prompt

walking down the open ground, ajay was quick to do a mental checklist of potential circumstances and consequences. he didn't mention any name, just the implication that karan might not be single after all. but priyanka has gotten a solid idea, and for what it's worth, she definitely has begun to dislike him for his interruption with her new interest.

well, whatever. i knew karan first, and he's uncomfortable with her flirting.

ajay didn't care about getting in priyanka's bad books, neither did he regret inserting himself in the situation and directing it off on a path he'd envisioned when he stepped in.

the junior's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

“ she tends to hold a grudge, but nothing to worry about, ” assured the older male, nudging his friend with a grin. “ cheer up, champ. ”

but the questioning frown on his lips remained and ajay knew he'd better explain before suhana gave a more worrisome picture of the situation. pulling his phone out to send a text, ajay grabbed karan's hand with the other and brought him to sit at the bleachers.

“ we are going to encounter some people who are bull-headed about wanting to get their way, or forcefully making it happen themselves. . . ” explained ajay, cool as a cucumber.

“ priyanka, is one such girl. her brother too, he'll beat up anyone that crosses her— now, don't worry, ” he chuckled, “ as with anything, there's always a loophole and using it to our advantage is our strategy. ”

suhana arrived just in time, catching her breath as she sat next to them. “ it was you two in the canteen? ” she shook her head when ajay confirmed it.

“ nothing to worry, say karan's dating your cousin. if you vouch for it, there's nothing they can do. ”

“ and what if they ask to see my cousin, mister rathod? ”

exchanging a look with karan, he offered her a mischievous smile, “ i'll figure something out. i know what we could do, but i'm betting it won't go that far. she's not that obsessed with karan. . . yet. ”

“ and besides, her brother, param — he's got a real soft spot for you, remember? your word is final. ”

baffled, suhana slaps his arm with a huff. ajay only laughs, lighthearted, “ what? the sooner we execute this, the better. ”

“ ever the fucking strategist, rathod! ” scolded suhana, though she too laughs a little and reaches for karan's hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

“ i take after my father on that front, ” ajay notes, cheeky.

Great. Now I’ve put Ajay in a difficult position. Way to go! Oh god I’m going to lose the only friend I’ve made.

Ajay pulls him to the bleachers and Karan focuses in on where their hands meet, Ajay’s warmth and show of support provides him the little comfort he was hoping for.

Karan nods as, listening intently to Ajay as each words drives more guilt into him. Ajay’s cool demeanour baffles Karan as his own mouth is agape in shock as he learns what kind of people they’ve just messed with.

“Beat up! Oh shit.” He was so taken back by everything that had just happened that he almost didn’t realise that an out of breath and worried Suhana was in front of them.

Karan gulped as Suhana shook her head with a deep worrying sigh. He and Suhana listen to Ajay’s plan. The air is less tense after Ajay explains and gives them both a mischievous grin. Karan’s eyes just jump from Ajay to Suhana and back to Ajay as they nod and discuss the plan.

Suhana reaches over to give his hand a light squeeze in support. Karan sends her a warm smile in return. His worries of losing them washed away as they both reassure him.

“ you're not the instigator, or the one at fault. it was her making you uncomfortable with an aggressive approach. ”

with his hand holding the apologetic junior's still, ajay turned to suhana. she's quick to add on without a need for prompting, speaking her thoughts on the situation.

“ you're not causing trouble, don't you be sorry. ajay's friend is my friend too! you're no different than my little brother! if i don't protect you, who else will, hmm? ”

with a soft, carefree grin, she added, “ and besides, rathod-ji doesn't poke his nose into anything he finds troublesome. but the fact that he did shove his entire self into this situation shows how much he cares for you. ”

ajay was lightly nudging his friend to stop her from embarrassing him and exposing his innate liking for the younger male though she spoke facts.

it's true — as warm as ajay singh rathod was, he could be that detached when it came to things he found to not be worth his time. anything he deemed problematic or troublesome to deal with was easily passed, not a single thought lingering if he doesn't like it. he was black and white in that way, sorting through for relevant things to remember and irrelevant occurrings to discard.

“And here I was thinking Mr Rathod just enjoys playing saviour.” Karan adds jokingly as Ajay nudges Suhana to quieten her. He can’t help but feel somewhat glad that Ajay did this for him, he throw himself head first into trouble for him. It made him feel special. But of course the inevitable question of why intrudes his thoughts.

Why? Why did this compassionate senior want to make my troubles his own? Why me?

Karan shakes the thoughts out of his head and realises Suhana is looking directly at him, he smiles at her, not sure how to word his gratitude but hoping they can feel it in his smile and words.

“Thank you Ajay and Suhana. I don’t know how I’d deal with all this if it weren’t for you guys.” He smiles sheepishly. Ajay just lightly bumps his shoulder, Karan’s hand still engulfed by his.

however, suhana is quick to drag him back to reality. “ he's no saviour-giviour, karan. he's just mister popular because he's got some good looks and an even better personality. had he been a playboy, the world would have toppled upside down. ”

sharing a look with his favourite junior, ajay mused with suspicion. “ it sounds like a compliment, but somehow it also doesn't. . . ”

ignoring him, suhana smiled at the first-year in an easy manner, free of worry in comparison to when she'd arrived. “ chill, yaar. besides, param knows i am friends with ajay, so there's no issue. ”

it's him that priyanka is annoyed with, not karan so he's not going to be targeted. while that is a matter of relief, the track star knew there was still a possibility of her approaching karan with her interest and making him uncomfortable. ajay wished to prevent it and wrap over the matter quickly before her interest grew in the unattainable guy she so desired.

ajay explained with a chortle, “ she means that even if priyanka took up her complaint to her brother, he would not immediately act — much less so in his usual way. ”

giving his hand a final squeeze and a playful wink, the senior let go to excuse himself to go answer a call. meanwhile, suhana agreed, assuring karan once again that there's no need to worry or thank them.

“ hum hain na! sab handle karlenge. yeh koi pehli baar nehi ki aisi situation aaye. jab fresher tha, tab ajay ko tho maar hi dalenge socha tha sab ne, ” suhana told while her friend was distracted.

“It was definitely half a compliment.” Karan adds, sharing Ajay’s amused look as Suhana just smiles at him. She reassures him again and Karan smiles warmly with as much gratitude as he can express.

He hopes Priyanka won’t be too much of a problem, especially for Ajay. Karan is left a little more confused as Ajay gives his hand a reassuring squeeze and a playful wink before walking away. He turns completely to face Suhana with furrowed brows, his once warm hand now cold with the absence of his friend’s warmth.

“What?” Karan gasps in shock as Suhana reveals that Ajay had problems with Param and Priyanka before, he’s not entirely surprised that the brother sister duo had issues with people.  But Ajay didn’t really seem dislikeable or easy to start a fight with, he was Ajay. He was funny and sweet and so charming, how could anyone want to start a fight with him? Let alone get it to the point of wanting to hurt him?

“ that's the key point here : they tried, but they weren't successful. people go to ajay to amicably solve any issues, because they trust him to find a fair, sound situation. ” she added, “ aur param khud, as a shock to everyone after the issue back then, went to him for help despite the personality clash. ”

having to explain the situation back then, suhana exhaled and attempted to keep it brief.

“ first year, with that charm, he was already so likeable. his innate nature was what got him in trouble, because he helped whoever asked for it, friendly and without a complaint. aur param ki jo girlfriend thi uss samay, wo ajay pe marne lagi. ”

“ this thug did not like it, of course. but that was not the issue, because ajay had rejected her politely, asked her to tie him a rakhi and became her brother instead. ”

suhana spoke cheekily, “ would you believe mister rathod is somehow the most eligible bachelor this campus had seen and yet he's remained single, free of rumours and controversy? ”

suhana pushed her flying hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “ the issue arised when priyanka took a liking to him, and he refused her right away. but she's her father's princess and got everything she wanted, so usse ajay chahiye toh chahiye warna khud ko ya usko kuch karlegi. . . ”

annoyance dripped with each word, with suhana trying to refrain from rolling her eyes over it. “ after unsuccessful attempts to make him jealous, she basically declared him as hers on stage — ajay ignored her, maintained that he's single. ”

“ that enraged her further aur madam ne attempt kiya. . . you know, yandere type, gave him an ultimatum when she called him to the rooftop to talk ki mujhe tum chahiye. say yes, warna tum maroge ya mein. ”

pinching her temples, suhana shook the incoming headache off with a sigh, “ ajay calmly explained that he doesn't love her, that a love forced isn't love at all. she tried to stab him, he disarmed her. she tried to jump, he stopped her, got hurt in the process. ”

“ aur uska bhai gussa tha that he was rejecting his sister, ready to beat him up with his gang — papa waise bhi politician hai, sambhal lega sochte the. . . but when he learned of this, he apologised to ajay and got her out of the college immediately, she only came back next year. ajay remained unbothered so she pretends she never knew him at all. ”

Karan let’s out a breath, similar to a scoff, his jaw hanging wide open as Suhana finishes the recount. He lets the story settle in his mind and his eyes linger to the senior on the phone nearby.

Karan gulps. “So, she did manage to hurt him once?” Karan pinches the bridge of his nose, unable to get the image of Priyanka hurting Ajay on a rooftop out of his head. It sent shivers down his spine. Suhana nods.

“Yeah, but don’t worry. Ajay knows how to handle them.” She tries reassuring him but the junior sighs. “And I do have a way with Param. So don’t you start getting worried now!” She adds with a smile.

Karan hums with a light smile.

“Yeah, it’s hard to believe someone like Ajay is single.” He glances over at the senior on the phone just a few meters away. Suhana chuckles at his comment. Karan may have said it in a comic tone, but he meant it, but then he realised that Ajay was such a good friend and son that maybe Ajay just didn’t find someone who deserved him yet. Someone as kind, warm and wonderful as Ajay was, cause Ajay with his golden heart deserved everything that he put out into this world and so much more.

