Medical center ke bahar shaam dhal rahi thi. Pete abhi bhi Wave ke saath andar tha, lekin bahar corridor mein ek alag hi jung chidi hui thi. Sky deewar se tike hue apne phone mein busy tha, jabki Kao wahan se nikalne ki koshish kar raha tha.
"Kahan ja rahe ho, Shorty?" Sky ne bina phone se nazar hataye kaha. Uska lehza hamesha ki tarah arrogant aur teasing tha.
Kao ruk gaya, uski mutthiyan bhinchi hui thin. "Mera naam Kao hai, aur main apne hostel ja raha hoon. Tumhe kya?"
Sky ne dheere se sar uthaya aur Kao ki taraf ek kadam badhaya. Sky ki lambai aur uska athletic sharir Kao ko thoda chhota mehsoos karwa raha tha. "Bhool gaye? Aaj raat hamare parents dinner par mil rahe hain. My dad called. He wants me to pick you up."
Kao ne ek zor ki hansi hasi, jo gusse se bhari thi. "Pick me up? Main koi parcel nahi hoon, Sky! Aur tumhare papa mere mummy ko date kar rahe hain, iska matlab yeh nahi ki tum mere bade bhai ban gaye ho."
Sky ne jhuk kar Kao ke kaan ke paas whisper kiya, "Maine kab kaha ki main tumhara 'bhai' banna chahta hoon? Lekin agar hamari shaadi ek hi ghar mein hone wali hai, toh tumhe meri baatein manna sikhna hoga."
Kao ka chehra tamtama utha. "Shaadi unki ho rahi hai, hamari nahi! Door raho mujhse!" Usne Sky ko peeche dhakela, par Sky apni jagah se hila tak nahi. Ulta Sky ne Kao ka bag cheen liya.
"Hey! Mera bag wapas karo!" Kao ne uchhal kar bag lene ki koshish ki, par Sky ne use hawa mein upar kar diya.
"Agar bag chahiye, toh mere saath gaadi tak chalo. Warna main ise Engineering lake mein fenk doong," Sky ne shararat se kaha. Uska smirk Kao ko andar tak chirha raha tha, par kahin na kahin Kao ka dil bhi tezi se dhadak raha tha.
"Tum... tum ek number ke gunday ho!" Kao ne pair patakte hue kaha, par woh Sky ke peeche-peeche chalne laga.
Wahi doosri taraf, canteen ke paas Gao aur James yeh sab dekh rahe the. James ek chips ka packet khatam kar raha tha aur maze le raha tha.
"Gao, dekh rahe ho? Sky aur Kao toh Tom aur Jerry ki tarah lad rahe hain," James ne haste hue kaha. "Mujhe lagta hai Kao ko gussa toh aata hai, par use Sky ki attention pasand hai."
Gao ne James ke bikhre hue balon ko sahi kiya. "Har kisi ka pyar karne ka tareeka alag hota hai, James. Sky ko chherna pasand hai, aur Kao ko gussa dikhana."
James ne ek chip Gao ke muah mein daala. "Aur tumhara tareeka kya hai? Tum toh bas statue ki tarah mujhe dekhte rehte ho."
Gao ne James ki aankhon mein dekha, uski nazar mein itni gehrai thi ki James ka mazaak wahi ruk gaya. "Mera tareeka silence hai. Jab tak tum mere paas ho, mujhe bolne ki zaroorat nahi."
James thoda sharma gaya aur chips ke packet mein munh chhupa liya. "Acha baba, zyada romantic mat bano! Chalo, humein dekhna hai ki Pete aur Wave ka kya haal hai."
Wapas medical center mein, Pete ne Wave ko bandage lagne ke baad ek wheelchair par bithaya tha. "Main tumhe tumhare hostel tak chhor deta hoon," Pete ne dheeme se kaha.
Wave ne mana karne ki koshish ki, "Nahi P'Pete, main Kao ke saath chala jaunga..."
"Kao abhi Sky ke saath 'busy' hai," Pete ne bahar ki ladayi ki taraf ishara karte hue kaha. "Aur ab se, tumhari zimmedari meri hai. Freshman ho na? Toh senior ki baat maano."
Wave ne muskura kar sar jhuka liya. Use yakeen nahi ho raha tha ki jo Pete use subah ignore kar raha tha, woh ab itna caring ho gaya hai.
Jab Sky aur Kao gaadi ke paas pahunche, Sky ne gaadi ka darwaza khola. "Baitho, Future Brother."
Kao ne munh banaya. "Future brother my foot! Agar tumne raste mein ek bhi faltu baat ki, toh main chalti gaadi se kood jaunga."
Sky ne car start ki aur Kao ki taraf dekh kar wink kiya. "Koshish karke dekh lo. Main tumhe girne nahi doonga."
Engineering faculty ki yeh shaam dosti, dushmani aur unkahe ehsasat se bhari thi. Chaaron taraf rishte ban rahe the—kuch barish ki yaadon se, kuch paison ki chaka-chondh se, aur kuch zabardasti ki dushmani se.