Love is just a word until someone comes and gives it a meaning.
-------------
"You still flirt awesome Ritik!" Riddhima chuckled while shaking her head.
Ritik and Riddhima met in college and turned out to be good friends soon. After their graduation, most of their friends lost contact but they both somehow reconnected back after sometime.
"Laugh baby. My heart is now habitual to your rejections." Ritik feigned hurt and then joined her in laughing.
Turning sober soon, he asked, "To bataiye, madam ko humari yaad kaise aayi?"
"Aaaaa wo actually.." and she told the whole story to Ritik.
"Ohh to ye baat hai. To isme sochna kya, aaja mere ghar, mummy papa bhi nahi hain." He said in a deep husky voice and laughed when he heard her whine and said, "Acha acha, now completely serious."
"Hmm, now help me." Riddhima said, while laying down on her bed.
"Rajendra Nagar me ek dost ka flat khali hai waise." Ritik said thinking while Riddhima denied, "Rajendra Nagar to bahot dur ho jayega. School bhi to travel karna hota hai na roz."
"Hmm wo bhi hai. Ek min, tera ghar mere yha se kitna dur hai?" Ritik asked.
"I guess 20 minutes. Kyu?" Riddhima replied when Ritik exclaimed, "Aur tere ghar se school 10 minute door hai. Ek kaam kar na, meri ek dost hai, Diksha. She lives alone here. To tu uske saath shift hoja. Traveling time bhi kam hoga aur teri company bhi ho jayegi."
"Wo sab to thik hai par ek baar usse puch le na. Tujhe pata hai na I'm-"
"An introvert. I know. And don't worry. Usko shayad hi kuch problem hogi. Tu kal office timings ke baad mere ghar aaja. Main usko bhi bula leta hu and tum dono ka introduction bhi ho jayega." Ritik suggested when Riddhima nodded and confirmed the plan. They bid byes to each other after sometime and went to sleep.
Next morning, when Raj woke up, he felt a little dizzy. When he inhaled, he noticed he had caught serious cold, which was quite often to happen with him. He took his usual cold tablet and went for shower.
Ritik reached Diksha's home and picked her up. They both entered the office and kept their bags on their tables and then went to the cafeteria. Ritik then told her about Riddhima and she asked some basic questions after which she agreed to meet her.
They were just talking when Raj reached there. He looked a little weak and looked drowsy by his eyes.
"Kya hua tujhe? Thik hai tu?" Ritik asked concernedly to which he replied, "Haan, bas cold ho gya kal aur dawai leke aaya hun."
"Le chai pee, acha lgega." Diksha handed him over the tea cup kept on the table and he slowly drank it while having a light hearted chat with the two.
They had their breakfast prepared by Diksha and then went to work.
In the afternoon, Raj completed his work faster than usual and took a half day leave as he wasn't feeling well.
When he went home, he was surrounded by silence. No one to wait for him, no one to hug him when he is back from work. This thought led his brain to overthink really fast and he suffered a mood swing, as a consequence of which, he threw his office bag on the sofa and went to change.
After that, he went into the balcony and looked around. The sunset was almost approaching and he could easily witness the sun making the sky blush. He shook his head at his thoughts and started to miss his mother.
He called her which was picked up after 4 rings.
"Hey bhagwan! Ye kya? Kisne jaadu tona kar dia mere bete pe? Ae ji suniye, hawan karwana padega hume jald se jald!" Her mother exclaimed and he could hear the shuffling on the other side.
"Ye sab kya keh rahe ho mummy?" He said with a scrunched nose.
"Arre aaj saamne se tune phone kiya hai, warna har roz to main hi phone karti hu. Ho gaya na jadu? Bata, kisi anjaane se kuch leke khaya tha kya? Ya fir chaurahe ke beech se guzra tha? Ya fir-"
"Aaj to marzi se phone kiya hai, par agar aapne aise hi taane diye to khud hi karte rehna saamne se phone." Raj said frustratingly.
"Han han thik hai. Ek second, ye teri aawaz ko kya hua? Tabiyat thik nahi hai kya?" His mother asked worriedly on the other side.
"Wo thand lag gayi thi kal bas thodi." He said slowly.
"Aur mat kha Baba Chandeshwar Upanyaas Kari Siddhi Datra ka churan. Unhone kaha tha na roz khaayega to immunity achi hogi teri. Warna har dusre din beemar padta rahega. Par meri koi sune tab na." Her mother said with an eye roll.
"Ek to ye baba ka naam hai ki pura address yahi nahi pata. Aur aap bhi kya har baar pura naam lete ho? Aur mummy haath judwalo, aisa churan bilkul nahi khana jisse-" Raj was left incomplete.
"Kyu bathroom ni ja pata kya?" Her mother asked with a raised eyebrow, very innocently.
He smacked his own forehead and said, "Muh ka taste bigad jaata hai Maateshwari ji."
She made an o face on the other side as if he can see her, and then started to instruct him about the precautions he should take to get well soon.
"Ab use aaram bhi karne do Shalu, ya fir hidaayat de dekar hi pet bhar dogi uska?" He heard his father say in the background to which he chuckled because soon after, what followed was his mother's ranting about how both of them team up and then don't pay any heed to her care.
His father talked a bit to him and then he went inside. The sun was set and moon had replaced it now. He wasn't feeling like eating anything but for the sake of taking medicines, he spread Peanut Butter on 2 slices of bread, had them, and then took the medicine.
(I personally don't like peanut butter. Anyone in Team Prarthna or Team Raj?)
Diksha and Ritik reached his apartment directly. After half an hour, Riddhima was there. In the first glimpse, Diksha found her to be really beautiful and started to feel thinking that what if Ritik likes Riddhima? She looked at both of them who were sharing a side hug, which was pretty normal but Diksha had already created scenarios in her mind.
(I think the book title should be changed to : A hub of overthinkers 😂)
He introduced both of them and looked expectantly at Diksha, waiting for her positive reply. She didn't really want to befriend Riddhima but she wasn't too bad either and decided to accept.
Riddhima looked really happy and hugged Diksha, squealing. Ritik joined them and the three shared a hug after which they went outside to eat. All the while, Ritik was reciting Riddhima and his college times and Diksha was feeling a bit upset with the fact but who was speaking? Her crush and she could listen to him 24*7.
After the dinner, Raj went to sleep but wasn't really able to. He tossed in the bed till he finally woke up and his hand reached for his phone. He opened Pinterest and passed a bad look to the pins because he had always searched for romantic pins and they were all appearing to be in his recommendation section now.
"Ughhhh I need a hug" He murmured cutely and then looked around. Moonlight was succeeded in cutting the edge of the darkness just a bit. He pursed his lips and tried to sleep again, laying down.
Late night, he fell asleep.
Riddhima decided to shift to Diksha's house after 2 weeks because that's when Mr. & Mrs. Daruwala were leaving India. She wanted to spend some time with them and meanwhile, pack her belongings.
A/n: So guys, finally Chapter 5 is gonna witness their first meet. How do you think it is gonna be? Any assumptions?
Please vote and comment if you like the story :)