Dev rummaged through his closet, frustration evident on his face as he tossed aside most of his tried-and-true shirts onto his bed. His once snug-fitting clothes now felt uncomfortably tight against his now-fluffy body, a stark reminder of the toll his sedentary lifestyle had taken on him due to his tight study schedule. With a sigh, he surveyed the mess he had created, shirts strewn haphazardly across the bed in a chaotic pile. Grabbing his maroon t-shirt, he disappeared into the bathroom, eager to see if it still fit or if he'd have to add it to the growing pile of clothes that no longer accommodated his expanding frame.
As Dev emerged from his walk-in closet, he couldn't help but snort at his reflection in the mirror. "I really look like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner now, so much like the dog in that English chapter," he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with self-deprecating humour due to his non-fitting clothes.
The sudden voice jolted Arvika out of her imagination and she turned at the sound of Dev's voice, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight before her. There stood a fluffy boy completely compressed in an oversized T-shirt, exactly mirroring the self-deprecating dialogue he had just uttered.
Unable to stifle her laughter, Arvika erupted into fits of giggles, her joyous peals echoing through the room. At that moment, she forgot the tension of being in an unknown territory, swept away by the fluffy potato in front of her who was tightly packed inside a maroon-coloured T-shirt.
Dev, startled by the sound of Arvika's laughter, turned towards her with a mixture of shock and curiosity. As his eyes landed on Arvika, who was doubled over in laughter at his current fashion mishap, he felt a peculiar sensation wash over him.
Instead of his usual brown orbs, his eyes seemed to sparkle with tiny heart icons, each one pulsating with the rhythm of his racing heart. The sight of Arvika's infectious laughter, coupled with the genuine warmth in her eyes, sent his heart into a frenzy, beating faster than ever before. It was as if time stood still in that moment, the world around them fading into the background as Dev found himself captivated by the young girl who had effortlessly brought him to a standstill.
"So beautiful," he had whispered to himself.
If it would've been someone else laughing at his bloated sausage kind of shape, he would have punched that person in the face already. But here he found himself inexplicably rooted to the spot, utterly captivated by the sight of the young teenage girl who had unwittingly entranced him. His usual machoism faltered in her presence, replaced by a sense of vulnerability and awe as he gawked at her with wide eyes.
And as realization dawned on Dev as if brick falling straight into his face, that Arvika's laughter was directed at his own comical appearance, a flush of embarrassment crept up his cheeks and deleted all the hearty icons he had in his eyes, replacing it with the embarrassed emoticons. "Shit!" he cursed and with a swift motion, he instinctively pulled a nearby towel in front of him, as if to shield his boyish boobs.
Arvika's hee-hawing also subsided, her laughter fading into the background as she took in Dev's embarrassed reaction. Despite her best efforts to compose herself, her eyes betrayed the lingering traces of amusement, now tinged with a hint of empathy. The corners of her lips turned downwards, a subtle indication of her understanding of the situation and her genuine concern for the fluffy boy's feelings.
And just how nature conspires that happy moments are followed by sorrowful times, an emotion of terror and dread surged within her after her laughter died.
Was he the Human potato Sakshi had mentioned to her just a while ago?
Was he the Buffalo in whose barn she was standing right now?
Was he the bully who had four girlfriends?
Wait!!! How the hell had she suddenly turned so judgmental and narrow-minded?
Time please!
BULLY!
BULLY!
BULLY!
'Arvika run before he BULLDOZES you for life', connecting the dots between the fluffy boy standing before her and the notorious bully brother of Sakshi, Arvika knew it was that moment when she needed her athletics skills to kickstart ASAP. In an instant, she understood that the boy she had been laughing at was none other than Dev, or as she thought to herself, "Monty" or "Vicky" - India's favourite name for every bully.
Without a moment's hesitation, Arvika's instincts kicked in and she reached for the door, her mind raced with a flurry of emotions - disbelief, apprehension, and a lingering sense of vulnerability.
As Arvika made a swift move towards the door, even Dev's instincts kicked in, same-pinching Arvika's instincts, his heart pounding with a mix of confusion and urgency. Without fully comprehending the reason behind his actions, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, halting her in her tracks before she could make her escape.
