At first Divya cancelled the call because she didn't want to talk to them, but then they kept on calling her and she picked it up quite pissed off. "I was cancelling the call because I didn't want to talk to you all, I am about to sleep."

"Divya wait, we won't take much of your time, just five minutes... call Nandini as well na, she isn't picking up the call." Manav said.

"Well it's good that she isn't picking up the call. Why should she, you guys are friends, if someone was to insult one of your friends would you guys sit back and laugh and answer their calls? I am really disappointed in you guys. Madhav don't you dare hide in that blanket. This includes you as well."

"Are Divya, listen we didn't bad mouth you, we were just doing time pass, and you as well didn't pick our call."

"I wasn't better than Rishi, sorry from next time I will take your appointment and feel under the weather."

With that Divya canceled the call, however they called her again, Divya knew they wouldn't stop until what they got hence she picked up the call and said, " You guys have just 5 min."

"call nandini ."

Divya texted her and asked her to pick the call, she said let's end it for once in for all else they will keep on perstering us.

"Alright, Divya, we have a question, a few days back you had posted that question sticker and when we asked you madhav, you said if you would have asked earlier you would have said... "

"Are no, she said..;' Madhav interrupted.

"Did we ask you? Why don't you go and hide in that blanket of yours? Or should we ask Divya to send one? It must be cold in Jaipur." Manav commented. To which Madhav went quiet and hid his face in the blanket, while Divya wandered over their conversation trying to connect two and two.

"Haa toh Divya, you said.."

"I said that if you guys would have asked me earlier I would have said yes... but not now, no." Divya replied.

"So you mean to say you don't like him anymore?"

Divya wanted to see Madahv's reaction but he was hiding his face in the blanket. She took a deep breath and said, "No I don't. Anything else?"

"Yes I have a question!" Madhav said even before anyone else could reply.

"One minute, why did you speak? We told you right you are to sit in that blanket, go back you are not to speak just yet." Atharva chided Madhav as Manav tried to add Natasha to the call, She didn't pick it up and at that very moment Divya received a message from her.

"I am getting the call again."

"Yeah answer it, I and Nandini both of us are there."

When the call went again Natasha picked it up however she didn't show her face and had her camera switched off. Divya knew how uncomfortable she usually used to be when they used to do the calls and this was with the boys for sure she wont answer it with her camera on.

" Hi Natasha, we just wanted to ask you a few things. First, if we give you two names, whom would you select?" Manav asked.

"Wait, we didn't ask this question to Divya, first we need to ask her. And where is Dev, our Dev should be here, someone call him." Atharva commented.

"Arree He said he was having his dinner" Madhav informed. But poor he, it would have been better he would have been silent, under his said blanket.

"Do hell with his dinner what good is it going to do him? And hadn't we told you to shut your mouth, Divya you tell him that it would be better for him to be quiet else he won't be able to show face to anyone out there. No matter if he is here in Bombay or in Jaipur." Atharva warned as Manav tried to call Dev but failed as there were a lot of people already on the call. Hence they decided to remove someone who wasn't really needed there. Manav asked Rishi, but Atharva said that he is needed here, then he asked Aman but then he was as well needed there hence he couldn't leave as well, Madhav volunteered to leave but none allowed him and said, "You can leave and then the matters will be in our hand, you know what all things we know."

In a fuss of it Madhav, Aman and Manav asked Nandini to get out of the call. It sounded so rude that Divya felt sorry for Nandini as she got irritated and left the call. Divya was about to text her when Manav called out to her.

"So Divya by the time Dev gets added to the call, you tell us, Dev or Madhav?"

"I don't understand why are we having a run through of this game again, wasn't the one in the train enough?" Divya asked.

"Well you girls began with it, we got interested and thought why not take it on a call. Tell us... ohh Dev is here, bhai kitna khata hai, and kya fayda itna khane ka jab latga nahi hai?" Manav chided.

Divya had never felt so glad to see Dev as she was at that moment. It was easier to get the boys distracted and it seemed like Dev's arrival did the job.

"What's the matter, this Madhav told me to speed up that there is some urgent matter, and who is this in the dark bhai camera toh on caro if you are on a video call."

"That's Natasha." The moment Madhav and Divya said that Dev went silent as Manav continued.

"Yeah, actually we got a few things to discuss and bro you never told us that you and Divya have become best friends!"

