
"NiCe tOo mEEt yoU."
_________________________

I made my way downstairs to see... no one. I went towards the kitchen to see Radha aunty and another woman, probably in her late forties standing beside her.
They were laughing while chatting about something. Okay, this was.. awkward. What should I do? Should I go inside the kitchen? But Saxena meant that they were probably Brahmins. And I was a Jat.
Honestly, it didn't really matter. To me, to say at least. I don't know if it bothered to them. It most probably did. But there was a small chance that maybe it didn't.
I remember vividly that once when I was thirteen. I had gone to my friend's house for a group project. I felt thirsty, so she suggested that I could go towards the kitchen and get it. Or ask her mother if she was in the kitchen.
I was about to enter when her mother stopped me by shouting out aloud. I was taken aback as to why I couldn't step a foot in. That was when she reminded me in a not-so-nice way about our cast difference.
She said we, Jats, ate meat (I personally didn't). And anything related to flesh weren't aloud in their kitchen. It did stung a little back then, being refused entrance somewhere because of my caste. Even though I was a pure vegetarian.
But, I get it now. And I respect it. Though I would've appreciated it if she had said it more nicely. Hence, I was confused about what to do.
Should I go in? Or should I just stand there and wait for her to acknowledge my presence? Should I call out to her instead? Should I just walk away in my room and wait till someone called me?
No, that'd be rude and arrogant. Would I have to get my breakfast outside? They were offering shelter. Did food come in that, too? Maybe, ut didn't.
"Meera?" I looked up, hearing my name. Radha aunty must've noticed my presence. "Aise chaukhat pe kyu khadi ho?" She asked, confusion evident in her eyes, as he kneaded the dough.
[Why are you standing there?]
Should I ask her? Yeah. Talking solves most of the problems. (This logic had gone to get its liver chopped when I decided to run away from home) I took a breath.
"I.. I, um, I wasn't sure if I could, uh, come in." I said uncertainly, hesitating.
Her eyebrow raised as a cease of confusion surged through her forehead. "Why did you think that? Is it because of how we behaved warily last night? Don't mind that, Meera. It was just because you knowâ" I cut her off, not wanting her to think I held a grudge or something.
"No, no, it's not that. I totally got your reaction last night. It's just.." I trailed off. "It's because my last name is Choudhary and.. I am a, uh, Jat. So,"
Her expressions softened as realisation for my hesitation sunked in. "You can come in, Meera. We donât abide by that orthodox thinking." She said, reassuringly.
My lips curved softly. As I went in. I looked at the other lady, who was also looking at me with evident curiosity. Radha Aunty clicked her tongue, looking at us, understanding our unspoken question.
"Right, Shipla, this is Meera, uh, our guest. And Meera, this is Shipla, our house maid." She introduced us. I gave Shilpa aunty a warm smile, which she returned with a sweet smile of her own.
"How come you're awake so early, Meera?" Radha Aunty asked. Early? Last I checked, it was 8:54. "Are you hungry? Wait a minute. Breakfast is almost ready."
"No, no, take your time. It's just my usual time to wake up. No one else is awake yet?" I asked.
She chuckled briefly. She looked much warm and welcoming today than she looked last night. "No, not comes down before 9:30. That's the breakfast time. The rest of them must be sleeping. Maa and Papa had gone to their morning walk in the bearby park. But look at you, all freshen up and ready. That's nice."
I smiled. And we fell into a comfortable silence. But me being me. I had had to open my mouth to spew nonsense no matter what. "What are you cooking? Should I help?" I asked out of courtesy because...
"No, it's almost done. Although, you know how to cook?" She asked, amused.
"No," I answered sheepishly.
She shook her head, amused with a small smile.
"Meera, tell me about your family?" She asked casually. After that, I stayed there, chatting with her about random stuff with Shipla aunty joining in between and occasionally laughing. To my surprise, we instantly clicked off.
After a while,
I could hear the commotion outside. Everyone had begun to settle in on the dining table. I don't know why, but I felt weird. Really weird. The kind of weird that I just wanted to hide.
I could hear Dadi and Dadu, Yug and Vardhan sir, and Charvi. I figedted with my odhani. "Meera?" Radha Aunty called out, making me look at her.