"Wait," Dev blurted out, his voice betraying a hint of desperation as he struggled to process the whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. His eyes searched Arvika's face, seeking answers to questions he had yet to formulate.
Arvika froze at Dev's touch, her breath catching in her throat as she turned to face him, her eyes wide with apprehension. She felt a surge of panic welling up inside her, unsure of what to expect from the boy whose reputation loomed large in her mind.
But as she met Dev's gaze, she sensed a vulnerability beneath the surface, a flicker of uncertainty that mirrored her own. Arvika hesitated, her instincts warring with the unexpected tenderness she detected in Dev's touch.
He left her wrist and they stared at each other. One with a myriad of emotions of doubt and uncertainty, and the other one with a flurry of emotions of apprehension and anxiety.
Mustering up his whole splattered self together, Dev asked, "Who are you? Why were you in my room?".
"Hello, Bhaiya (Big brother). I'm Arvika and I'm Sakshi's best friend. She was giving me a tour of her house but Aunt called her, so I was just standing here & looking around, enjoying nature," she had answered with a little hesitation and shyness, not looking specifically at him.
As Dev heard her, he couldn't help but be captivated by the melodious sound of her name as it escaped his lips. "Arvika," he murmured softly, the syllables rolling off his tongue with a gentle cadence that stirred something deep within him. Yet, as he pondered the musicality of her name, Dev couldn't shake the feeling that there was another sound that held an even greater allure for him. It was the sound of Arvika's laughter, he realized, that held the coveted spot as the most melodious in his heart. The way her laughter bubbled up from deep within her, filling the room with its infectious joy, had captured his attention from the moment they had met.
But wait?
Did she just bro-zone him by calling him 'Bhaiya'?
'Bhaiya'.
Seriously?
'Bhaiya'.
Why the hell did she call him with that? Here, he had already planned about their future, and there she was, already planning to tie a 'Brother band' on his wrist, tagging him as her big brother.
No way!
Arvika unwittingly ignited a firestorm of anger within him by calling him that. The term "Bhaiya" struck a nerve deep within him, his frustration boiling over as he struggled to contain the overwhelming surge of resentment towards the label that served as a painful reminder of every bro-zoned Aashiq!
(Lover)
"Don't ever call me Bhaiya, okay? I'm not your brother, Arvika," he gritted out, clenching his fist.
"You are my senior and also my best friend's brother so in that way I should also call you Bhaiya, Bhaiya," she tried to counterattack using her childishly innocent mind, not exactly getting the idea of his sudden change of mood.
Her hand movements, the way her lips were moving, the soft tendrils falling out of her thick braided mane: everything about her was making him go mushy from within, the emotion he was experiencing for the first time. Maybe her innocence infatuated him.
"And that's how you laugh at a senior's expense?" feigning anger at Arvika for her laughter at his expense, with a dramatic scowl, his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed in mock indignation, Dev seethed. When he had folded his arms, his pot belly sneaked a little, trying to find who had increased the lub-dub of his neighbour who lived inside the closed ventricles of the lungs.
Arvika's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No, no. I wasn't. It was just....I am sorry," she stammered and closed her eyes.
'You were laughing because he was looking like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner. Don't lie you chicken!' her inner conscience gnawed at her.
"Should you laugh at a person like that? Is that what a good girl should do?" he added, this time with more fervour and ruthlessness. But from within, only he knew how he was enjoying teasing her. It felt refreshing to see her innocent almost baby-like antics.
Arvika shook her head again and apologized, "I am sorry, I shouldn't have laugh...."
Dev chuckled inwardly and said, his tone laced with mock seriousness. "What if I made fun of your braids? They kinda remind me of the tail of a desi cow."
Arvika's eyes widened at the sudden analogy between her Braid and a Desi cow's tail! She touched her braids softly and nervously glanced at her daunting bully.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Dev leaned in closer to Arvika, his voice dripping with feigned menace. "Let me cut your braids," he said with mock threat. "Maybe I could transplant your braids to a poor, tail-less cow." His words hung in the air, a playful threat meant to evoke a reaction from Arvika
Arvika's heart skipped a beat and she prayed, 'Bhagwan, please save me from him. I don't want to get bald. I know I behaved like a bully by laughing at him but please don't let him bully me, pretty please,' Arvika was beseeching God to save her this time. And that's when her prayers were heard.