"What? Me and Divya?" Dev Questioned.

The statement sounded so weird to Divya. Since they all had started hanging out together and the college had shut down, Divya and the boys had started talking a lot. Dev was as well one of them as divya would help him with his black book, with selection of topic and then making the index and subtopics, the ways he could find the information, how he could summarise it everything. She had even helped out Rishi with this but she knew that the boys would purposely live that out.

"Yeah, she wouldn't want to betray her best friend.. anyways, we have a huge question for Natasha, so Natasha, Dev or Rishi."

The way Dev choked on his food made everyone laugh. Anyone would have choked on anything with such a direct question.

"Bhai, whats going on here?" Dev asked. To which Madhav was about to reply when Manav said, "Madhav chup, chup chap Blanket me ja, Divya warn him. And Dev, it's just a game you will know, wait."

For the next 40 min the boys kept on asking stupid questions, bringing out the incidences from the time while going to IV when Rishi and Natasha were seated together and Rishi had gotten all cosy with her. At that time it sounded really bad, Divya scolded the guys and even warned them to keep a check of what they were saying.

Though she knew that they were just kidding and none of them meant any harm, Natasha was a person who didn't really like crossing limits to that extent. The conversation would go on with the boys teasing Natasha and dev and then finally when everyone had got a fill of their curiosity they turned towards Divya and asked,

"Divya you didn't answer Dev or Madhav?"

With no option left Divya said, "If I were to choose between Dev and Madhav, then it's Madhav."

"Alright bro Dev sorry but wait, Divya I heard that Madhav asked you about me as well... what did you say then?"

"Are she said that.. "

"Did we ask you? I know she selected you but you didn't had to muster up your courage and speak, you are not to speak don't you get it?" Manav scolded Madhav, as Divya felt bad for the latter. These guys were assholes.

"Haa Divya you tell me..."

"No wait, Let Madhav speak, as he was quiet for a very long time, tell us Madhav." Atharva said.

"So I asked her who would she choose Dev or Manav, so she said Not Manav because he is too much to handle and Dev because..as we all know she won't betray her Best friend."

"Ha toh Divya can you explain, I mean am I that bad?"

"Ohh God, guys, seriously so much of drama over that stupid question poll? Manav what I meant when I said that you are too much to handle is that, the way you are hyperactive and the way you are isn't something I am capable of handling, you are a great guy just not someone for me or one I would look for."

"Ohh like that, well anyways nor are you for me in that way..."

"Well I agree with you on that." Divya smiled at him as the others kept on looking at them gapingly their faces screamed – Are these two even humans?

The topics for that day were done as Manav said bye and so did the others and just like that everyone was gone leaving Natasha and Divya to wonder what the hell just happened.

Later on that night Divya, Natasha and Nadnini had a heated discussion. As Divya had predicted Natasha didn't like the way the boys were talking to her. Divya and Nandini knew the boys way better than Natasha did and were defending them over the fact that they were just kidding and that they didn't mean even a single thing. But all Natasha had to say was - they went very low with the way they commented over the getting cosy thing.

Divya and Nandini thought it was better to keep Natasha with her point of view, for not everyone agreed with the words and principles of others. Nandini and Divya were okay with the kind of conversations the boys always had for they have been a part of it on various intervals, however that wasn't the case with Natasha and she would surely take some time to get used to that fact.

But that night Divya realized that how it wasn't always that three friends would have the same thinking, in friendship as well povs differs and its during times like these that one needs to stand over their perspective and accept what the other person thinks.. for it's not necessary that its always a tales while flipping a coin, at times there could as well be a heads.

------

By the week of Madhav's birthday Divya had made sure to post at least one reminder story for him after every three days. One of the pictures had even exposed his hickey from before the IV and had almost yelled at Divya for posting that. When his birthday rolled in, Divya didn't have it in her to give him a call, she had simply messaged him and posted a story for him.

But at 1am itself she had received a call from the boys. There was Madhav as well. She wished him three times and all those times he ignored her or was it a network issue, later on Divya didn't bother to wish him herself.

"Arey Divya won't you wish Madhav?" Manav asked after a while when everyone had wished him and he had replied.

"Well it seems like he can't hear me, I have already wished him thrice." Divya replied.

"Yaar Madhav what is this?" that asshole of a Madhav smiled at Divya said, "Thank you."

