Author's POV
It was Diwali morning, and the air was filled with the crisp freshness of dawn, tinged with the sweet scent of flowers and incense. The sky glowed with the soft hues of sunrise, as lanterns and diyas from the night before still flickered faintly, a reminder of the celebrations. The streets, quiet at first, slowly began to come alive with the bustle of preparations. The group, with excitement in their eyes, found themselves standing in front of the Siddhivinayak temple. Its walls, adorned with garlands and lights, stood in radiant silence, welcoming the day of light and new beginnings.
The Siddhivinayak temple, located in Mumbai, is a revered temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Known for its peaceful atmosphere, the temple features a golden dome and a black stone idol of Ganesha, surrounded by devotees seeking blessings on the auspicious day of Diwali.
The group found themselves in the long queue of devotees, the line stretching as far as the eyes could see. The air was filled with the sound of prayers and occasional tinkling of bells. The group eagerly waited for their turn to seek blessings from Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the harbinger of success and prosperity.
As they stood in line for what felt like hours, Ruhi groaned, "We came so early, still the line seems never-ending!"
Nods and groans of agreement erupted through the group. Siddharth, slightly frustrated, said, "I was telling you guys to come some other day! But no one listens to me!"
Raj, who seemed calmer than the others, said, "Some other day won't be Diwali. And what's wrong with you guys? Don't you have patience?"
Siddharth rolled his eyes, already irritated by Raj's mere presence. Ruhi, noticing the eye roll, smirked, "Yeah, you are right! We should be patient!"
Siddharth threw a glare at Ruhi but decided not to respond. Rishi sighed, "If I knew it would take so long, I would have eaten something!"
Isha, who seemed to care the least about the wait, said, "Why are you guys like this? Bhagwan ka naam lete raho aur aage badhte raho!". She suddenly shouted, "BOLO GANPATI BAPPA," to which, the whole line of devotees roared, "MAURYA!"
And just like that, the mood shifted. The ones getting bored suddenly felt a surge of anticipation for the darshan. The line continued to move ahead, chanting God's name.
Once finally in, they sighed in relief. The number of devotees was still too much, but being finally inside felt too good, it felt peaceful. The group slowly pushing through the crowd, finally stood in front of the divine Idol of Lord Ganesha. Due to the rush, the group got just a few seconds to pray, before they were pushed ahead by the crowd.
Even in the fraction of seconds, they managed to seek blessings and wish whatever they wanted to. Ruhi found herself praying for a successful personal and professional life. A simple wish that everyone asks for. Siddharth found himself asking for a similar wish, to become a successful businessman. Aditi asked for family time and obviously, Naman. She wished for Naman to finally be his partner, while Naman asked God for some confidence to admit his feelings. Radhika prayed for her and her people's well-being and Rishi found himself thanking God for the great friends he had, who never made him feel lonely.
They had the Prashad and left the temple with calm minds, the earlier irritation seemed to vanish after the darshan.
Radhika sighed, "Finally! It was worth the wait!"
Aditi nodded, "It definitely was! Just looking at the Idol feels so peaceful."
Naman asked, "What now?"
Isha replied, "We should head home now. Today's gonna be a long day!"
Everyone agreed, knowing that they are going to need energy for the evening's Diwali party.
After going home, some of them took some rest, while others studied for their upcoming exams.
In the evening, Ruhi and Raj did a small pooja at their home, praying in front of Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune. Others did the same too, lighting a diya and doing a small aarti, seeking blessings.
They then prepared the dishes they were supposed to bring for potluck, a party where each and every person brings food for everyone.
Ruhi and Radhika got ready and reached Aditi's place earlier than the guys. Raj tagged along with Ruhi too.
The three girls pre-planned their outfits, each wearing a different color of Anarkali dress.
Ruhi was dressed in an elegant red Anarkali, with golden borders and a printed dupatta. The dress, simple yet rich, hugged her at all the right places, flaunting her curves. She paired the dress with a simple golden chain and ruby earrings. Her make-up was minimal, showing more of her natural beauty.