"Abey Motu, what are you doing here? What about your coaching?"
Before Dev could amuse himself more at Arvika's expense, he heard a sly remark from Sakshi, turning his attention towards the approaching volcano.
He immediately maintained a Corona-negative distance from Arvika, while she was still standing against the wall near the door with her eyes closed.
"Geez, wear something decent you fool. Meri Naak kata kar maanoge kya with this Potato look," Sakshi shouted the moment she fully captured her brother's OOTD.
(Do you really want to embarrass me?)
"Yeah, yeah I was just going to change," he replied nonchalantly while noticing Arvika whose eyes were still closed. He smiled at her and went towards his wardrobe. She still hadn't heard her best friend's voice because of her focused conversation with the Almighty inside her head.
"Where is Arvika? I had left her here only," Sakshi enquired after placing the tray of juice and snacks on the table for which she had trodded downstairs earlier.
"She is near the door, with her eyes closed," Dev replied laughingly.
"You haven't hurt her, have you?" Sakshi's eyes finally landed on her best friend who was looking absolutely scared and lost, with her eyes closed, standing against the wall which was near the door because of which Sakshi couldn't see her at first glance.
"No, I did not, Chugalkhor. I just warned her not to call me Bhaiya, you know how uncool it sounds, right?" Dev was busy wearing his pants and T-shirt which he found from the piles of clothes only.
"I cannot believe you! Look, how she is still in a trance. God! What did you do to her?" Sakshi rushed towards Arvika, trying to bring her best friend out of the reverie in which she was in.
Arvika's heart raced with apprehension as she prayed for a safe return to her house with her hands and legs intact. As her nerves reached a fever pitch, her vision blurred and her legs grew weak, until finally, the world spun around her and she succumbed to the darkness, her anxiety taking a toll on her fragile state until she fainted away.
The brother and sister duo, Dev and Sakshi, watched in shock as Arvika suddenly collapsed before them. Their initial surprise quickly gave way to concern as they rushed to her side, their voices filled with alarm as they attempted to rouse her. Seeing Arvika in such a vulnerable state left them both shaken, their hearts heavy with worry as they searched for a way to help her.
"Bhaiya, what did you do to make her this frightened? I'm sure she's fainted because of you. Did you fart in front of her? Or, did you misbehave with her?" Sakshi immediately got near her friend, placing her head on her lap, trying to wake her up with soft taps on her cheek.
"I didn't do anything with her, why don't you believe me? I had just gotten out of the closet when I saw her. I asked who she was and she answered, but she called me 'Bhaiya' and that had made me angry and I had just warned her not to use that endearment for me, what was wrong with that?" Dev tried to explain while touching her forehead, inspecting if she had any fever. He found her normal.
"Help me carry her to the bed," Sakshi said, worry lacing her voice with her heart pacing in anticipation because of the sudden unconsciousness of her best friend.
Dev, without a second thought, held her from one side while Sakshi from another, debating whether to splash water on her face or gently fan her with a magazine.
As they gently laid Arvika on the bed, Dev turned to Sakshi with a pleading expression. "Sakshi, please don't tell Mom about this," he implored, his eyes wide with desperation. "She'll freak out and lecture me for days."
"Then how are we going to revive her? Tell me, hero? Maybe we can make her smell your socks?" Sakshi shouted, pointing a finger at him.
"Wait, let me sprinkle some water on her face," he immediately brought a mug of water from his bathroom and then sprinkled drops of water on her face, wishing for her to open her beautiful eyes again. And finally, she opened her eyes.
The first face which she saw was of Dev and she immediately closed her eyes, wishing for it to be a bad dream, just a bad dream, after which again a new sun will rise and make her healthy, wealthy & wise, she rhymed.
But alas! It was the reality, her frightening reality.
After Sakshi had revealed to her about her brother's bullying and bad boy image, Arvika had already formed a fearful image of him inside her mind. And today, as if to prove his daunting demeanour, he had threatened to cut her broads to transplant it to poor, tail-less cows. Arvika's tension was palpable, she knew how scary bullies can be, especially the ones with a lot of pudginess around them.
For God's sake he could sit on her and she'd be already a distant memory for the people she loved, shoved under his heavy Sumo-like built, she shivered at the thought only.
