It was late at night when almost the whole town was asleep. Yet here I was, shamelessly standing outside Trisha Di and Samar Bhaiya's home. I purposefully chose this time to avoid facing anyone else from the neighborhood. Also the fact that Trisha Di being a city girl, had the habit of sleeping late helped a lot with the decision.

Rudra and I stood quietly yet anxiously, waiting for someone to open the door after ringing the bell.

"Chill, they are going to welcome you with open arms," Rudra said in a assuring tone.

"But they all are angry with me," I said, suddenly feeling more scared of being unwelcomed by them rather than the neighbours.

Before I could dwell on it more, Samar's mom opened the door.

Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing me. It took a second for her shock to wear off, before she pulled me into a motherly hug.

"Long time no see, kiddo," she said, while still hugging me.

"I missed you too aunty," I said, with a huge smile on my face.

Aunty looked at Rudra unsurely, not knowing who he was, but still welcomed him inside because he was with me. She wasn't the prying type, probably waiting for me to introduce him on my own.

"He is my best friend. He came to help," I said, while following her inside.

As soon as she heard help, she knew what I was talking about. She nodded with a smile, before ushering us in.

"Go on inside first, I will go and inform Trisha that you have arrived," she said, before going to the opposite side where rooms where located.

We headed towards the living room, my steps slow and hesitant. Much of my worries had calmed down after meeting aunty but I still wasn't sure how they were going to react to me or would they react at all. I hoped that they didn't blatantly ignore me. It would really break my heart.

"Sia?" Samar called out, while standing up from the couch abruptly as we entered the living room. "Sia, is that you?"

"How did you know?" I asked instead, a bit surprised.

I knew he was capable of telling us apart with his other senses. However, he didn't know I was in the town. So for him to figure it so soon astonished me.

A sad smile came on his face as he answered, "The hesitant and slow footsteps speaks a lot."

"Oh!"

"It would have been excited pitter-patter if it our childhood Sia," Samar's Dad said, as he stood up from the couch as well to greet me.

"Dad!" Samar chided, knowing that the mention of my past self was a sore topic.

That Sia was long gone and disappeared.

"Were you that cheerful as a kid? Seems dubious," Rudra asked in a low voice to me, but still ended up getting attention of the men in the room.

"Who...?" Samar's dad questioned.

"It's Rudra," Samar answered before I could, "I told you about him, remember?" Samar then turned towards Rudra, "Sorry buddy, totally forgot about you while talking with Sia. Welcome to our humble abode."

"No worries," Rudra said with a smile, before moving ahead to shake hands with Samar and Samar's dad.

We were almost going to sit when Trisha Di's voice rang through the house. "Sia," she excitedly called out to me, opening her arms wide as she waddled towards us.

"Careful," I said as she picked up her pace to come near me.

Hearing my words, Samar almost jumped into action, before Trisha told him she was completely fine.

I walked towards her instead to decrease the space. As soon as I was within her arms reach, she engulfed me into a bone crushing hug.

"I thought you were angry at me?" I asked, after she finally left me.

"I was, but then it took so many efforts to keep being angry. So I left that boring part for other idiots in the family," she shrugged.

I laughed, her 'don't care attitude' making me feel alright again. That was the Trisha Di, I knew and loved. She could never be angry at someone for more than a day.

"Sit down first, your legs will get swollen," Samar, being on the full mama bear mode said, before gently helping Trisha to the couch.

Uncle and Aunty retired to their rooms, waving us bye. It was just us four now, or three, seeing Rudra had taken the role of silent spectator.

"Did you meet the Fam yet? Did they give you a hard time?" Trisha Di asked, after getting comfortable.

"No, not yet. I was too scared," I said honestly.

She snorted, "And you weren't scared of my reaction? I don't know if I should feel offended or be happy about it."

"Happy, definitely happy," Samar Bhaiya said, before whispering to Trisha Di, "She is already scared, no need to add onto her fears."

"I just told her that I wasn't angry with her. What's there to be scared about," Trisha Di said, rolling her eyes.

"Go and meet them tomorrow early in the morning," Samar Bhaiya told me.

"And let them know that you came here first to meet us," Trisha Di added, rubbing her hands with glee. "The look on their faces would be a sight to see."

"Show them whose your favourite now," Trisha Di said, happy to have a one up over the other siblings.

"Being Sia's favourite is an all time competition between all of us since she was a kid," Samar Bhaiya explained to Rudra, knowing he would be clueless about the entire conversation.

"Really? Whoa!" Rudra chuckled, enjoying the conversation to the fullest.

"Speaking of that, your childhood husband is back in town," Trisha Di added.

"What the—"

I was confused while Rudra practically froze in shock.

"Viraj. She is talking about Viraj. He is back in the town," Samar Bhaiya informed.

"Oh!" I said in understanding, before rolling my eyes at their obvious teasing.

"Hus..band?" He stuttered in astonishment, before shouting, "You have a husband?"

"Oh shut up! What's with over-reaction," I taunted, before explaining, "It was a play marriage when we were six. Nothing real, they just love to tease me about that stupid game I came up with."

"What game? You were totally in love with him," Trisha Di teased.

"I was six. SIX," I yelled at last, so it would go inside their brain, but my luck was out as they all just kept laughing, disregarding my anger altogether.

"I didn't know you loved somebody. As a best friend, I think I deserve to know at least this much," Rudra teased, muffling his laughter, earning a deadpan look from me.

"Is he handsome?" Rudra asked curiously.

"How would I know? I haven't seen him since years," I said while at the same time Trisha Di answered, "very" in a dreamy voice.

"Control your wife," I told Samar Bhaiya while making a face at Di. There's limit to teasing.

"By the way, didn't he go away from the town because of his father's transfer? Why is he back here?" I asked, suddenly curious about my childhood friend.

"Probably came here to settle after his father's retirement." Samar Bhaiya shrugged.

"What retirement? I saw Uncle in his uniform a few days ago while going for my sonography," Trisha Di said.

"Uniform?" Rudra asked me curiously, while Bhaiya and Di were talking among themselves.

"Police officer," I simply answered, before focusing back on their conversation.

"How is it possible? I mean, he spends the entire of his days, gossiping around with the elders or hanging out in your restaurant. It's not that possible to be this free if he isn't retired," Samar said, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"By elders, you mean...," I trailed off.

"Your mother, Raghav's parents, my parents, almost our whole family," Samar Bhaiya answered. "They all have become good friends. All of them keep reminiscing the past and enjoy their time together."

"Viraj has been a great help to us as well," Trisha Di added, "Don't get jealous, hah! Although he was your friend first, we all have been getting along quite well."

"Who else?" I asked in a hard tone. Something didn't sit right with me.

"Umm...what?"

"Who else they talk or gossip with other than our family?"

Trisha Di frowned, trying to remember. "I haven't seen them around other people much. May be because they came after so many years. So..."

"So only our family then...,"

That's not fishy at all.
(Note the sarcasm)