Red Ribbon Of Fate

*Chapter 3* : Chocolate brown eyes and memories

One year later

"Oh my gosh Riya!" Tanisha exclaimed over the phone.

"I know right !?!" I said happily.

"I've always wanted to do an internship under a famous person...Dude, you're so lucky," she gushed.

It was nice to talk to Tanisha after so long. It wasn't that I hadn't kept in touch with her over the past year. But it just wasn't the same. Even the relationship with my brother had changed. That reminded me...

"How is Anandith Tanu?" I asked with a teasing voice.

"How am I supposed to know?" She retorted immediately. "He's YOUR brother."

"Ahaha THAT is definitely a fact I know," I said, raising an eyebrow at her mischievously. "But you've been the one who's meeting him more often, considering the fact that you attend my mom's Art classes every other day," I said with a grin.

"He's good I guess?" she said vaguely.

"Good?" I said cheekily. "Good at what exactly?" I asked.

I am pretty sure she was blushing on the other line.

"Your face," she replied lamely.

" Right," I said laughing. "Just to confirm, if you want to date my brother, I have no problem. You have my full permission."

"Shut up," she said. "That will never happen."

"Aha but it will. Give it two weeks tops. If I know my bro he will ask you out."

"Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to," she exclaimed in horror.

"And what's that? " I asked innocently.

"Riyaaaa!"

"Don't worry, dude.. What's supposed to happen WILL happen without my intervention," I said. "Now I've got to go get ready for my first day. Interview's in the evening..bye," I said and cut the call.

Time for some match making, I thought with a grin. And to make my idiotic brother realize what he's missing.

I dialled my brother's cellphone number and he picked up almost immediately.

"Riyuuu!" he exclaimed happily. "So happy to hear from you...what's up?"

"Stop with the dramatics idiot.." I said laughing. "Just felt like talking to you."

"Always a pleasure," he said, and I could bet he had on his goofy grin.

"How are you doing?" I asked happily.

"I am perfectly fine, in fact in seventh heaven."

"Oh is that so? Anything to do with a girl?"

"No of course not...girls and I don't go together."

"Oh shut it Anandi..when are you going to admit you're in love with my best friend?"

"That was some small crush in school okay?" he said but his protest sounded weak.

"You know it's alright to like someone and act on your feelings right?"

"Yeah," he said. "But she's so pretty Riyu. She could have any guy. Why would she choose me?"

Because my stupid idiotic best friend really likes you, I thought.

"Stop putting down yourself bro..you do have the looks and everything and you're a nice person..I will leave you to do the rest...think about it..stop bottling your feelings in and let it out for once."

"Woh what did you do with my Riyu and where did you come from?"

I laughed. My brother sure hadn't talked to me in a long while.

"I just grew up," I replied.

"So how are all your friends..what's that boy's name?"

"Who, Rahul?" I said innocently, knowing very well who he was referring to.

"No the other one, starting with D."

"Ohh Desh...yeah what about him?"

"Didn't you guys have something going on?"

"Noo..why would you think so?"

"It's just..well never mind..got to go..Aarav's here...good luck on your first day.. Bye!" he said and cut the call.

That was strange. I hadn't told my brother anything about that small crush I had had on Desh. I had only mentioned that my circle of friends consisted of Kajal, Rahul, Nikita and Desh. And occasionally Meera. For him to know something like that could only be the work of the one and only Tanisha. She was the only one outside college who knew about it. That brought me to the conclusion that my brother and best friend had actually become closer than I thought in my absence and perhaps would have acted on their feelings in good time even if I hadn't given him that small push in the right direction.

Good things are finally happening, I thought.

It was the next best thing after scoring 80% in first year and topping my class.

The clock struck 4 and I had to reach the clinic at 5. I quickly brushed my wavy black hair and held my hair up with a black hairband. Then I wore a blue knee length kurti and white tights. Being accustomed to dress like that to college, it wasn't difficult to choose my outfit. I washed my face with clean and clear facewash, wiped it and wore kajal. Then I dashed on a layer of pink shiny lipgloss and took my handbag. I wore some strapped wedges and exited my dorm room with jaunty steps. I had a huge smile plastered across my face.

Once I was out of campus, I called a cab and gave him the address. I didn't want to take the auto today. I arrived at my destination in 20 mins. There was still half an hour to waste. I decided I would probably roam around for a while. I got down from the cab, paid the driver and the car left.
I looked around at my surroundings.
Nungambakkam was a nice place to have a clinic in. I was standing right in front of the grey building when I noticed something that would help me spend the next half hour.

" Cafe Coffee day!" I said when I spotted the shop right opposite to the clinic.

My guilty pleasure was coffee. Ever since my brother had started making cold coffee for me, when I was 10. And I loved Cafe Coffee day. And I had a fetish for their double chocolate chip cookies.

Trying to stifle the grin that had unsurprisingly crept onto my face, I strode across the road and reached the glass door of the cafe. Just as I was about to open the door, someone did it before I could, from the other side. As usual, I was so stupid that I forgot to move out of the way and that someone crashed into me causing me to fall over backwards. The only thing holding me upright was that person's warm arm. I looked into the young man's eyes and froze.

Something about it was very familiar.
And it brought back feelings I had tried to forget for the past one year.
Nostalgia struck me so hard and I forgot to breathe and a flashback ran through my head as we both stared at each other.

Luckily we were sane enough to enter the cafe, find a table and seat ourselves. When I looked at the shocked astonished expression on his face, which mirrored mine and the chocolate brown eyes as wide as saucers, I knew it was going to be hard to not say anything.
........x.....