"Arvika, Arvika, open your eyes, please," she again opened her eyes when she heard Sakshi's pleading voice.
So, it was the reality and not a nightmare!
This time she noticed Sakshi near her and Dev was standing just beside her, looking at her concernedly.
Her frightful eyes landed on Dev, wanting him to go far away from her.
'MONTU, please go away,' she inwardly pleaded but a sigh left her mouth.
"Are you okay?" Sakshi hugged her out of her emotional stance while Arvika was busy staring at Dev who was looking at her as if he got a new life. Arvika hummed at her best friend's question and broke the hug, fighting the inner turmoil of emotions while still maintaining the eye-contact with Dev.
Their eyes locked in a silent exchange that belied the tumultuous emotions swirling within them. Dev's gaze held a mixture of remorse and longing, his heart heavy with regret for his earlier actions towards Arvika. On the other side, Arvika's eyes reflected a similar sense of apology, her own conscience weighing heavily upon her for laughing at Dev. But none of them dared to say anything.
"Sakshi, I want to go home, can you please arrange a cab?" Arvika finally broke the silence and got down from the bed, adjusting her navy blue skirt.
"No, I will ask our driver uncle to drop you and even I will come with you, no worry," Sakshi tried to reassure her, and Arvika just nodded her head, "Let's go".
"No driver will be available this time. They had all gone to their respective houses for their lunch, they will come only after two hours," Dev logically added, putting his hands inside his pockets.
"Then book a cab, Sherlock, we'll go by that," Sakshi ordered and subsequently pulled Arvika towards her room, leaving her brother into oblivion.
****
"Ek ajnabee haseena se,
Yun mulaqat Ho Gayi"
As the cab driver played the song, the melody resonated with Dev's current state of mind. The lyrics mirrored the serendipitous encounter he had experienced earlier that day with a beautiful girl whose laughter had captivated him, the same girl who was now busy throwing daggers at him along with his sister.
Dev had also tagged along with Sakshi and Arvika as they prepared to head out. He had delicately broached the topic, explaining to his mother how it could be unsafe for two young girls to travel alone in cabs, especially at evening. With genuine concern etched on his face, he had reassured their mother that he would accompany them, acting as their protector and ensuring they reached their destination safely.
And now, when he was settled into the passenger seat, he couldn't help but notice the tension emanating from the rear seats where Sakshi and Arvika sat. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he caught sight of their narrowed eyes and furrowed brows, their expressions akin to daggers aimed directly at him. It was clear that his decision to tag along had not been met with enthusiasm, especially from his sister, Sakshi, and Arvika.
Especially when they knew that he had bunked his coaching classes for this!
As Arvika's house came into view, she exchanged a brief but heartfelt goodbye with Sakshi, ignoring the presence of Dev, who resembled a lost child amidst their farewell.
'Ek Bye-Bye to mai bhi deserve karta hun yaar!' Dev mused and sighed, unknown emotions whirling inside him.
('I also deserve a bye-bye, friend!')
****
It's no coincidence that brother and bother are one consonant apart, Sakshi pondered and chuckled at her bright invention and poetry. Her brother never left an opportunity to bother her again and again for frivolous things.
"Don't tell Mom about all this, I will give you my laptop for the whole month, please," Dev tried to convince his sister, using his negotiation skills but she had a whole different plan ready.
"And why should I do that?" feigning anger, she folded her hands across her chest, accentuating her pre-negotiation talks' spirit.
It's no coincidence that sister and sinister are two letters apart, Dev groaned and gave his famous puppy eyes to her.
"Because you're my sweetest sister," he tried to sugar-coat her which again didn't melt her a bit.
Clicking her tongue, she answered heedlessly, "I am your only sister," and started gazing out of the window, planning to get him reprimanded by their mother. He had crossed all limits today; bulldozing her only best friend, bullying her to the extent that she had succumbed, all because of him.
"Sissy, please?" he again pleaded with her using his puppy eyes, while she was busy ignoring him and the cab driver was just smiling slightly at their cute antics.
"Let's go to your favourite 'Pani Puri' place then, what do you say?" he tried to bribe her, using her weakness and she was more than ready to comply now.
Which girl could say no to 'Panipuri', the most mouth-watering snack, the tastiest snack of all the time, be it any generation, your grandmother, your mother or even your future daughter, this was such an Indian delicacy, which couldn't be resisted by anyone.
