When life happens

Neha's past

The team was planning to visit Rohit's home the next day, as they always did when they were in the town.

"Are we invited?" Ahona asked sweetly at breakfast.

"Afraid not," said Jaddu. "Rohit's parents shouldn't be forced to welcome strangers. Er-unwelcome strangers."

"Jaddu," said Bhuvi. "Don't be rude."

"But all the same, they had better stayed back," said Virat, anxious to get rid of the sisters as much as he could. Not Srinija so much, if he was honest. In fact, since she had grown close to Bhuvi, she seemed like a different-and much nicer-person, so he liked her pretty well. But if they could not very well invite Srinija without inviting Ahona as well.

"Maybe we can have a girls' day out," said Ahona sportingly, smiling at Tani, who narrowed her eyes, Siri, who choked, and Neha, who openly glared.

"They're coming with us," said Rohit swiftly. "Tani, Siri and Neha...my mother has wanted to meet them for long."

Tani's eyes weren't narrowed any longer, and Siri had stopped coughing, but Neha was still glaring, so Rohit added, in a bid to pacify her, but not untruthfully, "Especially Neha."

That made her stop glaring all that viciously.

Srinija looked kind of upset, but did not say anything. Bhuvi caught her eyes and smiled.

They set off soon after breakfast, bidding a cheerful (and thankful) goodbye to the sisters.

***

Rohit's parents welcomed them warmly. They already knew most of the team very well, and took to Tani, Siri and Neha remarkably quickly.

Hardik, to the girls' surprise,  was behaving in an ultra refined manner, offering the most comfortable chair to Jassi, offering to pass down the salt to aunty, touching aunty and uncle's feet, etc, etc...

"What is he doing?" murmured Neha.

"Sucking up as usual," said Jassi matter-of-factly. "All our parents love him."

Siri snorted. The very idea!

When Hardik returned to where the youngsters were, Tani asked drily, "You done?"

"For the time being, yes," said Hardik, grinning.

Jinks joined Tani at the lunch table, having heard a lot from his two best friends that she was like him, and since, before dessert, Tani had broken up a fight between Siri and Hardik about who had won their eye fight, and scolded a sheepish Rishabh for dropping the salt container, and sent a couple of dark glances at Virat 'bhaiya' for acting the goat as usual, he knew that they were right.

"You're a great help to Bhuvi when I'm not around," he told Tani, his eyes twinkling.

"I dunno, we always seem to be fighting a losing battle," said Tani. "Do you ever win with these guys, Jinks bhaiya?" she added, sending a third dark glance at Virat, who was imitating the maid for aunty's sake.

"Never," said Jinks. "But we can only try."

Tani nodded solemnly.

Kuldeep, who was of course dying to make up with Neha by now, made sure he sat beisde her, but Neha was still so mad that she would not even look at him, let alone talk to him. Yuzi sat on her other side, thinking that his Kul might need help, but no amount of jokes from him would break her out of her self-imposed muteness.

Since Shivam had, apparently overwhelmed at having spent a whole day with Siri, taken the seat at the farthest corner of the room, and since Hardik had benn sulking ever since Jaddu bhaiya took Siri's side in their eye-fight fight, Siri was peacefully eavesdropping on Kuldeep, Yuzi and Neha.