Hello Fam :)

A/N: Those two pictures have my whole heart. :')

Happy Reading...

Mahi returned from the orphanage around nine in the night and found the gang except Rahul and Hardik there, chilling. As soon as Virat noticed him, he launched himself on Mahi. "I have missed you."

"He has just been out for three hours", said Raina.

"But it has been long three hours. 180 minutes."

Faf rolled his eyes. "I missed you too, Mahi."

"No"

"Those were exactly the same number of 180 minutes for me. I didn't even meet Mahi after my classes. So, I missed my roommate more than you do."

"That's not fair, Mahi bhai."

Mahi cuffed his head. "Kid, calm down. Did you guys have your dinner." They all collectively glared at Virat in reply. "What happened?"

"Mahi, we asked to wait for you but he didn't", said Rohit. "He said, you might probably have dinner outside."

"But I was hungry. How am I supposed to wait for you without any energy in my system?", asked Virat.

Faf snorted. "You need food for protecting Mahi and for waiting for him. Basically, you just need food all the time, right?"

Virat pouted. "You can't say my secrets out loud."

Mahi chuckled. "Okay, leave all of this. I brought some fruits on my way. Do you want to have some?", he asked, and took out a bunch of grapes.

"Mahi, is grapes your favorite fruit?", asked Rohit.

"No, why do you ask?"

"According to a study, when we see variety of fruits, we tend to choose our favorites."

Mahi raised an eyebrow. "And this study is made by you?"

"Of course", said Rohit, grinning proudly.

"So, even you are pretty good at making up research study results like Virat", said Raina.

Ab interrupted them. "Why is everyone teasing my roommate?"

Virat grinned at him and slumping beside him, leaning his head on his roommate's shoulder. "My roommate is the best. Better than every person in this room. Better than even the person who conveniently forgets my likes and dislikes."

Mahi rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. I brought apples too but you don't even give me a chance to take it out."

The brat flashed his teeth. "That's my Mahi bhai."

Mahi threw the apple at him in retaliation. They were busy pulling each other's legs when there was a knock at the door. Since, Rohit was the nearest, he went to open it and found Hardik and Rahul at the door. "Why do you even knock? You know the door's always open", said Rohit.

For some weird reason, they were looking unsure. "Am I your friend?", asked Hardik.

"Yes?"

"Mahi bhai, do I have the right to bring any of my friends here without your permission?"

Mahi nodded. "Of course, Hardik. Now stop being so formal and come in. Rahul, you too."

Hardik turned to Rahul. "See, I told you right? He won't say anything."

"Mahi bhai, are you sure?", asked Rahul, still hesitant.

Rohit rolled his eyes. "Why are you guys exaggerating? Did you bring any terrorist along with you?"

"I guess", muttered Hardik.

"Guys, get in", said Ab. "It isn't a compulsion to talk by standing on either of the sides of the door."

Virat punched his shoulder, laughing. "That's a complicated line, Ab."

Except Virat, who had his attention on Ab, everyone who was looking at the door was surprised to find, without even a bit of hesitation or awkwardness and staring at her mobile, Sakshi Singh Rawat.

"Who's she?", asked Ab to Hardik.

"Sakshi?", asked Rohit, half to assure himself and it gained her attention away from her mobile.

"Oh, hey", she waved at Rohit.

"Sak, what are you doing here? ", exclaimed at Virat.

Sakshi grinned at him. "Guess what? I was coming-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Hardik had cut her off. "I will explain but can we just get in. She is drawing attention from other boys."

They nodded and made space for their new incomers. Sakshi sat comfortably beside Faf and Rahul sat beside Virat. Hardik refused to sit down for some weird reason. Also, probably for the same weird reason, he was half panicking and half ready to bolt out of the door as he stayed just a step away from the door.

"Faf and Ab, she is Sakshi", he said, introducing her. "Our classmate and friend. You didn't meet her because she had bunked her first class on first day of college. So, in short, she is synonym for crazy. Rest you can imagine. And Sakshi, that's Faf, Mahi's roommate and Ab, Virat's roommate."

"Nice to meet you", said Sakshi and poked at Faf's bicep. "Are these real?"

It brought out a chuckle from Faf but Virat outright snickered. Faf rolled his eyes, by now fully aware of his habit of forcefully inserting himself into every conversation but Sakshi had a confused frown on her head. "What?", she asked Virat.

Virat shrugged. "It just feels awkward to hear you speaking so formally."

"And it's awkward to find fruits in a boys dormitory at 9 o'clock night. Don't you keep any drinks?"

"That's not allowed I guys", said Mahi, a bit harsh, at her blatant assumption especially, when she didn't know the second thing about them. "Besides, this is my room and I don't drink. Well, I don't mind if Faf-"

"I won't make you uncomfortable. Relax, Mahi", said Faf.

Rohit ignored the two and concentrated on the problem at hand or as Virat had put it, crazy. "You didn't tell us what you were doing at boys hostel at 9 o'clock in the night?"

Sakshi grinned. "Well, I was just roaming around on a walk when I heard a guy using a really stupid pick up line to a girl and I thought of helping him."

Rohit frowned. "And who is he?"

Virat slapped his arm. "That can be sorted, Ro. What's that stupid pick-up line?"

"Why are you so excited? Do you want to use it too?", teased Faf.

Virat stuck his tongue at Faf in a very mature way of replying.

Sakshi tugged at Virat's hand for making him listen to her. "I have lost my address. Can I know the directions to your heart?"

When even Virat made a face, they know it was bad. "Eww", he said, exaggerating.