"Ji?"
"Why are you still standing here? Go outside and sit with everyone else." She said, looking at the tea on the stove.
"Ji." I mumbled and made my way out.
"Oh, hii, Meera!" Charvi was the first person to notice me because she grinned at me welcomingly and gestured towards the seat beside her. She, so far, looked the most outgoing one amongst everyone in this house.
"Hey," I greeted back as I settled beside her. I gave her grandparents and Vardhan sir a sweet smile, which was reciprocated back.
"Meera, were you in the kitchen?" Charvi asked, initiating the conversation. I nodded. "I was talking to Radha aunty."
She nodded and looked at me up and down. "Meera," She breathed out dramatically. "You're really pretty, you know. What is your skincare routine? How old are you?"
My cheeks flushed at her open compliment and obvious flirt. "I'm twenty-two." I answered, smiling.
"Wow, four years, not bad. The perfect age gap to be friends. I'm eighteen, just in case you were curious." She said, leaning in, raising her eyebrow flirtiously. I chuckled wholeheartedly at her actions. I have a feeling we're going to get along damn well.
Just then, the sound of someone clearing their throat reached our ears. I looked beside Charvi to see Yug, who was looking at Charvi, narrowing his eyes. Charvi let out an amused scoff as a silent conversation passed through the brother-sister duo.
She turned towards me, lips pressed in a thin line. "Meera, let me introduce you to my younger brother once again. This is our cutie-pie, our shayla, our dodo, our little munchkin, our one and only our jigar ka tokda, our very own.. Chiku!" She introduced him to me again. Her lips were pressed in a thin line as if to stop laughter, and eyes were beaming with mischief.
"Chiku?" I gave them a confused smile. Yug, let a sound of displease. "His nickname." She said, looking like she was having the fun of the world.
I turned towards Chiku/Yug. "Hi, Chiku, is it okay if I call you that?" He straightened in my attention. A faint hue of red graced his cheeks as he nodded. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was blushing. How cute.
"Chiku, you know, you're really cute and handsome." I said, smiling. It was indeed true. The little boy with brown hair, hazel eyes, and fair skin looked so cute.
The red on his cheeks grew even more. "Thanks, you're really beautiful as well." He said in a low voice. Charvi snorted at his reply. Was he a shy kid? Aww, I liked shy kids. They were way better than the loud ones.
Before I could speak more, footsteps sounded from the staircase. Tarun sir and Dhruv decended diwn, discussing something. They both looked a little similar. Even Veer. You could tell by looking at them that they were father and sons.
My eyes met Dhruv's as he turned in my direction. We had a brief eye contact before he broke it off and took his seat. I should thank him. For tolerating my yapping during the train journey, for lending me money, and for convincing his parents to let me stay. I don't think they would've let me stay if he hadn't intervened.
Tarun sir took his seat, too. His gaze briefly landed on me, and I immediately straightened. This man had something about him that made people want to stand in attention position.
His eyes roamed over the table before he let out a deep sigh. "The king of this house is still not awake, I presume?" He said like it was a daily occurrence. King? Who king?
Just then, loud footsteps occurred from the staircase. No one but me looked up to see Veer coming down in his tee and sweatpants, running more than walking. He skipped a few stairs and jumped right on.
"Good morning, family!" He said enthusiastically, avoiding Tarun sir's eyes. As he moved towards his seat.
Tarun sir gave him a look, which he avoided, clearing his throat. "Finally! Look who graced us with his royal presence." He taunted with a mock smile.
Veer gave him a guilty, sheepish smile but didn't say anything.
"You didn't have any trouble getting down here, right? We were just about to send a carriage for you." He continued. His tone dripped with sarcasm and distaste.
The grandmother of this house clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Let him start his morning fresh. Don't start again." She scolded Tarun sir, who shook his head with a sigh.
Veer's gaze roamed over the table and soon fell on me. His expressions changed to nonchalant to confusion to something as realisation settled in. Did he forget he was the one who brought me here?
"Oh, hey, Meera! How was your first night in my house?" He asked, flipping his plate, without realising what his words were implying in the wrongest way possible. Every word of his implied something else, and his tone was so suggestive without even trying.