Radhika opted for a while Anarkali with a hint of golden embroidery, with a white net dupatta with matching borders. The flares of the dress were voluminous, creating a graceful and flowy silhouette. Her subtle make-up, along with the heavy earrings complemented her dress.
Aditi wore a pastel green Anarkali suit with a soft and flowy silhouette. The pleats on her flare gave it a structured yet airy feel, making it perfect for twirling gracefully. The printed dupatta enhanced the beauty of the dress. Her perfect make-up and simple earrings made her outfit even better.
The girls found themselves at the doorstep of Aditi's house. They were seated in a semicircle, making a rangoli, their hands moving with perfection as they filled colors in the beautiful flower pattern, giving it the finishing touches. The air was filled with the soft melody of songs running in the background.
Aditi said, "Pass me the blue."
Radhika handed it over, saying, "We should finish before these idiots arrive. I don't trust them."
Ruhi snorted, "As if they'd dare ruin our masterpiece!"
Just then, they heard footsteps and they immediately realized that the boys had finally arrived.
The girls looked up, and their breaths hitched. There, walking gracefully, dressed in matching kurtas, were the boys. They walked in casually, yet elegantly. The mirror work on their kurta shimmered, reflecting the glow of the diyas placed nearby.
The soft music running in the background seemed to make their entry even more dreamy.
The girls found themselves mesmerized. Their hands paused, the rangoli forgotten.
With her eyes slightly wide, Aditi admired Naman. She found herself getting lost in him, the way he adjusted the sleeve of his kurta, the way he ran a hand through his hair, his movements as simple as walking seemed to make Aditi's heart race.
Radhika's heart seemed to have the same reaction as she took in the sight of Rishi. She seemed to forget how to blink. Rishi, noticing her reaction, smirked slightly, which resulted in Radhika's cheeks to heat up.
Ruhi was no less affected by Siddharth. She froze as soon as her eyes met his, and just like that, she found herself drowning in those beautiful eyes. Again. She was no longer aware of her surroundings, completely lost in him.
The boys were equally mesmerized seeing the girls. It seemed as if they were all in a dreamy Bollywood sequence.
The boys finally stood in front of the girls, the rangoli keeping them apart.
Rishi was the first one to speak, a smirk lingering on his lips, "Beautiful!", he said, his eyes drifting back and forth from Radhika to rangoli.
Radhika blinked, then looked down at the rangoli, and said, "Of course it is! We made it!"
Rishi's smirk widened, "I meant you."
Radhika's head snapped up at Rishi, her eyes wide, a soft blush creeping up on her cheek. She didn't say anything - she didn't know what to. Rishi winked at her, making her blush deepen. He chuckled at her reaction.
Ruhi, who was now too interested in finishing the rangoli, acted as if she wasn't ogling Siddharth a minute ago. Siddharth noticed it but decided not to comment.
Naman, however, was acting quite weird. He was looking everywhere but at Aditi, deliberately avoiding her eye. Though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Aditi, noticing that he was not looking at her, decided to speak, "Happy Diwali.", she said, her voice low. Her gaze was fixed on Naman, but Naman was still not looking at her as he said, "Happy Diwali."
Aditi frowned slightly, "Will you at least look at me?"
Naman shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Aditi's frown deepened, "What? But why?"
Still not making eye contact, he said, trying to sound casual, trying his best to suppress the smirk forming on his lips, "If I did, I won't be able to look way."
Aditi blinked, taking in his words, then slowly, a small, shy smile formed on her lips, her face turning into a soft shade of pink. She averted her gaze, biting her lips. Naman finally looked at her, a small smile forming on his lips too as he saw her reaction.
Suddenly, Ruhi squealed in excitement. Everyone looked at her in confusion. Noticing the confused stares, she said, her voice filled with excitement, "That was so Kenji Kishimoto coded!"
Radhika and Aditi rolled their eyes, while the guys looked at her in confusion. Siddharth asked, "Who is this Kenji whatever?"
Ruhi glared at him, "It's Kenji Kishimoto!"
Siddharth rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever! But who the hell is he?"
"You don't know Kenji Kishimoto? He is such a sweetheart!", Ruhi exclaimed.
Siddharth's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected nickname. Radhika chuckled, "A book character."