“You said their father was a politician?” Karan hums in amusement as Suhana nods. “What’s their surname? Or their father’s name?” Karan asks trying to be casual about it, his mind drifting to his father’s friends who were mostly other businessmen and politicians and influential people, and he just thought it would be good to know if his father knew their father, just in case things got a little out of hand.

just then, ajay returned from his phone call, grinning from ear to ear. “ why do you two look so serious? ”

their female friend was quick to change the topic with a cheeky question. “ who were you talking to? is it a secret girlfriend or something? ”

reclaiming his space next to the singhania heir, the older male shook his head with a laugh. “ nehi, it's an old friend that called back. she is going to visit next month so if karan does need a backup girlfriend, she's willing to help. ”

“ well, who is it? ” inqured the girl, curious.

ajay explained, arm unconsciously wrapping back around karan's shoulders, “ she was our neighbour for well over a decade, you don't know her because she left to study in the states as soon as she turned eleven. ”

“ american hogwarts? ” joked suhana, noticing the way her friend didn't even seem to realize the casual skinship he offered to karan that was rare with anyone else.

“ i wish we had an indian hogwarts, ” the senior played along, turning to look at karan. “ see? all the help we need is ready and on standby, so don't you worry the slightest. ”

suhana knew that ajay was one of those few who were ever-ready to move heaven and hell to protect their loved ones, but she didn't realize until this moment how the junior had quickly become so important to her friend. the same friend who, despite being friendly to everyone and close to his comrades, still had an aura of mystery to him — a side to him that he never shows to anyone else, a side they're not aware of but seemingly only karan is privy to. . . if the endearing smile and soft gaze the fresher is on the receiving end of is any indication.

karan singhania is special to ajay singh rathod.

walking down the open ground, ajay was quick to do a mental checklist of potential circumstances and consequences. he didn't mention any name, just the implication that karan might not be single after all. but priyanka has gotten a solid idea, and for what it's worth, she definitely has begun to dislike him for his interruption with her new interest.

well, whatever. i knew karan first, and he's uncomfortable with her flirting.

ajay didn't care about getting in priyanka's bad books, neither did he regret inserting himself in the situation and directing it off on a path he'd envisioned when he stepped in.

the junior's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

“ she tends to hold a grudge, but nothing to worry about, ” assured the older male, nudging his friend with a grin. “ cheer up, champ. ”

but the questioning frown on his lips remained and ajay knew he'd better explain before suhana gave a more worrisome picture of the situation. pulling his phone out to send a text, ajay grabbed karan's hand with the other and brought him to sit at the bleachers.

“ we are going to encounter some people who are bull-headed about wanting to get their way, or forcefully making it happen themselves. . . ” explained ajay, cool as a cucumber.

“ priyanka, is one such girl. her brother too, he'll beat up anyone that crosses her— now, don't worry, ” he chuckled, “ as with anything, there's always a loophole and using it to our advantage is our strategy. ”

suhana arrived just in time, catching her breath as she sat next to them. “ it was you two in the canteen? ” she shook her head when ajay confirmed it.

“ nothing to worry, say karan's dating your cousin. if you vouch for it, there's nothing they can do. ”

“ and what if they ask to see my cousin, mister rathod? ”

exchanging a look with karan, he offered her a mischievous smile, “ i'll figure something out. i know what we could do, but i'm betting it won't go that far. she's not that obsessed with karan. . . yet. ”

“ and besides, her brother, param — he's got a real soft spot for you, remember? your word is final. ”

baffled, suhana slaps his arm with a huff. ajay only laughs, lighthearted, “ what? the sooner we execute this, the better. ”

“ ever the fucking strategist, rathod! ” scolded suhana, though she too laughs a little and reaches for karan's hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

“ i take after my father on that front, ” ajay notes, cheeky.

Great. Now I’ve put Ajay in a difficult position. Way to go! Oh god I’m going to lose the only friend I’ve made.

Ajay pulls him to the bleachers and Karan focuses in on where their hands meet, Ajay’s warmth and show of support provides him the little comfort he was hoping for.

Karan nods as, listening intently to Ajay as each words drives more guilt into him. Ajay’s cool demeanour baffles Karan as his own mouth is agape in shock as he learns what kind of people they’ve just messed with.

“Beat up! Oh shit.” He was so taken back by everything that had just happened that he almost didn’t realise that an out of breath and worried Suhana was in front of them.

Karan gulped as Suhana shook her head with a deep worrying sigh. He and Suhana listen to Ajay’s plan. The air is less tense after Ajay explains and gives them both a mischievous grin. Karan’s eyes just jump from Ajay to Suhana and back to Ajay as they nod and discuss the plan.

Suhana reaches over to give his hand a light squeeze in support. Karan sends her a warm smile in return. His worries of losing them washed away as they both reassure him.

“ you're not the instigator, or the one at fault. it was her making you uncomfortable with an aggressive approach. ”

with his hand holding the apologetic junior's still, ajay turned to suhana. she's quick to add on without a need for prompting, speaking her thoughts on the situation.

“ you're not causing trouble, don't you be sorry. ajay's friend is my friend too! you're no different than my little brother! if i don't protect you, who else will, hmm? ”

with a soft, carefree grin, she added, “ and besides, rathod-ji doesn't poke his nose into anything he finds troublesome. but the fact that he did shove his entire self into this situation shows how much he cares for you. ”

ajay was lightly nudging his friend to stop her from embarrassing him and exposing his innate liking for the younger male though she spoke facts.

it's true — as warm as ajay singh rathod was, he could be that detached when it came to things he found to not be worth his time. anything he deemed problematic or troublesome to deal with was easily passed, not a single thought lingering if he doesn't like it. he was black and white in that way, sorting through for relevant things to remember and irrelevant occurrings to discard.

“And here I was thinking Mr Rathod just enjoys playing saviour.” Karan adds jokingly as Ajay nudges Suhana to quieten her. He can’t help but feel somewhat glad that Ajay did this for him, he throw himself head first into trouble for him. It made him feel special. But of course the inevitable question of why intrudes his thoughts.

Why? Why did this compassionate senior want to make my troubles his own? Why me?

Karan shakes the thoughts out of his head and realises Suhana is looking directly at him, he smiles at her, not sure how to word his gratitude but hoping they can feel it in his smile and words.

“Thank you Ajay and Suhana. I don’t know how I’d deal with all this if it weren’t for you guys.” He smiles sheepishly. Ajay just lightly bumps his shoulder, Karan’s hand still engulfed by his.

however, suhana is quick to drag him back to reality. “ he's no saviour-giviour, karan. he's just mister popular because he's got some good looks and an even better personality. had he been a playboy, the world would have toppled upside down. ”

sharing a look with his favourite junior, ajay mused with suspicion. “ it sounds like a compliment, but somehow it also doesn't. . . ”

ignoring him, suhana smiled at the first-year in an easy manner, free of worry in comparison to when she'd arrived. “ chill, yaar. besides, param knows i am friends with ajay, so there's no issue. ”

it's him that priyanka is annoyed with, not karan so he's not going to be targeted. while that is a matter of relief, the track star knew there was still a possibility of her approaching karan with her interest and making him uncomfortable. ajay wished to prevent it and wrap over the matter quickly before her interest grew in the unattainable guy she so desired.

ajay explained with a chortle, “ she means that even if priyanka took up her complaint to her brother, he would not immediately act — much less so in his usual way. ”

giving his hand a final squeeze and a playful wink, the senior let go to excuse himself to go answer a call. meanwhile, suhana agreed, assuring karan once again that there's no need to worry or thank them.

“ hum hain na! sab handle karlenge. yeh koi pehli baar nehi ki aisi situation aaye. jab fresher tha, tab ajay ko tho maar hi dalenge socha tha sab ne, ” suhana told while her friend was distracted.

“It was definitely half a compliment.” Karan adds, sharing Ajay’s amused look as Suhana just smiles at him. She reassures him again and Karan smiles warmly with as much gratitude as he can express.

He hopes Priyanka won’t be too much of a problem, especially for Ajay. Karan is left a little more confused as Ajay gives his hand a reassuring squeeze and a playful wink before walking away. He turns completely to face Suhana with furrowed brows, his once warm hand now cold with the absence of his friend’s warmth.

“What?” Karan gasps in shock as Suhana reveals that Ajay had problems with Param and Priyanka before, he’s not entirely surprised that the brother sister duo had issues with people.  But Ajay didn’t really seem dislikeable or easy to start a fight with, he was Ajay. He was funny and sweet and so charming, how could anyone want to start a fight with him? Let alone get it to the point of wanting to hurt him?

“ that's the key point here : they tried, but they weren't successful. people go to ajay to amicably solve any issues, because they trust him to find a fair, sound situation. ” she added, “ aur param khud, as a shock to everyone after the issue back then, went to him for help despite the personality clash. ”

having to explain the situation back then, suhana exhaled and attempted to keep it brief.

“ first year, with that charm, he was already so likeable. his innate nature was what got him in trouble, because he helped whoever asked for it, friendly and without a complaint. aur param ki jo girlfriend thi uss samay, wo ajay pe marne lagi. ”

“ this thug did not like it, of course. but that was not the issue, because ajay had rejected her politely, asked her to tie him a rakhi and became her brother instead. ”

suhana spoke cheekily, “ would you believe mister rathod is somehow the most eligible bachelor this campus had seen and yet he's remained single, free of rumours and controversy? ”

suhana pushed her flying hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “ the issue arised when priyanka took a liking to him, and he refused her right away. but she's her father's princess and got everything she wanted, so usse ajay chahiye toh chahiye warna khud ko ya usko kuch karlegi. . . ”

annoyance dripped with each word, with suhana trying to refrain from rolling her eyes over it. “ after unsuccessful attempts to make him jealous, she basically declared him as hers on stage — ajay ignored her, maintained that he's single. ”

“ that enraged her further aur madam ne attempt kiya. . . you know, yandere type, gave him an ultimatum when she called him to the rooftop to talk ki mujhe tum chahiye. say yes, warna tum maroge ya mein. ”

pinching her temples, suhana shook the incoming headache off with a sigh, “ ajay calmly explained that he doesn't love her, that a love forced isn't love at all. she tried to stab him, he disarmed her. she tried to jump, he stopped her, got hurt in the process. ”

“ aur uska bhai gussa tha that he was rejecting his sister, ready to beat him up with his gang — papa waise bhi politician hai, sambhal lega sochte the. . . but when he learned of this, he apologised to ajay and got her out of the college immediately, she only came back next year. ajay remained unbothered so she pretends she never knew him at all. ”

walking down the open ground, ajay was quick to do a mental checklist of potential circumstances and consequences. he didn't mention any name, just the implication that karan might not be single after all. but priyanka has gotten a solid idea, and for what it's worth, she definitely has begun to dislike him for his interruption with her new interest.

well, whatever. i knew karan first, and he's uncomfortable with her flirting.

ajay didn't care about getting in priyanka's bad books, neither did he regret inserting himself in the situation and directing it off on a path he'd envisioned when he stepped in.

the junior's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

“ she tends to hold a grudge, but nothing to worry about, ” assured the older male, nudging his friend with a grin. “ cheer up, champ. ”

but the questioning frown on his lips remained and ajay knew he'd better explain before suhana gave a more worrisome picture of the situation. pulling his phone out to send a text, ajay grabbed karan's hand with the other and brought him to sit at the bleachers.