After a moment of silence,
Delibrate coughs.
Awkward throat clearing.
Stiffled laughter.
A confused 'huh?'
These were the reactions happening on the table. Gods, the embarrassment I felt should be examined because of it excessive amount.
Veer's eyes widened, as he realised what his words sounded like. "I-I mean, were you comfortable? No, shoot, I mean... you settled, argh, leave it." Veer buried his face in his hands, groaning at his own stupidity.
Charvi let out a snort she triedâand failedâto disguise as a cough.
My cheeks warmed as I looked down at my glass of water like it held the secrets to the universe. I thanked god for sending Radha Aunty at the right time, who saved the table from a few more minutes of awkwardness.
She and Shipla Aunty came with the food. Radha Aunty took her seat while Shipla Aunty started serving us.
After breakfast,
Everyone soon disperesed to theirs rooms. I followed Tarun sir towards his study. I took a deep breath as I reached the door. After two knocks, he granted me the permission to come in.
He raised his eyebrow when he saw that it was me. Why did he have that strict, no-nonsense maths professor vibe? It was honestly scary.
"Actually, sir, um, I wanted to ask, uh, know if there are any seats available in your university for me." I asked, tone too pitched for my liking.
He didnât say anything for a second. Just leaned back slightly in his chair, like he was trying to understand the full story before I even began telling it.
His eyes, serious and unreadable, scanned my faceâalmost like he was waiting for me to stammer or backtrack. I could hear the ticking of the old clock behind him and feel the thumping of my own heart loud in my ears.
Gosh, why did it feel like a CID interrogation or a passing episode of crime petrol?
Geez, Meera, snap out of crime petrol!
I shifted on my feet, wishing Iâd rehearsed this better. Or at least, that my voice hadnât cracked like a thirteen-year-old's.
Tarun sir finally spoke.
âThereâs always a process, Meera. We donât hand out seats based on requests. Especially not last-minute ones.â
His tone wasnât rude, but it wasnât kind either. Just very matter-of-fact. Like a courtroom verdict.
I swallowed and nodded quickly. âI understand that, sir. Itâs just... I didnât exactly come here with a plan. And Iâm not asking for a shortcut, I promise. Iâll sit for any entrance test. Iâll even start from scratch if I have to. I just... I need to study.â
I hadnât meant to sound so desperate. But there it wasâraw and honest. Out in the open now.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his desk, hands folded. âWhat stream were you in before?â
âHumanities.â I managed to keep my voice steady this time.
âAny preferences? Subject-wise?â
âLaw,â I replied, before I could second guess myself. It felt odd saying it out loud. Like I was finally claiming it.
Tarun sir looked at me for a long second before scribbling something on a pad. âThereâs an internal transfer window opening up soon. Youâll need to submit your past academic records and write a statement of purpose. If thereâs even one seat free, you can try your luck.â
I blinked. âReally? I can apply?â My tone was hopeful.
âYou can try,â he repeated, eyes still guarded. âBut remember, Meeraâyouâre on your own. The entrance exam, you pass it on your own. The procedure, you do it yourself. Yes, I'll help you, guide you. But in and all, it's all you.â
I nodded again, more firmly this time. âUnderstood, sir. Thank you.â
He gave a small nod, already turning back to his papers. Dismissed.
I stepped out of the study, closing the door quietly behind meâand for the first time since Iâd stepped into this house, I let out a breath that didnât carry the weight of survival.
Phew.. that was something. But hey, at least I got good news. But no one to share it with. I sighed, feeling low. Should I call Garv bhaiya and tell him about the events?
Yeah, I should. He's most probably sweating in worry since yesterday.
As I walked down, the stairs the main door opened and a boy walked in. He was rather good-looking. He was tall, lean but also slightly muscular, had ocean blue eyes, fair skin, and brown hair.
He was wearing a school uniform, probably? White shirt, tie, maroon blazer, and yep, definitely a school uniform because on the batch on the blazer. He was also carrying a bagpack. Though his face was expressionless, a face that screams, 'Talk to me, and I'll slap you.'
It's almost similar to Dhruv's. Except his is more colder, more neutral, and the type that screams, 'Look at me, and Iâll kill you.' So similar to his father. Speaking of him, where is he? I wanted to express my gratitude.
