"You know Mishti, I have a people problem", Josh said.

I had never had a full proper conversation with the guy so far. So I was reasonably surprised when he said he wanted to talk to me.

I smiled, "Me too. Most people hate me and I hate most people too".

"Well..my problem is a bit different. I'm a good one to put a foot in my mouth. You know I can just say all the wrong things sometimes".

"Hmm", I said "I can't really relate to that. But why are you tell me this anyway?"

"I want you to help me with Zoya".

Dude, the girl is not interested in you at all, she's still not over her singer boyfriend, I wanted to say. But I didn't. It was Riya's bullshit to match up these two. And I knew very well that she wouldn't take any responsibility for any of this if it screwed up.

"Uhm..okay?"

Josh brightened up, "Okay, see", he said seriously, "I never really got to speak to Zoya.."

"Wait, didn't you go on some date last week in Mumbai?"

"Yeah, but we barely spoke on it", Josh said. The guy sounded crestfallen.

"Um, so what's your plan now?"

"I just want you to help me get on Zoya's right side. You know, just be next to me and point it out if I screw up somewhere".

"Okay..", I said sounding more encouraging than I felt.

"So whenever I say something wrong....I don't know, just pull my shirt or something?"

"What? Pull your shirt?", I repeated. And I had thought Josh was not a wacko.

"Yeah, just a slight tug...to let me know that I should tread carefully. You can sit next to me".

I sighed. "Okay deal".

•••

The next morning we were finally introduced to what we had come to Ooty for. The kids.

We were going to work in an area called the activity room which sprawled across the first floor of the main resort.

There were about forty kids in total. They were a charming bunch and they all stood there giggling and chatting. Even though I wasn't specifically fond of little children, I found myself smiling. Riya and Zoya had gone all out and were pinching their cheeks, lifting them up and playing with them.

It was only when I went to pinch their cheeks too that I realised none of them were particularly plump. Something which I had totally been when I was their age. I saw a tinge of malnourishment behind their excited faces. The cheerfulness evaporated from me. The scene suddenly seemed overwhelming. These kids could barely manage to go to school and they had come here so they could experience some sort of recreational activities. While kids of the same age in rich families would be going to painting and zumba classes.

My profound moment of enlightenment was interrupted by Lakshan's entry.

"Hey", I prodded Riya in the back as I saw him coming into the room, "It's your friend.."

Riya shrugged nonchalantly and pretended to look the other way.

We were going to work with the kids on different activities like aerobics, art and music. We were going to start with vegetable printing art. Capsicums, potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, tomatoes and shallots were laid out infront of us.

There were three long tables put out for all of us. So split the children into three groups sat down. Lakshan joined Sanam and Ameesha with the first group of kids. The slightest look of disappointment flashed on Riya's face as she took the second table with Reyansh.

Zoya automatically moved to the third table. Josh sat down opposite her and looked at me pointedly. I went and sat next to him, ready to do the shirt pulling if he said anything wrong.

We started working.

I found the kids were not particularly easy to do activities with. They were too enthusiastic and loud. Most of them could not wait patiently till we showed them what to do.

The room descended into complete chaos within ten minutes with kids running around all over the place, spilling paint, falling on each other and some even eating the raw vegetables that had been kept for the art.

In between all that, this was how the scene between Josh and Zoya went.

"Zoya, so did you ever meet your ex boyfriend after you broke up?"

I pulled his shirt.

"Not that I want to know, I mean, it doesn't matter right?"

I pulled his shirt again. Zoya's answers were mostly monosyllabic.

"Okay, so what do you think about us?"

"Mish, pass the scissors", Riya yelled from the next table before I could pull Josh's shirt. Two little boys at her table were being particularly problematic, pulling her hair and smearing vegetables stains on her dress. Riya was finding it a real challenge to handle them.

"Do you want to know whether I had a girlfriend before this? Maybe that will make you feel better?"

This time I was so exasperated that I forgot about the slight tug and yanked so hard that Josh's shirt ripped apart.

All the way upto his sleeve.

The sound could be heard throughout the room.

It was as if someone had let off a huge steam of carbon dioxide from their ass.

Zoya's eyes widened, "What the.."

I felt too much second hand embarrassment. I bit my lip and turned to the other side.

There was silence for a few seconds as everybody looked at everybody. Until Riya broke it.

"I knew Reyansh was lying about your six pack bro!" she exclaimed at Josh who was sitting half naked.

All the kids started laughing. I didn't. That was such a cruel statement to make. Zoya didn't laugh either. She continued to stare at us.

"Sorry, sorry..I'm an idiot", I mumbled. Josh looked at me and sighed. Was it a it's-okay-drop-it sigh or you-are-a-sick-bitch sigh? I'd rather I didn't find out so I awkwardly shuffled to the other side and started to peel carrots for a particularly enthusiastic little girl. She was clutching a beautiful doll wearing a polka dotted lace frock and a blue hat under her left arm.

"Will you put that down?", I said "Or you won't be able to paint".

