Did You Get Your Period?

CHAPTER TWELVE.

When Vaibhav had first attended the puja, Riddhi had very excitedly told him that her best friend would be attending it. Now, Riddhi's best friend, the word had painted an image inside his head that was quite unlike what Shweta had turned out to be. Never in a million years would he have imagined that the demure Riddhi had a loud-mouthed best-friend who swore like a sailor at times. When Riddhi had tried to introduce them, it had taken Shweta only two seconds to interrupt her and say, "I'm the best friend. And really, that's all he needs to know. Now, Riddhi your mother was looking for you. Why don't I make your cousin feel at home?"

As if she were Riddhi's family and he an outsider. And in many ways, he supposed he was. When Riddhi had dashed off, her Bambi-like eyes widening at the mention of her mother, Shweta had given him an impish smile. "I'm Shweta, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Shweta by-the-way. I'm Vaibhav, by-the-river." A lame joke that he'd thought of the very instant, the memory of which made him cringe. But what followed never made him regret having made it. Shweta had thrown her head back as she laughed, her short hair sticking to the sides of her face as she gave him an amused smile once she was done.

"Why the river, though?" She'd asked, her dark eyes thoroughly entertained.

"Because that's the end, isn't it? That's where we end up once our ashes are burnt." He had said, and the surprised look on her face made him feel strangely proud. She hadn't been expecting it.

"That's awfully dark." She'd pointed out.

"But hey, when the mortals come to meet me, they'll talk to me of how they met you on the way," Hed said; a brazen move towards someone he had just met. But within the ten minutes in which he had met her, he had never been more attracted to a person.

Shweta had grinned, her smile was a bit embarrassed and flattered. That she was flattered, he would receive his confirmation in the next seven days when she'd continuously seek out his company. When she wasn't running behind Riddhi.

The dynamic between Riddhi and Shweta always confused him. In many ways, it would appear that Shweta was the loud and dominating one making every decision in their friendship. And in many ways, it was like that. When he'd catch them making plans, Riddhi would suggest a place and Shweta would shoot it down without so much as a second thought. Whether Riddhi ought to text back an over-excited admirer or not, Shweta seemed to purse her mouth and tell her things like wow, that's lame, or but he's cute though. She never seemed to consult Riddhi for her own decisions, her best-friend never factoring in those decisions of hers.

But at the same time, when Shweta received nasty messages from her frenemy (she seemed to have a lot of those), it was Riddhi whose counsel she'd seek over anyone else's. It was quiet Riddhi who seemed to be the only one whose opinions she listened to and even respected enough to follow them through. Shweta was guarded, that much he knew, but even when she didn't let her guard down around Riddhi the unwavering respect never seemed to fade. You could almost say, that Riddhi was the only person Shweta considered to be better than herself.

It made him jealous at times, the way she spoke of Riddhi. A sense of admiration and even pride at having Riddhi as her friend. He had almost wanted to ask her, but he hadn't for fear of offending her. How had she managed to uphold it without being jealous of what she clearly admired in her friend?

But he had let it slide and the thoughts had receded to a quiet corner inside his head. He wasn't really concerned with Shweta and Riddhi's dynamic as he was with his own with her. It had puzzled him and excited him in equal amounts. And his only consolation was that she seemed equally excited and puzzled by him. She never seemed to be afraid to show that she was attracted, never tried to pull him in and then coldly push him out, simply to madden him. With her, he knew exactly where he stood; yet it never failed to excite him.