Dev was sleeping when suddenly his phone rang.
Without seeing the caller's name, he picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
Dev (sleeping, eyes closed): "Hello."
Viru: "Uth ja bahen ke laude."
Dev: "Hmmm..."
Viru: "10 minute mein tere hostel ke bahar aa raha hu. Tayar rehna college ke liye."
Dev: "Hmm..."
Viru: "Wapas mat sona, bhosu."
Dev: "Theek."
Dev was standing in front of the hostel.
Viru and Anu were coming towards him, both giggling and excited.
Viru hugged Dev in excitement.
Viru: "Aur bhai."
Dev: "Badhiya."
They started moving together towards the college.
Dev: "Tujhe kya hua aaj?"
Viru: "Aaj tera bhai khush hai."
Dev (to Anu): "Aaj yeh itna khush kyu hai?"
Viru (in between): "Arey bas aise hi."
Viru: "Tu yeh sab chhod. Pehle bata meri daadhi kaisi lag rahi hai. Cut dekh."
Dev looked at his beard.
Dev: "Achhi hai."
Viru: "Keval achhi hai? Bahut achhi nahi hai? Bhai, pure 50 rupaye lage hain."
Dev: "Laundi lag rahi hai bhai."
Anu: "Bahut laundi."
All laughed.
Viru: "Bhai, Mayarani impress ho jayegi na?"
Dev: "Haan, par laude tujhe Mayarani ko kyu impress karna hai?"
Anu: "Bhai ka crush hai. Ek saal se pasand karta hai."
Dev: "Waa re bahen ke laudeee."
Viru gave a shy smile.
Dev (to Anu): "Woh toh teri bandi thi na? Tera kya?"
Anu: "Apna kya hai. Aaj yeh toh kal woh. Ladkiyon ki kami hai kya tere bhai ke."
Dev: "Baat toh sahi hai. Log jaise kapde badalte hain, waise yeh bhosdika ladkiyan badalta hai."
Viru: "Haan bhai. Roj raat ko 4-5 ladkiyon se baat karta hai. Bahut neech insaan hai yeh."
Dev: "But iske toh 7 bandiyan hain na. 3 se baat kab karta hai?"
Anu: "College mein bhi toh timepass chahiye, toh unse class mein karta hu."
Dev: "Iss neech prani ko Bhagwan maaf nahi karega."
Viru: "Tu yeh sab chhod. Pehle bata meri daadhi kaisi lag rahi hai."
(Showing his face. Dev and Anu looked at his face.)
Viru: "Mayarani impress ho jayegi na?"
Dev and Anu looked at each other and laughed loudly.
Viru: "Tum log demotivate kar rahe ho mujhe."
Anu: "Ho jayegi ab kuch."
Viru: "Hmm..."
They reached the college.
Anu: "Achha chalo, main apni class mein jaata hu. Bye."
Viru & Dev: "Bye."
They all went to their classes.
Viru and Dev were sitting in the last row of the class.
The class was silent.
The teacher was explaining the concept of Cyber Security.
Viru was telling the whole story to Dev.
Dev: "Phir kya hua? Usne request accept ki?"
Viru: "Maine request wapas cancel kar di."
Dev: "Q???"
Viru: "Ladki ke saamne aura kam ho jaata hai."
Dev gave him an angry stare.
Viru started talking with another friend sitting next to him.
Dev started focusing on the board.
Riya (Mayarani) was sitting in front of them.
The teacher asked the whole class to note down the networking types.
Viru looked for a pen but couldn't find one.
Viru: "Pen hai?"
Dev: "Nahi."
Viru asked his friend Yash, who was sitting in the next row.
Yash was about to take out a pen from his bag.
Suddenly, Riya took out her pen and brought it towards Viru.
Riya: "Tum mera pen le lo. Mere paas extra hai."
A few strands of hair had fallen across her cheek.
She gently tucked them behind her ear and turn around.
Viru was shocked.
He took the pen.
Viru: "Thank you."
Both smiled.
Dev noticed all this.
Dev: "Bhai, tera phone dena. Reels dekhni hain. Yeh master bore kar raha hai."
Viru: "Tera hi dekh le."
Dev: "Meri feed kharab ho gayi."
Viru unlocked his phone and gave it to Dev.
Dev started scrolling reels.
Viru started noting down the lecture.
When Viru was not paying attention towards Dev, he searched Riya's ID on Viru's phone, sent her a follow request, deleted the search history, and gave Viru his phone back.
Dev: "Teri feed achhi nahi hai yaar."
Viru took his phone back.
During the break, Dev and Viru were going outside.
When they reached the college gate, Riya was already standing there.
She made a little eye contact with Viru and smiled.
After passing from there—
Viru: "Bhai, tere bhai ko dekh ke smile di."
The next moment, Viru looked confused.
Viru: "Par usne smile kyu di?"
Dev: "Woh toh mujhe pata hai."
Dev smiled suspiciously.
Viru thought it was because of their interaction about the pen.
But only Dev knew the real reason.
At the end of the break, Dev and Viru were walking through the corridor.
Viru took out his phone and saw an Instagram notification.
He opened it.
Viru: "Wooh... yeh kya hai? Yes!"
Dev: "Kya hua?"
Viru: "Dekh! Tere bhai ko Riya ne follow kiya hai."
Dev laughed.
Dev: "Dekh pehle kisne kisko follow kiya hai."
Viru looked again carefully and saw that he had followed her first.
She had accepted his request and followed him back.
Viru: "Tune marwa li apni."
Dev: "Maine toh apne bhai ki help ki hai."
Viru now understood why she was smiling.
Viru: "Tabhi woh hass rahi thi."
Viru looked at her profile.
Viru: "Bhai yeh dekh. Apni class mein sabne usse follow kiya hai, but usne follow back keval tere bhai ko diya hai. Iska matlab samjha? Tu uske dil mein hai. Kuch toh hai tere bhai ke liye."
Dev: "Achha laude. Badi badi baatein mat chhod."
Viru: "Tujhe ek baat pata hai. Usne meri request toh kal hi accept kar li thi, but usne follow back nahi diya. Toh mujhe laga usse mujhme interest nahi hai. Toh main thoda dar gaya aur maine usse unfollow kar diya."
Dev: "Tu darta kyu hai? Tere bhai saath hai na. Ab woh hi banegi hamari bhabhi."
They moved away, talking and putting their hands on each other's shoulders.
End of Chapter 2
This is His one step closer to Her ❤︎.