Divya at that very moment wanted to kill him there and then, but then thought that since its birthday, she should let him be. The boys were talking about something when Divya's sister called her asking if she wanted to have hot chocolate and while Divya replied to her and came back to the call all she could see was that it was just Nandini, she and Atharva who said,

"Let me check what's going on, and leave the call." Divya knew that they wouldn't get any call as all their friends were already there, so she decided it was better to have her hot chocolate and go to sleep.

In the living room, her brother and Parth had got the hot chocolate ready and were waiting for her. Her sister had some assignments to do and was working on them in her room.

"Who was it at this time?" her brother asked.

"My friends, it's Madhav's birthday today so they had a video call." Divya replied.

"It got over so quickly?' Parth enquired.

'with them you never know, let it be, you tell me you are still here that means you haven't talked with your dad yet?'

"I am not ready yet, and it won't be of any use."

"Bhai, don't blame me if one of these days I will slap him.. I mean" Divya was pretty pissed off with Parth.

Parth was offered an opportunity to join the district level team of football. The club for which he was playing with was already an elite one, and to receive such an opportunity was a rare case. And to add to it, with the kind of importance football was now receiving in India it was expected that soon an Indian team would be formed and surely they would have a great opportunity.

However Parth's dad wasn't ready for this, he thought it was waste of time for it was something uncertain. Parth had a good amount of argument with him and then picked up his earphones, phone, charger and walked out of the house into Divya's to stay for a few days.

" Parth, did you tell him the possibility of you playing through the railway team or maybe the central government team.. right now a lot of sports quota openings are coming in." Divya's brother explained.

"That would be done when he would speak to him; he hasn't done that yet." Divya butted in.

"You don't have to tell me what I need to do, you tell me did you sorted the matters with Madhav?" Parth snapped. "it's easy to say that you need to talk things out and to really act on them."

"Divya glared at him and said, "Well unlike you I take up on the advice I give someone, at least on the matter of talking things out. I did tell Madhav how I felt, I did get rejected and we did talk things out so that there won't be any sourness in our friendship. Parth, I understand it's difficult to talk but you need to speak your heart for your parents to know what you want... our parents won't understand that and I know that the best... but at least we will have an assurance that we did our best. Regret of not having done is way bigger than regret of having done everything and not receiving anything out of it."

A deep silence fell across the room as Divya's brother looked at her and then at parth.

"I agree with what Divya is saying, take your time, but do talk to uncle, may be take Aunty with you." He then looked at Divya and said, "And what's this with Madhav?'

Divya glared at Parth who was smiling at her as she told Dhruv about all the things that happened on IV and then her conflicts and the way she told Madhav about her feelings.

Dhruv was a bit upset for how she took help of a dare to confess her feelings and that to over a text right in the middle of the night, but he said he could understand her desperation, he then asked her if she was okay to which divya replied...

"I guess I am, it didn't hurt in the beginning, I was actually laughing about it, but then when it settled in it hurted a lot because I don't know why was it that even this time it didn't work... I know I am a wonderful person, I have a very different perspective to things, but it hurts a bit you know... I thought that I really had a connection with him, but than it seemed the kind of connection that he was looking for in a person wasn't the one we had... we are just great friend."

"You know bhai, at times I feel as if I am a stupid person to have continue this friendship with him... than I think, I am glad we are still friends, and than I feel I should have told him that it was a dare, I don't know what would have happened, but I wouldn't have been a person who would have got rejected. But above all I am glad we overcame that phase... I am really happy for that, may be one day I would get over him.. but I am glad I met him, he introduced me to a very different side of me, he gave me very happy memories and he taught me a lot of things, may be not today, but someday I would surely cringe over it and be happy that I decided to be friends with him."

******

It was a random July Afternoon when Divya's phone rang. It was Madhav, she was a bit flustered to receive his call, though it was a regular thing nowadays yet every time she received a call from him she would get as nervous and excited as she did at that moment.

"Hello?" She greeted him..

"what Divya, how slow are you, I mean who takes so much of time to answer a simple call?" Madhav's teasing voice came through the speaker. It seemed as if he was in a good mood that day.

"I was doing some work unlike some whose father has duniya bhar ka paisa and a street named after their surname.'

"Chal Jhuti, I know very well what you do through out the day, shall I tell Aunty?"

