Connected: A YHM Story ✔️

Chapter 41 - The One With a Makeshift Rakshabandhan

Vidya Shakti Public School - Monday, 10th Feb, 11:55 am

Commotion and hustle-bustle broke out in the school cafeteria, as it packed up with hungry students gathering for lunch. Ruhi ran into the cafeteria, looking for her friends. "Arpita! Mansi!" she called out and waved to her best friends two tables down. She galloped to the table, set down her backpack and lunch bag, and joined her friends.

"Ruhi, why are you so late?" Arpita asked. "Hum logon ka lunch to almost finish hi ho gaya, dekh." She showed her empty lunch box, devoid of the noodles her mother had packed for her. [We're almost finished with our lunch, look.]

"We were waiting for 15 minutes yaar," Mansi added.

"Sorry guys, main madam ki help kar rahi thi. Woh saari crayons aur pencils organize kar rahi thi after class," Ruhi explained. [I was helping madam. She was organizing all the crayons and pencils after class.]

"Teacher's pet," Mansi teased. "No wonder you're madam's favorite."

Before she could retort to her friend, a lone boy caught her eye. He sat on a table in the next aisle, withdrawn into himself, munching on a chicken nugget. Ruhi grinned.

"Adi bhaiya!" she yelled, waving her arms furiously to get his attention. "Arpita, Mansi, woh dekho! Mere bhaiya hai!" [Look there! That's my brother!]

She picked up her backpack and lunch bag, and ran to her brother, her confused friends at her heels. She approached her brother and invited herself to sit down beside him; Adi stared at her with an expression of a deer caught in headlights.

"R-Ruhi... Tum yahan?" he asked. [You're here?]

"Aap akele the na bhaiya? Isiliye main aa gayi! So you don't feel alone," she explained. "Yeh mere friends hai bhaiya, Arpita, and Mansi." She pointed to her friends. "Aur yeh mere Adi bhaiya hai. I told you I wasn't lying, guys." She peered at her friends with narrow eyes. 

[I saw you were alone bhaiya, so I came. So you don't feel alone. These are my friends bhaiya, Arpita and Mansi. And this is my Adi bhaiya. I told you I wasn't lying, guys.]

"Okay okay, we believe you Ruhi," Arpita answered, sheepishly. "Hum logon ka lunch to ho gaya, so we're going to play outside. Tum aa rahi ho Ruhi?" [We're done with lunch, so we're going outside. Are you coming Ruhi?]

"Tum log jaao. Main apne bhaiya ke saath lunch karungi." She turned to her brother. "Is that okay bhaiya?" She had gone on a limb and invited herself for lunch but would her brother be okay with that? [You guys go ahead. I'm going to have lunch with my brother.]

"That's fine Ruhi." His friends were busy making up a test they missed last week, so he welcomed the company.

Ruhi's friends bid her goodbye, as she opened her lunch box. Today Ishimaa had packed masala idlis with chutney along with an assortment of grapes and berries. As always, papa had tucked in a note of encouragement in the corner of her lunch box. She unfolded the note, read the message, and flashed a million dollar smile.

Laughter and love are two things that grow the more you share them. Don't be shy to share your smiles with someone who doesn't have one. - Love, Papa and Mumma ❤️

"What's that Ruhi?" Adi asked, seeing her bright smile.

"Ishimaa aur Papa mujhe every day aise notes dete hai lunch mein. Look." [Ishimaa and Papa give me notes like this in lunch every day. Look.]

She handed it to her brother. Adi read the note, and the corners of his mouth tugged upward. His sister had such a bright and infectious smile; he finally understood where she got it from. Was it wrong that he was jealous of his little sister?