Siddharth blinked, "He is- what?"
Ruhi said, "Yes! A book character of one my favorite books! You know he has the power to get invisible! And do you even know how sweet he is? Aree, actually, he said something similar to his crush just like-"
"Ruhi, we will talk about your sweetheart later, okay? For now, let's focus on Diwali, right?", Aditi said, stopping Ruhi. Ruhi sulked her face but still agreed.
The guys then went inside the house, leaving the girls at the doorstep to pack up. As the girls were packing the rangoli powder, Radhika turned towards Ruhi, "What yaar, Ruhi?! Aditi and Naman were having such a beautiful moment! What was the need to bring your Kenji Kishimoto in this?", she scolded.
Ruhi smiled sheepishly and then mumbled a quite sorry to Aditi, to which she chuckled, shaking her head.
After some time, Aditi sat near the pooja mandir at her home, preparing for the aarti, when Naman came and sat beside her. She looked up and smiled at him. Naman started helping her.
"Can you bring the flowers kept in the living room?", Aditi asked. Naman immediately agreed and made his way to the living room. He found the flowers kept on the table, just as he was about to pick them, his eyes landed on the rose kept beside it. The rose was placed in a glass of water. A smile crept on his face as he picked up the glass, it was the same rose he gave her yesterday. His heart skipped a beat at her thoughtfulness - she wanted to keep this rose alive as long as possible because it was from him.
He placed the glass back on the table and took the flowers to the temple, smiling to himself. He handed the flowers to Aditi, and said, "I'll...umm...be back in a few minutes. I have some work to do."
Aditi nodded, shifting her attention back to the work in hand.
The pooja mandir shone with light. The group, along with Raj and Isha stood in front of the mandir, ready for Lakshmi Poojan. They perform the pooja with sincerity, chanting mantras and prayers of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.
After the aarti, Radhika volunteered distributing the prasad. She gave it to everyone one by one, and the last one was Rishi. She stood in front of Rishi, prasad in her hand, but Rishi didn't extend his hand, so she asked, "Give your hand!"
Rishi smirked, "Asking for my hand already?"
Radhika huffed, "Rishi!", to which he chuckled.
She again asked him to extend his hand, but instead he said, "Feed me."
Radhika's eyes widened slightly, but she immediately composed herself, "Why? Hath mein mehendi lagi hai?"
Rishi chuckled again, "No. But prasad tastes better when given with love. And, if you feed me, it will be sweeter, honey.", he said teasingly.
The group erupted into cheers and laughter at his words, teasing Radhika even more. She found herself trying to maintain her composure, but failed miserably as her ears turned red. She cleared her throat, "Continue your flirting and you won't get the prasad!", she warned.
Rishi raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, can't compromise on the prasad now.", saying this, he forwarded his hand, and Radhika gave him the prasad. Suddenly, he frowned, "This is so less! I want more."
Radhika shook her head in disbelief at his childish request, "What are you? A baby?", she said, while giving him some more prasad. Rishi grinned, "Yes! Your baby!"
Radhika rolled her eyes, "You are impossible!", she huffed, to which, he just smirked.
The dining table was filled with various dishes. The boys found themselves setting everything properly, while the girls were looking at the fireworks brought by Siddharth. They were all branded, high-quality crackers. Ruhi asked, "What was the need to bring such expensive fireworks?"
Siddharth just shrugged, "Diwali comes once in a year, so it's no harm to use the better ones."
Ruhi raised an eyebrow, "I still can't believe you are the same spoilsport I know, how did you even convince yourself to come to a party?"
"I had to.", he said, his eyes drifting towards Raj, who was helping Naman arrange the dishes.
Everyone made themselves comfortable on the dining table, looking at the buffet of dishes in front of them. The potluck party idea seemed to work, as the whole table was full of variety of dishes. From chaat to Chinese, everything was present at the table. The group didn't wait for even a second before digging into the food.
Though they found two identical dishes on the table - two people had made the same dish. Ruhi's face fell, "Who copied my paneer tikka?"
Siddharth scoffed, "What do you mean by copied, huh? No one knew what you were gonna make! And, for the record, mine looks better!"
