How to Woo Your Bride

35| A Friendly Encounter

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." ― Oscar Wilde

Chapter 35: A Friendly Encounter

   "You had it all planned, didn't you?" Madhan scowled, dripping water on the mat at the entrance of the door.

   "What?" Riya asked, quite shocked. What could possibly have let him guess?

   "Why would you decide to clean the pool all of a sudden?"

   "I told you, I didn't like being cooped up at home."

   "I needn't have let all my gadgets in the car just to clean the pool. I wasn't going to get wet. Besides, my clothes are on the sofa, and you made hot chocolate."

   "Guilty as charged," Riya stuck her tongue out. She bent over to pick up the towel and threw it at Madhan. "Go change. You're going to catch a cold."

   "Your fault," Madhan said, bending over to pick his own clothes. He went into his room and shut the door.

   Riya took a sip, leaning on the living room wall. She waited patiently till Madhan came out with a towel over his neck, his hair still dripping wet.

   "Aren't you going dry it off?"

   Madhan sighed. "Yeah, but I'm feeling too weak."

   "I'm sorry," Riya said. She really was. "I saw a TV show and it mentioned that to calm someone down, you had to do something drastic to take their mind off of it. You were so agitated I didn't know what to do. And it felt worse since it was because of me."

   Madhan removed the towel from his neck and started wiping his hair. "That was very friendly of you," he said, quietly. "Thank you." Madhan's anger completely dissipated, and it was replaced with elation. He couldn't believe Riya would do something like that for him, albeit it was such a bizarre thing to do.

   Riya paused. It was something a friend would do. "It was friendly, wasn't it?"

   Madhan didn't comment. He continued to wipe his hair.

   "That makes us friends, doesn't it?" Riya hesitated.

   Madhan looked at Riya, stopping his hand midway. "I guess it does," he smiled.

   Madhan was so happy he didn't know what to say. He excused himself for a moment and rushed to his room, and the moment he closed the door, he fist pumped in the air. He took a minute to calm himself down, and came out. Riya was making him dinner.

   "Riya, I have something to do. Is it okay if I come back in fifteen minutes?"

   "Yeah sure," he heard her say, hearing the sound of something sizzling on a pan.

   Madhan pounded on Armaan's door.

   "I'm coming," Armaan shouted. He knew it was Madhan at the door. He got into a ninja position the moment he opened the door but was tackled by Madhan onto the floor anyway.

   "I still haven't forgiven you for what you said about Riya, but thank you," Madhan said, snuggling Armaan's chest.

   "Armaan, who wa- holy cow," Sheila exclaimed as she took in the sight in front of her. Armaan was lying with his back on the ground, with Madhan on top of him in a very compromising position.

   "I'll come back when you guys are done," Sheila said, chuckling at Armaan's expression, who was signaling her to help him get Madhan off of him.