When life happens

The matchmakers

That night, Neha suddenly remembered Tani's comment earlier and asked, "What did you mean by 'just like the fandom imagines them' at lunch?"

"Oh, that," said Tani. "You know there's a huge ICT fandom on Wattpad?"

"Yes," said Neha and Siri together.

"You do?" asked Tani, who had meant it as a rhetorical question and hadn't expected a positive answer. "You know, the ones who write about them and all..."

"Yes," said Neha animatedly. "Don't tell me you're a part of it too!" She turned to Siri and added, "She certainly isn't."

"That's all you think," said Siri. "Do you have an account Tani?"

Tani took out her phone quickly and within a few minutes they had discovered that Tani was DreamerTani who had already been close friends with bleedblue2011 and siri_reddy on Wattpad and they hadn't even known that before today.

After they had finished laughing raucously, which should've brought the entire hotel's fury on them, Tani noticed an important point.

"You two get along much better online!" she said in wonder. "What happens to you offline?"

"Siri is more annoying offline," suggested Neha.

"We fight a lot online too," said Siri.

"Less than in real life," said Tani drily.

Nobody argued.

...........................................................................

"Hardik. Hardik. Hardik."

Neha caught Hardik's arm near the pool that day and said, "I dunno why I feel like causing some trouble!"

"That's admirable," said Hardik, delighted. "We can prank Tani. Let's prank Tani!"

"Ok...what can we do? It needs to be something good, she's quite sharp, you know," said Neha.

"I know," said Hardik at once, because he had been at the receiving end of Tani's sharpness well more than once.

"We'll come up with something," assured Neha.

Rishabh happened to be passing them at the moment, and heard Hardik saying, "Do you think Tani will suspect if..."

He spotted Rishabh and said brightly, "Hi Rishu, what brings you here?"

"Are you coming to swim? It's freezing here!" said Neha, just as brightly.

And Rishabh was smart enough to put two and two together and realize that they were planning to bother Tani. He must warn her at once!

Dutifully he said, "No I just happened to pass. I'm going back, bye!"

Within a few minutes he had hunted down Tani and said, "Hardik and Neha are planning something to prank you."

"What?" asked Tani.

"I don't know what, just be careful," he said earnestly.

"Ok," said Tani.

Rishabh seemed to trying to make up his mind to say something, but finally he seemed to lose courage, so he grinned nervously and said, "Bye then!"

Tani couldn't help grinning back.

............................................................................

So finally by that night Hardik and Neha had come up with the lame idea of prank calling Tani from one of Hardik's thousand fake numbers.

"Siri told me to try hitting on Tani, I think she might go out with me then," said Hardik.

Neha didn't think so at all, but she wasn't letting this chance pass. "Yes, do, do," she encouraged.

Hardik called Tani.

"Hello?" said Tani, after the first ring, much to their delight.

"Hello, dear," said Hardik in a painfully sweet voice, and Tani asked, "What did you say?" as Neha snorted with laughter.

"Tu mera hai...I saw you near the metro one week back and I think we're destined to be together. Tu sirf mera hai," said Hardik like a perfect mad obsessive stalker, and Neha whispered, "Perfect, perfect!"

Tani was about to give the stalker her piece of her mind when she remembered Rishabh's warning. Come to think of it, wasn't it Hardik's voice, too?

"Ha, teri hu, Harry, toh aake le ja," said Tani smoothly.

Neha and Hardik scowled, extremely displeased.

"Room number yaad hai ya bolna padega?" asked Tani.

"It's my room too," whined Neha.

"Hatt yaar Tani," said Hardik ungraciously. "Bye."

Hardik cut the call over Tani's triumphant laugh.

"How did she know? Did you tell her, Neha?" asked Hardik.

"Of course I didn't! I bet you did!" said Neha.

Because they were both bitterly sore losers.

"I didn't," said Hardik. "Think...did anyone else know?"

"I didn't even tell Siri or Kuliya," said Neha. "But... Hardik, Rishabh overheard us! But he wouldn't just he tell her, would he?"

Hardik sighed. "Of course he would. Haven't you noticed Rishabh likes Tani!"

Neha went into her super excited mode at once. "Really? Really? Did he tell you?"

"Not directly but it shows, Neha," said Hardik.

"But I'm sure he hasn't told Tani. What's the good if he doesn't tell her?"

"What's the guarantee Tani likes him too?"

"We can take care of that," said Neha grandly.

Hardik's eyes lit up too, and he grabbed Neha's arm and said, "Come on!"

They ran at full speed to Rishabh's room, almost knocking Bhuvi over on the way.

"Where are you two..." he began, but they didn't stop.

"Important mission, Bhuvi bhaiya!" called Neha behind her.

Any important mission of Neha and Hardik's didn't seem an encouraging prospect to Bhuvi at all, but he knew perfectly well it'd be no good trying to stop them.

"Rishu!" yelled Hardik as they burst into his room.

"What?" asked Rishabh, alarmed that they had found out he had snitched on them and were furious.

"We know you gave us away," began Hardik.

"But we aren't mad at all," said Neha comfortingly. "We understand your reason."

Rishabh looked even more alarmed.

"We're here to help you win over Tani," said Hardik.

"You?" asked Rishabh.

"D'you doubt my experience, Rishu?" asked Hardik.

"No, but..."

"I'll not let him mess it up, and we guarantee results within maximum one month," said Neha.

"So will you trust us with it?" asked Hardik.

It was impossible to reject two people so eager to help him, and Neha was extremely close to Tani into the bargain as well, so Rishabh said, "Ok, sure. What do I have to do?"

"Just listen to whatever we say," said Neha and Hardik together.