Ruhi's mouth fell agape, "What do you mean yours looks better, huh? Mine tastes better!"
"Not possible!", Siddharth argued.
"Oh please! I make the best paneer tikka in the world!", Ruhi argued back.
"Then, I make the best paneer tikka in the whole universe!"
"You wish! Yours doesn't even look properly grilled!"
"And yours? Lagta hai tumhari baate sunke kuch jyada he pakk gaya hai!"
"Haww! How dare you? Yours look so raw, I bet it's still debating whether to actually call itself a tikka or just say paneer!"
"First look at yours, it's so burnt that even charcoal might be filing a copyright claim!"
"You! You are changing the topic! Why did you copy my dish?!"
"Excuse me, God didn't come in my dreams to tell me what you were going to make! I can also blame you for copying my dish!"
The whole table looked back and forth between Siddharth and Ruhi, some in amusement and others in exasperation.
"Oh please! I chose this dish as soon as Aditi texted about the potluck!"
"That's not my problem! I chose it then and there too!"
"Ugh! Why do you always choose what I chose?"
"You choose whatever I choose! Not the other way around!"
"I bet yours tastes bland! It doesn't even look properly marinated!"
"And yours? It looks so damn hot that even sun would need a break!"
"Well, it will look hot, a hot girl made it!"
Siddharth didn't reply immediately and kept staring at Ruhi, after a second - he laughed sarcastically, "What a joke! You and hot? Hahahaha!"
Ruhi placed a hand on her heart in mock offence, "Oh no! How will I ever recover from this irrelevant opinion?!", she said dramatically, then continued, "I don't need an opinion from someone who himself looks like a joker!"
"And you? You don't even need to wear a Halloween mask to look scary!"
"And your face could scare a mirror into breaking itself!"
"I have said it before, and I am saying it again, you look like a witch!"
"Well then, thank God that I haven't made a spell on you already, Monster!"
"Witch!"
"Monster!"
"Witch!"
"Monster!"
"Wi-", "Enougghhhhhh!", Aditi screamed, "What are you both? Kindergarten students?"
Isha whined, "Aditi yaar! Why did you stop them? It was so fun to watch!", she said, munching on the packet of chips.
"He was the one who commented on my looks! Why would I sit quietly after hearing that?!", Ruhi defended herself.
"Oh please! You started the fight by blaming me of copying your dish!"
"So? You did! And yes, mine is still better!"
"Oh please! Mine is the best!"
Before Ruhi could fight back, Aditi said, "Not again both of you! It's okay if you made the same dishes!"
Rishi suddenly smirked, "Yeah, and to verify who made it better, we have our personal MasterChef here!"
All eyes landed on Naman, hoping he would settle the fight between them. Naman swallowed nervously, "Why are you all throwing me under the bus?"
Radhika said, "Come on, Naman! Just taste both of them and tell us which one is better! You are the king of recipes!"
Naman looked skeptical, his eyes darting between Siddharth and Ruhi who were both looking at him hopefully and glaring him at the same time. Raj said, "Come on, Naman! Let's get it over quickly! So that we can all eat peacefully!"
Not having any other option, Naman hesitantly took a bite of Ruhi's paneer tikka, while she looked at him with big, hopeful eyes. "Tell me, Naman! It's Michelin star worthy, isn't it?", she asked, receiving a scoff from Siddharth.
Naman didn't reply and moved towards Siddharth's paneer tikka, tasting it. He looked at both the dishes, his expressions neutral, as if he were actually a MasterChef judge. He then looked at both of them, Siddharth tapped his feet impatiently, while Ruhi bit her lip. Taking a deep breath, Naman finally announced, "The winner is.... Ruhi."
Ruhi jumped from her seat in happiness, "Yay!! I knew it! I make the best paneer tikka!", while Siddharth glared at Naman with a look of betrayal, "I can't believe this, Naman! You just took your best friend's enemy's side!"
Naman shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable by Siddharth's death glare, "Hehe...Siddharth, see, this is just a dish, you know, actually yours was not perfectly grilled and also, the spices were-"
"Seriously, Naman!? Now you are pointing out my flaws in front of her. I will see you later!", he threatened.
