When life happens

The failed prank

"Sorry, bhaiya," said Neha contritely. Then she turned to Siri and sighed, "Rohit bhaiya promised me a day with him if I succeeded in getting back at Jaddu bhaiya," said Neha mournfully.

Jaddu laughed even more at that. "Ro, you should've known better than hiring a kid to get back at me!"

"He did warn me," said Neha defensively. "And I'd have got you if not for this..." She looked at Siri, deliberating. "... cow."

"Cow?" said Siri. "Did you call me a cow?"

"No, she didn't," intervened Tani. "Let's go back and sleep, Siri, come on."

Siri accepted Jaddu's fist bump and went back to their room; obviously she couldn't resist the offer to sleep.

"She's such a spoilsport," Neha lamented to Jaddu. "It would've been such a unique experience for you too, Jaddu bhaiya!"

"Actually yes," sighed Jaddu.

"You can still have a day with me, Neha," said Rohit placatingly. "Because after all you tried to take on Jaddu for me, which no one has ever done before."

Neha face broke into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "THANK YOU ROHIT BHAIYA! BUT I'LL STILL AVENGE YOU ONE DAY SOON!!"

"Don't shout!" said Rohit. "And you're welcome, too."

...........................................................................

So it so happened that Tani was out with Virat in a Japanese restaurant and Rohit had taken Neha out to some random place in Ahmedabad and Siri was highly bored as she sat beside the pool and lazed.

It was a bit funny, earlier she had spent every hour of the day alone without feeling bored and now a few hours without Tani and Neha around made her restless.

Hardik sauntered over to her.

"At a loose end, darling? Want to go out with me?" said Hardik, who persisted in calling her 'darling' or "sweetheart' or anything just as awful.

"No, thank you," said Siri.

Bhuvi and Jassi happened to be passing the pool with someone Siri hadn't seen before.

"Is he bothering you again?" Bhuvi asked Siri.

"Trying his best," said Siri, but she wasn't really getting bothered.

Hardik amused her, but at the moment she was more interested in watching the unknown person with the pacers.

Jassi saw her looking at him quizzically and said, "Meet our new net bowler, Siri. Shivam." He turned to Shivam and said, "Our friend Siri. She's here to work on a project."

Shivam Dube looked extremely nervous to be introduced to a girl out of the blue, but he managed a, "Hello."

"Hello," was all Siri said, too.

She found that she still couldn't speak to unknown people without Neha rattling off nonsense beside her, even when they happened to be good looking boys like Shivam Dube.

Hardik didn't like the way Siri was looking at Shivam, so he told Jassi and Bhuvi clearly, "See you around."

Amused, they went away with Shivam, as Siri asked Hardik wryly, "Are you like this with every new girl you meet?"

"No!" said Hardik, scandalized. "I'm not like this with Neha and Tani, am I? Am I?"

Siri snorted. "I'd like to see you try this on Tani. Please do..."

Hardik frowned.

"... Will you?" requested Siri.

"If I do will you go out with me?" asked Hardik eagerly.

"No," said Siri.

Hardik's face fell.

"Did she refuse you again?" asked Jaddu, sneaking up on them.

"She did," said Hardik, sounding offended.

"Go and recover from it in isolation," said Jaddu.

Hardik didn't usually listen to people, of course, but Jaddu added, "I need to talk to her, so go."

Hardik went away.

"Thanks," Siri told Jaddu, assuming he had been bluffing.

"I want your help in a mission," said Jaddu, his eyes gleaming. "Vi isn't here, and I need a partner, and we make good partners, don't we?"

"I don't want to help you in any prank," said Siri. "I don't like pranks!"

"No one can not like pranks, Siri! Come with me, I tell you we can get the others really wonderfully. I have a great plan!"

Siri wasn't good at resisting when people were bothering her like this; usually she gave in just to make them shut up.

"All right," she sighed. "What's the great plan?"