Amazingly, Siddhant had both. Hrishav carried this protective elder brother look on his face initially. What a show off, I thought.

"So, why did you select my sister?"
Hrishav asked leaning against the coffee table.

Siddhant smiled.
"She was never a choice. We choose when we compare things. To me, she has always been a necessity."

Good going. Hrishav saw me smiling like an idiot and signalled me to bring two cups of tea.

15 minutes later when I turned up with two cups of tea, I saw they were going easy with each other. Making Hrishav laugh meant it was a green signal. I relaxed placing the cups on the table.

Siddhant's eyes smiled at me as I placed the cup.

"You are a fine man Siddhant. My sister is a bit crazy to fall for you despite our religious diversity." Hrishav sighed.

"In our Indian army, the Hindu soldiers as well as the Muslim soldiers are fighting for our country. They don't count how many of us are Hindu or Muslim, they just protect us no matter what." Siddhant kept the cup, "It is we who create this diversity. Ruhanna is crazy I agree, but she taught me that life is nothing without madness."

I narrowed my eyes at Siddhant. He made me fall in love with him all over again. I noticed my brother smiling as he looked at me through the corner of his eyes.

"You made it to being an IPS and I never got a party from you? This is rather unfair, right sister?"

"Huh?" I croaked completely in vain with what they were discussing. "You were saying something?"

"Alas! She is again daydreaming!" Hrishav grumbled.

"No no..." I gave a sly smile pulling my hair back. That's when our eyes met, my throat running out dry the moment he looked into my eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with sleeves folded making his veins visible as he leaned to me, whispering in my ears,

"I am crushing on your black bindi."

My jaws dropped.
Staring at him like a fool, I saw my brother eyeing me at the same time.

"Didn't expect to see you here." I said trying to switch conversation.

He stepped back and turned to Hrishav, "I was actually waiting for Anuraag. He is in the washroom."

"Fatso is alive?" Hrishav mocked and they laughed. I don't know what was funny in that.

"Fatso is alive harvesting the energy to punch you hard." Anuraag put his hand around Hrishav's shoulder with a smirk.

Hrishav's eyes widened to see Anuraag. He was no longer a fatso after all.

"Man! Such a long time." Hrishav exclaimed embracing Anuraag. "How are you?"

"Alive and kicking." Anuraag said and asked Hrishav, "Leave about us man, tell me how are you? Lemme guess, making money in Wall Street?"

Hrishav laughed.
"Making robots for India."

Drishti whispered to me, "They know each other?"

"Very well." I smiled when Anuraag said something ridiculous.

"Robots?" His eyes widened. "You mean robots like Siddhant?"

My brother and I couldn't stop ourself from an insulting laughter. For a second, Siddhant's face flushed pink in embarrassment. But he made my heart skip a beat at that.

"I am not paying the bill." Siddhant smirked looking at Anuraag.

"I left my wallet at home. And Siddhant loves to kid." Anuraag calmly explained us.

"No, I ain't kidding."

Anuraag's face dropped as he looked at me.

"See you guys soon. And Hrishav, booze at my place tonight." Siddhant snapped his finger.

"Sure man!" They shook hands when I interrupted, "Sid, you aren't drinking."

"Oh yes, I am Ruhi. Stop me if you can!" He winked and walked out of the restaurant. Anuraag didn't even bade us goodbye and ran right after Sid, followed by the waiter who kept shouting for the bill at him.

"Their bond is still the same, isn't it?" Hrishav smiled seeing the waiter finally return with the money.

College life really leaves us with some of the best friends on earth. The memories and their company never fade away.

Meanwhile, Heena entered in a rush placing her bag next to me. Her face had the apologetic look as she started,
"I'm so so so sorry. Traffic can really be bummer."

"I guess we can order now." Hrishav showed all his teeth before shouting out to the waiter.

*
*

Back at home, there was nothing for me to do as we had lunch outside. No cleaning or washing the dishes. So I chose to check my email for any job letter. But again it was blank. I so wanted to see the notification of a new message. As I was scrolling down the page, my phone beeped.

"Hello-yeah-yeah-thank you so much."

I hung the call and ran downstairs to the TV hall excitedly. Hrishav was busy watching Megastructures on Discovery channel whereas Drishti had the sleepy look on her face with her eyes stuck on the TV screen.

They turned their eyes in the same direction to find me in an over excited mood.

"I have been called for an interview tomorrow." I squeaked excitedly.

My brother switched off the TV and gave me a broad smile. He stood up from his palace, with hands in his pocket as Drishti shouted out congratulations to me.

"You are grabbing this aren't you?" Hrihav passed a confident smile.

"110 percent."

*
*

While I was busy arranging my files and papers for tomorrow, somebody knocked at my door. Twisting my head a little, I saw it was Hrishav. Normally, he wasnt the kind of person to display so much manners as such knocking at my door.

"Knocking at my door? Any special occasion?" I smirked.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to talk with my horrible sister." He dodged on the bed.

"If this is about Robots, kindly spare me the trauma."

He laughed throwing his head back.

"No more robots. This is about you." the pace of his voice settled to a serious note.

I stared at him blankly.

"About me?" I repeated. Hrishav had always been very encouraging about me restarting with my life while I always shook it off.

"Is there anything going on between Siddhant and you?"

My eyes widened. I didn't expect that to be coming.

Hiding my glance, I stuttered, "Huh? No no not at all."

He itched his forehead skeptically looking at me.

"Are you sure?"

Now this was really getting weird.

"Wait, why are you asking me all these?" I tried to to change his question.

He shrugged, "Because I want you to get attached. Okay screw you! But at least Drishti needs a fatherly figure."

I blinked. My lips sealed.

"Look I'm not forcing you into this. Its your life. But I always liked that guy for you though he is not Hindu."

I pursed my lips together
"He is a Hindu. Life played a terrible joke with us all those years back."

The look on Hrishav's was confused as hell.

"Elaborate please." He arched his brows. "Damn! I missed out a whole season." He sighed grabbing the bubble gum from the desk.

"Its a long story."

"Tada, it is me!" He raised his hands, "I have spent half of my life with books heavier than my body weight. Please start."

I rolled my eyes and sat next to him.
Thin lines of scars painted my past and thinner lines of hopes were brushing my future. How can I let go of one without embracing the other?

*
*
*

New chapter, finally. Chapter 19, woah! It has been hell of a ride, isn't. When I started this I had no idea what I was going to do with them. But now, the characters have grown with you and me. You can drop in the name of your favourite character along with the changes you adore in them.

Have a good day!