Vineet muses over his conversation with Ruhana that happened earlier in the day. He realises that Ruhana isn’t entirely wrong. She has curated her own work ethics, and she is free to work on her own terms. However, he still has the feeling that there’s more to the story than what’s been presented before him. He decides to track her social media presence. As he skims through her Facebook and Instagram accounts, he finds a certain girl present everywhere. He also finds some cosy, warm pictures where two girls are hugging each other. The girl’s name is Aanya — of course, with the same surname as Ruhana’s. He quickly sends a greeting message to Aanya and is surprised at the prompt response.

“Hey! Do I know you? And how do you know my sister? Why are you asking about her?”

The message reads, and Vineet is astonished to learn that the girl, Aanya, is Ruhana’s sister.

So, Ruhana and Aanya are sisters. He’s astonished to learn this new information.
He doesn’t know how to reply, for he hasn’t met her and has been unaware of her existence. He types a reply and sends it across.

“Hey, I am Ruhana’s childhood friend, Vineet. I didn’t know she had a sister until I came across your profile. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”

“Oh! So, it is you whom Di talks about often. I’ve heard your name from her. Yes, I was born later; she is seven years older than me. I’m glad to connect with you, buddy. I hope you won’t mind me calling you that.”

The reply comes with the addition of smileys at the end of the message.
“Not at all, Aanya. It seems like I’ve lost my friend somewhere.”

“Yeah, you might feel so, because she’s not the one she used to be. And I’m sorry, Buddy. I can’t help you with it.”

Vineet sighs as Aanya refuses to open up about her elder sister. His instincts seem to be proving right, he feels. Ruhana is hiding many things from him. He thanks Aanya and ends the conversation. He’s absorbed in his thoughts when his reverie is broken by the ringing of his phone. He comes out of his trance and finds Ruhana’s name flashing on the screen. He answers the call, and Ruhana’s cheerful voice fills his ears.

“Mr. Kaushik approved my pointers, and I’ve got the deal! I am so happy!!” Her voice sounds jubilant.

“That’s great, Ruhana. Congratulations!” he says, though he’s unsure of the methods she used.

“Just greetings? You won’t ask me how I did it?” she rolls her eyes, knowing her friend can’t see the action.

A loud sigh escapes his lips. “If you think it’s right, then it’s fine with me, Ruhana. I won’t interfere,” he replies, his tone gentle.

“Why do you sound upset, Vineet? I’m sorry; I overreacted,” she apologises, remembering how she had talked to him earlier in the day.

She had been rude to him, as her team hadn’t worked accurately, and when he tried to explain something to her, she dismissed him. She hadn’t spoken to him properly; in fact, she scolded him for no reason — and here he is, still being kind to her. She feels sorry for him in the depth of her heart.

“It’s alright, Ruhana. Anyway, I wanted to discuss something with you. When can we meet?” he asks, determined to uncover all the secrets she’s been keeping from him.

“You can come home tonight. Let’s have dinner together. There’s someone I want you to meet,” she replies.

Assuring himself that she’s okay with the plan, he decides to visit her house for dinner. When she mentions that she wants him to meet someone, he suspects it’s Aanya — and he only hopes that Aanya doesn’t reveal they’ve already chatted or that the subject of their conversation has been Ruhana.

*****

Vineet is elated that Ruhana has invited him for dinner. Maybe he can learn more about her changed behavior and demeanor. He arrives at Ruhana’s home, and it’s elegantly illuminated. The house looks beautiful with the pristine white lights already fixed in the garden. He’s been here before too, but he hadn’t noticed the beauty of the house—maybe because he was too engrossed in contemplating his feelings for her.

He enters the house, and Ruhana greets him with a hug. He’s astonished—it’s the first time she has greeted him in her old style: a hug followed by a fist bump. He’s now sure that something has happened as per her wish. Yet, he can’t forget her ways of working; he still feels she’s going down the wrong path. Before talking to her about it, he needs to know everything that transformed her. Meanwhile, Ruhana chuckles.

“I’m so happy, Vineet. I got that deal. Now, I’ll be collaborating with the biggest fashion hub in the country.”

“Congrats, Ruu, but I hope…” He looks directly at Ruhana.

“Ah! Please, Vineet, don’t say that I’m going the wrong way. Everyone has their own style and process for doing certain work. What I’m doing might be wrong for you, but it’s the right thing for me. I can’t back off now. I have my sister to look after; I can’t let her go through the pain and suffering I’ve been through,” Ruhana replies, her tone turning cold again.

“Ruhana, you—you’re not getting it,” he tries to say, but she interrupts him again.

“You’re not getting it, Vineet. Some things are better when done the wrong way. And yes, my pointers and offers were attractive enough to lure Mr. Kaushik, and now the deal is in my hands,” she says, glancing at him while he sighs.

“Anyway, I want you to meet someone.”
As Ruhana says this, a young girl walks out of her room and hugs her, telling her that she’s hungry. Vineet is stunned to see that it’s Aanya—the girl he talked to. Aanya looks up at him, and her face lights up with a knowing smile.

“You’re Vineet. You messaged me, right?” Aanya says, looking at him.

Ruhana is surprised, her gaze shifting between the two. “You’re Di’s friend, Vineet?” she asks.

Vineet smiles, his tone soft. “Actually, I was looking at your Facebook profile, Ruhana. I found Aanya’s presence all over it, so I messaged her. But she wasn’t here until this morning,” he says, gazing at Ruhana, amused that she hadn’t mentioned her sister.

“She’s studying fashion in Pune. She came this afternoon. I’ve been wanting to tell you about her, but I never got the time,” Ruhana smiles as she passes him a glass of water.

He sips the water slowly. “It’s alright, Ruhana. Sometimes, things happen in a way that we can’t do what we actually want to do,” he says, trying to comfort her.

“Yeah, anyway, let’s not waste any time. You know, we can talk a lot over food,” she chuckles.

“Haha! Di says so because she has time to talk to me only when we eat our meals,” Aanya chuckles, clinging to her sister.

“At least she talks to you, Aanya,” Vineet says, indirectly conveying to Ruhana that they need to talk—but she never gives him a chance.

Ruhana glances at Vineet. She knows his words were directed at her, but the reality is that she doesn’t want to open up to him.

Truly, there’s more to the story than she has told him. She doesn’t want to be vulnerable in front of anyone, even if it’s her childhood friend. She feels that if you show your weakness to people—be it friends or relatives—they always take advantage of it. She has been through a tough time and doesn’t want that to happen again.

She knows that Vineet will understand her and help her heal from it. But she doesn’t want to open up to him; right now, she feels he might leave her without knowing the full truth.

She waves off her thoughts, and the three of them sit down to have dinner. Vineet stares at the two sisters, who are talking and laughing, and he’s in awe of Ruhana’s laughter. She’s a completely different person right now.

He’s still wondering about the truth behind Ruhana’s changing demeanor, and now, he’s determined to find out.

To Be Continued.