“ we are going to encounter some people who are bull-headed about wanting to get their way, or forcefully making it happen themselves. . . ” explained ajay, cool as a cucumber.

“ priyanka, is one such girl. her brother too, he'll beat up anyone that crosses her— now, don't worry, ” he chuckled, “ as with anything, there's always a loophole and using it to our advantage is our strategy. ”

suhana arrived just in time, catching her breath as she sat next to them. “ it was you two in the canteen? ” she shook her head when ajay confirmed it.

“ nothing to worry, say karan's dating your cousin. if you vouch for it, there's nothing they can do. ”

“ and what if they ask to see my cousin, mister rathod? ”

exchanging a look with karan, he offered her a mischievous smile, “ i'll figure something out. i know what we could do, but i'm betting it won't go that far. she's not that obsessed with karan. . . yet. ”

“ and besides, her brother, param — he's got a real soft spot for you, remember? your word is final. ”

baffled, suhana slaps his arm with a huff. ajay only laughs, lighthearted, “ what? the sooner we execute this, the better. ”

“ ever the fucking strategist, rathod! ” scolded suhana, though she too laughs a little and reaches for karan's hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

“ i take after my father on that front, ” ajay notes, cheeky.

Great. Now I’ve put Ajay in a difficult position. Way to go! Oh god I’m going to lose the only friend I’ve made.

Ajay pulls him to the bleachers and Karan focuses in on where their hands meet, Ajay’s warmth and show of support provides him the little comfort he was hoping for.

Karan nods as, listening intently to Ajay as each words drives more guilt into him. Ajay’s cool demeanour baffles Karan as his own mouth is agape in shock as he learns what kind of people they’ve just messed with.

“Beat up! Oh shit.” He was so taken back by everything that had just happened that he almost didn’t realise that an out of breath and worried Suhana was in front of them.

Karan gulped as Suhana shook her head with a deep worrying sigh. He and Suhana listen to Ajay’s plan. The air is less tense after Ajay explains and gives them both a mischievous grin. Karan’s eyes just jump from Ajay to Suhana and back to Ajay as they nod and discuss the plan.

Suhana reaches over to give his hand a light squeeze in support. Karan sends her a warm smile in return. His worries of losing them washed away as they both reassure him.

“ you're not the instigator, or the one at fault. it was her making you uncomfortable with an aggressive approach. ”

with his hand holding the apologetic junior's still, ajay turned to suhana. she's quick to add on without a need for prompting, speaking her thoughts on the situation.

“ you're not causing trouble, don't you be sorry. ajay's friend is my friend too! you're no different than my little brother! if i don't protect you, who else will, hmm? ”

with a soft, carefree grin, she added, “ and besides, rathod-ji doesn't poke his nose into anything he finds troublesome. but the fact that he did shove his entire self into this situation shows how much he cares for you. ”

ajay was lightly nudging his friend to stop her from embarrassing him and exposing his innate liking for the younger male though she spoke facts.

it's true — as warm as ajay singh rathod was, he could be that detached when it came to things he found to not be worth his time. anything he deemed problematic or troublesome to deal with was easily passed, not a single thought lingering if he doesn't like it. he was black and white in that way, sorting through for relevant things to remember and irrelevant occurrings to discard.

“And here I was thinking Mr Rathod just enjoys playing saviour.” Karan adds jokingly as Ajay nudges Suhana to quieten her. He can’t help but feel somewhat glad that Ajay did this for him, he throw himself head first into trouble for him. It made him feel special. But of course the inevitable question of why intrudes his thoughts.

Why? Why did this compassionate senior want to make my troubles his own? Why me?

Karan shakes the thoughts out of his head and realises Suhana is looking directly at him, he smiles at her, not sure how to word his gratitude but hoping they can feel it in his smile and words.

“Thank you Ajay and Suhana. I don’t know how I’d deal with all this if it weren’t for you guys.” He smiles sheepishly. Ajay just lightly bumps his shoulder, Karan’s hand still engulfed by his.

however, suhana is quick to drag him back to reality. “ he's no saviour-giviour, karan. he's just mister popular because he's got some good looks and an even better personality. had he been a playboy, the world would have toppled upside down. ”

sharing a look with his favourite junior, ajay mused with suspicion. “ it sounds like a compliment, but somehow it also doesn't. . . ”

ignoring him, suhana smiled at the first-year in an easy manner, free of worry in comparison to when she'd arrived. “ chill, yaar. besides, param knows i am friends with ajay, so there's no issue. ”

it's him that priyanka is annoyed with, not karan so he's not going to be targeted. while that is a matter of relief, the track star knew there was still a possibility of her approaching karan with her interest and making him uncomfortable. ajay wished to prevent it and wrap over the matter quickly before her interest grew in the unattainable guy she so desired.

ajay explained with a chortle, “ she means that even if priyanka took up her complaint to her brother, he would not immediately act — much less so in his usual way. ”

giving his hand a final squeeze and a playful wink, the senior let go to excuse himself to go answer a call. meanwhile, suhana agreed, assuring karan once again that there's no need to worry or thank them.

“ hum hain na! sab handle karlenge. yeh koi pehli baar nehi ki aisi situation aaye. jab fresher tha, tab ajay ko tho maar hi dalenge socha tha sab ne, ” suhana told while her friend was distracted.

walking down the open ground, ajay was quick to do a mental checklist of potential circumstances and consequences. he didn't mention any name, just the implication that karan might not be single after all. but priyanka has gotten a solid idea, and for what it's worth, she definitely has begun to dislike him for his interruption with her new interest.

well, whatever. i knew karan first, and he's uncomfortable with her flirting.

ajay didn't care about getting in priyanka's bad books, neither did he regret inserting himself in the situation and directing it off on a path he'd envisioned when he stepped in.

the junior's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

“ she tends to hold a grudge, but nothing to worry about, ” assured the older male, nudging his friend with a grin. “ cheer up, champ. ”

but the questioning frown on his lips remained and ajay knew he'd better explain before suhana gave a more worrisome picture of the situation. pulling his phone out to send a text, ajay grabbed karan's hand with the other and brought him to sit at the bleachers.

“ we are going to encounter some people who are bull-headed about wanting to get their way, or forcefully making it happen themselves. . . ” explained ajay, cool as a cucumber.

“ priyanka, is one such girl. her brother too, he'll beat up anyone that crosses her— now, don't worry, ” he chuckled, “ as with anything, there's always a loophole and using it to our advantage is our strategy. ”

suhana arrived just in time, catching her breath as she sat next to them. “ it was you two in the canteen? ” she shook her head when ajay confirmed it.

“ nothing to worry, say karan's dating your cousin. if you vouch for it, there's nothing they can do. ”

“ and what if they ask to see my cousin, mister rathod? ”

exchanging a look with karan, he offered her a mischievous smile, “ i'll figure something out. i know what we could do, but i'm betting it won't go that far. she's not that obsessed with karan. . . yet. ”

“ and besides, her brother, param — he's got a real soft spot for you, remember? your word is final. ”

baffled, suhana slaps his arm with a huff. ajay only laughs, lighthearted, “ what? the sooner we execute this, the better. ”

“ ever the fucking strategist, rathod! ” scolded suhana, though she too laughs a little and reaches for karan's hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

“ i take after my father on that front, ” ajay notes, cheeky.

Great. Now I’ve put Ajay in a difficult position. Way to go! Oh god I’m going to lose the only friend I’ve made.

Ajay pulls him to the bleachers and Karan focuses in on where their hands meet, Ajay’s warmth and show of support provides him the little comfort he was hoping for.

Karan nods as, listening intently to Ajay as each words drives more guilt into him. Ajay’s cool demeanour baffles Karan as his own mouth is agape in shock as he learns what kind of people they’ve just messed with.

“Beat up! Oh shit.” He was so taken back by everything that had just happened that he almost didn’t realise that an out of breath and worried Suhana was in front of them.

Karan gulped as Suhana shook her head with a deep worrying sigh. He and Suhana listen to Ajay’s plan. The air is less tense after Ajay explains and gives them both a mischievous grin. Karan’s eyes just jump from Ajay to Suhana and back to Ajay as they nod and discuss the plan.

Suhana reaches over to give his hand a light squeeze in support. Karan sends her a warm smile in return. His worries of losing them washed away as they both reassure him.

“ you're not the instigator, or the one at fault. it was her making you uncomfortable with an aggressive approach. ”

with his hand holding the apologetic junior's still, ajay turned to suhana. she's quick to add on without a need for prompting, speaking her thoughts on the situation.

“ you're not causing trouble, don't you be sorry. ajay's friend is my friend too! you're no different than my little brother! if i don't protect you, who else will, hmm? ”

with a soft, carefree grin, she added, “ and besides, rathod-ji doesn't poke his nose into anything he finds troublesome. but the fact that he did shove his entire self into this situation shows how much he cares for you. ”

ajay was lightly nudging his friend to stop her from embarrassing him and exposing his innate liking for the younger male though she spoke facts.

it's true — as warm as ajay singh rathod was, he could be that detached when it came to things he found to not be worth his time. anything he deemed problematic or troublesome to deal with was easily passed, not a single thought lingering if he doesn't like it. he was black and white in that way, sorting through for relevant things to remember and irrelevant occurrings to discard.

it had been a few weeks since karan first visited the rathod household. the two have been somewhat inseparable since, their friendship growing further and stronger each day. they would greet each other at university and hang out whenever they can, some joking that the first year had stolen their friend for himself.

ajay would grin and throw an arm around karan, chest puffed out proud, “ i've never been happier stolen. ”

guljeet had invited karan to play cricket with them sometime, see if he's interested in joining the team. and suhana would fill karan in on the latest talk around the campus whenever their paths crossed. dinesh was still whisked away from karan whilst the tattooed male comically called for his ‘ chote bhai ’ to not forget him — ajay kept his word to not introduce them.

the cool and mysterious karan singhania had gathered quite the interest from the girls as well, something ajay points out over lunchtime at the canteen today.