"Hey! Why are you threatening him, now? Can't accept a failure? Don't worry, I'm here to teach you how to lose.", Ruhi smirked.
"Yeah. I bet you are an expert at it. Might have a lot of practice at losing."
Before Ruhi could reply, Aditi scolded both of them, "Not another word, both of you! Shut up and eat quietly!"
Both Ruhi and Siddharth glared at each other one last time, before going back to eating, while muttering something under their breath.
After dinner, as the others cleaned the dining table, Ruhi found herself by the window, staring out at the empty sky, her face looked peaceful, but her mind was filled with excitement for her first day at work - which was tomorrow.
Suddenly, she felt someone wrap an arm around her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to find Raj looking down at her with a concern. "What are you doing here all alone?", he asked.
"Nothing. I didn't want to work, so I came here.", she answered truthfully.
He nodded. They stood there was some time, before Raj spoke, "Don't take that idiot's words seriously, okay? My sister is perfect!"
Her brows furrowed, "Who said I took his words seriously? I don't care about what he thinks."
A small, relieved smile formed on his lips, "Just so you know, my sister is hotter than Deepika Padukone!"
Ruhi rolled her eyes as Raj compared her with Deepika Padukone, his favorite actress. "You don't mean that!", she said, knowing exactly how much he loves the actress, knowing no one can get close to her in his eyes.
Raj smirked, "You caught me! I didn't mean that", he teased, receiving a smack on his arm from Ruhi. He laughed, enjoying teasing his sister. "Come on, beautiful! The games are about to start."
Ruhi smiled at her brother, knowing how much he cares for her.
Siddharth, who just came out back from the kitchen, noticed them standing by the window, smiling and laughing. He felt an unease at their interaction. He stared at the two 'love birds' that he thought they were, still unknown of the fact that Raj was actually Ruhi's brother. Ruhi had made sure he thinks that. She had already asked everyone to not mention about Raj being her brother.
As the group finally settled down after the cleaning, Aditi announced, "It's games time!"
The group cheered in excitement. Aditi continued, "We are playing......Dumb charades!"
A wave of agreement erupted through the group.
"Okay, so the teams are, Ruhi, Raj, Siddharth and Rishi in one team, and Radhika, Naman, Isha di and me in the other."
Ruhi and Siddharth immediately opposed, "No way!"
Aditi just rolled her eyes, saying, "It was supposed to be girls versus boys, but looking at you both? I don't want my house to become a warzone."
Ruhi smirked, "Just say that you wanted Naman by your side!"
Aditi's eyes widen slightly, "Sh-shut up! It's nothing like that!"
Ruhi's smirk widened at her stutter, "Sure, it isn't! But still, not Siddharth! He doesn't even watch movies!"
Siddharth intervened, "Are you underestimating me?"
"Yes, I am! What will you do?", she replied.
Before Siddharth could fight back, Naman stood up, "Okay, no fighting! Let's just play!"
Ruhi muttered something under her breath about the team being one-sided, throwing a glare at Siddharth, which he very well returned. Raj wrapped his arm around Ruhi's shoulder with a confident smirk, "Don't worry, Ruhi! No one can beat us if we are together!"
Ruhi smiled at him, "You are right! We're gonna win!"
Isha smirked, "Don't get ahead of yourselves you both. We are really good at this game!", she said, wrapping her arm around Aditi.
Rishi crossed his arms, "You might be good, but we are the best!"
Radhika scoffed at him, "Keep dreaming, Rishi, because we're going to win in reality."
Ruhi smirked, enjoying this playful banter, "Aww! Looks like you're the one daydreaming, Radhika! Because I'm the queen of this game!"
Before anyone else could say anything, Naman intervened, "Guys, let's play and see who wins instead of arguing."
Aditi immediately jumped in agreement, "Yes! Let the game begin!"
"Wait!", Isha di said, "What will we compete for? What will winning team get?"
Everyone glanced at each other, thinking of a possible prize for the winner, when Isha di continued, "Losing team has to clean the house after party. That will be the winning team's prize, no cleaning."
Everyone immediately agreed to it.
