Kaise Hua : A Tale of Two Imperfects

Chapter 4

Love is just a word until someone comes and gives it a meaning.

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"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.