“ aaj half day hai lekin dekho aapke fans saj-dhaj ke aaye hein aapke liye, yet you don't spare them a glance, ” the older male parroted as he drank from his bottle of thumbs up, a cheeky smile on his lips.

“ suhana's words, not mine, ” he adds before taking a bite if his sandwich, “ that's the first thing she told me in class this morning. ”

He barely noticed the girls that lingered around him but sometimes they were hard to miss. They kept staring at him and giggling with their friends as he munched on his lunch, sipping his thumbs up every now and then and he would catch a glimpse of them but payed them no more mind than that. He sighed as Ajay commented on them.

“I think you and Suhana should pay more attention to the lecturer.” Karan comments sarcastically. And then Ajay calls him cute. Cute. Karan can feel himself turn red. Karan was always told that all the girls had a crush on him, he understood the ‘bad boy’ image he carried around but it was most definitely not on purpose. He always assumed his money and image attracted people not really his actual looks or him as a person. But he decided not to think too much on it.

ajay had witnessed some seniors and juniors alike express their interest in karan, whose cool boy image was well established within a month and a half of joining university. while he did see their point of view, he didn't pass on their flirtation or phone numbers, instead suggesting they go do it themselves.

he understood how attention wasn't always welcome, and the last he wished to do was make karan uncomfortable.

watching the junior get flustered, ajay raised an eyebrow, “ dinesh will stretch a story to the point of saying i raise lions in my house. that doesn't mean it's true. ”

he joked with a straight face, “ don't listen to him, he's the only one in the ajay rathod fanclub. ”

biting back a mirroring smirk to put on an expression of faux offence, “ jealous? kaun main? nah. ”

“ why would i get jealous if my boy's getting plenty attention from the girls? ” he huffed in an exaggerated manner, taking another bite of his sandwich and shaking his head. “ also, you could never outgrow the cute label with those puppy eyes, champ. who are you kidding? ”

He shrinks and swirls the straw in his soda. Writhing under the gaze of a girl at a nearby table. He tried to glare at her or at least pass her a questioning look but she seemed to be a braver soul and continued to stare him down with eyes narrowed somewhat seductively and a sharp smile, she seemed to be a third or maybe second year. He turned his attention back to his friend, hoping the girl would realise he is uninterested and more importantly uncomfortable. He had gotten better at ignoring the attention but every now and then it still got to him.

“I believe Dinesh. After all I’ve seen the girls swoon over you with my own eyes.” Karan sighs and takes a sip of his drink. “I think it’s time you actually start the Ajay Rathod fanclub and just see how many people turn up.” He chuckles. And then Ajay calls him cute again and his cheeks and neck heat up. Karan rolls his eyes.

“ dinesh exaggerates, don't believe him. it's dinesh the girls are swooning over, not myself. ”

“ actually— i will join your fanclub, ” mentioned the older male, drinking his cola. “ maybe i could hold a board calling you cute, write something on it like ‘ notice me senpai ’ and get a lightstick to cheer you on? ”

hearing the screech of the chair's metal legs, ajay glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, only to see her walk over. he noticed her to be a third year. wasn't she param's sister, priyanka? she's known to get what she wants no matter the cost, and it seems she's set her eyes on the first year.

ajay could feel the bitter taste of bad news swirl in his chest. his intuition told him to help turn her away easy.

dragging another chair to join the two friends, priyanka sat down with a mischievous grin. “ hello boys, ” she says, though all of her attention was on karan.

“ you're ajay, right? ” she asks, sparing a fleeting glance his way before it returned to look karan over as if she were to eat him up.

“ yes, that would be me, ” speaking politely, the second year asked, “ perhaps introductions are in order? ”

“Oh, there are many things you could help me with, but for now, lets start with your number?” She whispers almost, her phone hanging by her fingertips.

“Sorry?” Karan blinks at her, she can’t see it but he’s stunned and not in a good way. He cringes as her hand snakes forward to peel his sunglasses of his face.

“You heard me love.” She hangs the glasses on Karan’s shirt, fingers lingering dangerously close to his chest as she ghosts over the skin for a few seconds too long. Karan can feel anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach but he breathes deeply, he reminded himself to not cause any trouble.

He can see Ajay from the corner of his eye and the older man just seemed to be watching their interaction. Suddenly Karan felt embarrassed that Ajay had to witness whatever this was.

‘Come on Karan. Get rid off her. Ajay is feeling uncomfortable too!’ He urged himself to think of all the ways he can make Priyanka but he was struggling to get past the thought of how uncomfortable he was.

but when she returned karan's glasses to hang on his shirt, fingers dangerously close to brushing down his chest, ajay spoke up without thinking any further. he'll handle as it goes, but he's gotten a tad annoyed by her leisurely touch on his friend.

“ priyanka— ” he called her attention, the entire student body and the girl herself turning his way with how abrupt it had been, “ how about a different number instead? ”

the brunette raised an eyebrow, curious but unimpressed, “ yours? ”

the crowd held their breath, all thinking the same thing: has ajay singh rathod been interested in priyanka all along? he'd always been so uninterested, gently turning down those who dared, accompanied by a sweet smile.

“ of course not. someone better, someone single, ” leaning forward with his elbows on the table, he grinned, “ i know just the perfect person to be your match. ”

the students didn't know what to think. on one hand, of course ajay wasn't interested in her — they half expected he'd be one of those who would only get married if it were arranged. but who is that perfect match for priyanka that he mentioned? someone scarier or quicker-tempered than her?

priyanka seemed to consider his words only for a moment, before she returned to her original choice, “ i want your friend's number, nobody else's. ”

“ you know he's cute. an aura of mystery surrounding him, quite stylish and easy on the eyes, ” ajay spoke quietly, making his pitch with a charming smile, “ did you really think he'd still be single? ”

displeased she may be, but priyanka turned to karan with a frown, “ are you seeing anyone? ”

ajay refrained from making any gestures, but he reserved a subtle look towards karan to not say anything, turning to appease priyanka before her anger burst. he could already notice her nostrils flare, her long fingers spread on the table. ajay didn't like lying, but this was a safer option than her brother targeting karan.

the senior encouraged the singhania heir with an assuring gaze, but before either of them could speak, she turned to glare at ajay, “ you keep answering for him. ”

“ he's shy and you don't seem to like to be put on hold for answers, ” offered the male, unaffected under her glare.

the canteen chilled, as if they were expecting a more extreme reaction from priyanka. but instead, she exhaled an annoyed huff and stood up, the chair falling to the ground. fetching her bag, the girl maintained her fiery stare on ajay as she walked out of the place, her friends shuffling behind her in a hurry.

Then she turned to him, anger oozing from her expression as Ajay’s lies drip from his tongue. His throat itches to give her a fitting reply but the crowd makes him nervous and a glance at Ajay and his soft brown eyes reassure Karan that Ajay has it under control and Karan can just relax. Karan involuntarily shrinks as he eyes turn cold.

But soon enough, she got up, almost toppling the chair over as she walked away from their table and out of the building. Karan avoids her and her friends’ gaze.

Karan lets out a breathy chuckle.

“ don't worry about it, champ, ” ajay assured, watching the younger male attempt to calm down.

he decided then that it's best not to go into detail on why priyanka was. . . for a lack of better word, a sensitive person to handle. not in a quick-to-cry sort of way, but rather a girl with a quick trigger for her temper and a promise of her grudges written off in a fitting revenge, usually involving her older brother, who was known to beat up, threaten, or humiliate whoever so much inconvenienced her.

the guy didn't care if his sister was the one at fault. as far as the siblings were concerned, their act was the law, the right, the only. and anyone who questioned it or spoke against it was the foolish enemy.

with a chuckle, tone lighthearted, ajay added, “ best you stick with suhana a few days, okay? i'll talk to her. ”

with that said, the older male stood up, throwing his jacket over his shoulder, “ let's go? the weather's nice out. ” glancing around the canteen, he found the students minding their business.

good enough.

it had been a few weeks since karan first visited the rathod household. the two have been somewhat inseparable since, their friendship growing further and stronger each day. they would greet each other at university and hang out whenever they can, some joking that the first year had stolen their friend for himself.

ajay would grin and throw an arm around karan, chest puffed out proud, “ i've never been happier stolen. ”

guljeet had invited karan to play cricket with them sometime, see if he's interested in joining the team. and suhana would fill karan in on the latest talk around the campus whenever their paths crossed. dinesh was still whisked away from karan whilst the tattooed male comically called for his ‘ chote bhai ’ to not forget him — ajay kept his word to not introduce them.

the cool and mysterious karan singhania had gathered quite the interest from the girls as well, something ajay points out over lunchtime at the canteen today.

“ aaj half day hai lekin dekho aapke fans saj-dhaj ke aaye hein aapke liye, yet you don't spare them a glance, ” the older male parroted as he drank from his bottle of thumbs up, a cheeky smile on his lips.

“ suhana's words, not mine, ” he adds before taking a bite if his sandwich, “ that's the first thing she told me in class this morning. ”

He barely noticed the girls that lingered around him but sometimes they were hard to miss. They kept staring at him and giggling with their friends as he munched on his lunch, sipping his thumbs up every now and then and he would catch a glimpse of them but payed them no more mind than that. He sighed as Ajay commented on them.

