We Are A Match [COMPLETED]

Chapter : Eleven

Chapter : 11

Ananya's POV

I can't believe I fell for it. Ravi is such a bastard. He had told me that we'll be going to Kabir's place and I agreed. How stupid of me to have believed that. Ravi actually brought me to Rishav's place!

I was planning on killing my brother once we got back home.

Now here I was, standing at the doorway of Rishav's bedroom, not even wanting to enter. I looked around at his room. There wasn't much to look at, though. A double bed with cleanly folded bedsheets, a small coffee table pushed to the corner of the room with a laundry basket over it, to the right was the study table over which Rishav and Kabir were seated, behind it was a window, to the right corner-side of the room was a wide open door which led to a small balcony. On one of the walls were pictures of varying sizes hung. Most of them included Rishav with Ravi and Kabir on the stadium grounds.

"Yo, sis? Come in now," Ravi called to me.

I took silent steps towards them and settled at the corner of the bed as Rishav started playing a tune. I won't deny that he played really well, but this didn't mean I was going to forget about his big ego. Any appreciation from me would only boost his overconfidence and, no thanks, I don't intend on entertaining this narcissist by any means.

My eyes landed on some notebook lying pathetically over the floor. As everyone was looking admiringly at Rishav, I picked up the notebook. Flipping the pages, I found it was the summary of the poem 'Fear No More'  by Shakespeare which I have read probably a hundred times and love the meaning behind those words. I was brought back to Earth when I heard Ravi wolf whistle at Rishav playing the guitar. Shaking my head, I stuffed the notebook into my bag.

Call me a thief? Nope.

Call me an angel who's here for help? Yep.

Reading the first few lines I knew how pathetic Rishav is in literature and I think he'll be happy to have some help from me in this assignment. And I hope that he realizes his mistake of calling me a 'brat'  and 'brown owl'  blah, blah and apologize to me. Call me selfish, I don't care.

Once Rishav ended, he didn't meet our eye. Instead, he just jumped off his desk and put the guitar aside, still not looking at us. I guessed he was never planning on playing in front of us and, now that he had, he didn't know how to respond.

Fiona broke the silence by standing up, out of the study chair. I couldn't help but glance at her long legs. Isn't her shorts too short? Unknowingly, my gaze turned to my own self. I was wearing a light purple Indian Kurti and a pair of leggings which covered my legs till the ankles. Am I not too conscious of my dress up?

I rolled my eyes when I caught Ravi checking out Fiona shamelessly. I can't believe I got him for a brother.

"Okay, I think we can get some air now? Let's go over to the Chinese place a few blocks from here," Kabir said as he got off the desk.

"Cool. Count me in," Ravi said and climbed off the bed, then he looked at me slyly.

Oh no. I see where this is going.

I just want to go back to my beloved bedroom and read the next few chapters of Me Before You. Why can't I just do that?

Ravi is such a-

"Count my sister in too. She loves Chinese," Ravi said.

I opened my mouth to protest but Fiona jumped into the idea and then I just sighed, giving up on the plans of finishing my book.

Then, all eyes turned to Rishav, who was frowning at them all.

"Please guys, you all go. I have got some things to wrap up before-" Rishav was saying.

"We'll take that as a yes!" Ravi interrupted Rishav and, slinging an arm around him, dragged Rishav out of the bedroom despite the death glare he earned.

***

It's been forever since I had been on these roads. It all felt so great. The neighborhood was just the same as I had last took notice of, years back. I think I would have enjoyed it all better if I wasn't sharing a ride with Rishav. He was driving his bike while I was behind him.

I was supposed to be sitting with Ravi but when Fiona asked for a ride to the Chinese place, Ravi took a look at her legs and nodded his head with a grin. That's my bro.

Kabir shared some space on Ravi's Enfield and seemed like Ravi didn't mind Fiona sticking to his back to give Kabir some space.

At one point of intersection on the road, Rishav gestured Ravi to take a left but Ravi stubbornly drove straight away. Rishav, shaking his head, took the left anyway. I sort of panicked since the route turned narrow and isolated. Even in the daylight, the narrow lane give me the creeps. Did I mention I am claustrophobic? No? Well, now you know.

I squeezed Rishav's shoulder tighter and, he may have sensed it, because his back tensed. He slowed down the bike to a halt and took off his helmet to look at me through the reflection on the side mirror of his bike.

Why can't we just cross this lane as fast as possible? Did he have to check on me in here? I'm claustrophobic for God's sake!

"You okay? I could take the longer route if you say," he said.

"What?" I asked, clueless.

"You know, this is the shorter way, and Ravi and I often prefer this one. But I guess it's the Fiona-effect that he wanted a longer route." Rishav smirked.

"No... It's just that... I hate tight spaces. Let's just get past this lane quickly," I said, finding it difficult to stay composed with every passing moment.

His smirk dropped instantly as my words processed. "Oh, okay." Rishav said and quickly got back to riding the bike out of the lane.

Once we were out, I released a breath I had been holding onto. My grip over his shoulder loosened and I felt relieved.

It sucks to have claustrophobia.

"Didn't know a girl like you was scared of narrow places." Rishav laughed to himself as he parked the bike outside the restaurant.

"I'm not scared of- oh never mind." I gave up on the idea of bickering with him because I was too exhausted.

Maybe Rishav sensed it because he kept his mouth shut after taking a look at me.