The KKR and RCB teams happened to be in Chennai around the same time somewhere towards the latter half of the IPL, and Driksha had conveniently flown back to Chennai from her relatives' place, citing she needed a break from exams. She would, of course, go back to Kolkata as soon as the next exam date came (read: as soon as KKR travelled back to Kolkata).

Washi asked her if she wanted to go out for ice-cream in the afternoon.

What an idea 

Go and melt in the sun to get an ice-cream to combat the sun

When you can just stay
in an AC room?

Shut up and come out

I'm standing in front of your door

I'm not at home. I'm in the hotel in bhaiya's room

I did not mean your home. I MEANT your hotel

Driksha obeyed and since she somehow felt Washi didn't like Shubman very much, decided to drag him along. She badly wanted the two of them to get along and was already dreaming of a third member in their gang-hers and Washi's.

She read the disapproval in her best friend's face the moment he saw her emerging out of the hotel into the blazing sun with Shubman.

"Hi, Washi," said Shubman with a friendly smile.

Washi wasn't an illogical person, he never had been, so he returned the smile and the greeting. Driksha congratulated herself.

They spent the hot walk to the ice-cream stall amiably squabbling about flavours.

Just about when they were placing orders, Driksha froze, catching sight of the figures walking down the street-a woman holding the hand of a small 5 year old boy. 

She knew his age all right.

"Driksh, take yours..." Washi offered her a cone, and stopped short at her red face. "What's up?" 

"There goes the bitch queen," she snarled. 

Shubman and Washi looked around and saw them.

"Who-who are they?" asked Shubman in a hushed voice. Washi shook his head to stop him, but he'd already asked.

"She-is-the-" Driksha kicked a stone in their direction. "-biggest-bitch-the-most-pathetic-whore-in the"

Shubman's jaw was hanging open.

"Driksha, come on," said Washi in alarm. "You promised DK bhai you wouldn't use bad words just because of those people. They are not worth your time."

"Who are those people?" Shubman asked in a louder, more persistent voice.

"She-" began Washi.

"I'll tell you," interjected Driksha fiercely. "And I will just state the bare facts, Washi, and not use a single bad word. See if you don't want to abuse that b--"

Washi coughed.

"-that-uh-woman," said Driksha hastily. 

"Go on," said Shubman.

Their ice-creams were melting and dripping down their wrists but no one had noticed yet.

"That woman, Nikita Vanjara, was apparently in love with my brother since their schooldays, and they married at 21. They stayed married six years, and of those, she was having an affair for two years with my brother's precious teammate-his friend-" Driksha was shaking. "Murali Vijay, you know him? Opens for India, the ba--"

Washi coughed again.

"Give it a rest, Washi!" shouted Driksha. "I'd like to see you narrate the story and not use a bad word about them!"

"Sorry." Washi put a comforting arm around her and smearing her shirt with butterscotch by mistake. "Continue with the story...it gets worse," he added to Shubman, who was already looking horror-struck.

"And the whole Tamil Nadu team knew it except bhaiya." Driksha tried to choke back the tears of rage, but couldn't. She never could, when she thought of the story. And she certainly never could when she was narrating it. "I don't know why he is so trusting and stupid. And guess how he finally found out?"

"How?" whispered Shubman, now looking rather sick.

"She told him. She told him, after two whole years of cheating, and guess why?"

"Why?"

"Because she was pregnant," spat Driksha. "She wouldn't have told him if not for their unplanned pregnancy-or maybe they did it just to make a strong case for a divorce-but of course he didn't-of course he gave the divorce at once-god..."

She could not continue. She could not imagine how bhaiya had felt that day. He had never told anyone. He had just stated the facts.

She could not bear the thought of something like that happening to her bhaiya, the sweetest, kindest, nicest person in the whole world. He never hurt a single person in his life. He did everything in his power to spread happiness in the world. He-

Washi tightened the arm around her and mumbled something that sounded like, "It's all right, Driksh. Well, it's not, but stop crying anyway. They are not worth our time, I tell you."

Shubman reached out to pat her hand awkwardly. 

"I will never forgive them for this," he said, his face white.

"Neither will I," said Washi.

"DK bhai, of all people..." Shubman was shaking, too.

"There," sobbed Driksha, trying her best to stop sobbing. "It's Monday, Shubman-there's your story..."

"Monday?" asked Washi, baffled.

"She tells me a story every Monday," said Shubman, "and she's a great storyteller, aren't you, Driksh?"

She could see he was trying to cheer her up, and strangely enough, that actually cheered her up a little.

Washi retracted his arm from around her as she tried for a smile.

"We'd better buy new ice-creams," said Shubman, smiling back and indicating at their molten ones. "It's a foolproof mood uplifter..."

So they ordered another round of ice-creams, butterscotch for Washi, chocolate for Shubman and jelly burst for Driksha, and this time no one spoke till they finished eating.

"Feel better?" Shubman asked at last.

"Yes," admitted Driksha. "But you know what would really, really make me feel better?"

"What?" asked her companions.

"Revenge," she declared.