Under The Clear Summer Sky

23 | makings of a plan

"I didn't wake you up today. Don't go to work (you'll probably be late in any case when you're reading this). Just take some time off today and heal. If you're going back to your apartment, I've kept the other pair of keys I have on the dining table. You can lock up.

I'm glad you confided in me, although you didn't have to. I feel like I'm back to being the good friend I was to you from before, for real now.

See you in the evening <3

- Anu."

Vineet frowned at the piece of paper. He pocketed it in his jacket's pocket and picked up the keys, scowling.

Good friend?

So...all this time, all the dinners only succeeded in letting her know that she was his good friend? Not that he wasn't happy about that. Damn right, she was his good friend. No, best friend. But he needed her in his life as something more.

His grandma's tips were clearly not working.

It was time to call in someone more skilled at this. Someone who was an expert in things like this.

He pulled out his phone, plopping down on his couch. 

"Well, well, well. Never thought the day that Vineet calls me by himself would arrive."

"..."

He wanted to hang up, already. Maya had that effect on everyone.

"So, what's up?"

"I need to woo Anu."

"So you have finally decided to do something you ought to have done from the start?"

"..."

He hung up.

Maya called again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. So, you need me to help?"

"Yes."

"I'll come to Pulan tomorrow and we can get the plan going in action. Here's what you need to do."

Maya went into detail about the sort of fictional pursuing scenes that Anu used to like a lot and what sort of male leads she likes. 

"Since she's never told me about her real life type, we can only go by this information. Clear?"

"Crystal."

A plan was formulated. The call lasted an hour before the two finally hung up, ready to get in action.

Vineet's head tipped back. Yesterday's events still weighed heavily on his mind. Anu was right. The problem was with his mom. There wasn't much he could do about that.

But what he could do was talk to his brother. Those were his priorities now. 

1) Make Anu his girlfriend.

2) Resolve things with his brother.

That evening, he picked up his brother from school. Shrest, a little surprised, got in the car, quietly.

"I'm sorry for saying that yesterday. I don't hate you."

"I know." Vineet rotated the steering wheel, turning to the left.

"I needed to talk to you. I needed to make make you understand some things you may not know."

Vineet told Shrest everything. From his childhood to the rebellion during college until the present. He kept nothing from Shrest.

Shrest's grip on his schoolbag had tightened. 

"So it wasn't just me?"

"It wasn't. I went through it too."

A pause.

"I'm sorry that it turned out this way. I had never intended to cut contact with you before. I only moved back to Pulan for you, grandma and Anu. I didn't want to miss out on more in your life and I wanted to help take care of grandma as well."

 Shrest nodded. "I got it."

It was silence for the rest of the ride.

"We're here." They were in front of their parent's house.

Shrest gazed outside the window, eyeing his house. "Can I stay with you?"

Vineet's head jerked towards his brother. "With me?"

"Yeah."

"I have no problem with it but mom will be worried-"

"I don't think she'll mind. She and father are planning on going on a trip. If I stay with you, she'll quite happy."

Vineet thought about it.

"I don't mind you staying with me."

Nina was very happy to hear that Shrest was going to stay with Vineet. She had reached the age where she wanted to explore the world more. Her concern about Shrest and his studies had gradually lessened. In any case, Shrest didn't pay her any mind. 

"In fact, if you don't mind, Vineet, Shrest can stay with you until the end of the schooling year. The school is closer to your house than mine. He wastes so much time in just travelling. He can utilize that time to work out that book we bought the other day-"

"Got it. He can move to my place."

Nina nodded, very happy.

In the end, that day, the two brothers carried all his luggage and suitcase to Vineet's house. They were moved in and arranged.

Anu helped as well, overjoyed at seeing the two brothers bond. It was awkward between the two, still but the relationship was improving.

She smiled to herself as she retreated to her apartment, that day. Things were going to be better between them. She was absolutely sure of it.

✿

word count: 825 words