"No no...I never put my Jalebi Devi down", the girl said shaking her head vigorously, "I can paint with my other hand".

I tried to suppress my smile. Jalebi Devi indeed.

"What's your name?", I asked in what I hoped was a cute voice.

"Neena", the girl said.

Now if it was Riya, she would've started coochie-cooing with the kid. But I on the other hand, had no idea what to do. Thankfully, the kid was more socially relevant than me.

"Are you going to college?", she asked.

"Not yet. But I've written my IIT entrance", I said. Duh! Who talks like that to a kid?

"What's IIT?", Neena asked with wide eyes.

"It's a college", I said..

"Oh you go there to be a doctor?"

"No, an engineer".

"Oh okay".

"Do you know what an engineer is?". It was my turn to ask the question.

"I've heard about it. Only smart people can be engineers right?"

"Uhm...kind of".

"Are you very smart then?", came the next question.

"I am okay smart", I smiled.

Neena nodded, satisfied with the response. I dipped the carrot slices in a bowl of paint and pressed it onto the paper infront of me. Neena followed suit as she picked up another carrot slice with her little hand. I suggested once again that she put down her doll but she didn't listen.

I turned around for a brief moment and found Josh and Zoya still staring at each other.

Okay, maybe mission shirt-pull wasn't such a big failure.

"This is perfect akka!", Neena said pointing to the paper and giggled happily. I lunged forward to stop her from placing her paint stained palm on her face.

•••

After a very trying session with the kids, all of us packed up and left the activity room which resembled a very dirty vegetable market by the end of the day.

I came to the back to the staff building to find Laksh and Riya arguing at the entrance.

So madam had managed to start a conversation with him.

"I'm asking you, who left the door open?", Riya asked with typical desi girl attitude.

"But wasn't that you?", Laksh asked.

"Your father was right yesterday. You are a donkey", Riya said.

"You eavesdropped on my family conversation?", Laksh bellowed "Why are you so interested in our personal matters?"

"Aha! Are you the royal family of Rajasthan for me to be interested in your personal matters? And I didn't eavesdrop. We were in the same room and your father was yelling his head off. The entire hill station could hear him".

Riya paused and waited for a response. When it didn't come, she continued, "Why are you lingering here anyway? Don't you have anything else to do? Or do you like this place so much?"

"And is this some king's palace for me to like it? Listen, Kushti or whatever your name is", Laksh said turning to me, "Tell your friend that I take absolutely no pleasure in staying in this Taj Mahal. My fool of a father has sent me here. And I have to stay put until someone knocks some sense into the old man's thick head".

"Well you know you deserve this. And she's Mishti not Kushti. You know that", Riya snapped.

I sucked in my breath. If this is how Riya behaved with a guy I suspected she liked, she was in big trouble.

"Why were you yelling your head off at him?", I asked her after Laksh left. Zoya joined us.

"I was just messing around..", Riya said.

"Oh I know", Zoya said excitedly "She's playing hard to get."

I slapped my forehead, "He's not into you at all. He's more into going back to his penthouse".

"I would be too if I had a penthouse", Riya said.

"Do you actually like him?", Zoya asked eagerly.

"Well he's great looking", Riya said, "Sharp eyes..chiseled chin..".

"Chiseled", I snorted "Listen Riya, these angular features are never a good sign. Such guys are trouble from start to finish and don't we all know it".

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember Varun back in St Xavier's? He was all long and lanky as well and we all know what a lot of trouble he turned out to be".

"Well, you can't be so prejudiced", Zoya interrupted "Varun's only one guy".

I turned my irritation on her, "It's not just him. I remember your dear Rahul too had a chin that was cleft in two and a jawline fit to cut carrots. He turned out to be an asshole, didn't he?"

The colour drained from Zoya's face so quickly I thought she was going to faint. She retreated out of the verandah without a word.

Riya was glaring at me, "You", she muttered through gritted teeth "are despicable".

"Fight with Riya or Zoya?", Reyansh asked.

"I said it's nothing Reyansh. Are you deaf?", I said.

"Okay come here my jaan", Reyansh said holding out his arms dramatically. I just stood there.

"Come here no".

When I didn't move, he came forward and wrapped his arms around me.

We kissed. When you've been going out for two years, you don't need to struggle every time before you kiss.

I broke apart first.

"What happened? Are you thinking of Sulochana?", Reyansh asked abruptly.

I looked at him surprised. Reyansh laughed, "What? You think I didn't even realise she was trying to flirt with me?"

"That girl is creepy Reyansh", I said shaking my head "I wouldn't even dare to talk to an eighteen year old guy when I was in tenth standard, let alone flirt".

"Don't worry, I won't go and jump into that her lap or anything".

"Okay okay, enough", I said wresting myself free from his grip, "Don't get too high handed now".

"High handed?", Reyansh laughed "It's the truth honey. Two dozen girls check me out on the street everyday".

"So? Let them check out, check in..whatever. I don't care. Because in the end, they'll all have to know that you're only mine", I said pulling him again towards me.

In the sunlight that caressed his curly hair, he looked so fucking handsome.