The ocean blue-eyed boy's gaze fell on me, and a twitch of confusion ran through his face. There was no one present in the living room to play the introductions for us.
The twitch of confusion vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. His face slipped back into that same emotionless slate, like it had been a glitch in programming.
He blinked onceâslowlyâthen looked away, as if I didnât exist.
Okay. Weird. Rude much?
Was I Mr. India suddenly?
Thankfully, Veer and Yug came in the room with Yug dressed in his school uniform. Veer passed a grin to the boy, patting his shoulder. "Hey, Arjun, here for that monkey?"
Arjun. So that's his name.
Who is he, though?
Why were kids these days so rude and unfriendly?
Arjun gave him back a polite smile and nodded in a matter-of-factly manner. So, not so expression deficient after all. He just has a resting bitch face. Just like Dhruv.
"Why do I always have to walk into my idiot best friend and my stupid brother back-talking about me?" Charvi's voice rang from behind me.
We all collectively turned to look at her, who was standing on the top stair, narrowing her eyes and hands on her hips. She started making her way downstairs.
From my peripheral vision, I saw Arjun's gaze softening as it landed on her. She was dressed in her uniform, too. The only difference between her uniform and his was that she was wearing a skirt, while he was wearing pants.
She came down and smiled at me. "Hii, Meera!" She beamed. She was definitely the social butterfly of this house. I returned back her gesture as she turned to Arjun.Â
"Ready?" she asked Arjun, nudging his arm as she slipped beside him like it was second nature. He gave a small nod in reply, adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. It was such a quiet, practiced exchangeâlike theyâd done this routine every day for years.
Then, as if finally remembering the rest of us existed, Charvi turned to me again with a bright smile. "Oh! Meera, meet Arjun."
She placed a hand on his shoulder lightly. "He is our neighbor and my best buddy."
Arjun gave me a polite nod, his ocean-blue eyes meeting mine again. But this time, there was no confusion or rudeness. Just a quiet acknowledgment.
"Hi," he said, voice low but clear. No warmth, no hostility eitherâjust... calm.
"Hi," I replied, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt. "Nice to meet you." Wasn't that so unnecessary? I mean, er, leave it. NiCe tOo mEEt yoU, who says that Meera?
Charvi grinned and leaned in slightly toward me, stage-whispering behind her palm, "Don't mind his lack of response. Ye padhaku introverted logo ke ne aise hi nakhre hote hai."
[These introverted nerd people have such tantrums.]
"I heard that," Arjun muttered, but the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed the tease.
âYou were meant to,â she shot back proudly, then looked between us. âArjun, this is Meera. Sheâs.. uh..â She trailed off, looking confused and lost. It was subtle, but I caught the moment she didnât know what box to put me inâguest, friend, stranger, or something else entirely.
Before she could say anything, Veer came beside me. He threw an arm over my shoulder casually. âMy best friend,â he said, grinning at Arjun like he was announcing a prize. âSheâs staying with us for a few days, right, Meera?â
I narrowed my eyes at him. Best friend? That was new. Suspiciously new. I wanted to elbow him, but with Arjun watching, I settled for a tight-lipped smile and a short nod. Wasn't he getting too friendly?
Arjun nodded back, his expression unreadable again, though there was something vaguely amused in his eyesâlike he was watching a show only he understood the punchline to.
He offered me a brief but polite smile. âNice meeting you, Meera didi.â he said simply. No one ever called me didi before. I was always the youngest, wherever I went. But it felt nice. It strangely gave a sense of growing up. Being mature, handling the weight of the world on my shoulder type feeling.
Then Charvi grabbed his sleeve. âLetâs go or weâll be late again, and Maâam will skin us alive. I want to talk to Aadya about something, too. We don't get to talk much ever since seats have changed.â she rambled to him.
With a small wave to Yug and a distracted âBye, Bhaiyaâ to Veer, she tugged Arjun toward the front door. He followed without resistance, slipping back into that quiet, composed walk like he didnât carry the weight of attention that followed him.
The door shut behind them with a soft click. Veer finally let go of my shoulder.