The living room was now filled with a tension as both the teams sat opposite to each other, their competitive mode on.
The first one to act out the movie was Radhika. The opposite team will choose a movie which she has to act out to her team, and they have to guess it with 3 minutes.
After a lot of discussion, they finally selected a movie. Rishi leaned closer to Radhika to whisper the movie in her ears, a smirk playing on his lips as he whispered, "The dirty picture."
Radhika's eyes widen slightly, but then - she smirked.
She turned to her group with confidence. As soon as the timer started, she raised three fingers
"3 words!", exclaimed Aditi, to which Radhika nodded.
Radhika then pointed at the third finger, "3rd word?", asked Naman, to which, she again nodded.
Radhika then acted as if she was taking a photo, her hands clicking the buttons of an imaginary camera.
Isha di tried guessing, "Camera? Photo?"
Before Radhika could respond, Naman exclaimed, "Kheech meri photo!?", only to receive an eye roll from Radhika and a smack on his head from Aditi, "That's a song, idiot!". He just smiled sheepishly.
Radhika again did the same action of taking a photo.
"Picture?!", Aditi asked. Radhika pointed at her excitedly.
"The 3rd word is picture! What movie could it be?", Isha asked thoughtfully.
Radhika then pointed at her second finger, signaling the second word.
She wiped her clothes dramatically with a disgusted expression on her face.
Aditi immediately recognized the action and jumped from her seat, "The dirty picture!"
A wide grin spread on Radhika's face as she nodded excitedly, "Yes!"
The team erupted into cheers while the others sighed but didn't let their confidence get affected.
Radhika turned to Rishi and team with a victory smirk on her face, but Rishi seemed more impressed than defeated as he smirked back and stood up, ready for his chance to act.
They chose a movie and whispered it to him - Agneepath
He kept his expression neutral as he stood in the center, he lifted one finger
"One word.", said Raj, to which Rishi nodded, his expression still neutral.
He cracked his knuckles dramatically, rolling his shoulders as if preparing himself for a fight, his team looked at him with concentration, waiting for him to act something.
Suddenly, without warning, Rishi started dancing - the hook step of chikni chameli. He danced with such enthusiasm that his team just looked at him for a few seconds, taken aback by the sudden action.
Ruhi blinked, recognizing the step, "Chikni chameli! Ugh....That movie...Yes! Agneepath!"
Rishi stopped dancing and jumped in happiness, "Yes! Exactly!"
Ruhi jumped with him too, as if they had already won the game. The others rolled their eyes at their enthusiasm.
The next was Isha - she acted out the movie 'Sonu ke titu ki sweety'. They won.
Then came Raj - He acted out 'My name is Khan'. It was an easy win as he acted like Shah Rukh Khan did in the movie, as if he had Asperger's syndrome.
Aditi acted out 'Rocky or Rani ki prem kahaani', by doing the hook step of What Jhumka.
Ruhi did 'Chandni chowk to China." and obviously won too.
The score was now 3 - 3 and the last round was about to start.
Raj turned to his team, "Guys, we have to win this! It's the last round!"
Rishi nodded, "We have to give them a really hard movie."
Everyone started thinking of a hard movie, when Ruhi said, "I know a perfect movie! Naman will never be able to do that!"
The group looked at her curiously, she said, "Jajantaram Mamantaram."
They smirked devilishly while Siddharth looked at her in confusion, as if she'd just said some divine spell. "How do you even know such movies?", he asked in disbelief. Ruhi smirked, "I'm a sucker for movies!"
As soon as Raj whispered the title to Naman, his face twisted in confusion and he asked Raj to say the title again. After hearing it for the second time, his jaw dropped, "What?!", he exclaimed loudly.
His team looked at him, and seeing the horrified look on his face, they got nervous, their confidence slipping.
Raj just shrugged while smirking.
Naman looked at his team, who were now hopefully waiting for him to act. He swallowed hard.
There's no way I'll be able to do that, he thinks, look at those hopeful faces.
He then looked back at Raj and team, who were still smirking, "Devils!", he mouthed, which just made their smirk widen.
He took a deep breath and turned to his group. The timer started. He just stood there, thinking.
"Come on!", Isha said.