“I think you and Suhana should pay more attention to the lecturer.” Karan comments sarcastically. And then Ajay calls him cute. Cute. Karan can feel himself turn red. Karan was always told that all the girls had a crush on him, he understood the ‘bad boy’ image he carried around but it was most definitely not on purpose. He always assumed his money and image attracted people not really his actual looks or him as a person. But he decided not to think too much on it.

ajay had witnessed some seniors and juniors alike express their interest in karan, whose cool boy image was well established within a month and a half of joining university. while he did see their point of view, he didn't pass on their flirtation or phone numbers, instead suggesting they go do it themselves.

he understood how attention wasn't always welcome, and the last he wished to do was make karan uncomfortable.

watching the junior get flustered, ajay raised an eyebrow, “ dinesh will stretch a story to the point of saying i raise lions in my house. that doesn't mean it's true. ”

he joked with a straight face, “ don't listen to him, he's the only one in the ajay rathod fanclub. ”

biting back a mirroring smirk to put on an expression of faux offence, “ jealous? kaun main? nah. ”

“ why would i get jealous if my boy's getting plenty attention from the girls? ” he huffed in an exaggerated manner, taking another bite of his sandwich and shaking his head. “ also, you could never outgrow the cute label with those puppy eyes, champ. who are you kidding? ”

He shrinks and swirls the straw in his soda. Writhing under the gaze of a girl at a nearby table. He tried to glare at her or at least pass her a questioning look but she seemed to be a braver soul and continued to stare him down with eyes narrowed somewhat seductively and a sharp smile, she seemed to be a third or maybe second year. He turned his attention back to his friend, hoping the girl would realise he is uninterested and more importantly uncomfortable. He had gotten better at ignoring the attention but every now and then it still got to him.

“I believe Dinesh. After all I’ve seen the girls swoon over you with my own eyes.” Karan sighs and takes a sip of his drink. “I think it’s time you actually start the Ajay Rathod fanclub and just see how many people turn up.” He chuckles. And then Ajay calls him cute again and his cheeks and neck heat up. Karan rolls his eyes.

“ dinesh exaggerates, don't believe him. it's dinesh the girls are swooning over, not myself. ”

“ actually— i will join your fanclub, ” mentioned the older male, drinking his cola. “ maybe i could hold a board calling you cute, write something on it like ‘ notice me senpai ’ and get a lightstick to cheer you on? ”

hearing the screech of the chair's metal legs, ajay glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, only to see her walk over. he noticed her to be a third year. wasn't she param's sister, priyanka? she's known to get what she wants no matter the cost, and it seems she's set her eyes on the first year.

ajay could feel the bitter taste of bad news swirl in his chest. his intuition told him to help turn her away easy.

dragging another chair to join the two friends, priyanka sat down with a mischievous grin. “ hello boys, ” she says, though all of her attention was on karan.

“ you're ajay, right? ” she asks, sparing a fleeting glance his way before it returned to look karan over as if she were to eat him up.

“ yes, that would be me, ” speaking politely, the second year asked, “ perhaps introductions are in order? ”

“Oh, there are many things you could help me with, but for now, lets start with your number?” She whispers almost, her phone hanging by her fingertips.

“Sorry?” Karan blinks at her, she can’t see it but he’s stunned and not in a good way. He cringes as her hand snakes forward to peel his sunglasses of his face.

“You heard me love.” She hangs the glasses on Karan’s shirt, fingers lingering dangerously close to his chest as she ghosts over the skin for a few seconds too long. Karan can feel anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach but he breathes deeply, he reminded himself to not cause any trouble.

He can see Ajay from the corner of his eye and the older man just seemed to be watching their interaction. Suddenly Karan felt embarrassed that Ajay had to witness whatever this was.

‘Come on Karan. Get rid off her. Ajay is feeling uncomfortable too!’ He urged himself to think of all the ways he can make Priyanka but he was struggling to get past the thought of how uncomfortable he was.

but when she returned karan's glasses to hang on his shirt, fingers dangerously close to brushing down his chest, ajay spoke up without thinking any further. he'll handle as it goes, but he's gotten a tad annoyed by her leisurely touch on his friend.

“ priyanka— ” he called her attention, the entire student body and the girl herself turning his way with how abrupt it had been, “ how about a different number instead? ”

the brunette raised an eyebrow, curious but unimpressed, “ yours? ”

the crowd held their breath, all thinking the same thing: has ajay singh rathod been interested in priyanka all along? he'd always been so uninterested, gently turning down those who dared, accompanied by a sweet smile.

“ of course not. someone better, someone single, ” leaning forward with his elbows on the table, he grinned, “ i know just the perfect person to be your match. ”

the students didn't know what to think. on one hand, of course ajay wasn't interested in her — they half expected he'd be one of those who would only get married if it were arranged. but who is that perfect match for priyanka that he mentioned? someone scarier or quicker-tempered than her?

priyanka seemed to consider his words only for a moment, before she returned to her original choice, “ i want your friend's number, nobody else's. ”

“ you know he's cute. an aura of mystery surrounding him, quite stylish and easy on the eyes, ” ajay spoke quietly, making his pitch with a charming smile, “ did you really think he'd still be single? ”

displeased she may be, but priyanka turned to karan with a frown, “ are you seeing anyone? ”

ajay refrained from making any gestures, but he reserved a subtle look towards karan to not say anything, turning to appease priyanka before her anger burst. he could already notice her nostrils flare, her long fingers spread on the table. ajay didn't like lying, but this was a safer option than her brother targeting karan.

the senior encouraged the singhania heir with an assuring gaze, but before either of them could speak, she turned to glare at ajay, “ you keep answering for him. ”

“ he's shy and you don't seem to like to be put on hold for answers, ” offered the male, unaffected under her glare.

the canteen chilled, as if they were expecting a more extreme reaction from priyanka. but instead, she exhaled an annoyed huff and stood up, the chair falling to the ground. fetching her bag, the girl maintained her fiery stare on ajay as she walked out of the place, her friends shuffling behind her in a hurry.

it had been a few weeks since karan first visited the rathod household. the two have been somewhat inseparable since, their friendship growing further and stronger each day. they would greet each other at university and hang out whenever they can, some joking that the first year had stolen their friend for himself.

ajay would grin and throw an arm around karan, chest puffed out proud, “ i've never been happier stolen. ”

guljeet had invited karan to play cricket with them sometime, see if he's interested in joining the team. and suhana would fill karan in on the latest talk around the campus whenever their paths crossed. dinesh was still whisked away from karan whilst the tattooed male comically called for his ‘ chote bhai ’ to not forget him — ajay kept his word to not introduce them.

the cool and mysterious karan singhania had gathered quite the interest from the girls as well, something ajay points out over lunchtime at the canteen today.

“ aaj half day hai lekin dekho aapke fans saj-dhaj ke aaye hein aapke liye, yet you don't spare them a glance, ” the older male parroted as he drank from his bottle of thumbs up, a cheeky smile on his lips.

“ suhana's words, not mine, ” he adds before taking a bite if his sandwich, “ that's the first thing she told me in class this morning. ”

He barely noticed the girls that lingered around him but sometimes they were hard to miss. They kept staring at him and giggling with their friends as he munched on his lunch, sipping his thumbs up every now and then and he would catch a glimpse of them but payed them no more mind than that. He sighed as Ajay commented on them.

“I think you and Suhana should pay more attention to the lecturer.” Karan comments sarcastically. And then Ajay calls him cute. Cute. Karan can feel himself turn red. Karan was always told that all the girls had a crush on him, he understood the ‘bad boy’ image he carried around but it was most definitely not on purpose. He always assumed his money and image attracted people not really his actual looks or him as a person. But he decided not to think too much on it.

ajay had witnessed some seniors and juniors alike express their interest in karan, whose cool boy image was well established within a month and a half of joining university. while he did see their point of view, he didn't pass on their flirtation or phone numbers, instead suggesting they go do it themselves.

he understood how attention wasn't always welcome, and the last he wished to do was make karan uncomfortable.

watching the junior get flustered, ajay raised an eyebrow, “ dinesh will stretch a story to the point of saying i raise lions in my house. that doesn't mean it's true. ”

he joked with a straight face, “ don't listen to him, he's the only one in the ajay rathod fanclub. ”

biting back a mirroring smirk to put on an expression of faux offence, “ jealous? kaun main? nah. ”

“ why would i get jealous if my boy's getting plenty attention from the girls? ” he huffed in an exaggerated manner, taking another bite of his sandwich and shaking his head. “ also, you could never outgrow the cute label with those puppy eyes, champ. who are you kidding? ”

He shrinks and swirls the straw in his soda. Writhing under the gaze of a girl at a nearby table. He tried to glare at her or at least pass her a questioning look but she seemed to be a braver soul and continued to stare him down with eyes narrowed somewhat seductively and a sharp smile, she seemed to be a third or maybe second year. He turned his attention back to his friend, hoping the girl would realise he is uninterested and more importantly uncomfortable. He had gotten better at ignoring the attention but every now and then it still got to him.

“I believe Dinesh. After all I’ve seen the girls swoon over you with my own eyes.” Karan sighs and takes a sip of his drink. “I think it’s time you actually start the Ajay Rathod fanclub and just see how many people turn up.” He chuckles. And then Ajay calls him cute again and his cheeks and neck heat up. Karan rolls his eyes.

“ dinesh exaggerates, don't believe him. it's dinesh the girls are swooning over, not myself. ”

“ actually— i will join your fanclub, ” mentioned the older male, drinking his cola. “ maybe i could hold a board calling you cute, write something on it like ‘ notice me senpai ’ and get a lightstick to cheer you on? ”

hearing the screech of the chair's metal legs, ajay glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, only to see her walk over. he noticed her to be a third year. wasn't she param's sister, priyanka? she's known to get what she wants no matter the cost, and it seems she's set her eyes on the first year.

ajay could feel the bitter taste of bad news swirl in his chest. his intuition told him to help turn her away easy.

dragging another chair to join the two friends, priyanka sat down with a mischievous grin. “ hello boys, ” she says, though all of her attention was on karan.

“ you're ajay, right? ” she asks, sparing a fleeting glance his way before it returned to look karan over as if she were to eat him up.

“ yes, that would be me, ” speaking politely, the second year asked, “ perhaps introductions are in order? ”

it had been a few weeks since karan first visited the rathod household. the two have been somewhat inseparable since, their friendship growing further and stronger each day. they would greet each other at university and hang out whenever they can, some joking that the first year had stolen their friend for himself.

ajay would grin and throw an arm around karan, chest puffed out proud, “ i've never been happier stolen. ”

guljeet had invited karan to play cricket with them sometime, see if he's interested in joining the team. and suhana would fill karan in on the latest talk around the campus whenever their paths crossed. dinesh was still whisked away from karan whilst the tattooed male comically called for his ‘ chote bhai ’ to not forget him — ajay kept his word to not introduce them.

the cool and mysterious karan singhania had gathered quite the interest from the girls as well, something ajay points out over lunchtime at the canteen today.

