Ummeed (Raichand Siblings Saga-Book 1)

29- Trying & Trusting

Rishi was continuously sneaking glances of Meher. Meanwhile, she was lost in her own world of constants and variables. Algebra was so her cup of tea!

"Well did you get the answer? You have been doing the same question since past 5 minutes!"

"Listen to yourself! Just 5 minutes." She said annoyed. She hated it when someone interrupted her in deep musings. Especially when the musings weren't leading her anywhere! Rishi rolled his eyes. This was a classic sign of her being stuck in a question!

"You gotta use the formula of last exercise in this one. You won't get anywhere with the formula you are using." Rishi said as a matter of fact.

Meher's brows furrowed. Now that he pointed it out, she felt that it was quite obvious. She quickly scribbled down the solution and grumbled irritatedly,

"They should have given it in the last exercise then!"

"Yeah right! They'll mention the exercise in the exam." He said with a smirk. Meher showed him her tongue and got up to leave.

"Mehu baith na." Rishi said. Meher gave him a questioning look but he just gave her a big smile in return. Meher sat down wondering if her Bhaiyu had lost it.

Rishi took out a chocolate from his pocket and handed it to her. A big smile bloomed on her face. Chocolate had seemed like a foreign concept ever since she came to live with them. The only chocolate she got when she demanded for one had been dark chocolate which she hated with a passion. But this was milk chocolate. Her mouth watered and she took it from his hands.

Rishi mentally patted himself for thinking of this. She was just a child, afterall. Things like this could easily make her happy and in that mood, he could easily force out some answers. He just had to play his cards the right way now!

Rishi- "So Missy! School kaisa chal Raha hai?"

Meher- "Jaisa humesha chalta hai..boringggg!"

Rishi- "Tujhe yeh school kuch zyada hi boring nahi lagta? Tera Dehradun wala school zyada accha tha kya?"

Meher- "Nooo! This school and this city is way better, Bhaiyu. A new place is always exciting!"

Rishi- "You know I completed the last two years of my graduation in London. I wanted to explore and Bhaiya wasn't happy but he agreed at last."

Meher interested - "Really? That would have been so exciting!"

Rishi smiled sadly and shook his head. "I was 17 back then. I thought how hard could it be? Once I reached there I knew exactly how hard it was! I felt so out of place that I cried myself to sleep every single night." he told her. His first year in London marked the darkest phase of his teenage.

Meher felt sad hearing this. She knew exactly how feeling out of place impacted someone. She leaned closer to him and put her head on his chest. Rishi looked down and put his arm around her.

Meher- "Phir?"

Rishi- "I came home for many semester breaks and spring break. But the break before the start of new term was when I confessed everything to Bhaiya. I wanted to stay back home now. But this time Bhaiya didn't agree."

Meher frowned. Her Bhaiya always understood then. Him not agreeing to this surprised and somewhere angered her. "Why?"

Rishi chuckled. "That was my exact question! Pehle toh unhone mujhe lamba chauda lecture diya. But then samjhaya ki I can't always run away from my fears." he closed his eyes in remembrance. Arjun had given him a reality check back then. He had been broken after that 'incident'. Arjun had wanted to comfort him but in return Rishi had cut all times from them for one whole year.