He hesitantly lifted 2 fingers, "2 words!", they exclaimed.
He nodded slowly, then again stopped. He thought, and thought, and thought.
"Naman! The clock is ticking! Come on!", Aditi said.
He groaned and raised his hands in surrender, "I can't!"
His team's eyes widen, Isha said, "You can't give up! Come on! There must be something to act out?! Song? Actor? Any scene? Something at least!"
Naman shook his head with a defeated face, "This movie is impossible to act."
The whole team sighed in defeat as the timer came to an end, while the other team burst into joy, grinning from ear to ear, completely satisfied by their choice of movie.
Radhika asked, "Which movie was it anyway?"
Ruhi sang out the title as if chanting a spell, a smirk playing on her lips, "Jajantaram mamantaram!"
Their eyes widened as soon as they heard the title.
"What the hell?!", Isha exclaimed.
Aditi said, "How can you guys give such a movie?!"
Radhika added, "I know it's you, Ruhi, who suggested this! This is so unfair!"
Ruhi just flipped her hair, smirking.
Ruhi and her team were already high fiving and laughing among themselves, clearly thinking they had won, but Radhika was fast to burst their bubble, as she spoke, "What are you guys enjoying for? You haven't won yet! There's still one round left!"
Isha added, "Exactly! And it's Siddharth's turn, right? And he doesn't even watch movies!"
The team fell silent and everyone turned to look at Siddharth, who was till now, sitting in a corner with his arms crossed, lost in his own world.
He raised an eyebrow, "What? Didn't we win? Why are you guys looking at me?"
Naman said, "Because your turn is still remaining! You won't win unless they guess the movie we give you."
Siddharth groaned, "Can't someone else go instead of me?"
Ruhi, who was until now looking at him with crossed arms, finally spoke, "Weren't you talking about something like underestimating someone? What happened now? I swear, if we lose because of you, I'll kill you!"
Siddharth rolled his eyes and stood up, "Okay, okay! I'll do it."
He stood up and was about to walk to the other side of the room, where the opposite team was sitting, when Ruhi called out, "Hey, monster!"
Siddharth stopped in his tracks and turned around, his hands tucked in his pocket, he gave her a bored look, "What?"
"You just act something, okay? I know almost every movie. We will win!", she said, her tone genuine.
Siddharth nodded, "We will win!"
Naman turned to his team, determined to give them a really hard movie as a revenge.
Isha said, "Aree, give any movie. He doesn't even watch them! How will he act?"
Aditi agreed, "Yeah, it's not like they know each and every movie. Just give them an old film, they won't be able to guess!"
Isha snapped her fingers, "Allah Meherban toh Gadha Pehelwan."
"But isn't that easy to act out?", Radhika asked.
"Yeah, a word or two! But not the whole title! It's not that they remember this movie!", Isha waved it off.
"Are you sure? I mean, can't we give something harder?", asked Naman.
They reassured Naman. He turned back to Siddharth and leaned in to whisper the movie to him, "Allah Meherban toh Gadha Pehelwan."
Siddharth nodded thoughtfully, "Hmm... Okay."
He turned to his team and raised all five fingers.
Ruhi said, "5 words."
He nodded and pointed at his first finger.
"First word." , she said.
He nodded and brought his palm together, as if making a dua.
Ruhi immediately tried guessing, "Dua? Muslim?"
Siddharth pointed at her and rolled his hands in a 'say more, you are close' gesture.
Ruhi continued guessing, "Uhm.. Dargah? Allah?"
As soon as the word left her mouth, Siddharth nodded and pointed at her excitedly.
"Okay, the first word is Allah!"
Siddharth nodded and pointed to his fifth finger, indicating the fifth word.
He then did a thigh slap like wrestlers, to which Ruhi guessed, "Sultan? Dangal? Wrestling? Fighting?"
Siddharth shook his head furiously and again repeated his action, this time, Raj tried, "Pehelwan?"
Siddharth immediately pointed at him and was about to smile at him, but then controlled himself.
Ruhi nodded, "Allah... Pehelwan... I have heard something similar, what was it?"
Naman called out, "30 seconds left."