I looked at him, unimpressed. âBest friend? Really? Hum kabse tumhare best friend huye, huh?â I narrowed my eyes.
[Since when am I your best friend, huh?]
He shrugged, far too casually. âWould you have preferred 'stray cat who wandered in and we decided to feedâ?"
I opened my mouth to replyâbut found I didnât have a comeback for that.
Fair enough.
But how dare he?
"Jao, jao, sukar manao mai berozgaro ke muh nhi lagti ." I taunted, flipping my braid back.
[Go, celebrate your blessings; I don't entertain unemployed people.]
Veer looked like heâd just been slapped with a slipper made of words. He gasped.
"Tumâ" [Youâ]
"Kya hum, huh, kya hum?" I provoked.
[What me, huh, what me?]
"How can you be so ungrateful, huh? I helped you, remember, you ungrateful creature?" Veer shot back, eyes wide with mock offence. "I even saved you from Charvi's confused buffering moment. That couldâve gone so awkward. I basically rescued your social image."
Social image? Where did that come from? I scoffed. "You hijacked my introduction and promoted me to your best friend without consent. Consent matters, Veer. Consent with a captial C."
"You're behaving as if I misbehaved with you. I know consent is, Ms. Dramatic." He deadpanned.
"And either way, what makes you think I'll ever befriend a man like you?" I asked, raising a brow, arms crossed, full sass mode activated.
Veer didnât even flinch. In fact, his grin only grew widerâcocky and infuriatingly confident. "My charming personality, handsome face and genius face, of course."
he said, counting each trait off on his fingers like he was reciting divine facts.
I blinked at him. Once. Twice.
"Delusion. Full-blown delusion," I muttered.
He smirked. "Denial. Deep-rooted denial."
"You need help."
"I need appreciation."
"I need noise-cancelling headphones."
"You need mental stability."
"I need an internet cafè!"
"Youâwhat?" His expressions turned to that of confusion.
I sighed. I don't have the time and energy to waste on this idiot. "Are there any internet cafès nerby?" I asked gruffly.
"Why should I tell you?" He cocked, crossing his arms.
"Fine. Don't." I deadpanned and moved towards the door. "If anyone asks, I am going out." I said, without turning back.
I moved out the door. I'll find the cafè myself. I've done so much on my own. This is just a piece of cake in front of that. Yeah, I can do it. I'll just get an auto and ask him to drop me off at a nearby internet cafè. Yes, genius Meera.
Wait!
Argh, I forgot to bring my bag with me. I huffed and made my way inside only to hump into someone's tall, muscular frame. I looked up to see those sharp amber eyes behind the glasses.
"Where were you going?"
__________________________

"Did you do that homework?" I asked, kicking the rock on the road, absentmindedly, while we waited for the local bus that stopped near our school bus stop.
"What homework?" He asked, his voice the usual mixture calm and composed and serene.
"The maths one? Why am I even asking? Of course, you did. You didn't give it to me yesternight." I complained a little at last.
He looked at me, raising an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Because someone so  steadfastly said that she'll do it on her own. As she didn't want to depend on others for studies." He taunted.
I know I said that, but.. sigh, nhi ho paya yaar. Who made trigonometry? They should be life-imprisoned. Oh wait, they must be dead by now. Khud toh chale gaye, humari life complicated bana gaye so alag.
[I couldn't do it, man / They left, but not before making our life complicated]
"Arjun, ye taano ka time nhi hai. Be serious." I complained, whinning slightly, while he just chuckled, shaking his head.
[Arjun, not the right for taunts]
"Bol bhi kon raha hai." He teased, with a smirk. I huffed, so done. Why was our roles reversed today?
[And look who's talking]
Soon enough, the bus came and we got on it. I sat near the window seat as usual while Arjun sat beside me.
I donât know what it is about bus rides, but they always make me feel like Iâm in some low-budget indie film â the kind where everything's hazy and the soundtrack is all acoustic guitar and unsaid things.
I leaned my head against the glass, the faint hum of the engine mixing with the wind brushing against the window.
Outside, trees blurred into one another like watercolor strokes, and for a while, neither of us said anything. I could feel his eyes on me, well, not me, maybe on the view out the window.
I just want this ride to continue for life.