"That's too used and cheesy", said Faf, agreeing to him.

Sakshi grinned. "I know right."

"You didn't tell them who the guy is?", interrupted Rahul, quietly.

When Hardik passed him a dirty glare that's when people guess it's him. Virat burst out laughing followed by rest as they start teasing him. Raina just smiled a little and gets back to his book. Sakshi threw a grape at him, startling him. "It won't hurt to remove your nose from that book and talk with us."

"Sorry", he muttered.

Mahi frowned. "Why are you? Sakshi, he is an introvert and he takes his own time to open up to people."

"He can't open up when he doesn't even try", countered Sakshi.

Sensing the tension in between them, Virat jumped in. "Sak, do you want to taste these apples? My favourite one."

The girl shrugged. "Sure. This looks delicious. But I miss home food", she said with a sigh and took a bite from her apple.

Soon, Rohit got a call from Ritika and moved out of the room, informing Raina to come whenever he wanted and that he wouldn't lock the door. Hardik followed him making an excuse of feeling sleepy but they all understood he was just trying to escape their teasing session which made them burst out laughing again. Everyone too left one after the other leaving just Faf and Sakshi, who were involved in a discussion. When they finally notice their surroundings, they get surprised to find the room empty a while later except Mahi, who was just setting up his bed.

"Where are others?", asked Faf.

"Sleep. It's already late", said Mahi.

Sakshi stood up. "I should leave too. I really had a great time with you guys. Goodnight, Faffy. Night, Mahi."

"Goodnight?", muttered Mahi as the girl rushed out of the room like the whirlwind she was without waiting for anyone's response.

Mahi stared at the direction she left and turned to Faf. "I will be back in a while." He ran out and found her at the end of the corridor, unperturbed of any glances that she was getting from the boys around. "Sakshi, wait", yelled Mahi.

The girl turned around and smiled seeing him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Let me just drop you till your hostel."

Sakshi chuckled. "I can go on my own, Mahi. I wouldn't go to a place where I can't take care of myself."

Mahi nodded. "I know, you can. But let me just, please."

She looked around and noticed the boys staring at them. Shaking her head in disbelief, she gave a nod to Mahi and followed him. Once crossing the gate of their hostel, she turned to him. "Are you uncomfortable due to the boys there? Because I thought you hate me."

"I don't hate you. Hate is a very big term and I can't hate someone just for a few silly things. But tell me, aren't you scared of them? At least a bit uncomfortable?", he asked.

She shrugged. "Mahi, those are exactly the looks every girl gets on the road at any point of day or night. It's good to not care about them because they won't change."

It brought a smile on his face because it would something she would do. "Are you always like this? Wild and adventurous?"

"Life is short, Mahi. Better to be adventurous and learn from mistakes, if any, than to be scared and regret later."

Mahi stared at her before blushing when she caught him and raised an eyebrow in question. "You sound so mature right now than any time I have seen you before. Of course, it's only a day."

"But I feel as if I have known you for years", muttered the girl.

"What?"

Instead of answering, she punched his arm. "Just a random thought. Stop being tensed for every single thing."

"I am not tensed. But", he started but then stopped when he didn't know what to say. The girl was confusing. She would do everything that he believed is wrong and then say something out of the blue that would throw him off guard. More importantly, she had this effect on him where he doesn't know how to behave around her.

"I understand", said Sakshi, bringing him out of his head. "Hey, we reached. Thanks for this drop off."

Mahi waved her off. "Never mind. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mahi."

XXX

Returning back, Mahi found Virat scrolling through his phone and pacing on the corridor in front of their room. "Why didn't you sleep already?", he asked.

Instead of answering, Virat hugged him tight before breaking the hug. "Where have you been? I was waiting for you?"

"Is something wrong?", he asked. Because they were together until a few minutes back and it wasn't like Virat missed him in these few minutes.

"Yeah. But you didn't tell me where did you go at the middle of the night?"

Mahi rolled his eyes. "It's not middle of the night. But it's night and I thought it isn't safe for Sakshi to go alone so-"

Before Mahi could finish his words, Virat hugged him again, patting his back and a huge smile on his face. "I am proud of you. That's more like my Mahi bhai. The person I know perfectly. I just love you so much." When Mahi broke the hug and looked at him confusedly, Virat sighed. "Do you realize, you were being mean to her? Unnecessarily. That's not you. That's not my Mahi bhai who is extra sweet and can win hearts in just a single conversation."

Mahi nodded. He was being rude. He was being unfair, judging her too soon. "I know. I am sorry. But I am just losing my patience around her and she is just-"

"Crazy?", asked Virat when he couldn't find the word. "But it's fine. Look, when you are brilliant with me, you will be just fine with her. She is good and normal but because you aren't much used to being friends with girls, you are just nervous. That's it."

"You are just taking her side."

Virat rolled his eyes. "And you are just acting like Cheeku now. I just don't want anyone to think something that you aren't. And you definitely aren't mean or rude to girls. For that matter, not even boys. So just quit it. You are going to say sorry to her tomorrow. You will behave like Mahi, the big brother. And I will be your little one. Not the other way round."

Mahi nodded and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you. I needed this reality check."

Virat sighed dramatically. "Haan haan. Ab bas yehi reh gaya na. You thanking me. Your little one. How am I still alive after listening to this?"

"Enough drama for the night, brat. Now sleep. There's college tomorrow and you take ages to come out of your blanket. Goodnight, little one."

The brat just waved almost hitting Mahi on his face. "Goodnight, big bro."