Ruhi groaned, "Ugh! What was the name? Guys, think! I know it, but I can't recall it!"
She tapped her feet on the floor impatiently, while Siddharth looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Her team tried to think too, and the opposite team sat there holding their breath.
Suddenly, Ruhi jumped up, "I got it! Allah Meherban toh Gadha Pehelwan!"
Siddharth grinned widely and jumped with her too, "Yes! Exactly that!"
Grinning ear to ear, both of them started jumping, "Yayyy!", Ruhi exclaimed in joy.
Siddharth, still jumping along with her, nodded, "Yay indeed!"
They high fived with both hands, but instead of pulling their hands away, they intervened their fingers, still jumping.
"We won!!", she said.
"We won!", he repeated.
They finally stopped jumping, their hands still intervened, their grins softening as they stared at each other. Both of them stood there, lost in each other's eyes. The room was filled with silence as everyone stared at the interaction between the two people who call themselves enemies.
Both of them seemed to notice the silence as they blinked repeatedly, as if coming out of a daze. They immediately pulled their hands away. Siddharth cleared his throat and turned away, while Ruhi turned to her team and punched the air in victory, saying, "Yay. We won.", though she sounded more awkward than excited.
But no one reacted, everyone sat there as if they'd seen a ghost.
"Wh-what?", she stuttered.
Everyone finally came out of their shock. Raj asked, "As much as I know, he was supposed to be boring. What was that?"
Naman agreed, "We are equally shocked too!"
Siddharth was now too interested in the decorations, as he kept avoiding eye contact with anyone.
Ruhi cleared her throat, "Uhmm... Guys, forget it... We won, remember?"
Everyone decided to let it go, but not before giving side eyes to Siddharth, while Rishi had a small, satisfied smile on his face.
Ruhi turned to the opposite team, smirking, "You will clean the house after the party gets over."
They made a face but still agreed, knowing they didn't have any other option.
The atmosphere slowly eased, the earlier awkwardness slipping away as the group settled back, some clicking photos while others chatting.
Ruhi sat with the girls, talking about her job, "I'm so excited! Tomorrow is my first day! I just hope everything goes well..."
Aditi places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure you'll do great!"
Radhika added, "Yes! Just see to it that you don't mess up on the first day, first impression is the best impression, you know."
Ruhi nodded, "I hope I fit there..."
Radhika smiled, "Since when did you start worrying so much? Come on, let's click some pictures! Then we all will go and burst fire crackers!"
Ruhi smiled back, "Yes! Let's go!"
On the other hand, Siddharth stood near the window, his mind racing. He himself couldn't believe how different he behaved today. The childish fights were still okay... But the game? How did he react like that? He didn't know how to feel about it.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found Rishi standing behind him, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Where are you lost?", he asked.
"You know where. I behaved so... Unlike myself today.", Siddharth replied.
Rishi squeezed his shoulder, "Maybe you are finally realising it's fun to sometimes come out of your personal space and actually live your life."
Siddharth was quiet for a few seconds before he let out a chuckle, "Everyone looked at me as if they'd seen a ghost."
Rishi chuckles, "How do you expect them to react after what you did? But seriously, the way you were jumping and the wide smile on your face... Are you okay?"
Siddharth snorted, "I smiled, you are asking if I'm okay as if I had a heartbreak or something."
"No, but looking at you like that, it felt like you were possessed or something.", Rishi teased.
Siddharth rolled his eyes, "Shut up!", he said, smacking his head. "Ow!", Rishi rubbed his head dramatically.
Siddharth sighed, "But it felt... nice, you know."
Rishi's expressions softened, "I'm trying to tell you this thing for so long! Finally, you realized it!"
Siddharth took a deep breath, "Thanks man. For keeping up with my boring ass!"
Rishi's eyes widen, he clutched his heart dramatically, "What good did I do, God? The Siddharth Thakkar thanked me? Are you sure you're not possessed, Siddharth?"
Siddharth rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile at his friend's antics. Rishi finally stopped with his act, smiling back at Siddharth, he said, "I'll always be here, bro!"
With that, they went back to the group, who were now preparing to go out and burst fire crackers.
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