"Yay, finally," Dev whistled in happiness and finally after paying the cab driver, got down to one of the famous 'Pani Puri' stalls of Mumbai with Sakshi towing behind, who was now all too excited to have that mouth-watering snack which she hadn't enjoyed for one month.
"But this is not enough, you have to greet me with Vada Pav, Masala Dosa and Kala khatta as well," she negotiated with him like a businesswoman and he just kept staring at her, thinking how she was going to eat these delicacies in a row.
"Say something, idiot," she asked him again in a loud voice, seeing his lost self.
"No, was just thinking how big of a glutton you are," he answered to her and promptly had to run away towards one of the stalls, lurking from getting beaten by her in public.
"You," Sakshi was now seething in anger, how dare he call her 'glutton', and what was he? Buffalo?
"If I'm a glutton, you are going to be a buffalo today, Mumma will beat you so much that you'll be swollen like a buffalo," she warned him after running for a while in the midst of the crowd and the stalls and that's when his hiding game stopped and he realised what he did just now.
'Please Dev, no nice endearing for her now, she's our life in her hands now,' he thought and eventually apologised to her, persuading her for the 'treat' that he was going to offer to her.
They finally went towards the Panipuri stall and asked for two. Although Dev was quite reluctant in the beginning, acknowledging the pleading eyes of his sister, he eventually had to agree for Panipuri.
"So, how did you befriend Arvika?" curiosity piqued, Dev turned to Sakshi, unable to shake the memory of Arvika's infectious laughter from his mind. The young girl had surely left a mark on his mind, a special mark of infatuation on his heart.
"She had just joined our school a few days back, and we clicked the moment we met. She is a very sweet, innocent and pure soul and that's why I became best friends with her. But you shouldn't have frightened her like that, what is the problem with 'Bhaiya'? It's just a normal word," still munching on the Panipuri, Sakshi replied while Dev was busy in concentrating on her words, trying to inculcate all the details about his new love in his memory.
"The problem is with the word, Sakshi. Only you are my sister, I don't want to be called the brother of any random girl, I am happy being the elder brother of you, not any other greedy girl or something," Dev tried to make his baby sister understand, using his manipulative and convincing words.
"Yeah, but she is a very innocent and a good girl," Sakshi answered while moaning at the taste of the delicious Panipuri.
'Yes, a very innocent and good girl, who has captured my heart like a dictator,' he had thought smilingly, enjoying the tasty Panipuri which the staller was serving to him slowly, seeing his slow speed of eating, while Sakshi was too fast to gobble down the Panipuri in an instant.
"Tell me more about your Arvika," he again started, now sitting near the Masala Dosa stall, where Sakshi was indulged in savouring the authentic Masala dosa, moaning at each bite and he just kept looking at her as his appetite had been full already.
"Well, she's basically from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Her father is a businessman, her mother is a homemaker, she has a younger brother who also studies in our school in standard fifth, and she even has a younger sister who's just four now, going to playschool. And talking about her personality, she's sweet, innocent and helpful," Sakshi blabbered everything which she had known about her friend in front of her brother, not knowing his exact intentions for that.
"That's interesting," he whispered slowly, with a smirk playing on his lips.
"Bring me a Choco-chip ice cream if you're going towards the stall," she ordered her brother, now savouring the Sambhar, soundly.
When it came to food, Sakshi never backed away, she was a big foodie after all, and while eating what she was blabbering, even she didn't know. And that's how Dev got to know more about the girl who has stirred a new feeling within him.
"Yeah, I will buy you one," he answered and with a smile, went towards the Shake shall, instead of the ice cream one, his mind still replaying the melody of her laugh.
****
As the evening descended, Dev and his family gathered around the dining table, the comforting aroma of home-cooked food filling the air. Dev's father, seated at the head of the table, presided over the lively scene with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with affection as he observed his family's banter and laughter.
"Your friend is a sweetheart, Sakshi, I am happy for you that finally, you got a friend who is nice, genuine and sweet," Devika gushed happily, serving a spoonful of rice on Dev's plate.
"Wow, finally my daughter could make some friends," Kamaljeet also joined and smiled at his daughter.
