WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Here Comes Singh

In the splendid elegance of Tuesday's glory stood my childhood friend, Riddhi Walia. Her brown eyes shone with pride, and her brunette hair cascaded in a stylish bob cut. Naturally, she sported loose, oversized clothes – how else would she be herself? Riddhi embodied what some might label as a typical countryside tomboy, miles away from conforming to stereotypical expectations for girls.

She smirked at me and quipped, "Hot date, huh?"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "You wish. She's just a friend," I replied with a grin.

Meanwhile, Sana observed our banter with amusement, fake coughing to remind us of her presence.

"Oh, right! Riddhi, meet Sana. My Instagram friend turned real-life buddy," I gestured towards her. "And Sana, this is Riddhi, my childhood pal."

"Yup, we even had a shared hobby of admiring girls together in high school," she said with a casual shrug.

I blushed and scolded her, "Hey, Sana doesn't need to know that."

"Sure thing, Dumbo," she responded coyly before turning her attention to Sana. "Nice to meet ya, senorita," Riddhi greeted with her usual charming smirk.

Sana chuckled at her playful demeanor. "You're gonna slay ladies with that smile, you know."

"I aim to please, mademoiselle," Riddhi replied with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Alright, that's enough, you two," I cut in, attempting to put an end to their little performance.

"Ease up, dumbo," Riddhi muttered casually as she grabbed a chair from a nearby table and joined us.

I shot Riddhi a skeptical look, "So now you're part of the party?"

"Seems like it," she replied with an air of nonchalance.

"Let her be. She's quite the charmer," Sana added, her attention fixed on Riddhi.

"You guys can sort out your little tension. Just not in front of me, please."

"Still clinging to your drama addiction, eh?" Riddhi quipped.

Sana chuckled, "He's as dramatic as they come. Blame it on those Turkish dramas."

"You're still into those crappy shows? Dude, wake up. You're not going to get your own Feriha." Riddhi stated with a decisive tone.

"Trying," I replied with a half-smile.

"Are you sure it's not Emir he's after?" Sana teased mischievously.

Riddhi locked eyes with me, "Oh?"

"Hey, it's nothing like that," I defended, feeling a hint of red tinging the tips of my ears.

Sana observed the spectacle with pleasant amusement. After a moment, she smiled and asked, "So, Riddhi, what do you do?"

Riddhi replied with a wink, "Just your good old travelogue writer," emphasizing the "travelogue" part.

Curious, Sana inquired, "So, you travel a lot?"

"Yup, just returned from France yesterday," Riddhi responded, her words carrying a hint of enthusiasm.

I interjected, breaking the flow of their banter. "I hate to be the villain in your cute little love story, but can we focus on the matter at hand here, Sana?"

Sana's expression shifted, indicating her understanding. "Ah, right."

Riddhi glanced between us, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Am I missing something?"