(three months after the prologue)

1: A kind stranger.
Vani receives help from a stranger in an embarrassing bus stop situation, but unfortunately never sees his face. Karan and Dhriti take big decisions. All the friends meet for dinner.

Fifteen minutes.

The bus was late by fifteen fudging minutes, and Vani Vikram Joshi's patience was running out.

She was sitting on the long bench under the shade at the bus stop. As she watched a fan-edit on Jim Halpert, she continually tapped her right leg on the ground unconsciously; a rare occasion as her focus was not on her fictional crush.

"Kadhi yeil bus?" (When will the bus come?) she muttered to herself.

Time which always seemed to pass so quickly while scrolling through reels, passed slowly in the next five minutes. But the bus did arrive, making Vani extremely happy. Finally!

The song playing in her ears seemed delightful as she got on the bus. Luckily, she even got a seat at the back. It's a good day, today! Or maybe it's an average day, I don't know. She rested the top of her head against the window, looking out at the city. It had started showering just minutes after she had gotten on the bus. Even though her head was vibrating against the window, she didn't want to part ways with it- something, something she couldn't put a finger on about the bus ride, just felt peaceful, serene. Something just felt so so right.

"Dada, this note is torn in the corner, please give me another note" she heard a voice despite wearing earphones.

Her eyes travelled to the source of the voice, whoa, that's a pretty face.

He was sitting in the same row as hers, on the outside. I wish he was sitting beside me. Wait what. Are you a teenager?

Vani found her thoughts laughable. But he surely was the kind of guy Vani would want to talk to and then embarrass herself badly in front of him and would go home and angry-cry herself to sleep.

-

"So, Aai what do you think about the house?" Karan asked his mom as they talked on video call.

"Vrindavan society?"

"No, Coral Apartments"

"Nahi, not at all. I don't like it. It's not according to the vastu directions"

"Aai, I'm not going to buy a house because it's apparently wrong"

"Karan, listen to me. I like Vrindavan society. It's such a spacious flat, beta. Why don't you like it? And our Tara also lives there, you two would help each other"

An awkward expression flashed on his face for a second which his mom did not notice. For some reason, the prospect of living around Tara, just seemed...different.

And the feeling was foreign and funny since Karan lived in the same society as Tara for more than a decade. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he was scared of being around her all the time. There was just...something about that woman. They didn't see eye to eye ninety nine percent of the time, but somehow they had this strange uncharted territory amongst themselves. Somehow, at times he felt the closest to her. Especially, since...

"If the Vrindavan house exceeds your budget, I'll give you money, but buy that house" his mom said and he chuckled.

"I earn, Aai. I can buy that house, you don't need to give me money"

"So go and buy it"

"Okay" he let out a sigh.

You're overthinking it, you stupid bitch.

He closed his eyes for a moment and then dialled the broker. I'm going to buy that goddamn house for Aai.

"Hello Satyajit?"

-

'ahana calling, ahana calling'

Dhriti received the call, surprised at her newly married friend calling her.

"Bola madam"

"Let's meet today?" 

"I'm in, but how are you free? Is the honeymoon phase over?" She teased and heard a chuckled from the other side of the phone.

"Nothing like that, I just wanted to meet all of you as I couldn't spend time with y'all at the wedding" she replied and Dhriti hummed.

"I'm in, ask others on the group"

"Yeah alright, are you at work right now?" She asked and Dhriti paused.

"...Yes"

"Even if others aren't free, let's meet?"

"Yes yes, done" Dhriti said "My boss is calling me, bye" she hastily hung up. A sigh left her lips as she looked around in her house. Liar liar, pants on a forking fire.

She looked back at her laptop screen. The word 'Resignation' looked bigger than the words even if it wasn't. Taking in deep breathes, she finally sent the e-mail.

It's going to be fine, is it not?

-

Vani was particularly engrossed in the songs she was listening to and failed to realise that the bus was at the stop.

"Tai, you have a ticket only till this stop" the conductor said, in a typical Puneri fashion.

"Huh?" She panicked, and quickly rushed to the front door. Due to her bad luck, her hands were full, as one hand held a book and her phone (why don't kurtas have pockets!?) and the other a file and her wallet which she never bothered to keep in her bag (why!?), and the adult lady in her twenties, lost her balance, dropping herself with her things, just in front of the door of the bus, where people were waiting to get off.

SHIT

SHIT

SHIT

I AM IN DEEP SHIT

And to add panic in her already panic-stricken state, the client she was going to meet called her.

"Sorry sorry sorry" she started saying loudly, trying to collect her things from the wet road, while trying to accept the call and talk to her boss like a normal person.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Good morning , Ma'am"

As she picked up the papers while fell from the file, a guy had already picked up her book and her wallet.

"Yes ma'am, I'm reaching the office in five minutes"

"Yes yes"

"Jaaga ahe dada, tumhi jau shakta" (There's enough space for you to get down) she heard someone's voice and mentally thanked him from defending her from the strangers shouting at her.

"Ma'am, ma'am, I'll be there in five" she hung up, and turned towards the man who was back facing her.

"Excuse me?"

It seemed to her that he was on a call.

"Arey aa raha hu mein Karan, kitna bechain hota hai mere bina!" (I'm on my way Karan, you get so anxious without me!)

"Excuse me?" She said again, clearing her voice.

"Oh yes" he muttered, as he turned for a second, handing her the book and the wallet as he rushed to get on the bus which had just arrived. In his haste, he dropped the wallet this time and by the time Vani picked it up, he was already on the bus, she saw him standing there, and his back was facing her, again. I couldn't even thank him, I didn't even see his face properly to remember the kind stranger who helped me.

Sighing, she put her things in her bag and zipped it, not wanting to drop things again. Twice in one day seemed enough. As she walked away from the bus stop, embarrassment took over her as she felt people looking at her, or rather looking at her and mentally laughing at her. She took quick steps, her destination was just 100 meters away from the bus stop.

Nothing good about this day.

-

It was 9 pm and everyone had gathered at Raghav's restaurant for dinner, which was their go-to hangout place. Raghav owned a chain of restaurants named 'The Comfort Food Place', abbreviated as 'TCF'. The friends would meet together at the first, the 'og TCF' ninety percent of the times. It was their place.

Everyone was chatting, when Dhriti stood up and clinked her glass of champagne.

"I would like to raise a toast" she started "To new beginnings with the same old, lovely friends" she said.

"Wow, you don't consider us family?" Ritwik said.

"Aww, you guys, of course you are my family! I love you all so much!" She said, the words at the end clearly slurring.

"We love you too, Dhriti" Vani said with a smile.

"Dhriti, can I join your toast?" Karan asked.

"You lack soooo much originality, Karan." Dhriti huffed, sitting down.

"Thank you, Dhriti. Tara, brace yourself, because currently I am speaking as your new neighbour. I bought the flat which is in front of you! I bought my first house! To new beginnings!" He said, and Tara looked at him, the shock was evident on her face. No way in hell.

"Oh that's amazing Karan, Tara can help you set up your house" Vani chimed in again, with a smile. Tara who sitting beside her looked at her with a glare and a fake smile.

"Yeah, agreed. Tara you should help him" Ahana said.

"Kay" Tara turned her head towards Ahana and smiled.

"Oh wait, I forgot my announcement" Dhriti exclaimed and mentally everyone rolled their eyes. She clearly was drunk.

"I quit! Job chhod di meine!" (I quit! I resigned from my job!) she said, and everyone looked aghast at the shocking revelation.

Dhriti Jha, quit her job!? How is that possible?