I nudged him by my elbow without looking at him. "Sing an old radio hit for me. It'll be just perfect for my main character energy." I demanded, smiling wistfully, forehead gently leaning against the bus window like I was in a film and heartbreak was pending..
"Yeah, no." He replied in his classic and so-Arjun-likely toneâ deadpan, unimpressed, and utterly predictable.
"Why?" I asked, already knowing the answer but hoping heâd surprise me for once.
"Because there are people around." he muttered like it was the most obvious thing in the universe.
I finally turned to him. "So what? Gaana to sunne ke liye hi hota hai na. Jaldi Gana shuru kar, isse pehle ki mai Tatara ban jao." I warned without any actual bite.
[Songs are meant to be sung in front of people. Come on, sing fast or else I'll become Tatara.]
He blinked. "Tatara, seriously? You still remember that?" He asked in amusement but couldn't hide the slight twitch of the corner of his lips.
"Of course, I eat almonds every day. But anyway, are you singing or not? Dude, make use of your god-gifted good voice." I insisted. I was one persistant thing. And I knew that. He knew that.
"No." He deadpanned, pressing his lips together in a thin line.
"Arre yaar, ladki mai ho lekin mujhse jyada nakhre toh tere hai." I frowned, biting my near cheek. He just shrugged and looked away, ignoring me.
[Geez, you have more tantrums than me, and I'm the girl here]
Geez. I was this close to giving up. But thenâŚ
An idea slithered into my mind â the mischievous, slightly cracked kind.
A slow grin stretched across my face.
A teasing glint in my eyes.
I leaned closer with all the mock-seriousness I could gather, and purred, "Arjunânahi, meri vamirooo... tum gana nhi gaogi kya? Mere liye bhi nhi?" I said in a plastering tone, climbing my two fingers up his arm, grinned mischievously.
[My Vamirooo... Won't you sing for me?]
His eye twitched.
He slowly turned to look at me with an expression that screamed what-the-actual-hell.
Like Iâd personally ruined his mental peace, his dignity, and possibly his future marriage prospects â all in one sentence.
âWhat⌠did you just call me?â he asked, staring like he was trying to mentally reset the last ten seconds of his life.
âVamiroo,â I repeated proudly, wiggling my fingers on his arm like antennae. "Tu toh mera personal Vamiro hai na? Toh chal apne Tatara ke liye ek gana toh banta hai. Gao na, tum nhi gaogi kya? Pretty please, meri pretty Vamirooo," I teased again, biting my lips to stop the smile, threatening to appear.
[You're my personal Vamiro, right? Come on, at least sing one song for your Tatara. Sing, why won't you sing? Pretty please, my pretty Vamirooo]
His eye twitched as he looked at me with a weirded out expression. He gave me the Charu-has-lost-it-again look. "What nonsense? Chup kar ja mai bata raha hu."
[I'm telling you to shut up]
"Oye, apne TararaâI mean, Tatara se aise baat karogi tum? Bhul gayi woh humare aankh-phod eye-contacts without any pyaar ke labaz?" I gave him a mock-displeased and disappointed look.
[Oye, you'll talk like this with your TararaâI mean, Tatara? Did you forget our eye-bleeding eye contacts without any word of affection?]
He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.
And thenâ
âCharvi,â he said slowly, dead serious. âMain tujhe bus se bahar fek doonga.â
[I'll throw you out the bus]
âAww, meri Vamiro dhamki bhi deti hai,â I cooed, poking his cheek. âSo cute! How romantic you are.â I grinned teasingly, and slapped his arm playfully.
[Aww, my Vamiro threathens, too.]
He groaned, dropped his head back against the seat, and muttered, âYouâre crazy. I am asking your family to take you to mental hospital, and then get myself enrolled beside your wardtoo. Because I've gone crazy with you, too. Dur reh mujhse.â Stay away from me.
âAnd yet,â I beamed, âyou still haven't moved seats.â I nodded towards the few empty still seats. One was right next to him, he still didn't move and now asking me to stay away. Huh! As if.
He didnât reply. Just looked away, crossing his arm, gruffly. But the tips of his ears were red.
Victory?
Victory.
Victory!
___________________________

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