“ aaj half day hai lekin dekho aapke fans saj-dhaj ke aaye hein aapke liye, yet you don't spare them a glance, ” the older male parroted as he drank from his bottle of thumbs up, a cheeky smile on his lips.

“ suhana's words, not mine, ” he adds before taking a bite if his sandwich, “ that's the first thing she told me in class this morning. ”

He barely noticed the girls that lingered around him but sometimes they were hard to miss. They kept staring at him and giggling with their friends as he munched on his lunch, sipping his thumbs up every now and then and he would catch a glimpse of them but payed them no more mind than that. He sighed as Ajay commented on them.

“I think you and Suhana should pay more attention to the lecturer.” Karan comments sarcastically. And then Ajay calls him cute. Cute. Karan can feel himself turn red. Karan was always told that all the girls had a crush on him, he understood the ‘bad boy’ image he carried around but it was most definitely not on purpose. He always assumed his money and image attracted people not really his actual looks or him as a person. But he decided not to think too much on it.

ajay had witnessed some seniors and juniors alike express their interest in karan, whose cool boy image was well established within a month and a half of joining university. while he did see their point of view, he didn't pass on their flirtation or phone numbers, instead suggesting they go do it themselves.

he understood how attention wasn't always welcome, and the last he wished to do was make karan uncomfortable.

watching the junior get flustered, ajay raised an eyebrow, “ dinesh will stretch a story to the point of saying i raise lions in my house. that doesn't mean it's true. ”

he joked with a straight face, “ don't listen to him, he's the only one in the ajay rathod fanclub. ”

biting back a mirroring smirk to put on an expression of faux offence, “ jealous? kaun main? nah. ”

“ why would i get jealous if my boy's getting plenty attention from the girls? ” he huffed in an exaggerated manner, taking another bite of his sandwich and shaking his head. “ also, you could never outgrow the cute label with those puppy eyes, champ. who are you kidding? ”

he had blurted out his inner workings without the guarantee of a positive response. he couldn't regret it now that they've already spilled, but he could only study karan's expression helplessly.

however, neither the expressions nor the words spoken next match the worry in his mind. by the end of karan's admission, ajay was relieved with a soft smile on his face and a softer spot in his heart.

only now does the older male realize that his friend wasn't too troubled by the invite and rather comfortable enough, thankfully.

“ okay, ” a somewhat shy nod. “ thank you, karan. ”

what else was there to say? karan had mentioned being bad with words, but his sincerity made up for it, and that connected with ajay, the more expressive one between them, who was at a loss for words.

- - - - - - -

they had resumed their little look around the cozy sunroom and the terrace next.

‘ it's beautiful during early mornings, ’ ajay had insisted. ‘ and particularly more so on rainy days. ’

but they couldn't enjoy it much with the night settling in, and with no stars in the sky. besides, a few fairy lights hung along the the terrace corner made an underwhelming attraction.

‘ maybe you could witness it another time. ’

ajay's mother had called for them just then, and the duo head downstairs where they were given homemade chocolate burfi, and of course, freshly made, melt-in-your-mouth gulab jamun.

they sit in the living room with the woman to enjoy the dessert together, while she sat down with the intent of mischief.

to be precise, with the intention of embarrassing her son in front of his friend.

“ as you can tell, ajay is quite expressive. he's always been that way, ” she told karan with a chuckle, “ but he didn't have the filter that he does today— ”

“ maa, please. we can just watch a movie or something, ” he interrupts with an embarrassed expression.

“ but karan wants to know. he's got to do something about that cool guy image of yours before it got to your head, ” she teased, turning to their guest.

“Thank you Ajay.”

There was a moment of silence, Karan basked in the moment of true sincerity where he felt Ajay and him understood each other in a way that goes beyond words.

———————————————————————————

Ajay lead him around the house, moving up some narrow stairs to the terrace. Karan stared at the view from the terrace and it was too dark to decipher much out but Karan could see the appeal of it in the morning, especially sunrises and rainy days.

I would love to witness this view on a rainy day.

He doesn’t have the guts to say it for some reason and aunty calls them down before he can properly reply. So Karan nods, accepting the informal invite as he bites the inside of his lip before brushing past Ajay to skip back down the stairs.

Karan smiles as he catches a glimpse of mischief in Amala’s eyes. He thanks her as she hands him a bowl of fresh gulab jamun.

“Filter?” Karan raises a brow, asking Ajay in an expression why he felt the need to filter himself around him. He laughs as Ajay tries to move away from the topic.

“ well, everybody has a filter. a sense of considering the time and place before saying something, right? ”

ajay almost tucks himself away, almost pretending he doesn't hear a thing whilst eating the dessert.

“ and while ajay had always been a candid child, speaking his thoughts without holding back, i didn't realize the extent to which it had developed until the first incident. ”

though, he does keep looking at the younger lad's reaction from the corner of his eye.

his mother continued, “ five-year-old ajay had no such filter. i remember bringing him around to a family gathering, the bride's father was being really obnoxious, commenting about our country and comparing it to foreign lands, complaining about the roads, the system, everything. ”

he leaned his head against the couch and guessed what came next. his mother had reminisced about it a few times growing up.

“ hum chup rahe. he's the bride's father, hamse status mein bade hain. . . toh kisine kuch nahi bola, ” you could see the way she was so fond of that moment, of her son in his seemingly-handful childhood. “ lekin iss chote sahab ko pata nahi kya laga, ek hi baat se sab ki muh band karwadi. ”

his father hadn't been more proud and his immediate chuckle had made it clear, while his mother was more socially adept and thus, diverted the conversation to another topic.

“ he said: ‘ uncle, if you don't like it, then leave na. you chap-chap [ complain ] like bharti aunty. i am sleepy, papa pick me up. ’ and that's it. that man didn't cross our path again for the rest of the night, and refused to take a picture with us. ”

ajay completes, “ apparently, dad got me two ice creams past bedtime once we got home. ”

he shook his head, “ it's really a cringey story, nothing interesting. ”

“ wow, young ajay must’ve been a handful! “ karan remarks playfully. but he found it sweet that ajay always stood up for what he believed in, even at that age. “ it’s not cringey! it’s adorable. “ karan coos. “ and two ice creams is a big deal at that age! “

he can sense the fondness in their voice as they talk about the third member of their family, ajay’s father, amala’s husband but to karan’s surprise the air doesn’t turn cold, unlike his house, where even the mere reference to his mother can shift the air into unknown fragility. when they talk about Mr Rathod karan can feel warmth and the surge of nostalgia running through the rathods and it’s bittersweet. they don’t freeze up and they don’t wait for each other to make the next move, they carry on like normal.

it stings to know that he doesn’t get to talk this freely about his mother at home, after all he would be taking to empty rooms and plain walls. and again he is left to wonder if how close the family was before mr rathod’s death, he begins to wonder if they were anything like his own before grief hit them, before distance and bitterness took over.

he snaps out of his thoughts and takes another bite of his dessert and laughs as ajar rubs the back of his head in mock hurt.

if ajay was anything like his father, then his father must’ve been a great man.

and he still does it, though he's more aware of his surroundings and the effect of something said out loud. perhaps he'd grown aware of it when he lost his father, choosing to be brave for his mother than break down with her.

it was scary, it was heartbreaking, and the mother-son duo got through it together, but there was a time when ajay began to filter his words though it did not yet coincide when he came home from school to the scene of his widowed mother's relatives taunting her for marrying a military man than console her for the loss.

the words ajay said that day, forgetting his age and theirs, lead to them cutting ties with his mother. but amala never regret it, and neither did ajay.

at present, ajay simply huffs in response while his mother was happy with the guest's compliment.

“ jab chahe tab bol dena, tumhare liye banadoongi, hmm? ” said amala.

- - - - - - -

amala went on share a few more funny, and some mostly embarrassing stories from ajay's childhood that had her son turn his entire attention to the dessert with heat on his cheeks.

the time was nine fifty pm by the time they realized it's getting late.

“ phir se zaroor aana, beta, ” amala gave him her blessing, smiling wide as the two boys stepped out of the house.

ajay walked along with karan than lose those few more moments of their time spent together.

the moon above could attest to it.

he had blurted out his inner workings without the guarantee of a positive response. he couldn't regret it now that they've already spilled, but he could only study karan's expression helplessly.

however, neither the expressions nor the words spoken next match the worry in his mind. by the end of karan's admission, ajay was relieved with a soft smile on his face and a softer spot in his heart.

only now does the older male realize that his friend wasn't too troubled by the invite and rather comfortable enough, thankfully.

“ okay, ” a somewhat shy nod. “ thank you, karan. ”

what else was there to say? karan had mentioned being bad with words, but his sincerity made up for it, and that connected with ajay, the more expressive one between them, who was at a loss for words.

- - - - - - -

they had resumed their little look around the cozy sunroom and the terrace next.

‘ it's beautiful during early mornings, ’ ajay had insisted. ‘ and particularly more so on rainy days. ’

but they couldn't enjoy it much with the night settling in, and with no stars in the sky. besides, a few fairy lights hung along the the terrace corner made an underwhelming attraction.

‘ maybe you could witness it another time. ’

ajay's mother had called for them just then, and the duo head downstairs where they were given homemade chocolate burfi, and of course, freshly made, melt-in-your-mouth gulab jamun.

they sit in the living room with the woman to enjoy the dessert together, while she sat down with the intent of mischief.

to be precise, with the intention of embarrassing her son in front of his friend.

“ as you can tell, ajay is quite expressive. he's always been that way, ” she told karan with a chuckle, “ but he didn't have the filter that he does today— ”

“ maa, please. we can just watch a movie or something, ” he interrupts with an embarrassed expression.

“ but karan wants to know. he's got to do something about that cool guy image of yours before it got to your head, ” she teased, turning to their guest.

“Thank you Ajay.”

There was a moment of silence, Karan basked in the moment of true sincerity where he felt Ajay and him understood each other in a way that goes beyond words.

———————————————————————————

Ajay lead him around the house, moving up some narrow stairs to the terrace. Karan stared at the view from the terrace and it was too dark to decipher much out but Karan could see the appeal of it in the morning, especially sunrises and rainy days.

I would love to witness this view on a rainy day.