"Oh really what do I do?" Divya asked as she balanced her phone between her shoulder and ear while she kept the leftover food in the fridge. Madahv was about to say something when she stopped him to listen to what her mom was saying – "Divya not there, that plate is for the sabzi use this. And keep it in the upper rack."

"what is this Divya you cant even do a single work properly..aunty isko kaam pe lagaoo bahot alsi ho gayi hai." Madhav ridiculed.

"I asked you to shut up for a moment." Divya did as asked by her mom and closed the door of the fridge and was finally able to give Madhav her full attention.

"Did you call me to let my mom know that I need to do more chores?"

"Ohh no I called you to tell you that... That.." He dragged out to create a bit of suspense, "What Madhav?"

"That I was going to meet a friend of mine...'

"Dude just a few more days and even if I can go out, stop teasing us you chutiye.."

"Aree no it's not that... so I am going to meet this friend of mine and he stays in the outskirts of Jaipur and is not able to move out because his dad or someone has corona and he is shifted to his other house."

"I don't really understand what this has to do with me. My condolences are with his family.. but yes you shouldn't be going there as well. Madhav that guy's father or whoever it is has Corona for god sake" Divya scolded him as she walked into her room towards the balcony and closed the door so that no one could disturb her.

"Will you listen?'

"I am ..."

"Okay so as I said that he stays in the outskirts there are no Mcdonalds and Pizza hut and Dominos so he asked me to get me a burger... and right now I have with me two chicken burger filled with extra cheese, two maharajas and two peri peri fries along with coke and Maza" the moment Madhav was done with his explanatuion, Divya took three deep breaths but she couldn't control her self and said,

"Madhav, chutiya, behenchod insaan kutte Kamine, I swear tera na peth dukhne wala hai, kutte insaaaan uhhghhhhhh" while divya cursed him on this side, Madhav kept on laughing his ass off.

"I soo love this. You never fail to amaze me Divya maza aa gaya. Well I am a really nice friend I will send you pictures."

"Why don't you die, tell me? That would be so much better for so many of us."

"Awwwww, its okay Divya, life is a bitch, but you got to survive." The two chuckled as Divya got settled on the chair kept in their balcony and asked.

"So how long will it take you to reach there?'

"stil half an hour... you tell me how things are going on?' Divya could hear a bit of shuffling on the other side and a bit of honking as she said,

"Nothing much, we are preparing for my brother's birthday, plus its raining here... Madhav you know its so pretty, yesterday in the evening my mom had prepared vada pav, I made adrak wali chai... and it was raining.. dudeeee"

"You know all those galis that you gave me a few minutes back, I can give them back to you... you know I miss Mumbai ki basrish so much. I wasn't there for a long while like just three years but it had made me fall in love with it... the weather used to be so beautiful."

'I know, I have seen just the rains of Mumbai, and no matter what I love them. Anyways, did you sort things out with your dad?" Divya asked and felt bad for a moment to have asked him that when they were enjoying the conversation.

" well not really, but yeah he has agreed on me continuing with my studies in Mumbai, and I guess that's great, its just that we need to find a right time now."

"Hmm that's right.. Yar Madhav I miss Marines."

"sammeee dude, I used to go there during night for cutting, I miss the smell of the sea and the air."

"You know this might seem funny and really stupid, but there is this beach at borivali and most of the people go there as people go to Marine drive... that place is not far from where I live and this friend of mine once told me that people called that place Borivali ka marine lines... I was like dude you can't compare that thing with Marine lines,..please."

"Divya, seriously.. how can you be friends with such people? I mean that's so down market!"

"Madhav, that wasn't me, it was a friend, and even so it was something the people around here called.."

"No but still Borivali ka marine lines seriously chii yaar.. I understand tumhare bap ke pass duniya bhar ka paisa hai,but that doesn't mean you will insult marine lines."

"Ohh hello its not my dad its your dad who has duniya bhar ka paisa." Divya almost yelled as Madhav kept on teasing her with borivali and marine lines as she wondered why did she even say that to him.. for sure he was never going to let her live through it.

A/N 

Hello Everyone!! 

how is it going? 

for me I am once again in love with these idiots. They are just so cute!!! aint they? 

This reminds me, tell me

what is the most predictably, unpredictable thing that your friends do? 

as well what do you think, is it always good to have so many friends or just a few? how is your friends group like? 

Do let me know your answers in the comments 

as well dont forget to vote and comment your views on the chapter and share this story with your friends. 

Thank you 

Happy Reading!!