Under The Clear Summer Sky

7 | chocolate or vanilla

10 years ago.

In a flash, misterms had arrived. Anu was writing the last ever midterm examination of her schooling. The last paper was physics. 

Thanks to Vineet, she was quite confident. She felt like she had mastered the concepts that she was being tested for.

The teachers passed the question paper and answer sheets. Anu glanced over the questions in the question paper.

Oh, this was going to be a good paper.

Anu waited outside the block, a huge grin on her face. Maya, who had informed her with a sour face that her exam hadn't gone well, had gone to cheer herself up with ice cream from the cafeteria. She had also shoo-ed away Anu, citing that Anu could spend time with her boyfriend. 

Anu had rolled her eyes at that. 

Vineet emerged out, a bag slung on his shoulder and the question paper in his hand. His countenance swung from side to side before spotting Anu and hurrying over to her.

"The paper went so well!" Anu nearly jumped in excitement. 

Anu's joy was contagious. Vineet felt himself grinning as well, "I'm glad to hear that. We'll discuss the paper at home."

It turned out Anu's exam hadn't gone mistakes free. She was losing 5 marks. But it was still progress from how her previous examinations had turned out.

Anu was sprawled out on the table. After 15 days of tireless working, the exams were finally over. She felt like her bones were about to melt. Vineet packed away the question paper.

Anu caught sight of origami paper on Shrest's table. 

"Your brother does origami?"

Vineet raised his eyebrows, zipping up his bag. "Origami? What's that?"

The sound of crickets could be heard.

Anu stared at him. Vineet stared back.

"How do you not know what origami is?"

Then, Anu realized. He hadn't really gone to school. If he had, he would have had a chance to learn origami and other crafts during the art classes.

"Come, I'll show you how to make a paper plane. It's the first step to learning origami."

Anu began folding the paper and Vineet followed her instructions. After 4-5 times of repeating the procedure, Vineet had gotten a hang of it. 

"This is pretty fun."

Anu beamed. "I'll teach how to make other stuff next time." 

A glance at her watch, "I need to go now. See you tomorrow." 

She rushed out to get home and report to her mom the good news.

Vineet watched as she left. His gaze returned to the paper plane. He re-opened what he had made. He pulled out his pen from his pouch.

He wrote words in it and folded it back into a plane.

He smiled to himself.

10 years ago.

"Let me treat you to ice cream!" Anu said, as she packed away her books. The tutoring session was over.

"Ah, I can't have ice cream today. I have an Olympiad exam in a week."

Anu groaned. "It's so hot. You won't catch a cold. Just come and eat ice cream. The parlor next to our apartment is really good."

Vineet was a bit hesitant. "But how do I convince my mom? She wouldn't agree."

Anu blinked. "It's in situations like this that you lie, Vineet." She held out a palm, stopping him before he says anything else. "Just watch me."

Valiantly, she marched out of the room. He followed behind her. Nina was cooking in the kitchen.

"Auntie!"

"Is your session over?"

"Yes! I'll leave earlier today. Maya invited me to go to a CIT Professor's seminar."

Nina's head jerked up. "CIT Professor?"

"Yes, auntie. It's being conducted online. I thought I'd go over to her house and watch."

Nina glanced at Vineet. Anu hid her triumphant smirk. "Shall I...take Vineet along with me as well? I'm sure it'll help him as well."

Nina nodded immediately. "Of course, Of course."

Anu nodded at Vineet, "Come along."

As they left the house, Anu explained in a loud voice, "The CIT Professor is very celebrated, it appears. Many of the students who attended the seminar, followed his advice and got into CIT."

Nina's eyes practically glittered, as she trudged behind them.

"Vineet, go listen to the seminar very carefully, alright?"

Vineet nodded, righteously.

Anu and Vineet silently and solemnly waved at Nina and got into the elevator.

A pause.

Anu held out her palm for a hi-fi. Vineet smacked it and laughed his heart out. "How in the world are you this good at lying?"

"It comes from years of experience."

 Maya, Vineet and Anu went to an Ice cream parlor and stayed there for nearly an hour, chatting about various different topics.

Anu discovered that Vineet was a devoted chocolate lover and considered cutting off the friendship, she herself being a vanilla lover. Maya, who loved both chocolate and vanilla mediated the debate between chocolate and vanilla.

In the end, the very persuasive Anu won the debate, establishing among the three of them that Vanilla was the best flavor.

When he returned home, his mother immediately flocked to him. "How was the seminar?"

 Vineet coughed. "It was very informative."

 Informative on whether Chocolate and Vanilla was better.

His mother nodded. "Good, keep in mind everything that the professor said, alright?"

Vineet nodded. 

He still thought chocolate was better.

✿

word count: 920 words

[behind the scenes]
Nina: Anu is such a nice child. Inviting Vineet along to the seminar, what a kind child.

a/n: 
vanilla is literally the best ice-cream flavor and no one can convince me otherwise. what's your favorite ice cream flavor?
ps. cit is basically iit.