He doesn’t have the guts to say it for some reason and aunty calls them down before he can properly reply. So Karan nods, accepting the informal invite as he bites the inside of his lip before brushing past Ajay to skip back down the stairs.

Karan smiles as he catches a glimpse of mischief in Amala’s eyes. He thanks her as she hands him a bowl of fresh gulab jamun.

“Filter?” Karan raises a brow, asking Ajay in an expression why he felt the need to filter himself around him. He laughs as Ajay tries to move away from the topic.

“ well, everybody has a filter. a sense of considering the time and place before saying something, right? ”

ajay almost tucks himself away, almost pretending he doesn't hear a thing whilst eating the dessert.

“ and while ajay had always been a candid child, speaking his thoughts without holding back, i didn't realize the extent to which it had developed until the first incident. ”

though, he does keep looking at the younger lad's reaction from the corner of his eye.

his mother continued, “ five-year-old ajay had no such filter. i remember bringing him around to a family gathering, the bride's father was being really obnoxious, commenting about our country and comparing it to foreign lands, complaining about the roads, the system, everything. ”

he leaned his head against the couch and guessed what came next. his mother had reminisced about it a few times growing up.

“ hum chup rahe. he's the bride's father, hamse status mein bade hain. . . toh kisine kuch nahi bola, ” you could see the way she was so fond of that moment, of her son in his seemingly-handful childhood. “ lekin iss chote sahab ko pata nahi kya laga, ek hi baat se sab ki muh band karwadi. ”

his father hadn't been more proud and his immediate chuckle had made it clear, while his mother was more socially adept and thus, diverted the conversation to another topic.

“ he said: ‘ uncle, if you don't like it, then leave na. you chap-chap [ complain ] like bharti aunty. i am sleepy, papa pick me up. ’ and that's it. that man didn't cross our path again for the rest of the night, and refused to take a picture with us. ”

ajay completes, “ apparently, dad got me two ice creams past bedtime once we got home. ”

he shook his head, “ it's really a cringey story, nothing interesting. ”

the day had passed smoothly, with the classes and teachers the same as usual. however, it had a certain undercurrent of excitement to it; ajay had something to look forward to.

he didn't quite get to leave his classroom during lunch break. but whilst reviewing material for the test, ajay had made a quick call to his mother, informing that they would be having his new friend over for dinner tonight.

he didn't quite get the chance to meet karan again with the test after break, with their class handling a heavier exploration into thermodynamics.

after all this was done, ajay was at cricket practice at the grounds. the coach for this one didn't take a day off and put them through proper training over and over until their performance was satisfactory enough to his (very much in tune with his rivalry with the coach in st. teresa's) standard.

- - - - - - -

a pleasant aroma filled the house with ajay setting the table while his mother finished the last of the dishes.

it wasn't anything too fancy, but ajay hoped that karan would like a sincere homemade meal. he'd been thinking of him in fleeting moments throughout the day, yet each one held such significant interest.

his mind began to wander as he set the plates— it snapped out before he could linger on the bittersweet thought.

it was the first time in a decade that a third plate has been put on this table.

“ ajay, get the ghee from the upper shelf. ”

a fleeting smile curls on his lips, and fades just as fast.

a glance is thrown towards the clock as he got the item for her — 6:47pm.

the mother-son duo work efficiently, in a sync they'd learned since the loss bound then closer. he begins plating up the food in their respective containers to keep them hot until their guest arrived.

—————————

After his classes for the day were done, Karan rushed first to the market on his bike. He found a pretty bouquet of red and white roses and box of assorted indian sweets.

He hummed at the two things, feeling they were not enough and he thought harder about what he should take. He spotted a little bakery and made his way inside, nodding in delight as he saw little packages of treats. He bought two things, one package of biscuits, another of candies and chocolates and lastly he entered a wine shop and bought a nice bottle of wine as he had seen his mother do so many times for the dinners they were constantly invited to. Checking the clock he internally cursed, it was already 6:47pm.

He rushed home, washed his face, changed out of his clothes into a nicer, plain white shirt and spritzed on some perfume. He took one last look at himself in the mirror before grabbing the car keys (it was a struggle to carry everything on the bike), the gifts that the help had stacked up at the front and the sticky note with Ajay’s address. And somewhere between 7:15pm and 7:30pm his car stopped in front of the Rathod household. Suddenly Karan had to pace himself before he could even step out of the car. Eventually he got to the front door and he took one deep breath and knocked, his hand poking out carefully from under the boxes he was carrying as the flowers lay gently in his other arm, the wine bottle dangling in its bag just beneath it.

amala noticed the nervousness in ajay pacing about tidying up an already tidy house with a hint of restless anticipation.

“ kya hua beta? ”

“ naye naye dost bane. what if he felt uncomfortable at the invite? ”

it wasn't quite like ajay to get nervous, even with important things. he's usually self-assured, relaxed.

the matriarch wonders about the boy who's become so special so soon to her son — she's looking forward to seeing him.

“ did he cancel? ”

“ no. ”

“ was he hesitant? ”

“ no. . . he said he wanted to come meet you too. ”

the mother smiled softly at her son, raising an eyebrow.

ajay sighs, looking at her meekly.

“ important to you? ”

ajay doesn't take a moment to answer, the response is quiet, yet instant. “ i think so— yeah. ”

“ phir zyada mat socho. it will be alright, ” she assured just as the bell rang.

ajay gives her a tad more confident smile at that, and she sees the way his eyes light up now that their guest has finally arrived.

a thought passes her by. she doesn't mind.

- - - - - - -

ajay opens the door, a happy grin replacing the smile on his lips.

“ padhaariye shahzaade, ” teased the older male, opening the door wider and stepping aside to let his friend in.

“ thanks for coming, ” he mumbled, softer, sincere as karan entered the household, closing the door behind them.

his mother greets his friend with a warm smile, “ ao beta. ”

ajay doesn't waste time introducing them to one another.

“ maa, this is karan. he's the junior i told you about. ”

she looks at karan with such warmth in her eyes, almost the same as ajay's though hers are much more elegant and with wisdom while ajay's were deeper, thoughtful.

“ and champ, meet my mother, amala rathod. ”

amala could pick up on the fondness in her son's voice, and her thought earlier made much more sense.

“ it's really nice to meet you, karan, ” she speaks sweetly as she leads him inside. “ i hope ajay hasn't given you a hard time; he can be the human equivalent of a golden retriever. ”

“ maa— ”

despite his tall stature, ajay looked smaller when embarrassed by the teasing.

he diverts the topic.

“Thank you for inviting me.” He replies, hoping to sound just as sincere and grateful. He walks in as Ajay’s mother calls him in, welcoming him with a warm, homely smile. Karan sees how her, her smile was beautiful and welcoming just like Ajay’s.

“Namaste Aunty.” Karan greets as she invites him in and Ajay introduces them to each other. He struggles but eventually reaches down to get her blessing. She leads him further into the house while teasing Ajay. Ajay groans and Karan had to resist the urge to reach out and ruffle his hair in the same way he would pet an actual golden retriever.

He sighs as Ajay changes the topic to the small things he got for them.

“It’s really wonderful to meet you too aunty.” He hands her the flowers and wine, then places the boxes in Ajay’s hand.

“Pehle bhaar aaya hoon. Khali haath kaise aa saktha?” He mutters softly.

polite, respectful and he made her son happy.

that was amala's first impression of karan singhania.

thanking karan for his gifts, she goes to put the flowers in a vase before they could spoil, placing the wine on the kitchen counter.

ajay meanwhile walked alongside karan, gesturing him to take a seat at the dining table before going to put the sweets and biscuits by the counter as well.

the scent of fresh, aromatic biryani filled the household once amala began transferring it into an open glass container.

“ karan, ” it's the first time ajay had uttered his name to address him, his voice soft and low, “ don't worry about all this next time onward. your hands are never empty as long as you visit. that's more than enough, okay? ”

saying so, ajay smiled and went on to help his mother in bringing the container to the table. taking a seat across karan, one chair was left empty at the north while mrs. rathod would take up the southern seat.

“ it's rare for ajay to bring a friend around, surprising as it may seem, ” amala kept up the light hearted mood. “ the last he brought one around was in 4th grade. ”

“ maa, don't entertain him at my expense. ”

with a mischievous glint in her eye, she looked over at karan, “ perhaps i should show you some photos from ajay's childhood— ”

ajay avoided karan's eyes with a hint of embarrassment evident at the tips of his ears while his mother served them food, filling their plates up well before she took a seat herself.

“ he's not interested, ” intercept ajay as he served her the food in return, all three seated.

He listens intently as Amala talks about Ajay. He couldn’t believe this was rare for Ajay, Karan wondered why Ajay wanted to introduce him to his mother, was he as special for Ajay as Ajay was for him?

Karan couldn’t help but stare as Ajay turned a soft shade of pink in embarrassment. Karan admired the sight and graced a smug smirk himself, shaking his head as Ajay attempted to change the topic.

ajay, however, was blissfully unaware of the impact the mere utterance of his name had done to karan. he was cooped up with his own fondness for the boy, that seemed to grow at a near-alarming rate via each interaction.

“ that's more like it, ” she encouraged karan with a mischievous smile.

ajay sighed, quietly taking a bite of his food, “ i am outnumbered, i don't think i will win against you two. ”

“ better learn now than later. right, ajay? ”

the taller male felt embarrassed at the idea of being shown his childhood photos, but he didn't mind it exactly. and so far so well, he was glad that these two got along alright.

“ as you can see, my mother is quite happy that you have come over. ” he goes on to joke, “ though i do hope you both don't become a team. ”

“ oh, i haven't even thought of sharing that story of when you were five though? ”

“ maa— save it for later, ” ajay groaned, tasting a spoonful of biryani by itself, and then another with a piece of kebab topped on it.

“Aunty this is wonderful! Aapke hathon mein jadoo hai!” He compliments here before diving back for another bite. He remembers very well the last time he had proper home cooked food, cooked with love and care and not by duty but he shoots down the memory. As Amala promises to tell him the story of five year old Ajay after dinner, Karan throws Ajay a knowing smirk.

And though it was quite soon to say, for the first time in years Karan felt at home somewhere, like he was welcome and wanted. It was hard to put into actual words or coherent thoughts but he felt included and so much more he couldn’t explain.