"Yes, Dad," Sakshi smiled back at her parents and then her eyes landed on her brother who was currently in a whole different world, smiling at his food.
'What has gotten into him today?' Sakshi asked herself while noticing her brother who was behaving so weirdly today.
While others were busy talking and eating, he was just playing with his food, smiling like a maniac looking at the curry and those pearls of rice. His father and mother hadn't noticed his behaviour yet as they were busy discussing the marriage of one of their relatives, which was soon going to take place.
"Bhaiya?" Sakshi nudged him, not being able to control her curiosity anymore.
"What?" he spoke out a little loudly, drawing his parents' attention towards him. He gave an apologetic smile to his parents who again continued their discussion and then Dev turned his attention towards his sister.
"What happened? Why are you not eating any food and smiling like that?" Sakshi whispered to him while taking a piece of cucumber into her mouth.
"Nothing, just excited about tomorrow, World Cup is going to start from tomorrow onwards," he lied, knowing well about his sister's knowledge of Cricket.
'Don't behave like a fool, you idiot. Don't smile like that, otherwise, everyone will doubt on you,' he mumbled to himself and got back to his eating.
"Okay," Sakshi mumbled & got busy in devouring her dinner.
Just when Dev thought that his attempts to sway Sakshi with bribes of food were successful, she made her decision to disclose the truth to their mother about how he had bullied her best friend, Arvika.
As Dev's mother learned of his actions, her disappointment and anger were tangible, her stern rebuke echoing through the air. "Why did you scare her, Dev? She was our guest. I cannot believe you can do that!".
As Dev braced himself for the consequences of his actions, his father intervened, his calm demeanour serving as a reassurance amidst the storm.
"Devika, let it be. He's just a child himself. When I was a boy, even I didn't like getting called a Bhaiya by some young girls. And he's sorry too, aren't you son?" Kamaljit nudged his son and Dev immediately nodded his head, his head bent low in disdain.
"Like Father, like son," Devika fumed and strode towards her room, ready to give the cold shoulder to her husband and son for their ridiculous behaviour. Sakshi too left for her room, leaving only the father and son duo on the dining table.
"Are you infatuated my boy?" Kamlajit asked Dev with an amusing look, and Dev's cheeks crimsoned at the mention of that word.
Was he infatuated by the girl whose laughter was going to be on his imaginary Spotify favourite playlist now?
Was he infatuated by the girl, teasing whom he had felt so mushy and hot at the same time?
****
The next day, inside their coaching centre, Rohan and Dev sat side by side in their coaching class, the hum of whispered conversations and rustling papers filling the air around them as the class was yet to begin. Rohan was Dev's childhood friend and they were enrolled in the same coaching, so it was not uncommon for them to pull each other's legs in the most uncomfortable situations.
Rohan glanced at Dev, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and nudged him gently. "Hey, Dev, where were you yesterday?" he teased, a playful smirk playing on his lips. "You have this rosy blush on your cheeks like you have applied lipstick or something!" Rohan pulled his best friend's chubby cheeks and faked as if he got an electric shock. "OMG. You're burning hot," Rohan snorted more.
Dev pushed Rohan's hands away from his cheeks and smoldered at him, glaring at his hanky-panky-ness. But he felt his cheeks heat up at Rohan's teasing, his embarrassment evident as he stammered out a response. "Um, well, I... I was just... busy," he mumbled, trying to deflect attention from his flushed face.
Rohan's grin widened as he leaned in closer, his voice mixed with amusement. "Come on, spill the beans, Dev," he prodded, unable to resist the opportunity to tease his friend further. "Were you out on a secret date? Are you in love with some girl?"
Dev's blush deepened at Rohan's teasing, but he couldn't help but chuckle nervously at his friend's antics. "No, no, nothing like that," he insisted, his tone betraying his embarrassment. "But there is this girl, Arvika... Her child-like innocence has just... infatuated me, you know? It's like... like I'm a love-sick puppy or something."
Rohan raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ah, I see," he said, nodding in understanding. "Well, well, teenage infatuation! Nice!" Rohan sniggered but immediately maintained his composure when he noticed their Mathematics faculty entering the class with his usual stoic expression.
Dev was definitely in for a lot more teasing, Rohan mused happily and gave a sneaky glance to his chubby best friend.
****