He kept thinking of his own mother and the last time his family sat down together for a meal that was joyous and filled with laughter and smiles. He wishes his father could see this and be here and experience this homeliness once again. But the thought fades away as he immersed himself into the laughter and chatter.

Karan eyes flicker to a corner of the room where a picture of what looks like an air force pilot is hung higher on the wall and a garland decorated the frame. Karan quickly flicks his eyes back to his plate, connecting the dots of loss in Ajay and aunty’s life and takes another bit as he listens to Ajay groan in embarrassment. A part of him is envious that their connection maintained its strength in the face is loss and his hadn’t but a larger part of him was happy for them, that they had each other and weren’t afraid to lean on one another when it was needed.

ajay grins, nodding in agreement as he ate his food.

for a while there, he simply observes his mother and karan interact with one another, and some worry inside him eases upon seeing them get along.

amala laughs, “ you tell him, karan. he thinks he can get everything his way. ”

her son shook his head, taking a sip from his glass, “ i cannot win against you two. do as you please. ”

“ but no embarrassing stories. ”

amala just exchanged a look with karan whilst eating as if saying ‘ don't worry, i'll tell you everything. ’

- - - - - - -

and so dinner had passed smoothly, wonderful food now cleared out. amala sent the boys to the living room while she cleared up the table with a promise of bringing the dessert out.

ajay had taken to showing karan around the house. he chose to bring him to the sunroom first. “ there's three places in this house that i find comfort in — my room, the terrace and well, here. ”

it was a cozy space with big windows, plants raised previously, a swing towards the corner and comfortable couch tucked away in the other corner.

there's little pictures put away, taken on some old camera from the 80s. all black and white, candids, poses, happy smiles, a complete family.

there's one framed photo, of amala and her husband in uniform, holding baby ajay with his chubby cheeks and toothless grin.

another with toddler ajay mid-air, laughter coming from the confidence that his father's stretched out arms will catch him.

another, a candid. ajay crying with his little fist in a grip full of cake. and the next one of the same moment, except it was a ajay feeding the cake in his hand to his father.

“ i. . . hope it isn't entirely uncomfortable when i say this, though we haven't known each other for so little time— ” he begins.

looking out through the window, ajay continued, “ you can visit whenever you want. it's probably an odd thing to say, really, and if i could articulate it better, i would. ”

ajay was an honest guy for the most part. he spoke his truth unless hiding it was absolutely necessary.

“ but what i mean, is well— ” he pauses his ramble to take a breath, a smile helpless to this feeling, “ take your time, be comfortable. and do anything you feel like doing. ”

the day had passed smoothly, with the classes and teachers the same as usual. however, it had a certain undercurrent of excitement to it; ajay had something to look forward to.

he didn't quite get to leave his classroom during lunch break. but whilst reviewing material for the test, ajay had made a quick call to his mother, informing that they would be having his new friend over for dinner tonight.

he didn't quite get the chance to meet karan again with the test after break, with their class handling a heavier exploration into thermodynamics.

after all this was done, ajay was at cricket practice at the grounds. the coach for this one didn't take a day off and put them through proper training over and over until their performance was satisfactory enough to his (very much in tune with his rivalry with the coach in st. teresa's) standard.

- - - - - - -

a pleasant aroma filled the house with ajay setting the table while his mother finished the last of the dishes.

it wasn't anything too fancy, but ajay hoped that karan would like a sincere homemade meal. he'd been thinking of him in fleeting moments throughout the day, yet each one held such significant interest.

his mind began to wander as he set the plates— it snapped out before he could linger on the bittersweet thought.

it was the first time in a decade that a third plate has been put on this table.

“ ajay, get the ghee from the upper shelf. ”

a fleeting smile curls on his lips, and fades just as fast.

a glance is thrown towards the clock as he got the item for her — 6:47pm.

the mother-son duo work efficiently, in a sync they'd learned since the loss bound then closer. he begins plating up the food in their respective containers to keep them hot until their guest arrived.

—————————

After his classes for the day were done, Karan rushed first to the market on his bike. He found a pretty bouquet of red and white roses and box of assorted indian sweets.

He hummed at the two things, feeling they were not enough and he thought harder about what he should take. He spotted a little bakery and made his way inside, nodding in delight as he saw little packages of treats. He bought two things, one package of biscuits, another of candies and chocolates and lastly he entered a wine shop and bought a nice bottle of wine as he had seen his mother do so many times for the dinners they were constantly invited to. Checking the clock he internally cursed, it was already 6:47pm.

He rushed home, washed his face, changed out of his clothes into a nicer, plain white shirt and spritzed on some perfume. He took one last look at himself in the mirror before grabbing the car keys (it was a struggle to carry everything on the bike), the gifts that the help had stacked up at the front and the sticky note with Ajay’s address. And somewhere between 7:15pm and 7:30pm his car stopped in front of the Rathod household. Suddenly Karan had to pace himself before he could even step out of the car. Eventually he got to the front door and he took one deep breath and knocked, his hand poking out carefully from under the boxes he was carrying as the flowers lay gently in his other arm, the wine bottle dangling in its bag just beneath it.

amala noticed the nervousness in ajay pacing about tidying up an already tidy house with a hint of restless anticipation.

“ kya hua beta? ”

“ naye naye dost bane. what if he felt uncomfortable at the invite? ”

it wasn't quite like ajay to get nervous, even with important things. he's usually self-assured, relaxed.

the matriarch wonders about the boy who's become so special so soon to her son — she's looking forward to seeing him.

“ did he cancel? ”

“ no. ”

“ was he hesitant? ”

“ no. . . he said he wanted to come meet you too. ”

the mother smiled softly at her son, raising an eyebrow.

ajay sighs, looking at her meekly.

“ important to you? ”

ajay doesn't take a moment to answer, the response is quiet, yet instant. “ i think so— yeah. ”

“ phir zyada mat socho. it will be alright, ” she assured just as the bell rang.

ajay gives her a tad more confident smile at that, and she sees the way his eyes light up now that their guest has finally arrived.

a thought passes her by. she doesn't mind.

- - - - - - -

ajay opens the door, a happy grin replacing the smile on his lips.

“ padhaariye shahzaade, ” teased the older male, opening the door wider and stepping aside to let his friend in.

“ thanks for coming, ” he mumbled, softer, sincere as karan entered the household, closing the door behind them.

his mother greets his friend with a warm smile, “ ao beta. ”

ajay doesn't waste time introducing them to one another.

“ maa, this is karan. he's the junior i told you about. ”

she looks at karan with such warmth in her eyes, almost the same as ajay's though hers are much more elegant and with wisdom while ajay's were deeper, thoughtful.

“ and champ, meet my mother, amala rathod. ”

amala could pick up on the fondness in her son's voice, and her thought earlier made much more sense.

“ it's really nice to meet you, karan, ” she speaks sweetly as she leads him inside. “ i hope ajay hasn't given you a hard time; he can be the human equivalent of a golden retriever. ”

“ maa— ”

despite his tall stature, ajay looked smaller when embarrassed by the teasing.

he diverts the topic.

“Thank you for inviting me.” He replies, hoping to sound just as sincere and grateful. He walks in as Ajay’s mother calls him in, welcoming him with a warm, homely smile. Karan sees how her, her smile was beautiful and welcoming just like Ajay’s.

“Namaste Aunty.” Karan greets as she invites him in and Ajay introduces them to each other. He struggles but eventually reaches down to get her blessing. She leads him further into the house while teasing Ajay. Ajay groans and Karan had to resist the urge to reach out and ruffle his hair in the same way he would pet an actual golden retriever.

He sighs as Ajay changes the topic to the small things he got for them.

“It’s really wonderful to meet you too aunty.” He hands her the flowers and wine, then places the boxes in Ajay’s hand.

“Pehle bhaar aaya hoon. Khali haath kaise aa saktha?” He mutters softly.

polite, respectful and he made her son happy.

that was amala's first impression of karan singhania.

thanking karan for his gifts, she goes to put the flowers in a vase before they could spoil, placing the wine on the kitchen counter.

ajay meanwhile walked alongside karan, gesturing him to take a seat at the dining table before going to put the sweets and biscuits by the counter as well.

the scent of fresh, aromatic biryani filled the household once amala began transferring it into an open glass container.

“ karan, ” it's the first time ajay had uttered his name to address him, his voice soft and low, “ don't worry about all this next time onward. your hands are never empty as long as you visit. that's more than enough, okay? ”

saying so, ajay smiled and went on to help his mother in bringing the container to the table. taking a seat across karan, one chair was left empty at the north while mrs. rathod would take up the southern seat.

“ it's rare for ajay to bring a friend around, surprising as it may seem, ” amala kept up the light hearted mood. “ the last he brought one around was in 4th grade. ”

“ maa, don't entertain him at my expense. ”

with a mischievous glint in her eye, she looked over at karan, “ perhaps i should show you some photos from ajay's childhood— ”

ajay avoided karan's eyes with a hint of embarrassment evident at the tips of his ears while his mother served them food, filling their plates up well before she took a seat herself.

“ he's not interested, ” intercept ajay as he served her the food in return, all three seated.

He listens intently as Amala talks about Ajay. He couldn’t believe this was rare for Ajay, Karan wondered why Ajay wanted to introduce him to his mother, was he as special for Ajay as Ajay was for him?

Karan couldn’t help but stare as Ajay turned a soft shade of pink in embarrassment. Karan admired the sight and graced a smug smirk himself, shaking his head as Ajay attempted to change the topic.

ajay, however, was blissfully unaware of the impact the mere utterance of his name had done to karan. he was cooped up with his own fondness for the boy, that seemed to grow at a near-alarming rate via each interaction.

“ that's more like it, ” she encouraged karan with a mischievous smile.

ajay sighed, quietly taking a bite of his food, “ i am outnumbered, i don't think i will win against you two. ”

“ better learn now than later. right, ajay? ”

the taller male felt embarrassed at the idea of being shown his childhood photos, but he didn't mind it exactly. and so far so well, he was glad that these two got along alright.

“ as you can see, my mother is quite happy that you have come over. ” he goes on to joke, “ though i do hope you both don't become a team. ”

“ oh, i haven't even thought of sharing that story of when you were five though? ”

“ maa— save it for later, ” ajay groaned, tasting a spoonful of biryani by itself, and then another with a piece of kebab topped on it.